Rogers Boxer Earning Notice

 STAFF PHOTO ANTHONY REYES Thomas Sloman of Rogers works out Friday at his home in Rogers. Sloman recently won the 178-pound weight division of the Arkansas Gold Gloves Boxing Championships.
STAFF PHOTO ANTHONY REYES Thomas Sloman of Rogers works out Friday at his home in Rogers. Sloman recently won the 178-pound weight division of the Arkansas Gold Gloves Boxing Championships.

ROGERS -- Thomas Sloman may not have much boxing experience, but he's a fighter.

The 18-year-old from Rogers spends most of his idle time in his garage punching a heavy bag, working with a medicine ball or doing calisthenics. He usually finishes his workout by running 4-5 miles on the streets around his house.

Profile

Thomas Sloman

Height: 5-foot-7

Weight: 178

Notable: Won the 178-pound novice division of the Arkansas Golden Gloves boxing championships with a first-round knockout. … Has a boxing record of 4-1 with three knockouts. … Will participate in the Mid-South Golden Gloves boxing tournament April 10-12 at North Little Rock Community Center. The tournament involves state champions from Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and western Tennessee.

All that work recently paid off as he won the 178-pound novice division at the Arkansas Golden Gloves boxing tournament in North Little Rock in only his fifth amateur fight.

Sloman knocked out his lone opponent in the tournament in less than a minute of the first round. He will now represent Arkansas at the Mid-South Golden Gloves tournament, which includes champions from Louisiana, Mississippi and western Tennessee for a chance to compete in the national tournament.

His friend and training partner Kendall Underhill said Sloman's a natural in the ring and in no way surprised when he won.

"He's really good throwing his hands," Underhill said. "He's come a long way since he first started."

The 18-year-old Underhill should know since he and Sloman train together five days a week and are both coached by Kenneth Underhill, Kendall's father who also has professional boxing experience.

Kenneth Underhill agreed wholeheartedly with his son's assessment of Sloman's progress. The elder Underhill recalled when Sloman first started two years ago he wasn't sure about teaching him boxing.

"He was 180 pounds and he couldn't do but 13 push-ups," Underhill said. "He was a couch potato. I told him if you can't do these exercises I'm not putting you in the ring. Four months later he was doing exactly the same things Kendall was doing. He lost 20 pounds.

"He may not have a lot of polished boxing skills, but he throws his hands real good. When he just unleashes it's over."

Sloman, who is part of the Crossroads Alternative High School program in Rogers, said boxing has given him a purpose and focus in life

"It makes me a better person," said Sloman, who has a 4-1 record with three knockouts. "I would just hang out with friends before. I was out getting in trouble, too. Now when I get home from school, I have a schedule.

It's helped me with my attitude, too. I thought I was all that. Boxing's hard. You have to work hard. That's what I've learned."

Underhill agreed. He now sees a different individual.

"He's more confident," Underhill said. "He's earned a lot of respect, too. He's like a second son to me really. That's how I feel. He's a blessing to my kid and to us."

Sloman is quiet and keeps to himself at school, according to Crossroads teachers and administrators.

Linda Haley, the counselor at Crossroads, only recently found out about Sloman's boxing career.

"He was so private and quiet about that part of his life," Haley said. "It's not that I'm surprised, it's just that nobody knew because he never talked about it."

Sloman, who previously attended Rogers Heritage, was put in the Crossroads program this year because he was behind in credits. But he's now on schedule to graduate in May, Haley said.

Haley and several of his teachers said they could see some attributes like his work ethic have paid dividends in the classroom and in the boxing ring.

"To me he's a crowning example of a kid that can come from poverty and dysfunction and family problems and it doesn't take him down," Haley said. "He takes his skills and his strengths and he uses them."

Haley said she's even looking at asking Sloman to be part of a tutoring program at one of the elementary schools.

"We don't send everybody to do that," Haley said. "We only send some of our best who can be good role models and Thomas is one of those. We've got a guy who can knock the lights out of somebody but balance that with turning the lights on for a young first-grader."

Sports on 04/05/2014

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