From East St. Louis To The Ring

A train ride out of East St. Louis becomes the first step in a fighter’s rebirth. Trevion Boyd arrives in Albuquerque with little more than a blessing from his grandmother and the grit to start over. What he finds is a gym that takes pain off his shoulders and replaces it with focus, a team that raises his ceiling, and a path that turns a rough past into measurable wins—two New Mexico Golden Gloves titles and a growing presence at national tournaments.

We dive into the moments that shaped him: the charge that derailed school, the judge who recognized a change of heart, the first amateur loss to a friend that became a blueprint for growth. Trevion opens up about judging politics in amateur boxing and the only answer that matters—execute so clearly that scorecards don’t decide your fate. He breaks down the Tulsa stoppage, the cost of not listening to your corner, and the mindset reset that now guides his prep for Colorado. Along the way, he talks about building with a respected Albuquerque coach, training around winners, and embracing the competitive pressure that forges pros.

Threaded through it all is faith and family. His grandmother, Sandra Denise Johnson Byrd, remains the voice in his head and the standard he measures against. He wants a pro career not just for belts and lights, but to give back—choosing community over flash, purpose over hype, legacy over likes. We also trade takes on Shakur Stevenson and Teofimo Lopez, the surge of young talent, and what staying relevant really demands in modern boxing. If you’re chasing your own pivot—out of chaos, toward clarity—this story is fuel.

If this conversation moved you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a spark, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more people find stories that fight for something real.

The Boxing Grind 

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Background

SPEAKER_00 0:29

So thank you. Thank you so much for coming on the show and taking the time out of your busy schedule. I know that you do have a fight coming up in a tournament, but before we get started with any of the questions, can you just please let the audience know a little bit about yourself, where you came from, how you got started with boxing?

SPEAKER_02 0:50

Hey, I'm Trevely Young Boy. Uh, come from East St. Louis, Illinois. I moved here to Albuquerque, New Mexico to uh start a family and uh fulfill my dreams that my granny put in my mind. And I'm here to show the world that whatever you put your mind to, anything is possible.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Okay. And when did you so so you moved here eight you said eight years ago?

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Yeah, I moved here eight years ago.

Leaving East St. Louis For A New Start

SPEAKER_00 1:18

Okay, and when did and you started boxing as soon as you got here?

SPEAKER_02 1:22

No, actually it took a little time, you know. I had to actually feel fill everything out, you know, actually mentally and physically get myself prepared for for the change. You know, it was a big change. It was a big change coming down to Abercrew and not knowing anyone and not knowing what what purpose, why I'm out here. And then God gave me the idea to start fighting because that's that's all I did, you know. And I think it was it was something that I like to do and I and something that I enjoy doing. So I I'm gonna fulfill the dream that I know that I can do.

SPEAKER_00 1:58

So when you were back in Illinois, what was life like there and what you know, like what was the end result or the the final blow that that caused you to leave there?

SPEAKER_02 2:10

Well, basically my city, uh East St. Louis is only 89 blocks, you know, and uh it's really dangerous, you know, and a lot of hateful, a lot of drama, you know, family family members also jealousy, you know, uh a lot of jealous people in my hometown, you know. So and I also I was in going I was in school in school and as a freshman I got caught I got caught with a gun and and they I got caught a charge. So I I got expelled for three years and and I didn't know what to do after that. After I after I got out of jail, everything was just like in the moment and my greenie told me like you can go out of town and you can start start a new life and do do things that you know that you're capable of doing. You know, so I had the idea and I came out here to try it out and I liked it. Then I went back to court. I had to go back to court like a month later. And uh when I went to court, they told me that they see that I had a change of heart and that they see I'm trying to do better. So they dropped the case. So I'm not a felon. You know, that's just God work, and that's God telling me, like, you know, I'm giving you a second chance at life. Don't make the same mistakes.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

Yeah, yeah. Well, you definitely have turned everything around. And when you first started boxing, where were you boxing out of in Albuquerque?

Finding Boxing And First Gym

SPEAKER_02 3:32

Uh I was boxing out of I started with kicking cat's galaxy.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 3:36

But you know, she had a small gym in Rio Rancho, and I I was just looking for something to stay positive and keep my mind off of drama and pain and stress, you know, and I I felt I figured that like, you know, being being in boxing, you know, it took a lot of pain. It took a lot of stress off me. Like when I went to the gym, all the pain goes away, all the stress goes away. And I I felt that I I needed it. I needed that in my life. So I I kept going with it. And uh, I thank Coach Kat and I think her dad, you know, rest in peace, her dad, you know, they was always there for me no matter what, you know. They still family to this day.

