Danbury, Connecticut is a special place, filled with hardworking people. The people of the Hat City are people who follow their dreams and expect to achieve something in life. In a city brimming with talent and ambition, one young man stands out above the rest: Fernelly Ferris Jr.
Fernelly is a 27-year-old undefeated professional boxer (8-0) with big ambitions both in his athletic career and for life after boxing. I had heard about him for a long time and everyone who knew him told me I needed to talk to him.
I met Fernelly. The ultimate rock tribute experience We met with him at Danbury Ice Arena on Saturday and requested an interview, which he agreed to. Here are three of our favorite moments from our conversation.
Lou: What are your goals in life?
Fernelly: “I don't want to buy a Lamborghini or own a big mansion. Honestly, I want to build a youth center for the kids of Danbury. This has been a dream of mine since I was young. I have a heart for young people. I want it to be a free facility; a facility that kids who can't afford facilities can use for free. The facility will have a music studio, a film studio, a small boxing gym, basketball courts, a little bit of everything. This is definitely my life's dream and I won't stop until I get there.”
Lu: Let's talk a little bit about your father. He was a professional fighter. Tell us about your father.
Fernelly: “My dad is a legend. To me he is a legend. He is everything to me, the perfect role model. He had a great career, he was a top contender, he fought big fighters, he was in big fighters' camps. He always took me to the gym. I've been watching him since I was a baby, I watched him go to the gym and I absorbed everything that boxing is about. My dad is an amazing man.”
Fernelly Ferris Jr. (with permission)
Lou: When did you realize you wanted to do the same thing as your dad?
Fernelly: “It's amazing. My dad and AJ (Galante) opened Champs. There was this idea of Champs Boxing Club and I was always at the gym, I was training, but I never really took it seriously. One day I talked to my dad and I said I want to do this. I was about 19 and AJ was always good at spotting talent, so he had a meeting with me. My dad said I should fight in the amateurs and I was like, 'Sure, I'll try it.' My dad put on the Golden Gloves for my first fight and put me in a big tournament. My first amateur fight he said, 'Don't do any club shows, go straight to the Golden Gloves.' I was like, 'Dad, let me get my feet wet.' But two weeks before that, my dad said he didn't want me to do this and he put the gloves on me in the gym and said, 'OK? I'm going to spar with you.' He tried me and hit me hard in the forehead and I was like, 'Dad, what are you doing?'” So I got a little pissed and I ended up punching him in the nose. From that moment on, he said, 'This kid is going to be a champion, he has it.'”
Photo: Lou Milano
Listen to our entire two-part interview with Fernely Feliz Jr. below.
Part 1 – We talked about Fernelly's dream of acting on the big screen, the size of his father's hands, his final crushing victory, and the art of promoting a fight.
part 2 – We talked about Fernelly's month in Puerto Rico training with Jake Paul, the legitimacy of Jake's boxing skills, and who would win the Tyson vs. Paul fight.
In the studio with Fernelly 1
In the studio with Fernelly 2
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