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Hanlon to take professional boxing career ‘one fight at a time’

Barrett Hanlon (left) acknowledges a victory in the ring after a match in 2023.

Former Hopkinton resident Barrett Hanlon will make his professional boxing debut this weekend as part of Boston Harbor Fight Night 2.

Hanlon, who first took up boxing during the COVID-19 pandemic, has had an “abbreviated” amateur run. He has fought a total of 15 matches, including fights in the Rocky Marciano Tournament and the Golden Gloves. The former Hopkinton High School basketball star (he went on to play collegiately at Salve Regina) now will face his first professional opponent, middleweight Ratavious Thrasher, at the Encore Boston Harbor Casino in Everett on Saturday.

An applied behavior analysis (ABA) professional in the Boston school system who coached the Hopkinton Middle School basketball team earlier this decade, Hanlon said he has spent a fair amount of time training for the upcoming fight. His jump from amateur to professional was in part inspired by his coach, Jason McCloud at the Everybody Fights gym in Boston. Hanlon noted that McCloud helped him find the professional opportunity.

Training for the boxer includes a lot of sparring and some research into his competition. While he isn’t going into the fight blind, he noted that most of his training has been “mostly just me against me.”

Added Hanlon: “I think I’ve found my own style and who I am as fighter, so now I’m ready to do it at a professional level.”

Hanlon did not speculate on his chances in the fight, but he expressed hope that he would do well based on the work he’s put in.

“How hard you train, how smart you train [and] how well you rest and recover is all going to show up on that day,” he said. “All you can really ask for is to go in there and perform to what you’ve practiced.”

Hanlon said that he is not sure of how far his professional career will go. Whatever the result of Saturday’s fight, boxing will remain a part of his lifestyle.

“I’m taking it one fight at a time,” he said. “I’m definitely putting my best foot forward and trying to make a statement on Saturday.”

— NICK SCHOFIELD

Latest News

At its meeting Tuesday night, the Parks & Recreation Commission considered postponing a splash pad proposal as it focuses on Pyne Field and other large-scale projects.

The Conservation Commission on Tuesday raised concerns about plans to demolish a potentially historic structure on Wood Street in order to build a more contemporary mosque.

This week’s Police Log features two arrests, along with reports of a turtle in a UPS truck, a vehicle hitting a pedestrian and an overcrowded party.

Eric Seaholm, 80, of Hopkinton died Aug. 24.

Fred Prince, 76, a former Hopkinton resident, passed away May 19.

Town meetings tonight include the Board of Health (6), Charter Review Committee (7) and Community Preservation Committee (7).

Photo of the Day

Susan Stewart (in red) works on a tie-dye shirt during a crafts event last Friday at the Senior Center.

PHOTO/JERRY SPAR