Orlando honors boxer Omari Jones with his own day ahead of first hometown headliner
ORLANDO, Fla. —
At 21, Omari “Banger” Jones represented the U.S. at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and won a bronze medal.
Now 23, the Orlando native is a professional boxer with a 7-0 record, and four of those fights were knockouts.
Jones started boxing at age eight, earning the nickname “Banger.”
“I just beat a lot of the guys that were boxing before me, so they were like, ‘Okay, we’re going to call you Banger.’”
The Orlando native attended Lake Gem Elementary, Meadowbrook Middle School, Edgewater High School, Valencia College, and the School of Hard Knocks in Casselberry, his boxing gym.
“This gym has meant everything to me. This is where I won my first national title,” Jones said.
Jason Galarza, owner of the School of Hard Knocks, has trained numerous professional fighters. But he said Jones is different.
“I had to adjust as a coach because I’ve never seen or trained anyone like him,” Galarza said.
Galarza said that when Jones first came to the gym, he had no one ahead of him to set the standard, so he set a high bar for himself and everyone who follows.
Now, after his own workouts, Jones watches the younger boxers and offers guidance.
Galarza said Jones’ success is especially meaningful for kids from Pine Hills, where Jones grew up.
“Pine Hills, you know, Silver Star, one of the roughest areas in Orlando, Florida. And for the youth to see that someone like themselves can make it out of that,” Galarza said, “out of this world.”
Jones has made giving back to Orlando part of his mission.
The city recently honored him with a “Glove to the City” award and declared Sept. 9 Omari Jones Day.
“To have Omari Jones Day, it was amazing, like I always say, the city gives back to me,” Jones said.
And Jones gives back, too.
He is an author and runs his own foundation, which hosts boxing camps, youth career panels, toy drives and other community events.
His message to young people comes from his own journey.
“You can be the kid from Orlando, you can go to the Olympics, and you can do so many different things; actually put your mind to it. Hard work pays,” Jones said.
Now, Jones is preparing for another milestone.
On Oct. 2, he is scheduled to headline a fight in his hometown for the first time at Caribe Royale Orlando.
After reaching the Olympics and returning home with a bronze medal, Jones is now working toward an even bigger prize.
“Become a world champion,” Jones said.