SPEAKER_00 4:13

Yeah. Okay. And now, did you have how how many fights altogether do you have?

SPEAKER_02 4:19

I have 18 fights with uh when I was with Coach Cat, you know, I think I ended with like nine fights until I made the change to move on to to make myself to make it to the next level.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

Okay, and who did you fight somebody your first fight? Was it somebody out in Albuquerque?

SPEAKER_02 4:34

Yes, I actually, my first amateur fight, I fought when one of my close partners who was in the gym to this day with me, Andreas Ray. He he he he humbled me for sure. He came out victorious. You know, it was a learning experience for me. I don't I don't take it as a loss, I take it as a lesson. So, you know, it leveled me up a lot, you know, and

Early Fights And Lessons Learned

SPEAKER_02 4:54

after that, you know, it everything got better.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

And now, who are you currently, what team are you currently on?

SPEAKER_02 5:02

So basically, I'm currently with Yoruba Maru. Okay, you know, one of one of the most known coaches in Albuquerque. Yes. You know, he's he's a good dude, he's a good father, and he's a good man. You know, he he also has a son, Lilu. You know, he just turned he turned pro, you know, he's making big noise. And I I love to see it, and I love to be part of something like that that that'll uplift me to be a better version of myself.

SPEAKER_00 5:26

Absolutely. And I I mean I I've witnessed to you training. I know you do train hard, and it's always gonna pay off. Now, I know that you are a two-time Golden Gloves champ for New Mexico. So a question that I was really curious about was, you know, your first time in the Golden Gloves, were it I know that a fighter is always expecting or they they believe that they're going to win, but were you taken a little by surprise that you did win just because there's

New Team And Leveling Up

SPEAKER_00 5:57

so much controversy with the scoring system? And I just hear so many different stories about how in the amateurs there's really a just a lot of, I guess, I don't know, I don't want to say unfair, but uh they're not always giving the the right call.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

Yeah. Yeah, I mean, no, uh, you know, I just train hard, you know, you know, I give him my all, you know, I I I didn't expect to come up victorious, you know. I just I I give it all to God and I I ask them just just guide me into the right track and make sure that everything that I train with display tonight, you know, and boxing and amateur boxing, you know, there's a lot of critics, a lot of politics, and a lot of uh unfair judgment just because of favoritism of and the person that they like and they know.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:45

And uh it's it's unfair, but you know, if you go out there and do everything that you train to do, you know, can nobody hold can nobody hold you back from your W's? That's that's God blamed.

SPEAKER_00 6:55

That's right. And

Golden Gloves Wins And Judging Politics

SPEAKER_00 6:56

now your second time winning the Golden Gloves, how did that experience differ from the first one?

SPEAKER_02 7:02

I was more focused. The the first one I was wasn't really focused, but I as like time started to go by and I start to fulfill my dreams and every everything that God had placed in my heart, you know, I just kept going, you know. And the second time around, I I knew that it would be a lot better just because, you know, changing teams and uh having different looks at things and and being able to see different different perspectives of boxing, like it was it was a big change that I did, you know, and I took the risk and I went all in.

SPEAKER_00 7:33

Okay. And now you have tournament coming up, and that is in Colorado?

SPEAKER_02 7:39

Yes, February 7th to the 14th.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

Okay, and what are your expectations going in? Are you having the same type of mindset that you had when you did the golden gloves? How has things changed? Okay.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

A lot of things change. You know, this is gonna probably be this is gonna be my third national tournament that I've I've been to in since in the last year.

SPEAKER_00 7:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 7:58

You know, I never used to used to travel until you know I changed my teams and uh they start to take me to like to to better competition. You know, that's how you level up, is when you know people who are better than you at the moment. You know, it it teaches you a lot of lessons in life, you know, to keep working, keep working hard, and good things come to people who work hard.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Yeah. And I did hear about the stoppage in

National Tournaments And A Stoppage

SPEAKER_00 8:22

was it Tulsa? You had a stoppage? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:25

I stopped them in the third round. I kind of gassed myself out because I I was I wasn't listening to my coach. You know, I could have I could have got him out. I was supposed to get him out of there earlier than that, but I was just so stuck in my head. Like I said, I was unfocused. Okay. Uh, you know, coming into this this tournament, I'm so focused that I feel like I'm gonna come out of victorious and become number one and win my first national tournament.

