

Kalamazoo boxer Nick Givhan trains for fight Kalamazoo boxer Nick "King Beamen" Givhan hits the hand pads with trainer Terence Thompson.
Cory Olsen | By Cory Olsen |
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on June 24, 2013 at 9:57 AM, updated June 24, 2013 at 1:53 PM

Kalamazoo boxer Nick GivhanKalamazoo boxer Nick Givhan smiles while training at Alliance AZO Martial Arts in Kalamazoo. (Cory Olsen | 

KALAMAZOO, MI — Perception is often a far cry from reality.

Not so in the case of Kalamazoo boxer Nick Givhan who presents as much self confidence inside the ring as out.

Givhan, or "King Beamen" as he calls himself — a reference to Jamie Foxx's character from the movie "Any Given Sunday" — says that confidence is sometimes seen as cockiness, and that's just fine with him.

"When people see me in the ring, they see a little bit of arrogance," Givhan said. "But I feel if I have a craft and I'm good at what I do, I want to show it. But I don't want to show it in the same boring way that everyone always sees. If they come to my fights, they can say, 'Hey, did you see how he came out, did you see what he did in the beginning of the first round?' I'm always something for people to talk about, to pay attention to."

His latest knockout, a June 1 lopsided 12-second slugfest with punch recipient William Roundtree, of Hastings, invoked plenty of response from the crowd but scarcely even elicited sweat from Givhan.

It's just the way "Beamen" likes it.

The flashy red robe and crown that accompany him to the ring, along with the throng of followers chanting his name, add to the hype around this 27-year-old fighter.

"I'm just a real active person," Givhan said. "The way I go about my life, the image people see in the ring is kind of like me. I know how to get in the ring and do what I want to do and I know I've trained hard enough to do what I want to do. I train hard enough so they're intimidated by me as a fighter. Me as a person, I'm a real hard worker."


The youngest in a family of nine, Givhan said he always scrapped with his brothers, often coming out on top, but it wasn't until he turned 17 that he thought of boxing as a profession.

"My brothers and I were always beating up on each other," Givhan said. "I was always the tough one. We'd throw on the gloves in the backyard and fight around."

Turning to the Golden Gloves, Givhan found success with a state championship in 2009 and, after a brief stint in mixed martial arts, decided to pursue boxing in the pro ranks. He says he forgoes the usual temptations that people in their 20s gravitate toward.

"I focus on my career, that's why you don't see a bunch of bad little kids running around or anything that will take me off this path," Givhan said. "A man literally has to give up everything he loves to do to train, literally. From foods to women, everything. At the end, me accomplishing things and realizing my dream, it makes everything all worth it."

Givhan hopes that dedication pays off sooner than later — he wants to be a world champion.

"I don't know where I'll be in a year but I'll definitely have a serious belt," Givhan said. "I want everybody to remember the kid came out of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and fought (Golden) Gloves, fought cage when everyone thought it was crazy, got all knockouts and six title belts. We're going to have a world belt within a year from now and we're going to be a force to be reckoned with, so I want you to remember this interview."

His trainer Terence Thompson would like that as well, but says the fight game may have different cards to play.

"I can't say (he'll be world champ so soon) because things are funny," Thompson said. "Setting up fights is funny. I could have two fighters lined up for the same fight and they both fall through and then I'm finding somebody last second. If everything goes right, he's correct but everyone's out to protect everybody so it's hard."

"Just to take it down notch, if I'm not a world champion by then, I'll be the biggest thing out of the Midwest a year from now besides Adrien Broner," Givhan said. "So any Michigan fighter or any Midwest fighter you know right now is irrelevant besides Adrien Broner. I have respect for him. Beside that I'll be the biggest fighter out of the Midwest in a year."

Broner, (27-0, 22 KOs) a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, defeated Paulie Malignaggi (32-4) Saturday, capturing the WBA Welterweight title belt.

Thompson and Givhan met four years ago and their differences are many. The fast-talking, flashy Givhan is a stark contrast to the large, mostly quiet figure of Thompson. What works for the duo, Thompson said, is knowing their roles and sticking to them.

"I know what Nick's going to say and do, so I just roll with it," Thompson said. "He trusts me to put together the behind the scenes stuff. If he calls someone out, I try to put it together. Nick talking doesn't bother me, work ethic is what I worry about and he's got it."

Givhan admits to often speaking in third person, something Thompson brought to his attention on the phone recently.

"There's so many situations throughout the day where I'll be like 'Beamen ain't havin' that,' or he'll make me mad about some fight and I'll be like, 'You crazy if you think Beamen gonna let that punk beat him.' The name has carried with me since like 2001, it's part of me. It's who I am."

If people take that as big-headed, Givhan doesn't seem to mind.

"A lot of people confuse my showmanship or arrogance as a (bad) type of person," Givhan said. "Sometimes, people say they want to see me lose because of what they think of me. They see that image of me and they don't like me, then I come up and slap them on the shoulder, tell them a little joke and then they're OK with me. Sometimes people mix it up with a real life person. Really, I'm a real good person. They mix up ring arrogance with real-life arrogance."

That ring arrogance speaks loudly as Givhan talks about his talent compared to others in his light welterweight class and upcoming fight July 6 at Fifth Third Ballpark in Grand Rapids.

"This next opponent has over 140 rounds so it will definitely be an experience to fight him, but at the same time I think it'll be work for me," Givhan said. "I know it's not going to be a quick walk through the park, but Beaman's gonna be Beaman. The training I've been through, I know no other fighter has done. You can meet the humble fighters that are grateful to everyone, you can meet the cocky ones and you can meet Beaman. I know right now there's no challenge for me at 140, including names in Michigan. There's no challenge for me at 140."

He attributes that to the knowledge he takes into each of his fights.

"I know what I'm capable of doing," Givhan said. "It's all about a boxing IQ for me and my boxing IQ is way ahead of my time. Whether someone has more experience and more ring time, I feel my boxing IQ will always win the fight for me. If Albert Einstein was a boxer I would have an Albert Einstein boxing IQ."

"I'm all flashy outside of the ring," Givhan said. "But inside, I'm a killer."

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