The sweet science

Published 12:30 am Monday, October 8, 2018

A pair of Iberia Boxing Club fighters are headed out of state this week as Noah Lacoste and Travonta Johnson are headed off to national boxing tournaments this week with visions of their futures in what has been called ‘The Sweet Science.’

Lacoste is headed to Las Vegas to fight against a Top Rank foe and Johnson is going to Chattanooga, Tennessee, for a chance to fight in the national championships later on.

Both Lacoste, 33, and Johnson, 22, have been boxing for a few years and both fell in love with the sport almost right away.

“I’ve been doing it off and on since I was 12,” said Lacoste. “For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to box. It’s been in my mind since I was a little child.

“I’ve been in and out of it since I was an adolescent and now that I’m older and I’m a boat captain, I can work when I want and get to do this in my off time.”

Lacoste admits that he’s a little older than most boxers getting into the game but he sees it differently.

“I’ve always heard that about age, but I feel that I’m in my prime,” he said.

Lacoste is going to fight on the undercard for a boxing night that features as the main event the middleweight champion from Japan.

Lacoste will have a four round fight on Oct. 20 as a middleweight (155-160 pound weight class). 

He said he usually fights as a super welterweight (136-140).

“We’re going to be bumping it up a notch to fight this guy who’s a 10-time national champion in the amateur ranks,” said Lacoste. “This is the kind of shot that you have to take as a professional boxer my age to do anything in my career with only two fights under my belt.

“Top Rank is looking at us and this is a chance to do something.”

Top Rank is a boxing promotional company based in Las Vegas and is considered one of the best boxing companies in the world. The list of champion boxers they have promoted includes Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Johnson, meanwhile, has been in boxing five years, since he was a senior in high school.

“Once I got into the gym I just fell in love with the sport,” said Johnson, who heads to Chattanooga from Oct. 6-13 to fight in the USA Eastern qualifiers for a chance to fight in the national championships.

“It means a lot to me to be able to do this,” he said. “I’m from New Iberia, a small town, you don’t really get these types of opportunities to go places with a chance to do something special.”

Johnson added that he was ranked 15th in the nation last year.

“Not too many people get the chance to make the world wide stage like I’ve been doing for the past couple of year,” he said. “This means a lot to me because it gives the kids in the community someone to look up to who comes from the same community.

“It makes me realize that I’m on a pedestal right now and I have to keep chasing that dream.”

Johnson fights at the heavyweight level in the amateur ranks (201-plus pounds) and is expecting to fight four times during the week of contests.

In the amateur ranks, there are three 3-minute rounds and the boxer can only score with the white part of the gloves.

Johnson’s record is 70-14 in the amateur ranks.

He won state Golden Gloves twice and regional Golden Gloves twice.

Both Lacoste and Johson are enjoying what they do inside the ring.

“It’s my passion,” said Lacoste. 

“I couldn’t see myself not doing this. It means too much to me.”