FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Move over Rocky, there's a new contender with his eye on a future title; and he's right here in Southwest Florida.
Brian Cannady, Jr. has had his eye on the prize ever since his grandma took him to the Stars Complex in Fort Myers for events like ‘Gloves, Not Guns.’
"It's something for the kids to do to stay out of trouble and give them another outlet," says Larry Willis of Team Willis Boxing.
Videos chow Coach Willis training Brian, making sure his form is perfect, punch after punch.
"It's a lot of training, making sure I come to the gym every day and keep myself in shape," says Cannady.
He can be found at Team Willis Boxing 6 days a week, where Coach Willis and him have been sparring for 12 years. "He was dedicated to a certain extent, but so was his brother. But I didn't think that he would be where he's at now. The last three years a spark went off and he's like, 'Coach, I want to go to the next level'," says Willis.
That’s when Brian realized he was going to lace up his gloves and fight for his dream. "I wasn't looking at it like a career until high school. That's when I looked at it and knew I had to take it a lot more serious, and that it might take me around the world."
Coach Willis saying you have to fight for your dreams. "Whatever you are gonna do in life, you got to practice, dedicate yourself and be the best you are going to be. But if you don't try or put forth the effort it's not going to happen."
Brian will be making his professional debut in Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday, November 17th.
