I had the pleasure of interviewing professional boxer Anthony “The Magician” Sims. Anthony’s professional boxing career has provided him the opportunity to fight professionally across the globe however he is set to make a triumphant return home to Indiana on December 9th. Sims is promoting and fighting in a special boxing event titled “Naptown Rumble” for his Circle City Natives. In this exclusive article capturing Anthony Sims Jr, you will get a glimpse of the fighter’s journey highlighting his Indiana roots, incredible mentality, vision, drive, and character that makes him “The Magician”.
We all know that boxing is a magical sport and anything can happen inside the ring.
I found the origin of Anthony’s name “The Magician” very intriguing as he explained why he goes by “The Magician”. Anthony stated, “I go by The Magician because of some of the things I have been through I shouldn’t be here but abra kadabra alakazam I am still here”. Anthony also stated that abra kadabra alakazam means “I will create what I speak” and how he manifested his journey to become a professional boxer.
When asked “How did you first get into boxing?” Sims stated he started boxing at the early age of six years old after the death of his father. He used boxing as his outlet to help navigate the anxiety and depression associated with the grieving process of losing a parent. Sims, an advocate of mental health stated that sometimes kids don’t have an outlet and one of the reasons why he wants to bring a boxing scene to the Indianapolis area is to provide a safe controlled environment for our youth.
I could hear the passion in Anthony’s voice when he talked about Magic Promotions and his event Naptown Rumble. I asked Anthony “Can you tell me more about Naptown Rumble and what inspired you to bring a boxing scene to Indianapolis?”. Anthony stated that Naptown Rumble will be an event showcasing the highest professionalism boxing has to offer. Sims talked about how he fought for professional promoters Don King and Al Hammond. Sims wants to bring the same professionalism to the Circle City and provide opportunity to his fellow Indianapolis natives. The event held on Dec 9th at Arsenal Tech High School will also be a kid friendly environment to showcase boxing to Indianapolis youth.
I found the location of the event very interesting due to professional boxers fighting at an Indianapolis high school. I asked Anthony “Is there any significance of you picking Arsenal Tech High School for the location for your event?” Sims stated that he picked Arsenal Tech High School for his event because of its history. Sims stated that his first boxing gym “Sims Boxing” was on 10th street near the highschool so the area is special to him. Comedian Mike Epps is also an Alumni of Arsenal Tech High School.
Anthony Sims JR training youth boxers at Sims Boxing Gym in 2016 Source:Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar
Six year old Anthony grew up to have a promising boxing career. Sims continued his boxing journey and competed in over 300 amateur fights. Anthony went on to become the youngest boxer to ever medal at the US Olympic Trials at the age of 16. Sims currently holds 23 wins and 2 losses with 20 of those wins resulting in KO as a professional super middleweight boxer. When asked “What message would you like to convey to young aspiring boxers from Indiana who may look up to you as a role model?” Sims stated “don’t let your location dictate your destination and go anywhere you want to go. It all starts with your mindset”.
Anthony really started to talk about his Indiana roots when he passionately talked about trainer Hank Johnson. Hank Johnson was inducted into the Indiana Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020. Hank Johnson was known for being the 1988 Olympic Boxing Coach and training his brother 3 time light-heavyweight Champion of the World Marvin Johnson. When asked “Are there any Indiana-based boxing gyms, trainers, or mentors who played a significant role in your development as a boxer?” Anthony stated that Hank Johnson was more than a coach to him and that he was more of a teacher.
8 year old Anthony Sims Jr training at Sarge Johnson Boxing Club Source: Robert Scheer/IndyStar
I asked Anthony “What makes a good coach?” and he stated “a good coach is not a coach, he is a teacher. A teacher takes patience and understanding. A teacher shows real compassion and sees weakness and turns weakness into strength. Hank Johnson was a teacher, sense, and master”. Anthony also mentioned how he learned that what you do outside the ring translates to what you do inside. At the end of the day he wants to be a good brother, teacher, mentor, and person.
One thing that stood out the most to me when talking to Anthony was his incredible character. I asked Anthony “What’s a moment in your career that you’re especially proud of, and how did it impact you personally and professionally?” and I was very surprised by his response. Anthony stated that his first professional loss is a moment in his career that he is proud of because he took his defeat as a man. He stated his loss shows his true character of how he carried himself after defeat and even at his lowest point in his career he still has self respect and dignity. Hearing that made me even more excited to attend the Naptown Rumble event. You can tell Anthony is someone who is very passionate about his craft.
I am very excited to see what Anthony has instored for his professional boxing career and for Magic Promotions. I really enjoyed hearing the passion and excitement in Anthony’s voice when talking about boxing and the city of Indianapolis. You can find tickets to Naptown Rumble held on December 9th by clicking the link below.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/naptown-rumble-tickets-706336841507
