Local boxer faces tough fight, with D.C. judge

By T’Reyah Johnson
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer

D.C. boxer Dusty Hernandez-Harrison, once an undefeated welterweight professional before he “lost direction,” may be facing one of his toughest battles on Dec. 30.

Hernandez-Harrison faces a weapons charge in connection with an investigation by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The U.S. District Court trial is set for five days after Christmas, but Harrison said he has entered a plea deal to serve up to 18 months in federal prison.

“I want to show the judge that there is more to me than just a bad decision, and I’m going to use boxing to do it,” said Hernandez-Harrison, who is now pursuing a real estate license to earn money between bouts.

Already the 6-foot, 24-year-old Puerto Rican boxer with a “Blessed” tattoo across his muscular chest is enjoying success, claiming two wins so far this year. On July 19, Hernandez-Harrison beat Juan De Angel on ESPN in a fight at the MGM Hotel and Casino in Oxon Hill. That battle was only miles from the Old School Boxing Gym, owned by his father, Buddy Harrison, on the grounds of the Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington. The victory was a win for the entire District of Columbia, fans proclaim.

On Nov. 2, the boxer held a grand opening for his own gym.

Growing up in the Southeast D.C. neighborhood of Naylor Gardens, Hernandez-Harrison said that for several years his family was the only family that was not African American in the community. After his parents split up, he said he moved with his mother to Waldorf, Maryland, and attended Thomas Stone High School in St. Charles.

Moving to Charles County was another major culture shock, he said, because everyone was mainly white or Hispanic, just like him. He toggled between parents but said his visits with his father were all about boxing.

Boxing soon became a lifestyle for Hernandez-Harrison. His father, who is also his trainer, “has been showing me how to box since the moment I could remember.”

He bragged that his father passed along what he learned from his boxing career, in hopes of him becoming a champion one day. One of Buddy Harrison’s favorite moves is a left uppercut to the body, said Hernandez-Harrison, because it is his hardest punch.

“He has made more people quit with punch more than anything,” said the boxer’s father.

“My second favorite move is to put both of my hands down or on my knees and make my opponent miss,” explained Hernandez-Harrison. “It is hard to do but first time I seen it done was by my friend Aunjee ‘Quick’ Tyler who is now deceased.”

Hernandez-Harrison turned pro at 17 mainly because he wanted to fulfill his father’s dream. During his peak, he claimed victory via a 10-round unanimous decision over Thomas LaManna in September 2016 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. A month later, the International Boxing Federation ranked Hernandez-Harrison among the top 15 welterweights in the world with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao leading the way. But after running into promotional disagreements, Hernandez-Harrison stopped fighting for more than two years, and in that time, he struggled to stay out of trouble, eventually throwing his pro career into jeopardy.

While boxing, Hernandez-Harrison received calls for $250,000 fights but learned his opponents dropped out, cancelling the match. Boxers typically are paid based on their rankings. While Hernandez-Harrison was ranked in the top 15, he won $25,000 or more per fight.

“Boxing has always been the most consistent thing that I’ve had in my life since I was born, and when that was taken away from me, I lost direction,” said Hernandez-Harrison, explaining his current trouble.

In the early 1990s and 2000s, Washington D.C. was known as “fight town.” Hernandez-Harrison has made a huge impact on bringing the title back to D.C. After winning the fight in his hometown with a knockout (33-0-1, 18 knockouts) the stadium shouted with joy at how much pride he brought back to the District that night. 

“I don’t watch boxing, but to see someone come from the projects of SE D.C. doing something great, I had to come out and support,” said a fan during a recent bout.

Even though 2019 has been a great year for Hernandez-Harrison’s boxing career, he is still dealing with the charges of his case. As of now, he is still set to spend 18 months in a federal prison. But, his goal is to show the judge how much of a changed man he is.

Hernandez-Harrison is now again ranked in the top 20 boxers, according to International Boxing Federation.