Richy Maria Jacob
Showtime’s ‘Ringside’ presents the honest struggles and victories of two young boys from Chicago who make a steadfast impression in the arena of boxing despite the various setbacks they have faced over the years. While their struggles were different, they always had one thing in common—their upbringing and background, which spoke volumes about where they come from and what each bout means to them. Even though the documentary focuses more on their individual drives and passions, what invariably shines through is also what they collectively represent.
Destyne Butler Jr. Has Proven He is a Boxing Prodigy
‘Ringside’ introduces Destyne Butler Jr. as the junior Golden Gloves champ, who had unmatched potential for his age. Even though he was just a teenager, he was already a top contender in the local circuit, when the documentary chose him as a subject. His amateur record was over 100 in 2010. When asked in an interview as to how he would define his fighting style, he said, “Pretty. That’s it. That’s it, that’s all. Pretty, sleek, smooth, fast, and I am just, you know…fundamentally sound.”
As highlighted in the film, one of the major setbacks he faced was getting arrested for several robberies at age 18, which eventually resulted in a four-year sentence. This was like a knife cutting through his career as a boxer. Nevertheless, despite the odds, he rose above the challenges that were lined up against him, especially with the help of his father, who is also his trainer. Butler Sr., also spoke of his days when he dabbled with drugs as a former drug dealer. Thus, though the film doesn’t outrightly focus on the darker aspects of systemic regression of opportunities, it still points at a “fair advantage” they didn’t exactly have.
In any case, Butler’s growth became much more real when he went to boot camp, only to later be dejected by it and go through the pains of getting through a sparring match. However, he distilled the challenges to a meticulous form of training in the combat sport. The documentary thus highlighted not only Butler’s fight to make it to the top but also his father’s in making sure he stayed out of harm’s way.
Destyne Butler Jr. is Leading a Quiet Life These Days
Destyne Butler Jr’s Instagram page once had several posts that showcased that he is still training to be an active part of his beloved sport. However, since promoting ‘Ringside’ and gaining much more public traction, he has decided to lead a much quieter life. He used to post several short snippets of him in the ring, with one even stating, “Pain & Struggle made me look at Success different. That’s why me and you ain’t got the same desire to WIN!” Yet, he has since wiped his page clean, and it appears to be for good.
That’s despite the fact he also used to share pictures of his son online, and to him, fatherhood had re-defined his sense of priorities. He once even penned, “The streets used to call my name, and I come running! Now, when they call, I gotta look at my son’s face and turn them down! Cuz I rather see him smile, Than him seeing me shackled.” As if that’s not enough, he was also involved in the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, contributing to his capacity to highlight it as a necessity. Interestingly, he also released a music video in 2020 of what may be his first rap song. Destyne Butler Jr. thus seemed to be at the peak of his career, set to do more than just keep a winning streak. However, it seems like he has since chosen a different life for himself.
Read More: Kenneth Sims Jr.: Where is Ringside Boxing Star Now?
