Dragons Support Local Boxer Chris Pearson in Debut

DAYTON, OH - Trotwood's Chris Pearson will make his professional boxing debut on Saturday, November 26th at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. Pearson, a middleweight, completed his amateur career by winning the main event at Fifth Third Field in Dayton on August 12th. He will battle Steven Chadwick of Jacksonville, Florida on November 26th.

Tickets range from $28.00-$128.00 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets including Miami Valley Kroger stores or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Ticket sales begin Tuesday, October 25 at 10:00 a.m.

HBO's "Boxing after Dark" will air select bouts from the card on that night.

Last month, Pearson, 21, signed with legendary boxing manager Al Haymon, whose stable of fighters is headlined by Floyd Mayweather Jr., the undefeated WBC World Welterweight champion. Pearson elected to turn pro after narrowly missing on efforts to qualify for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team when he lost in the Olympic trials in August.

Local boxing authority Tom Archdeacon has called Pearson the Miami Valley's most promising fighter since Springfield's Davey Moore, who held the World Featherweight title from 1959-'63.

Pearson was a football and basketball star at Trotwood-Madison High School and was recruited by Division I universities in both sports. He was raised by a single father, Milton Pearson, who owns Prime Performance Boxing in Trotwood and guided Chris through his amateur career. Milton Pearson trained his son until the age of 11, when according to Milton, "his talent outgrew my coaching ability" and Chris began working with local trainers Ron Daniels and Craig Thurman. Daniels will be in Pearson's corner on November 26th.

Pearson first gained national attention in boxing circles when he won the 2011 U.S. National Amateur Middleweight Championship. He has battled four former Olympic boxers, posting a 4-0 record in those fights. In 2009, Pearson won the 165 lbs. class at the Ringside World Championships in Kansas City, beating two former Olympians in the process.

The Dayton Dragons have hosted two boxing events at Fifth Third Field, and Pearson has been the winner of the main event at both. In addition to winning his final amateur fight on August 12, 2011, he brought the crowd to its feet at the home of the Dragons with a victory on September 17, 2010.