Overall, Thompson had eight fights in 2000 and six in 2001, building up a record of 13 wins and a single decision loss, before facing his first notable opponent, Marion Wilson. Despite having a record of 11 wins, 36 losses and 3 draws, Wilson was recognized for his durability, having never been stopped in his entire career and occasionally pulling upsets, such as wins over Corey Sanders and Paea Wolfgramm or split draw against Ray Mercer. Thompson won the bout by a lopsided unanimous decision, with scores 58–49, 57–49 and 58–49.