Oliver has eye on 2020 Games

NWA Democrat-Gazette/CHARLIE KAIJO

Bernard Oliver shouts directions to fighters during a sparring event at Straightright Boxing and Fitness center in Springdale. Oliver is a coach and amateur boxer who has his eye on the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/CHARLIE KAIJO Bernard Oliver shouts directions to fighters during a sparring event at Straightright Boxing and Fitness center in Springdale. Oliver is a coach and amateur boxer who has his eye on the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan.

SPRINGDALE — The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan seems like a long way off, but it’s closing fast for the athletes who hope to be there.

That’s why Bernard Oliver of Fayetteville trains nearly every day at Straightright Boxing and Fitness in Springdale, where he is a coach and amateur boxer. Oliver has his eye on making the United States Olympic team after reaching the quarterfinals of the Golden Gloves national tournament in May.

“It’s the off-season for boxing, but I’m training now like I have a fight every night,” Oliver said after a strenuous morning workout last week in Springdale. “I have to push myself because I know my opponent is probably doing the same thing.”

Oliver, 29, has only been boxing for five years. He turned to boxing after arriving in Northwest Arkansas in 2007 with dreams of playing football for the Razorbacks. Oliver made it through the first cut as a walk-on, but his football career was derailed after a physical revealed he had a heart condition.

“I was kind of depressed for a while after that,” said Oliver, who was born in El Dorado and grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Oliver, a defensive end who weighed as much as 270, began reshaping his body after turning to boxing and now fights as a heavyweight at 201 pounds. He joined the boxing club at the University of Arkansas before making the move to the Straightright, which opened in 2013. The facility is considered an alternative for young people in Northwest Arkansas who otherwise might be lured into trouble on the streets.

“If you feel the need to release some aggression, do it here,” said Oliver, who is also the operations director at Straightright. “We teach traditional USA boxing and every style you’ve ever seen. We train fighters for competition but boxing translates to all sports, whether it’s building your strength and endurance or helping with your footwork and coordination.”

Besides teaching, Oliver is also concentrating on his own career as an amateur boxer. He’s coming off his best season after winning state and regional heavyweight championships during tournaments in Little Rock. He then advanced to the national Golden Gloves tournament in Omaha, Neb., where he won two fights before losing on a split decision in the quarterfinals.

“There’s just some small things I need to work on,” Oliver said. “But I’m more confident than ever I can show America I am an elite heavyweight champion. That’s the goal and I’m pushing myself every day to make it happen.”

Rick Fires can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter@NWARick.

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