KALAMAZOO, MI — A Google search put Evan Jackson in the boxing ring.
Now he dreams of the world Googling his name.
At 19, the Kalamazoo amateur boxer has already spent more than eight years training relentlessly and mastering his craft, earning a quick-twitch, punch-first reputation that has put Southwest Michigan on notice.
He owns four championship belts, including the 2025 Golden Gloves crown, and is considered the state’s top-ranked boxer at 154 pounds.
The ring is his calling, he said.
“All I’ve ever wanted to do was box,” said Jackson, who trains and coaches at Kzoo Boxing in Kalamazoo. “(The ring) feels like you’re in an empty room and there’s no one here anymore. I feel very dialed in.
“It’s really like a focus realm, and I don’t hear anything else until that bell goes off.”
Since Jackson found Kzoo Boxing with a quick Google search five years ago, his love for the sport has only grown.
His trainer, Jermont Reece, has steered Jackson on a path towards the bright lights — Jackson now competes as an Open Boxer, which is step above novice level as an amateur fighter.
Jackson won his first five fights as an amateur and flexed a nine-fight win streak in 2025.
What’s next? His biggest stage yet.
Next week, Jackson brings a 29-11 record into the 2026 USA Boxing International Open — a high-level amateur tournament in Pueblo, Colorado, expected to draw hundreds of rising talents from around the world.
“I had a really good run in 2025, and I’ve been very prepared for this moment,” said Jackson, a two-time King of the Jungle champ. “I’m ready for it — it’s my time.”
Evan Jackson, 19, of Kalamazoo, trains for the USA Boxing International Open at Kzoo Boxing on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. , The Open, which is expected to draw elite amateur talent and emerging future stars to Colorado, is Jackson’s biggest challenge yet.(Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)
‘Designed to fight’
From the time he was a youngster, Jackson knew he was made to spar.
His older brother would frequently be a pest, not to Jackson’s liking. It led to Jackson standing his ground — and eventually, bringing the heat.
“A lot of times he would pick on me and I hated that,” said Jackson, a 2024 South Haven High School grad. He now lives in Kalamazoo with family. “I feel like when someone’s in there trying to bully me, outwork me, I’m not going to let that slide. He’s helped me be able to get that intense action-packed style.
“I’m here not to play.”
That’s led to Jackson becoming an aggressive, punch-first brawler in the ring — frequently beating his opponents to the punch. If a punch is there, look out.
“He is hunting his a– off,” Reece said. “He’s a very a technical puncher and he’s extremely fast and big. He’s an aggressive punching machine.
“He’s designed to fight.”
At 6 feet and 154 pounds, Jackson said he brings nonstop action to the ring.
“It’s like an action-packed masterclass,” he said. “I gotta make sure I start first and I’m not going to let you begin. It’s a lot of punches and very intense.”
And when he’s not training himself, Jackson trains others at Kzoo Boxing. He’s all in on boxing, all the time.
“This is his life,” Reece said. “He can’t get out of it, his mind won’t let him. (Boxing) is what he’s meant to do.”
Jermont Reece, 29, trains Evan Jackson, 19, of Kalamazoo,for the USA Boxing International Open at Kzoo Boxing on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. , The Open, which is expected to draw elite amateur talent and emerging future stars to Colorado, is Jackson’s biggest challenge yet.(Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)
‘Boxing got me back on track’
It’s no secret where Jackson gets his fighter mentality from.
When Jackson was still in elementary school, his father, Carnell Jackson, was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Evan saw his dad battle through adversity on the regular, a big reason why he fights with that same mentality.
In February 2019, Carnell died after a five-year battle with cancer. He was 39 years old.
“I didn’t really know who I was,” Evan Jackson said. “But boxing got me back on track in actually finding myself. I feel like it helped guide me on the right path.”
Not long after, Jackson found Kzoo Boxing and connected with Reece. Almost instantly, Evan knew he’d found a second home.
“(Reece’s) been like a father figure to me,” Jackson said. “When I found someone I could look up to, someone that could lead me the right way, he’s been a perfect example for me.”
Jermont Reece, 29, trains Evan Jackson, 19, of Kalamazoo,for the USA Boxing International Open at Kzoo Boxing on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. , The Open, which is expected to draw elite amateur talent and emerging future stars to Colorado, is Jackson’s biggest challenge yet.(Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)
Reece, 29, established Kzoo Boxing in 2018 after years coaching in the underground scene. The Kalamazoo native turned professional last July, and believes he and Jackson “grew up together” over the years.
“I’ve seen him grow from a kid to a man,” Reece said. “It’s been very cool to see him mature and become a very well-polished boxer. I’m really happy that I’ve been able to have such a positive influence in his life.”
At Kzoo Boxing, there’s one slogan to live by: “F— around and find out.”
“When I created this gym, the overall idea and the main purpose of it was to find people like me who are fighters and Evan’s a fighter,” Reece said. “People take a lot of pride in our gym and they respect what we do. They know that it’s not easy. I think we give Kalamazoo a lot of pride.”
From the countless hours training to the relationships built along the way, Jackson knows the impact Kzoo Boxing – and Reece — have had on his life.
“He’s made this place a home for me,” Jackson said. “It’s a safe place where I can feel comfortable, somewhere I can find peace. If I’m having a hard day, I walk into the gym and everything gets easier.”
Evan Jackson, 19, of Kalamazoo, trains for the USA Boxing International Open at Kzoo Boxing on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. , The Open, which is expected to draw elite amateur talent and emerging future stars to Colorado, is Jackson’s biggest challenge yet.(Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)
‘I want to be the greatest’
As Evan gears for another jab on the bag, doused in a layer of sweat on Tuesday, Reece offers a gentle reminder at the right time.
“The dream don’t stop, right Evan?” he said.
The Kalamazoo phenom has been preparing for his shining moment for over a year, never losing an ounce of motivation.
He believes it’s his time.
“I don’t care who’s in there with me, they’ve never seen me before,” Jackson said of his mindset in next week’s international tournament. “I’m with the best of the best, but I am the best of the best and that’s what I’m going to prove.
“It’s my time to shine.”
While Jackson admires boxing stars like Shakur Stevenson, Terrence Crawford, Nick Ball and Canelo Alvarez, he isn’t trying to copy any of them. He’s trying to be himself.
“I’m trying to be like me,” he said. “I’m my idol.”
An opportunity to put Southwest Michigan on the map is something Jackson is driven to do, but perhaps more importantly, he wants to leave behind an everlasting legacy.
All at the top of the boxing world.
“I’m taking this all the way to the top,” he said. “I want the legacy behind it. I want my name to be put out there — I want to be talked about as one of the greats. I want to be the greatest.”
Jackson and Reece will take off to Colorado this weekend, with Evan’s first bout in the welterweight (154 pounds) slated for Tuesday.
To donate to Jackson’s journey, click here.