LAFAYETTE — Keeping it all in the ring, boxing has become a Papillion family tradition.
"You never know what God has planned for you. That was my calling and I didn't even know it", says Jason Papillion.
It started in 1992. Jason Papillion began his professional boxing career. A quite successful one, with a 39-15-2 record.
A career that initially stemmed from fighting in the streets.
"A lot of fights. If I wasn't fighting, I was pushing fights, making somebody else fight. My mom just got fed up with it and said all that fighting your doing, go find a boxing gym. I went and found a boxing gym which was Kenny V's Boxing Academy and I fell in love with it. "
Little did he know, that would jumpstart a knock-out career... where Papillion decided to out the gloves down in 2010 after falling in his final decision.
"I just had a daughter too. That kind of changed my mind of leaving home training. I accomplished my goals of what I set out for and my health was good."
Only for his son, Keon, to pick them up about 4 years later... while giving Jason the perfect birthday gift.
"I didn't have a birthday gift for him and it was my idea to go to the gym and spar with him. I thought that as a birthday gift and ever since then, I fell in love with the sport."
And Jason got his wish... his seed picking up his passion.
As Keon wanted to land his focus on football, baseball and other team sports, he realized that boxing was his destiny.
"It took me a few weeks and a few beatings in the gym to learn", says Keon jokingly. "Ever since then, I just kept improving and I just fell in love with it like that."
Keon is a two-time amateur Golden Glove champion, a four-time national champion and most recently he won the National Boxing Association Continental Americas Welterweight Title.
But his goal is becoming a World Champion. Now, a 10-year veteran, he knows the stakes are high and he's willing to go round-for-round until he gets there.
"Consistency, hard work, climbing the ranks, keep winning, getting noticed by bigger people and keep fighting the top guys."
As the father-son duo keep their feet shifty in their sanctuary of Papillion's Boxing Club, they're reminded of the bond that's only drawn them closer together.
"It's an unbelievable feeling. It's like I'm watching my career all over again through somebody younger than me... my own son."
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