This time last year, we shared the comeback story of boxer Maliek Montgomery. He's was the first amateur boxer in Macon to ever win the Golden Gloves Championship twice, but he's not the only one in his family with quick hands and feet. His two brothers, Michael Jr. and Mikhail, are also title-winning boxers. Our Yvonne Thomas caught up with the Montgomery brothers to talk about the next step in their careers.
Quick jabs, blow by blow. The Montgomery Brothers are training harder than they ever have. “It's a lot more intense... We're putting in more hours,” said Michael Montgomery Jr.
Because the next time each boxer steps into the ring, he'll fight as a professional and not an amateur. “You work with lighter gloves... and of course you fight without a shirt and the head gear,” said Maliek Montgomery. “That's the difference between pro's and amateurs... This is a job now,” said Mikhail Montgomery.
The Montgomery boys signed with Witness Sports Management, and will eventually travel to Las Vegas for camps and more training. “We never thought that we would all go pro at the same time, under the same management, with the same manager. For all three of us to end up together, it's a blessing,” said Michael Montgomery Jr.
From competing for a spot in the 2016 Olympics to winning the Golden Gloves Championship as amateurs, the trio says they're ready to shake up the league with a ‘can't stop, won't stop’ attitude. “You can't just be a top amateur,” said Mikhail Montgomery. “After that, you have to be a top pro. After you're a top pro, then a world champion. You can’t just stop and say, 'I did enough.'” “Sometimes it's early mornings and late nights, but it's work and you're working,” said Maliek Montgomery. “You'll get out of this sport what you put in.”
Because when you’re in the ring, you have to go the distance, and the Montgomery brothers say they're hungry for another knockout.
The Montgomery brothers are still training with their father Michael Montgomery Sr, a former professional boxer. Both Maliek and Michael Jr. have pro records of 1-0. Their younger brother Mikhail says he's anxious to get back into the ring.