Prospect Spotlight - Is Kennedy Another 'Joltin’ Jeff'? By Steve Kim (Feb 7, 2008) Send this page to friend Give us your feedback As you see featherweight prospect Teon Kennedy ply his trade - the deft counterpunching, the crafty moves and sharp combinations that flow from his two fists, you think back to another smallish scientist from the past that hailed from Philadelphia, 'Joltin' Jeff Chandler. Chandler, an inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, was a network staple in the 1980's who won the WBA bantamweight title in November of 1980 by halting Julian Solis in the 14th round. He would then embark on a journey that saw nine title defenses of that belt before he was halted by Richie Sandoval in the 15th and final round in April of 1984. It would be the last fight of storied run and capped his career mark at 33-2. Chandler is universally accepted as one of the better bantamweights to ever lace 'em up. And when you see Kennedy, you are reminded of Chandler. "Exactly," agreed Russell Peltz, who promotes Kennedy and represented Chandler during his day. "That's what people told me when he turned pro last January, 'He's just like Jeff Chandler.'" His manager, Doc Nowicki, sees the same thing. "Oh, absolutely, I think Teon's nickname is really appropriate for him, it's 'the Technician,'" he would explain. "I mean, he does things right. He knows how to block stuff, sometimes it looks like he's getting hit, but everything that's thrown at him doesn't hit him and when he sees where he has to go and where the openings are, then that's when he really opens up. He's really a technician. I don't want to say he's perfect, but he has the whole package." Kennedy, just 21, was born about two years after Chandler's last pro contest. But he is familiar with him. "I've seen some of his fights before," said Kennedy. "I think he was a great fighter; he boxed and he brawled sometimes, too." And does he see some Chandler in himself? "Yeah, a little bit," he answers. Philly was known in the past for its gym wars, but Kennedy states, "I'm not a typical Philly fighter because I can box a little bit and I can also, if I had to, tough it up." The sport of boxing runs in his family. His father, Ernest, was a professional jr. middleweight in the early 80's. "The reason why I wanted to do it was because of my dad. He used to box. Then I used to go to the gym with him as a little kid and I asked him if I could fight and he wouldn't let me. Then when I turned six years old, I started boxing," recalled Kennedy. Kennedy is a well-rounded, well-schooled boxer. The only drawback seems to be geography. Like Chandler, hailing from the East Coast in a weight class that is dominated by Latin fighters from the left coast can be difficult. Peltz readily admits that it is much tougher to move a smaller boxer on his side of town. "It's close to impossible, much tougher than it was," he says. "It was pretty tough in Chandler's day too, but people appreciated a good fighter and Kennedy, normally I wouldn't want to get involved with an east coast fighter that size, but I think he's the best young fighter in Philadelphia. He doesn't have Mike Jones' power but he knows how to fight. He's a seasoned amateur, I've seen him. He enjoys himself in there. He knows how to adjust. "I wouldn't be worried about putting him in with any six or eight-round featherweight in the country." Kennedy turned pro in 2007 and was kept busy with seven bouts, despite the difficulty in finding him suitable opponents. Oftentimes they have had to search far and wide and overpay their opposition. The plan is to move him quickly. "I have to because there's not that much around his size and he's capable of fighting eight rounds right now," said Peltz. "And he can adjust, he's more experienced than (welterweight) Mike Jones (another highly touted Philadelphia prospect that Peltz also promotes).” Kennedy is ready to be put on the fast track. "I say give it another year probably, then I'll step it up a little bit more," he would say, adding, "I just want to get better each fight because there's still stuff I need to work on. Eventually in the future I'd like to get a belt." His next outing is scheduled for March 7 at the New Alhambra in Philadelphia versus Castulo Gonzalez. For Peltz, the decision to have a future with Kennedy was made by what he had seen in the past. "When people said to me, 'Hey, this kid looks like Jeff Chandler,' in his pro debut, I started paying attention to him." For Questions or Comments E-Mail Steve Kim at k9kim@maxboxing.com Today's Boxing Press Discuss this Topic - Go to the forums