SPEAKER_00 8:46

Okay. And now what how has the training progressed for you as because I know that you are going to turn pro. Did you do you have an idea of when you're gonna turn pro, or

Turning Pro And Serving Community

SPEAKER_00 8:59

is that something that's you're still discussing with your coach? God's plan. God's plan.

SPEAKER_02 9:04

God's plan, God's timing, whatever God has in store for me. I'm just gonna continue to work hard. You know, I'm not gonna rush it. If my mind tells me you need to go pro just because you know you need to help others, I'm not gonna rush it because that's something that God would take later. So whenever God has in store for me, I'm willing to go all in.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

And when you say help others, what do you mean by that?

SPEAKER_02 9:27

By like giving back to the community, you know, you know, you know, a lot of people like to go buy fancy cars, big houses, nice jewelry, you know, go to strip clubs and spend the money, like, you know, I'd rather give back to my community and to others that that's in need, you know. I don't, you know, because you know, good things come to people who do good things, you know. So and God's watching always.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

That's right. That is right. Always now. Have you considered ever going back to Illinois to also serve in the community there and do things there?

Family, Faith, And Granny’s Influence

SPEAKER_02 10:00

Oh, most definitely, you know, even if I do it from a distance, because you know, a lot of people, like I said, my my home state is drama, it's dramatic, and and a lot of family members is a jealousy, you know, they'll kill you. You know, family family will kill you because you know, you're doing something that they they wish they can do, but they're not willing to put the work in.

SPEAKER_00 10:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

But I will most definitely give back to the community, you know, that's something that my granny will love for me to do.

SPEAKER_00 10:28

So you also have a daughter, and yes, yes. And what is her name?

SPEAKER_02 10:33

My daughter's name is Kalilah Boyd.

SPEAKER_00 10:35

Hi, Kalilah. I had to say hello to her, and she is adorable and beautiful, by the way. I've seen her. Um now your grandma, she was also in Illinois. Is that is that accurate? So what was when when you left, what was her thinking? I mean, I know she was telling you to leave, but you stayed very, very close with her. And how was that relationship from a distance like that?

SPEAKER_02 11:05

I mean, my granny, you know, she uh was she's she's my favorite. She's my first love. Let's say that. My granny was my first love. You know, she she most definitely taught me things that I never thought I would know. You know, I'm I'm in a position right now because of my granny, you know, she she she looked at me really highly, and you know, I'm I'm highly favored by God. So and she saw that. So, you know, she she told she gave me the opportunity to you know change states, and she gave me a long talk before I caught the train down here. And she told me, you know, no matter what happened, no matter what happened in life, make sure you give it your all and you never come back.

SPEAKER_00 11:45

And now, did she ever get to see you fight?

SPEAKER_02 11:50

She she never saw it in person, but she saw videos. Okay. Uh, you know, we was working on her to uh move down here, you know, but she was going through a lot of things in life, you know, and she was tired.

SPEAKER_00 12:01

So Okay. And did your mom get to see you fight?

SPEAKER_02 12:05

No, my mom didn't see me fight, not just yet. You know, my mom's still here with me. Okay. You know, I love her, and I'm most definitely gonna be able to show her one day, you know, her son did it.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 12:16

And now after this tournament, I mean, I guess it's a little too early to just project, but I'm sure that there may be somebody that you're eyeing for a potential fight. Is that accurate? I mean, are you always kind of looking out to see who's

Predictions On Stevenson Vs Lopez

SPEAKER_00 12:31

out there?

SPEAKER_02 12:32

Like to make my pro debut?

SPEAKER_00 12:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 12:35

No, uh, whatever God has in store for me, you know. I know I know everything's gonna plan out perfectly on his timing. You know, I'm just gonna continue to put the work in, uh, work hard, and I trust that everything will work out in his favor.

SPEAKER_00 12:47

Okay. And I was I was just out of curiosity. I know we have the uh the Shakur Stevenson, Teo Lopez fight coming up, and I wanted to know if you had any predictions.

