Former Mustang, Kiael Waldon, wins National Golden Glove Championship

It has been more than 30 years since a Kentuckian has won a National Golden Glove Championship. That drought came to an end on Saturday, May 13 in Chester, Pennsylvania when Paducah native, Kiael Waldon claimed the belt in the 156lb weight class.

His journey from a multi-sport athlete at McCracken County High School, to a Golden Glove Champion and potential Olympic athlete is a unique one.

The former baseball and football player didn't pick up boxing until just a few years ago.

"I had a couple of buddies that wanted me to spar some dude back home," Waldon said. "So I sparred him and something just clicked in my head that day."

Since April 16, 2022, Waldon has competed in 21 fights leading up to the biggest weekend of his career.

"I started the tournament and still had bronchitis so those first couple days of fighting were pretty rough," Waldon said. "But, the two weeks before the Golden Gloves my body was worse off than the actual fights so I feel like I was really prepared well for it."

As the weekend went on and he started leaving opponents in his rear view mirror, things started becoming more surreal for Waldon. Not only was he on his way to what would be a Golden Glove Championship title, but making it to the championship fight earned him a spot in the upcoming Olympic trials.

Throughout the span of five fights including the championship fight, Waldon blanked three of his opponents in 5-0 scored fights, including the title fight. His first was won 4-1, and his closest fight went 3-2, proving just how dynamic of an athlete his is.

When asked about Waldon and his athletic abilities, his former coaches Geno Miller (baseball) and Marc Clark (football) both stated that they knew he would be something special one day.

"Kiael was one of those kids that if it ever came to the point where you had to challenge him, he would always respond the right way," Miller said. "His senior year he hit .278 but it was a very unfair .278. He hit a lot of balls he didn't get credit for, but man, he was very productive base runner, a very productive hitter and a great defensive outfielder. He played baseball with a football mentality, just very hard and very tough."

Waldon credits a lot of the athletic challenges and opportunities he had in high school to the dedication he has towards his new sport, but states getting into the ring and fighting someone is nothing like any sport he ever played.

"The physicality of football helped out a lot and the way you swing a bat is the kind of like the way you throw a punch," Waldon said. "But, getting in the ring and fighting someone is completely different, it's the hardest things I’ve ever done. In football I might have played safety, but I still had nine guys in front of me and one beside to me taking a lot of the hits for me. Baseball was the same way, I played every position in the outfield, but I still had eight other guys on the field with me. In the ring, it's just me."

Coach Miller, who is now the athletic director at McCracken County High School says seeing his former athletes and every athlete that comes out of McCracken County be successful in whatever they set their mind to is something special.

"It's very fulfilling to see kids like Kiael and our other kids go on and be impactful," Miller said. "To see him succeed and to put himself into these tough positions, at the end of the day you always want these kids to just do their best in whatever it is they pursue. Whether it be going into law, or business, or own their own company, whatever it is they choose, you want to see them do their best, and it's pretty evident that Kiael is putting forward a lot of dedication and commitment and doing his best."

Waldon also shined on the football field. His senior year he was named WPSD's No. 8 Player of Gridiron Glory in 2018, was named to the preseason watch list and named to the Courier Journals’ All-State football defensive team in 2018.

His senior year he tallied 167 rushing yards on 18 rushes and four rushing TD's, 15 receiving yards on two receptions, 79 total sacks, one fumble recovery and three interceptions, one for a touchdown. He ultimately chose football as the sport to play in college. He committed to Eastern Kentucky University, but ultimately chose boxing.

"Kiael was a dynamic athlete," Clark said. "His mental and physical toughness is something that not a lot of people have. I remember him transitioning from the baseball season into our summer football training and told him to ease into it and acclimate a little bit longer since he hadn't been training with us just yet, but he came out and ran those 20 110's and just crushes them. From there on I never tried to stop him, he is one of those kids that just won't be denied."

Clark has continued to follow Waldon and his boxing career, posting videos and pictures on Twitter of the boxers recent fights and most recently congratulating him on his Golden Glove Championship belt.

With the Golden Glove Championship belt around his waist, Waldon says he will now take it easy, recover physically and mentally and get back at it to prepare for the Olympic trials. Watching film from the Golden Gloves, continuing his exercise routine and getting his body and mind right, will be his main priority before getting back to fighting in July. He says he will take on roughly four more fights before the Olympic Trials in December.

"I know I can't get too far ahead of myself," Waldon said. "I like to take things one fight at a time, so I’m really not looking at the Olympic Trials. Obviously I know it's coming up, but I’ve got to focus on letting my body heal because all I’ve done for the last year is fight."

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