"I Wasn't Going To Let That Guy Take Me Out," Anthony Esker Earns First Boxing Win
David Creed •
Anthony Esker has loved mixed martial arts and boxing his whole life, but never did much with that passion for the sport outside of following the sports as a fan. Born and raised on Nantucket, Esker never had a gym that was right for him or that he felt gave him the opportunity to live out his dream of becoming a fighter – until he found the Rocket Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts fitness center based in Orange, Virginia.
Esker began his training in January of this year, which features five to six days per week of up to two and a half hours of rigorous training each day. The training appears to be paying off as Esker earned his first win on October 25th by TKO (technical knockout) against Dakota Whitehill at the RCS (Rocket Combat Sports) 18 event in Woodford, Virginia.
“Growing up on the island there wasn’t much opportunity for MMA or boxing, but I was always interested in fighting,” Esker said. “Growing up I played football and basketball, and I was never really a star player. So I feel like that’s a big reason why I fell in love with fighting because when you are in the cage it’s just you and another man in there trying to hurt each other. There are no teammates to help you.”
Esker, a member of Nantucket High School’s Class of 2022, said his favorite takeaway from his boxing journey so far has been the bonds he’s made with his teammates and coaches. He credited his head coach Chris Rollins, who runs Rocket Combat Sports Production and is a professional MMA fighter with three amateur titles to his name as well as three professional MMA titles/belts, for his success.
“I would not be here if it wasn’t for him,” Esker said. “He pushes me every day to make sure I am working to reach my true potential. He is not just a coach; he is like a brother to me. He has been a professional fighter for over 10 years and he has trained with the Diaz brothers (Nick and Nate, professional fighters) and Matt Brown (former professional MMA fighter), so I am blessed to have a real OG of the game as my coach.”
Esker said his other coach – Shane Walker – has also helped him grow rapidly as a fighter. Esker and Walker also work with Rollins during the kid’s classes.
“We teach kids boxing and jiujitsu, so we spend most of the days training and also coaching together,” Esker said. “I would also like to shoutout Jason, JD, Kurt, and Jacob for helping me with my camp and being true brothers to me.”
When Esker won the fight by TKO in the second round, he said the emotions he felt the moment he was declared the winner are unmatched to anything he has ever experienced before.
“As soon as the ref called the fight I ran over to Chris and gave him a hug,” Esker said. “It was a surreal feeling, but it felt like all the hard work paid off. When I was in there, I didn’t hear the crowd or anyone, all I heard was Chris telling me what to do. While you are in there it is a crazy feeling walking out to a packed crowd. It was one of the best feelings in the world hearing my walkout song and seeing my friends and family in the crowd before they lock us in the cage. It was the realest thing you could ever feel but I knew I was ready for whatever no matter what. I wasn’t going to let that guy take me out. I knew as long as I stayed calm and listened to Chris, I would get the job done.”
Esker said his next fight will likely take place in the spring following the Rocket Combat Sports 19 card, which is scheduled for February 1st. He said in the meantime, he is trying to help his teammates at Rocket Boxing and Martial Arts prepare for their own fights.
“My teammate Jason will be fighting and is the co-main event for that (February 1st) card,” Esker said. “That should be a very good fight. Right now I’m just focused on helping my teammates for their fights. My coach (Chris Rollins) also has a fight December 21st in Pittsburgh. He is fighting for his second belt of the year. He is truly the hardest working man I know and again, I just want to give him all the credit for mine and my teammates success. He changed our lives and brings us out to his fights to show us what that life is like. That is truly my favorite part of this sport is just spending time with my team, seeing them win and working hard every day to reach our goals. At the end of the day that’s what it’s all about. I’m loyal to this team and I love to see them win.”
Esker said that the experiences of attending fights with his coaches and teammates helped him remain calm in the lead up to his first fight.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say I had first fight jitters because I’ve cornered one of my teammates before and going to my teammates and coaches fights, I knew what to expect,” Esker said. “I felt prepared and ready to go to war for my team. It also helped that I was surrounded by my guys and three of my teammates were also fighting on the same night, so we were all in the same mindset just ready to go.”
Esker said down the road, he would love to get into MMA or kickboxing to take his fighting career to the next level.
“My final goal is to be an MMA fighter,” Esker said. “I love the sport and I love my team. I would love to get a belt one day but that is reaching for the stars. Right now I’m just focused on each fight as it comes. Eventually I know God will have a plan for me but getting a belt for my gym would be a dream come true.”
