The Rise and Fall of The Beast, Baltimore Middleweight Jessie Nicklow
Editorial By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
In January 2016, the career of Baltimore, Maryland middleweight and super middleweight Jessie ‘The Beast’ Nicklow will have spanned 36 professional bouts at age 28, which represents hard core experience. Despite being a bit short at 5’9”, Nicklow’s career got off to an electric start in January of 2006, going undefeated in his first 20 pro contests, winning 19 and drawing one.
The going got rougher for Nicklow from December 2008 onward, when he lost an eight round rematch to George Rivera. Nicklow has won only six of his last 16 contests, including losing six of his last nine bouts, and losing five of his most recent six bouts.
So what happened?
During his career, Nicklow fought rematches with Matt Berkshire, Anthony Little, George Rivera, and Scott Sigmon, winning the first two and losing the next two. Fourth round stoppage to contender Fernando Guerrero (TKO by 4) and former and future world middleweight champion Jermaine Taylor (TKO by 8) apparently did the most damage, as Nicklow had never been stopped before these bouts. Nicklow’s limited height and reach caught up with him against bigger world class opponents, rather than the ‘B’ level opponents who had been the hallmark of Nicklow’s career to that point.
Losses to Scott Sigmon (TKO by 10), Ryota Murata (Lose 10), Ronald Gavril (Lose 8), and Sergiy Derevyanchenko (TKO by 3) reduced Nicklow to more than journeyman status. Rather, these losses exposed how the shorter fighter is at a keen disadvantage against rising prospects, contenders, and world ranked challengers.
This reporter was at 2300 Arena in May 2015 when Nicklow lost an eight round decision to 13-3 Decarlo Perez in Philadelphia. Nicklow hung tough and survived punishment, but could win only one round against an opponent he would have beaten five years earlier despite putting up a good accounting of himself in an exciting fight.
Nicklow’s wins have all come in his native Maryland, as well as the District of Columbia and North Carolina. However, Nicklow has lost in California, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Japan. Unlike Winky Wright and Glen Johnson, fighters like Nicklow, when not protected by hometown judges, promoter and venue, cannot buy a win on the road no matter how well they perform. It’s that simple.
Nicknamed ‘The Beast’, Nicklow had an amateur record of 55-6, and has a career pro record of 25-8-3 with eight knockouts. While Nicklow may fight a few more times, his promising career is essentially over. How that the middleweight and super middleweight divisions are easy for anybody trying to make a go of it as a professional boxer. Like all divisions, 160 and 168 pounds remain highly competitive. Nicklow’s career probably peaked at the time he fought George Rivera of Virginia twice. Nicklow was 19-0-1 at the time he lost an eight round decision to the 8-3 Rivera in a competitive prospects rematch in.
COMMENTS
English