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When most people are putting in their 9 to 5, Paul Koon is probably napping.
The snooze time is necessary after working the graveyard shift at a security job followed by an early-morning five-mile run along the Schuylkill River. Before heading into work, he spends a couple hours training in Germantown-based Bozy’s Dungeon, where some of Philadelphia’s top boxing stars like Demetrius Hopkins and Anthony Thompson do their prep work.
At 21, Koon hopes to join his fellow Philadelphians on the pro circuit later this year. His focus is on closing out his amateur career on a high note with a strong showing at the U.S. Future Stars National Championship taking place March 9 to 14 in Colorado Springs. The amateur pugilist from the 1400 block of South Taylor Street is ready to see how he fares against the nation’s best. More than 270 male and female boxers from across the country will participate in the event.
"I just feel that I’ve been in the amateurs so long that I deserve a national title," Koon said during a recent interview. "I don’t want to [go] pro and say I could’ve won nationals if I had been an amateur one more year. I don’t want to leave any regrets."
Koon, 6-foot-4, 197 pounds, is competing in the heavyweight division. The athlete nicknamed "The Machine" qualified by winning his weight class at last month’s East Central Regional Tournament. A first-place finish next week will equate to a $1,000 prize with $500 going to each runner-up.
In 2006, Koon advanced to the Golden Gloves national semifinals before losing a 4-1 decision.
"I didn’t realize how good I was in boxing until I made it to nationals and I saw everything that is out there and I realized I was one of the best guys overall," Koon said. "That’s when I realized that I am as good as everybody said I am."
The path won’t include a summer trip to Beijing since the USA Olympic Boxing Trials were in ’07 and those chosen are residing at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Koon didn’t tryout, but 24 trial participants who didn’t make the Olympic cut are competing in next week’s event.
The heavily tattooed Koon is looking to earn his own reputation as one of Philadelphia’s top up-and-coming prospects. He leaves a lasting impression with those who have seen him fight, earning him his fitting nickname.
"People say I train hard and I don’t need sleep," Koon (23-7, 15 KO’s) said. "They tried to call me ‘Terminator,’ but I didn’t like that name."
His best performance to-date is a 26-second first-round knockout at Golden Gloves nationals. Koon said his opponent was nationally ranked.
"At the time, I only had 13 fights going into nationals," he recalled. "They were like ‘Who is this kid and where did he come from?’"
Some of his amateur clips can be viewed on YouTube.
Koon’s passion for boxing involves a lot of sacrifice, where sleep isn’t a priority. He works a security job from midnight to 8 a.m. at a loading dock on Essington Avenue. Instead of going home for some much-needed rest the athlete runs along Kelly Drive, sometimes until noon. Five to six hours of afternoon napping is followed by an early evening gym workout.
"It’s a love and passion," he said of boxing. "I love the atmosphere."
An unidentified police officer gets the credit for directing Koon to take his skills to the ring. This stranger saw the then-13-year-old in a street fight against another neighborhood kid. The officer advised Koon his jabs and uppercuts would be better served in a boxing gym. The fighter recalled, shortly after the street encounter, he took a beating his first time in the ring since his opponent "was more conditioned."
From that point on, he was inspired.
