2015 was an outstanding year for Uprising Promotions light heavyweight Samuel “Main Event” Clarkson (17-3, 11 KOs), one that saw him win five bouts to extend a seven-fight winning streak. Among those victories included a decision over former world title challenger Cedric Agnew and knockouts of highly touted prospects Jerry Odom and Lavarn Harvell on ShoBox: The New Generation. Such success has led to the Texas native finally receiving his due respect from boxing pundits, and he now looks to further brighten his star with an even greater 2016.
“I am so thankful that we linked up with Uprising Promotions. That has been one of the best and smartest decisions we have made with my career,” Clarkson said of working with Ronson Frank and Uprising Promotions. “I’m just so thankful for everybody who is in my corner right now. We have grown spiritually as a team, from what we talk about to what we have been able to accomplish. I’m so thankful for all of it. As we look forward to 2016, I will be making my statement to the light heavyweight division that I am here to stay. I’m focused and ready for whatever comes our way in 2016.”
Still just 25-years-old, Clarkson is a fighter who has never been afraid to step up to any challenge, and those who have been around the 2009 PAL national champion have long known that he is destined for something special.
“A long time ago, one of my older friends – you know, I like to hang out with people older than me – told me that out of every 10 people, there is one person who is supposed to be the one, and you’re that one,” Clarkson reflected. “He told me ‘Everything you go through, everything you do, every mile you run, is going to influence somebody. With everything you do, know you are the one people are watching.’ I took that to heart. Being that I am in the position that I am in right now, whether or not someone wants to give me that label, I know that I am the one. And I am the one to put on for those people who suffer losses. Regardless of their circumstances, I’m here to show them that they can do it. It means a lot to me to be able to carry that name.”
Without a doubt, the future is bright for Clarkson. He repeatedly stepped up to the plate in 2015, and he knocked all of his opportunities out of the park. He has been continuously improving as both a fighter and a man, and any setbacks from yesterday now only serve as motivation for tomorrow.
“I always knew that it was going to come, but it can still be hard to believe when you’re living in the moment,” he said of his aspiring career. “It feels differently every day now when I work out. The other morning, I was up until 5 AM, just shadow boxing because I couldn’t sleep. I was telling my dad ‘I’m so excited for what is coming. I may not know exactly what that is, but I just know that I’m so ready for it.’ I can feel it. When I’m talking about it right now, I get chills.
“I’m just looking so forward to 2016. Uprising Promotions and Team Clarkson, we’re going to do some phenomenal things. Believe it when I say it, I can feel it in my spirit. Uprising Promotions, my coaches, my team – everybody I’m affiliated with – feels the same way, and that’s dangerous. It’s a beautiful thing, but it’s dangerous. This is the quiet before the storm, and the storm will truly start in 2016. To anyone in my weight class, be ready. There is so much more to me than what anyone has seen, and I will be ready for anything that is coming my way in 2016. I promise you that.”
Clarkson is expected to return to the ring in early 2016, and an official announcement will be made as soon as that date is confirmed.
