Jarrett Hurd: New Coach, New Mindset
On Saturday, January 25, former unified super welterweight champion Jarrett “Swift” Hurd (23-1, 16 KO’s) makes his return to the ring following his only career defeat. There at the Barclay’s Center, located in Brooklyn, New York, Swift will face the challenge of Francisco “Chia” Santana (25-7-1, 12 KO’s) in a bout to air live on SHOWTIME.
NEW COACH, OLD TACTICS
When Hurd slides through the ropes for the notable bout, he will do so sporting his new trainer Coach Kay Koroma. After suffering his lone professional loss to Julian “J-Rock” Williams (27-2-1, 16 KO’s), Hurd and his former chief second, Ernesto Rodriguez, came to a gloomy fork in the road. Finding it impossible to come to a common game plan for the future, the two decided to part ways.
Shortly after dissolving this long-standing partnership, Hurd linked up with Kay Koroma. So far, the melodic Maryland bruiser has been thrilled with the work that they have put in together. During his tenure with coach Rodriguez, Swift felt as if their focus had drifted from the fundamentals of the sport.
Under Rodriguez, Hurd felt as if too much time and energy was placed into his stamina and bulldozing his opponents. With Coach Kay, there was more focus on the basics of boxing. Hurd feels reinvigorated now that they have returned to the ABC’s of the sport as he explained on PBC on FOX.
“Well you know with my previous trainer we focused a lot on my engine, getting through twelve rounds hustling, being explosive, and we kind of didn’t pay as much attention to the fundamentals.
And I can tell with Kay Koroma he is very strict about that. You know, when you fire with one hand, make sure the other is back for defense and not just making sure you get the shot off. When you punch, being off the line when you punch, working behind the jab to get inside instead of just walking inside.
It’s a lot things like that that he is very strict on and he pays a lot of attention to. So, that is mainly what I mean when I say he works on fundamentals.”
NO MORE ROCK ‘EM SOCK ‘EM ROBOTS
With the new adjustments, Hurd is able to more clearly evaluate the style that he had been using. At one point, he was thrilled to be the rough and tumble competitor that he was.
During that period, Hurd was delighted to have been involved in so many Fight of the Year candidates. Now, Swift looks upon his former brawling ways with a good measure of disdain. The old method was mostly centered round trying to simply out-will and out-muscle his opponents. Swift now wants to use a great deal more finesse and craft.
“You know in my previous fights I always told myself I was happy that I was in these Fight of the Year candidates each and every year. But when I sit down and think about it, in order to be in the Fight of the Year, that means the fight has to be back and forth.
And you know, I’m not too fond of having back and forth fights each and every time. I want these fights to be one-sided, for me to dominate the entire fight. So I don’t to start slow and play catch-up, I want to dominate the entire fight.”
It will be very telling to see what style Hurd utilizes on January 25. Particularly, whether he’ll able to fight the more measured and tactical fight that he wants to. Regardless of the outcome 3kingsboxing will be there to cover the fight and its aftermath.
By: Bakari Simpson
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