The 21-year-old Ragan trains with his fellow elite squad members in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which is a long way from his home and daughter in Cincinnati.
“It is difficult being away from her,” Ragan admitted, “but she motivates me. I’m boxing for our future.”
Ragan’s future in boxing is bright. He is the No. 1 bantamweight in the United States, who plans to cash-out after the 2020 Olympics in Japan.
Although he had his first amateur match when he was seven, Ragan was practically born to box, evident by pictures of him as an infant wearing baby boxing gloves. His father and coach, Derek “Duke” Ragum, who named his son with his own nickname, had a lot of friends who were boxers. When Duke’s older brother by six years, Lewis Walker, trained at their uncle Sean Singleton‘s gym, young Duke was being trained in the house by his father.
“I played other sports when I was young, but I didn’t in high school,” Ragan said. “My father started training me when I was six and a year later, I was at the gym training and sparring. I didn’t want to play any sports other than boxing.”
Ragan has a 151-19 registro amador, highlighted by his silver-medal performance at the 2017 Campeonatos mundiais. He captured gold at the 2016 & 2018 Campeonato Nacional de elite, qualifying him for the 2020 Olympic Trials for Boxing, as well as at the 2016 National Golden Gloves Championships.
In addition to winning a silver medal at the 2017 Campeonatos mundiais, Ragan has been successful in other International competition, taking top honors at the 2017 Taça Química, runner-up at the 2018 Presidents Cup, and third place finishes in the 2017 Continental Championships and 2019 Pan American Qualifier in Nicaragua. In the latter tournament, Ragan lost in the semifinals to Ecuadorian Jean Caicedo, 3-2, to qualify for the Pan-American Games, Julho 27 in Lima, Peru.
Ragan is looking forward to avenging his controversial loss to Caicedo at the Pan-American Games. “I was the No. 1 seed at the Pan American Qualifier, and I think I’ll be the No. 1 seed at the Pan American Games,” Ragan commented. “I think I got a bad decision in the semifinals. There will be some good competition at the Pan American Games, but nobody for me to worry about.”
Self-described as a pure boxer who enjoys moving around the ring snapping jabs, Ragan also has sufficient power to put opponents to sleep. He wants to become part of Cincinnati’s rich boxing history, which has produced all-time greats such as Aaron Pryor,Ezzard Charles, Adrian Broner, Rau'shee Warren e Tim Austin, entre outros.
“Pryor e Charles encaixotado na mesma comunidade onde cresci,” Ragan observou. “Eu realmente não fiz nada ainda, mas seria legal ser campeão do mundo como eles.”
EUA Boxe tem desempenhado um papel importante na vida do jovem Ragan e, se ele começa seu desejo, ele vai continuar a ser, pelo menos, mais um ano ou assim. “Meu foco principal é 2020, Eu vou preocupar com se tornar profissional, depois que,” ele observou. “boxe amador me trouxe um longo caminho. Eu sou mais disciplinado, melhor focalizado, e um boxeador muito mais inteligente. Eu tenho um QI de boxe superior. Eu também tive que aprender a fazer sacrifícios, porque eu tenho que ser um homem para dar tempo para minha filha. Tudo isso está me preparando para ser um profissional.
Ragan has traveled around the world as a Team USA boxer having been to Germany and Kazakhstan (twice apiece), Polônia, Bulgaria and Nicaragua. Em última análise, Duke Ragan wants to continue representing his country and traveling all over the world, esperançosamente, booking a trip to Tokyo next year.
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