Being the cousin of heavyweight Terry Smith, Juan Pedro De La Rosa (Contender Season One) and James De La Rosa, Rashad "The One" Ganaway is no stranger when it comes to boxing. He made his professional debut on January 1, 2008 against Nathan Bruce after a successful amateur career. Coming from that fighting background has helped Ganaway a lot so far in his career, especially by keeping an eye on Terry Smith.
"I have seen the frustration that can come from this sport and that is why I am so glad to have people like my trainer Kevin Lightburn and my manager Jason Stuart," states Ganaway. "I know that with them, it is more than just boxing. I feel that they really care for me and my family and that makes a big difference when you can find that kind of relationship."
One thing that is for certain, Ganaway is willing to fight anyone, anytime, and anyplace.
"My team is good about taking me all over," states Ganaway. "I have fought in several different states, not just Arkansas. People know who I am from the amateurs and it can be hard to get fights because of that, but I am getting work in so it is coming along."
Ganaway continues, "I will fight anybody. It was not long ago that Dorin Spivey (35-6, 28 KO's) stated he wanted to fight me and I said sure. He has a lot of experience, but I was willing to take the fight. We had a site and everything, but when it came down to time to sign the contract, he said no. It was not me that turned it down and I did not call him out. It was all Spivey, but when it came down to it, he did not want to fight so it did not happen."
Undefeated in 8 professional fights with 6 fights ending inside the distance, Ganaway last saw action a couple of weeks ago stopping Jorge Ruiz in the fourth round of a fight in Miami, Florida. Rashad was originally scheduled to be tested against a tough, slick southpaw by the name of Roberto Acevedo (9-4-3, 1 KO), but like many others have done during Rashad's short pro career, Acevedo pulled out of the fight without any explanation just 48 hours prior to the fight. Rashad's team was left scrambling to find Jorge Ruiz as a short notice replacement.
The Ruiz fight was Rashad's first fight in 2009, but his schedule is already booked solid for the next few months. On March 7, Ganaway is scheduled to face Michael Williams in West Memphis, Arkansas. Just 3 weeks later on March 28, he is scheduled to face Jaime Sandoval for the NABC Lightweight title in Harlingen, Texas. If the fight against Jaime Sandoval goes as planned, Ganaway is set to return to action in late April against a to be determined opponent possibly in Ganaway's hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas.
"My team keeps me busy, and I like that a lot. I want to get to where I do not have to work a job and train as well. It is going good at the moment because I have a job that understands what I am doing so training and work, plus fights has not been a problem, but I want to get to that point where I can just train and fight."
"One thing about me in the ring is that I am aggressive and I have a difficult style. It is hard to explain, but when I am in there, I am going to make sure you know who I am when I am done. My opponent will always know that when the fight is over, he was in a fight. If I hurt someone, I am going to get them out of there. That is one thing I have learned is that by traveling outside of your area to fight, you have to finish the fight and if you cannot knock the guy out, then you have to leave no doubt in the judges mind that you won the fight. That is why I am so focused in the ring and in training. I do not want to leave any doubt about anything, ever."
Additional Note
"The One" Rashad Ganaway is trained by Kevin Lightburn who has worked with #1 ranked cruiserweight contender BJ Flores and assisted in training former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor in the amateurs where he captured a 2000 Olympic Bronze Medal.
Besides managing "The One," Jason Stuart also maintains a thriving corporate law firm in Little Rock, Arkansas, owns Peacemaker Promotions with operations in Arkansas and Texas and manages Juan Pedro "El Gallo Negro" De La Rosa, "King James" De La Rosa, Jon Swain, as well as acts as legal counsel and advisor for BJ "El Peligroso" Flores, Roberto "La Amenaza" Garcia and several other professional boxers.