Gunn Jr. Gearing up for Pro Debut!

Hackensack, NJ (February 3, 2014) – As somebody who’s been around the sport of boxing since he was an infant, those who know him would already refer to 18-year-old junior middleweight Bobby Gunn Jr. a boxing lifer.

The son of a fighter whom he shares a name with, Gunn Jr. showed promising skills the very first time he put on a pair of gloves. However, on September 16, 2006, Gunn Jr’s passion for boxing was at an unstoppable high when he witnessed his father stop 76 fight veteran Shannon Landberg to capture the IBA cruiserweight title.

“As much as I wanted to keep him away from the sport, I knew right away that he had a lot of talent,” said the elder Gunn, who fought Thomas Adamek, Glen Johnson, James Toney and Enzo Maccarinelli before retiring in December 2013. “Even after I won my belt and he was heavily obsessed boxing, I tried to gear him towards other sports and hobbies. The problem was he always insisted on coming to the gym with me. A sport like this takes a lot of dedication and kids are always trying new things. To my surprise, he stuck with it and now he’s sparring with the pros and looks like a million bucks in the gym.”

Gunn Jr had a good amateur background but knew the pinnacle of his success wouldn’t be with headgear on so he decided to focus on getting ready for the paid ranks.

To get ready for his first professional bout, Gunn Jr’s been training in Jersey City, NJ under the tutelage of highly- respected Roger Bloodworth. Bloodworth, who trained four world champions including Tomasz Adamek and Fernando Vargas, is impressed with what he’s seen.

“He’s a very young fighter with really good power,” said Bloodworth. “I think he can become a good boxer and he’s a quick learner. I also think he’s mature enough to handle the pressure of having a father that was a good pro. The biggest thing is (to take our time because even in three years) he’s only going to be 21.”

In 1989, Bloodworth trained a talented young fighter a fighter that turned pro as a teenager. The fighter went on to win a world title and Bloodworth believes Gunn Jr. has ability to do the same.

“I had a kid that came out of the amateurs at 17 named Eddie Hobson that turned pro when he was still in high school. He had all the talent in the world and won a world title when he was 24. Even though they’re different fighters stylistically, I think Bobby Jr. has the same level of potential that Eddie did and he should do great things in the pros.”

Gunn Jr., who is managed by his father, will debut in March or April. More information will be available shortly.