SPEAKER_02 12:58

Uh, that's gonna be a bang out, you know. Uh, I feel like if Tio Fimo go in really aggressive, maybe he can capitalize off Shakur Stevenson mistakes that he'll make if he's aggressive enough. But I feel like Shakur is in a state of mind where he's he's willing to show the world what he's capable of, and I think he has more to show. And I also love that Shakur surrounds himself with champions and winners. And whenever you surround yourself with good people, then good things happen to you for you. I don't know how Tia Fimo is training, but I know for sure Shakur is ready and he's ready to display whatever he's been working on.

SPEAKER_00 13:36

Yeah, I mean, I think they're actually both ready, and and I always look at it like this. I don't I don't have a you know favorites, uh I just know that it's you know, in boxing, it's all about staying relevant. And I I just feel that at this point in TO's career, he really does need to hold on to that belt. If he doesn't, he's just gonna fall off. And I always put the comparison into college football, right? And Shakur Stevenson's uh in Ohio or or Georgia, and you know, not saying that you know, because if he if he does by any chance lose, he's he's still relevant. He's still in that top 10. If TO loses, you know, he's he's dropping down to maybe a Vanderbilt or something. You know, yeah, because right now, you know, he's still on the bottom. He's like a Miami.

SPEAKER_02 14:16

Yeah, this uh this uh I don't want to you know say the word, but it's a YN sport. You know the young the youngest are starting to take over the sport, you know, a lot of talent is coming out of like different cities and different states. Uh it's time for the old to go and the new to stay.

SPEAKER_00 14:31

Yeah, yeah, I I totally agree. And you know, so your grandma's

Legacy, Motivation, And Final Message

SPEAKER_00 14:35

name was Sandra. Is that that's correct? Sandra?

SPEAKER_02 14:38

Sand Sandra Denise Johnson Bird.

SPEAKER_00 14:40

Sandra Denise Johnson Bird. And I know that, you know, she she has passed away. And, you know, just from talking with you, it sounds like she was just so inspiring for you and to you. And you know, she she was like the backbone of you getting started, right? Because if it weren't for her talking with you, you might have stayed in Illinois. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_02 15:02

That's a hundred percent correct. You know, she she had me in church every Sunday. Well, my whole all my mom says kids, you know, she had us in church, she had us in uh the first step, like step, like we used to step for the church, we used to be in the choir, you know. She she she put us in the position to like see see the bigger picture. And as I got older, I started to see the bigger picture. You know, she's my mo she's my biggest motivator, she's my biggest motivation. You know, I know she lived through me through spirit, and I feel her every night. You know, she she always with me, and I know that she will want me to continue to keep going no matter what. She always told me, she called me every day and told me how much she loved me. And she told me that, you know, no matter what happens, and I already know where she was going with this, you know, but I didn't let it break me. But she always told me, no matter what happens, never come back and continue to fulfill the dreams that God put in your heart.

SPEAKER_00 15:57

Very, very powerful, powerful words. And you know, she she's definitely an anointed woman. And is there anything that you wanted to say to the audience? Just something about this year coming up.

SPEAKER_02 16:11

I just want to tell everybody, you know, you know, whatever you put your mind to, you know, keep going. Don't let nobody tell you what you can and what you cannot do. You know, always listen to adults, take every everything, just listen, pay attention, don't think you know everything because there's always room to grow, you know, and whatever you do in life, just make sure you give it your all because tomorrow is not promised to us, you know. So, you know, you only got 24 hours in a day, so you make sure that you

Closing Blessings And Sign Off

SPEAKER_02 16:39

give it your all and yeah, just continue to do what God placed in your heart because at the end of the day, you know, your happiness and your peace matters to you. So continue to work hard and stay tuned because I'm coming.

SPEAKER_00 16:53

That's right. You are coming. You're coming in hot. The Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Well, I thank you. I thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. And I am I'm looking forward to seeing this whole entire year for you and and just moving forward at at Godspeed. And uh I'll I'll be back in touch with you to have you on the show again, okay?

SPEAKER_02 17:13

God did. God did.

SPEAKER_00 17:15

God bless you.

SPEAKER_02 17:15

Thank you. God bless you. Have a good day.

SPEAKER_00 17:17

You too. Bye bye.