2nd World Qualifying Tournament Boxing Road To Paris. - Source: Getty — Roscoe Hill after receiving the 'Ticket to Paris Olympics' [Image Source: Getty]

Who is Roscoe Hill? All about the American boxer mentored by coach Billy Walsh and baptized by the legendary George Foreman

Modified Jul 30, 2024 06:44 GMT

Roscoe Hill has begun his Olympic campaign in style. The flyweight boxer defeated Omad Ahmadisafa from the IOC Olympic Refugee Team to proceed to the next round. Roscoe will now compete with multiple World Championship medalist Billal Bennama from France to proceed to the quarter-finals.

Roscoe Hill has credited his win to his father Roscoe Hill III, as well as the heavyweight legend George Foreman, who has influenced him a lot.

Speaking of it, via NBC Olympics, Roscoe Hill said,

"The most important punch was the jab. They taught me that. I kept that in mind, to keep doing that - and never stay in one spot longer than three seconds."

However, George Foreman's influence on Roscoe Hill was not just limited to the field of boxing. Hill was also baptized by George Foreman.

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In the words of the American boxer-

"I was already about 13 years old, I'd been baptized before and I was thinking, 'Man, I hope Jesus Christ doesn't punish for being baptized twice! But it was George Foreman, so I was getting baptized." [via NBC Olympics]

Roscoe Hill had won his ticket to the Paris Olympics at the Olympic qualifiers held in Bangkok, Thailand. Roscoe Hill is one of the strong hopefuls for an Olympic gold alongside boxers like Jahmal Harvey, and Jajaira Gonzalez.

Roscoe Hill's childhood and his legacy

Roscoe Hill IV was born to Roscoe Hill III on 9 November 1994. He has a rich boxing legacy since his father was the training partner of George Foreman, who won the gold medal at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968, before turning professional later. Both George Foreman and Roscoe Hill would train together under the tutelage of boxing icon Archie Moore.

Roscoe Hill was born in Michigan. However, by seventh grade, he shifted to Texas. Although Hill was earlier interested in basketball, he turned to boxing when he didn't find success. Roscoe Hill trained under Billy Walsh before making his debut in 2009.

Roscoe Hill's early achievements

Roscoe Hill [in Red] in action at the finals of the AIBA World Boxing Championships 2021 - [Image Source: Getty]

Roscoe Hill took time to hone his skills. However, at the AIBA World Championships in 2021, he showed his prowess when he won the silver medal in the flyweight category.

In the previous year, Roscoe Hill won a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in the flyweight category. Since it wasn't enough for direct qualification to the Paris Olympics, Roscoe Hill had to participate in the Olympic qualifiers in Bangkok, Thailand to make the cut.

The top opponents for Roscoe Hill at Paris Olympics

Billal Bennama of France, Roscoe Hill's next opponent at Paris Olympics [Image Sources: Getty]

However, the journey to the Olympic gold medal for Roscoe Hill is anything but a cakewalk.

To begin with, Roscoe Hill is already facing Billal Bennama of France in the next round, who had won the silver medal in the previous year's World Championships. Assuming he overcomes his French opponent, Roscoe Hill will probably face Michael Trindade of Brazil in the quarterfinals, who was the silver medalist at the Pan American Games in the previous year.

Let's assume Roscoe Hill manages to overcome these challenges, even then he will face formidable opponents in the finals. On one hand is Subedar Amit Kumar Panghal from India, who won the Asian Games in 2018, the silver medal at the AIBA World Championships in 2019, and is the current Commonwealth champion. He is raring to overcome the disastrous experience of the Tokyo Olympics, where he was knocked out in the very first round.

Subedar Amit Kumar Panghal, another crucial opponent for Roscoe Hill at Paris Olympics [Image Sources: Getty]

However, above all, Roscoe Hill has to defeat Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan, if he wants to win the Olympic gold medal for the USA in the flyweight category. Dusmatov was the Olympic champion at Rio Olympics in 2016 and is also the current world champion in the flyweight category. If Roscoe Hill wants to live up to his family's legacy, he must overcome these challenges.