LAFAYETTE
- Bobby Aucoin may not be a household name in the world of professional
boxing, but if the 25-year-old Scott native has his way, that
could all change.
Aucoin, a highly-successful amateur, announced here
Tuesday that he is leaving the amateur ranks to fight professionally.
Aucoin will make his professional debut as a lightweight on Sept. 26 at the
Pontchartrain Center in Kenner as part of a six-bout card that will also showcase
New Iberia’s Barry Robertson.
“I am very excited to be making
my professional debut in Louisiana,” said Aucoin. “I
felt I had all the experience I need to turn pro and I am very
confident because I have the best boxing team behind me that
I could get.”
That boxing team begins with manager/promoter Kerry
Daigle of Opelousas.
“I have been out of pro boxing
for 10 years now and Bobby is the reason I’m back,” said
Daigle. “We feel that Bobby is going to bring a lot of
excitement back to Louisiana and back to Cajun Country’.
Daigle has promoted nationally-televised fights in
Louisiana on the USA Network and ESPN and has worked with top boxing
veterans like Peyton Sher, matchmaker and event co-coordinator
with Don King Productions.
Aucoin joins the professional ranks after an 11-year
amateur career with over 80 fights under his belt. His jab and
devastating body punches scored him over 50 wins in the amateur
ranks with many coming by way of knockout.
Aucoin’s chief trainer and trainer consultant
is John Stutes, Sr. Stutes is known world wide in the boxing profession
and has trained and worked with the likes of Oscar De La Hoya,
Sugar Shane Mosely, Shelton Leblanc and Daryl Sampy.
Stutes has been training fighters for five decades and
has developed more national champions in the amateurs than any
other trainer in Louisiana. He is a member of the National Golden
Gloves Hall of Fame.
“I have been working with Bobby
for 10 years now and he has all the tools to become a great pro
fighter,” said Stutes. “It’s great to work
with a kid like Bobby and we are going to take good care of him.”
Aucoin’s assistant trainer is Shelton Leblanc
of Carencro. Leblanc also had a successful amateur and pro career.
He was a Golden Gloves Champion, a National Sugar Ray Leonard Golden
Gloves Champion, and was rated in the top ten in the world as a
lightweight contender in the professional ranks. Shelton is now
40 years old and still spars 10 rounds a day with fighters regularly.
“Bobby really punches hard for a guy his size. I’m just ready to
get his career started and get him some opponents because I’m tired of
getting beat up,” said Leblanc.
Aucoin and his well-put-together team have teamed up
with boxing promoter and owner of Kingfish Boxing, Anna Beth Goodman
of New Orleans. Goodman is the wife of famed actor John Goodman
and has a deep interest in Aucoin and bringing world class boxing
back to Louisiana.
“I am very proud of Bobby and
his accomplishments and look forward to seeing him on our show.
Kingfish boxing is something that is very important to me and
I am very proud of that.”
Goodman’s company puts on monthly boxing events
at the Pontchartrain Center in New Orleans and is negotiating with
top cable companies to televise these events.
Also on hand for the announcement was Hazel Myers,
Mayor of Scott.
“We are all very proud of Bobby in the city of
Scott and we wish him nothing but the best in his pro career,” said
Myers.
Myers read a proclamation that declared Tuesday, Sept.
17, 2002 Bobby Aucoin Day in the city of Scott and presented him
with a key to the city.
Aucoin, who won his first amateur fight in 1991 by
way of knockout, says his fighting style is better suited to the
pro ranks.
“The scoring system is different in the amateurs,” said Aucoin. “Power
shots and knockdowns don’t always mean you will win the fight. Your opponent
can land a bunch of little shots and still score.”
Aucoin’s achievements in the amateurs give him
plenty of confidence as he begins his professional boxing career.
“All my life, I wanted to be
a world champion. I used to watch boxing with my dad when I was
little and my goal when I started in the sport was to one day
become a champion,” said Aucoin.
Combining his world-class team of managers and trainers
with his exceptional boxing abilities, Aucoin could soon be a name
recognized not only to boxing fans in South Louisiana but to pro
boxing fans all over the world.
Crowley Post Signal • 602 North
Parkerson Avenue • Crowley, LA
Ph: 337-783-3450 • Fax: 337-788-0949
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