A man with nothing to lose, and everything to gain, is always dangerous, regardless of the odds that are stacked against him.
With no one but himself to provide for, he is firmly locked in on his own desires, ruthlessly single-minded in his approach and, better yet, deeply obsessed with his ambition to feel something, even if just for a brief moment.
That mentality, while perhaps not conducive to making friends, or indeed living a normal life, remains a fiercely powerful weapon in the world of boxing.
For cruiserweight contender Brandon Glanton, it just so happens to encompass his every being, and as he gears up for a clash with former world champion Chris Billam-Smith this Saturday, it is fair to say that the American has prepared himself for all aspects of war, no matter the potentially catastrophic consequences.
“I don’t have a family waiting for me to get home, so I can push myself to different limits,” Glanton told Boxing News. “[I’m prepared to] die in that ring.
“Chris and I have different concerns. He’s got a wife – he’s got a child at home – whereas I don’t have that distraction of, ‘what if my child sees my face like this,’ or, ‘ what if I’m permanently damaged?’
“He [Billam-Smith] wants to win a boxing match, but I’m looking to hurt him each and every time I touch him.”
Clearly, there is an eagerness from Glanton to go the extra mile, with little more than violence and pure destruction remaining at the forefront of his mind.
Most fighters, after all, are wired differently to civilians, while some, adopting an almost sadistic approach, will immerse themselves even further in a sport that is quite aptly referred to as the ‘hurt game.’
For Glanton, though, a deeper story exists behind his desire to inflict pain on Billam-Smith.
Back when his upcoming opponent dethroned Lawrence Okolie at the Vitality Stadium – home of AFC Bournemouth – in 2023, Glanton had sat ringside, taking in the atmosphere, before attempting to congratulate ‘The Gentleman’ on his victory.
Only, instead of exchanging the usual post-fight pleasantries, the 33-year-old was met with an uncharacteristically cold response from his rival.
“[Billam-Smith] was rude [after the Okolie fight],” Glanton insisted. “I stuck my hand out and he just kept walking. Then he turned back and gave me a real smug look. He’s no gentleman.”
Since then, Glanton has banged his own drum enough times, while also claiming a notable stoppage victory over Aleksei Egorov, to earn himself a possibly life-changing opportunity at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London.
But based on his limited interactions with Billam-Smith, the spiteful puncher doubts that their encounter – appearing on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn – will unfold without a devastating conclusion.
“I didn’t even think Chris would say my name – he’s afraid of me – so I’m grateful to him for accepting this fight,” he admitted.
“He actually blocked me on social media, because he knows that I’m telling the truth. This loudmouth American is going to come over and do what I said to him two years ago.
“I told him, ‘I’m going to punish you.’ I’ll be surprised if the stadium isn’t silent by the time I get through with that man.
“Chris doesn’t have anything left. He’s been in so many wars, his feet are stuck in concrete, and he wants to be a puncher… [But] Chris is no puncher.”
Hidden beneath Glanton’s belligerent style, both in and out of the ring, is a more thoughtful character that values the team he has around him.
His coach Jason Jones, in particular, has been by his side through thick and thin, proving to be a loyal friend as well as a strong communicator.
“Going back to an amateur tournament, [Jones] was on Team Alabama and I was on Team Georgia,” Glanton recalled.
“I was training for a fight the night before, but my team’s coach wouldn’t assist me in cutting weight – he said he was tired, or whatever. So I went over to Jason, and he helped me drop the weight.”
As a professional, Glanton soon began to train with the likes of Robert Garcia and Abel Sanchez but, in 2018, he suffered an injury and considered walking away from boxing.
Only then did he reunite with his former coach, knowing that he, more than anyone, could guide him towards rediscovering his focus.
“For whatever reason, I remembered that Jason Jones was the last person to help me, and he convinced me to stay in boxing,” Glanton added.
“Jason was able to put that time and energy into me. He was able to communicate with me in a way that I understand.”
Together, the pair will look to pull off a classic smash-and-grab victory on away soil.
And regardless of the noise that a packed out Tottenham Hotspur Stadium promises to deliver, Glanton looks forward to following the instructions of Jones in his corner.
“The squared circle is the same everywhere,” he highlighted. “Obviously, it’ll be a rough environment. I’m the challenger, so I’ve got to come in and prove myself.
“But that’s fine because, by the time the fight is over, I’ll have the hearts of every British fan.
“Plus, in big environments like that, you can always hear my trainer’s voice. He’ll be right beside me.”
Watch Eubank Jr vs Benn on Saturday 26th April live on DAZN, the global home of boxing with over 185+ fights per year. Buy the pay-per-view now at https://www.dazn.com/oneonone
