Retired Cop and Pro Boxer Team Up to Catapult Young Fighter to Win New Jersey Golden Gloves
/Retired Cop and Pro Boxer Team Up to Catapult Young Fighter to Win New Jersey Golden Gloves
By George Beck, Ph.D.
(left to right Richard Pierson , Justin Wiesner, and Rodney Picott)
Everything is possible with the right combination of talent, fierce commitment and determination. Justin Wiesner, a humble and polite 19-year-old man from Jersey City, NJ learned this in an impressively short period of time. His road to victory at the recent 2023 Golden Gloves began during the first week of February, 2023, when Richard Pierson, 42, a retired professional boxer, and Rodney Picott, 57, a retired Clarkstown, NY cop and former amateur boxer, teamed up to train the ambitious young man.
"Justin told us he wanted to fight in the 2023 Golden Gloves," Pierson said. "That gave us a short time to get him ready. Rodney and I knew it was possible, and we saw he had that drive. We had a lot of work to do fast."
The trio went right to work. They met Wiesner every day and trained, first outdoors at the Riggins Field in East Rutherford, NJ— braving the winter cold; however, fortunately this past New Jersey winter was absent of much snowfall, allowing the team to drill the boxing fundamentals for hours on end, before eventfully finding a home at True Warriors Boxing in Paterson, NJ.
"True Warriors was the right fit for us," Pierson said. "Owners Jose and Ramona Concepcion accepted us with open arms. They gave us excellent advice and a premier boxing facility with everything we needed to succeed. We had great sparring there, too. Former professional boxer Freddy Cadena was tremendously helpful and sparred many rounds with Justin to get him ready."
Moving from the athletic field to True Warriors Boxing Gym accelerated the young fighter’s progress in the sport.
"Everything clicked and we got into stride quickly," Picott told Blue Magazine. "Justin worked hard and his natural athletic ability helped him."
Wiesner was in expert hands. Picott's experience as a fighter includes winning at the Daily News Golden Gloves in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 2001, as well as the New York Empire Games in 1994, and competing as an open-class heavyweight since 1992. Pierson started boxing at 20, winning the 2002 New Jersey Golden Gloves; four years later turned pro and fought at many of the top fighting venues across the country, such as the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Hard Rock Times Square New York City, and others with an impressive 11-3 record with eight wins coming by knockout.
By mid-March, the Golden Gloves competition began and Wiesner with his coaching team entered the competition and fought six fights to the top of his division, three of which wins came by stoppage. On Sunday, April 16, 2023, Wiesner's dream came true. Standing there with Pierson and Picott by his side, he thrust the New Jersey Golden Gloves Championship trophy into the air — a smile touching both ears. The trio had done what to many would deem impossible. Wiesner’s success is a testament to what can happen when talented, selfless men work toward accomplishing a dream for a kid who needed a chance.
"I left boxing in 2012 to raise my family and for business," Pierson told Blue Magazine. "But this recent experience Rodney and I had with Justin over the past few months has reignited that fire inside me that wants to help kids achieve through boxing. We are actively discussing ideas for us to give more to the amateur youth boxing world."
“I couldn’t be more blessed to have a team supporting me like Coach Rich and Coach Rodney,” Wiesner said. “They treated me like family, and that’s who they are to me.”
The Blue Magazine congratulates Wiesner on the impressive win and commends Picott and Pierson, who made a kid's dream come true out of the goodness of their hearts. Job well done. We salute you!
