Photo by Hogan Photos
On June 30, 2015, Golden Boy Promotions returns to Philadelphia with a Golden Boy Live card featuring a host of undefeated east coast prospects. One of the fighters on the card is D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard (9-0, 8 KOs), who is currently undefeated and will be making his national television debut on Fox Sports 1/Fox Deportes.
Ballard will be featured in an eight-round bout as the co-main event for the card which will be held in Philadelphia at the 2300Arena.
During a recent phone interview, I spoke with Ballard about his transition from a decorated amateur star, to a professional boxer on the big stage. We also touched base on his upcoming opponent Josue Ovando (13-5, 10 KOs). This is what the light heavyweight prospect had to say.
Round By Round Boxing: D’Mitrius, how excited are you knowing that you will be fighting on your very first nationally televised card ?
D’Mitrius Ballard: I am very excited to be the co-main event on the big stage, it is a very humbling experience for me and I honestly can’t wait.
RBRBoxing: Now that you have been a pro fighter for two years, who or what can you say was your biggest inspiration to start boxing?
DB: I had a lot of support from my family and friends growing up, I constantly worked hard because I knew it would pay off and seeing their support further inspired me to reach my goals.
RBRBoxing: You had a beautiful amateur career, winning five ringside world championship titles and four national PAL titles, just to mention a few. What would you say, if any, was the hardest transition from the amateur’s to the pro level of boxing?
DB: Well, in the amateur’s I fought for fun, I was intrigued by the competition from all over the world. When I turned pro, it was no longer about having fun, it means collecting belts. I had to learn a lot about the business side to boxing and what it meant to be on the big stage.
RBRBoxing: So on June 30 you will be taking that big stage, and you will be facing 25-year-old Josue Ovando, hailing out of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, who will also be making his U.S. debut on the night. What measures has your team been taking in preparation for this fight?
DB: We have been training very hard for this fight, keeping intensity in the gym at an all-time high, making sure we are agile and can go all rounds if we have to in order to execute our game plan conclusively.
RBRBoxing: You have effectively knocked out eight of your previous nine opponents, bringing your KO rate to an impressive 89 percent. Should fight fans anticipate another KO victory from you on Tuesday night?
DB: If all goes as planned and I can execute my trainers game plan we should be all good. We know he is the more experienced fighter with 19 pro fights and that he packs some power. Actually that is all I know about my opponent aside from the fact that he is Mexican. However, we will be looking to close the show regardless.
RBRBoxing: Are there any words you would like to share with your opponent Josue Ovando?
DB: [Laughing] GOOD LUCK is all I can say.
RBRBoxing: That’s fair enough, D’Mitrius. I want to wish you and your team the best of luck, thank you for your time and I’ll be looking forward to an exciting card for June 30.
DB: Thank you.
Round By Round Boxing will be covering all of the action live on Tuesday, June 30, 2015, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. D’mitrius Ballard will be taking on Josue Ovando in an eight-round fight, as well as fellow NoXcuse Boxing Gym member Lamont Roach Jr.(7-0, 3 KOs) taking on Christian Santibanez (3-4, 2 KOs) in a six-round clash.
Headlining the event will be undefeated light heavyweight, Vyacheslav Shabranskyy(13-0, 11 KOs) out of Ukraine. Make sure to tune in to Fox Sports 1/Fox Deportes starting at 8:00 pm, EST.
Header photo edit by Keystone Boxing
