Dylan Crockett of Windham making a name in boxing with ‘International King of the Ring’ win

By Matt Pascarella

Windham graduate Dylan Crockett loves boxing. He’s fallen in love with the journey it’s taken him on, and Crockett is 100 percent in. Back in 2022, at the age of 14, he won his second “King of the Ring” title. Crockett has only continued to improve and compete in the past four years. Last month he traveled to Puerto Rico, where he won his first “International King of the Ring” Championship.

Windham High School graduate
Dylan Crockett celebrates after
winning his first International
King of the Ring title at the
San Juan Convention Center
in Puerto Rico on Sept. 19.
SUBMITTED PHOTO   

“Competing at the highest level has always been a goal of mine,” said Crockett. “Competing at the international level and being selected to represent team U.S.A means everything to me. It's a blessing to be recognized to compete on this stage. My current goal is to compete in as many fights as I can and get as much experience as my team believes I need before I'm ready for the pros. Another goal of mine is to win and compete at as many national tournaments as I can because that is where I will get serious experience.”

Crockett had to take a two-year break from boxing due to frequent, chronic migraines.

Once fully recovered, he was ready to pursue his dream of becoming a world champion professional boxer. Since he officially stepped back into the ring, Crockett has been training six days a week, doing what it takes to make up for the lost time and pursue his dreams.

On Sept. 19, he fought in an invitational bout in Puerto Rico. Invitational means if you are fighting there, you were selected. Everyone who fought in this tournament happens to be a current or previous champion in their region and the best of the best were selected to fight there. Crockett fought a boxer from Columbia and won in three rounds.

“It honestly feels great to have accomplished something of this pedigree knowing how much time I've put into this sport,” said Crockett. “The second I was declared the winner every single emotion hit me at once. I was so happy that it all worked out. All the late-night drives, extra training sessions, clean diet, and the sacrifices I’ve made it all became worth it.”

Crockett said this has definitely not been an individual journey and that his coaches and team have all helped to get him to this point. Coaches Glenn Cugno, Scott Frost and Allen Huntington have put an immense amount of time into Crockett’s career.

Cugno’s confidence in Crockett makes him believe there is nothing he cannot achieve. Crockett said he has been able to accomplish so much because of his team and family surrounding him. All this support is a motivator for him to keep going.

“He has come back strong with six fights so far this year,” said Cugno. “His strong mindset and drive to succeed is what has gotten him to this point. He is a student of the game. He is always looking for ways to improve.”

Cugno is putting on an event on Oct. 24 at the Lewiston Armory called “Gritty in the City 3” where there will be a lot of great up-and-coming fighters. This will be a professional and amateur event with Crockett as the main event for the amateurs of this show. The doors open at 5 p.m.

“Being around Dylan has played a big part in my development,” said sparring partner and Lewiston resident Jamear Burton. “I met Dylan when he was around 14, and I’ve been able to watch him grow from a young boxer into the fighter he is today. He’s also constantly trying to learn. He picks up new techniques, studies the sport, works on his weaknesses, and then brings that into the gym. Winning an international tournament shows what that work can produce. I look up to Dylan a lot because he pushes me to be better, not just as a boxer but as a person. I’ve seen how hard he works when nobody is watching, and I’ve seen firsthand how talented he is.” <