QUINCY, Mass. (October 17, 2024) –Undefeated heavyweight Kevin “Big Gulp” Nagle (9-0, 7 KOs) has taken a challenging journey, to say the least, towards his first title shot on November 1st on the “Worcester Championship Boxing” card, presented by Granite Chin Promotions (GCP), at the famed DCU Event Center in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Nagle, fighting out of Scituate (MA), faces Worcester’s Jake Paradise (8-3, 8 KOs) in the eight-round co-featured event for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) USA Silver Heavyweight Championship.
Nagle’s U.S. Army Reserve unit was deployed to Kosovo in 2006-2007, followed by an additional military tour in Iraq. Unfortunately, he came home with alcohol and opioid issues. After a brief amateur career, the now 40-year-old Nagle stopped boxing when he was 25, but he sparred periodically with his friend, heavyweight Steve Vukosa, who is now Kevin’s head trainer.
Nagle and his then-wife had agreed to Kevin hanging up his gloves after the birth of their first child because she was concerned about his possible brain injuries in the future. In 2022, Nagle and his wife separated and the first call he made was to Vukosa, who contacted promoter Chris Traietti.
“I came back to make a run so my kids would have good memories,” Nagle remembered. “I became a licensed nurse because of the alcohol and opiate problems I came home with from Iraq, and I wanted to become a caregiver. I’ve been a psychiatric nurse at the VA in Brockton for the past 10 years.”
Nagle made his pro debut when he was 39 and he started training when he weighed 340 pounds. Today, he’s down to 270 pounds and fighting for a strap.
“I love boxing and even when I was sparring with Steve I never gave up on my dreams and that’s the message I’m sending to my children (the four are aged between 3 and 8),” Nagle added. “I tell them that they need to try…win, lose or draw. I put in a lot of work to get into shape. I’m older now and push myself.”
Nagle dreamed of fighting someday for a title, but he’s blown away to be fighting for the WBC USA Silver crown.
“I thought it would be for the Mass. Title, or possibly for the New England championship, but this is beyond what I ever dreamed. I never dreamed of fighting for a WBC title and it’s because this is what Chris designed. He’s a man of his word. Every step I’ve taken, whether positive or not, has impacted my life. After this fight it’ll be whatever Chris says. I’d like to get into bigger fights and make some money, but I do what Chris tells meand hopefully that will be fighting on a bigger platform.”
Ironically, Nagle’s opponent has had his demons as well. Paradise has overcome drug addiction, homelessness,and suicidal depression anxiety.
“This will be a clash of recovering fighters,” Nagle noted. “Anything can happen in boxing. Every time I go into a fight, I never know what’s going to happen. It’s boxing!”
Nagle also revealed how he came up with his nickname, “Big Gulp.”When Kevin came back from Iraq, he was drinking so much water that he started drinking half water, half soda. He and Steve came up with the nickname, “Big Gulp.”
Tough rooting against a guy like Kevin Nagle.
The loaded GCP event is headlined by a terrific match-up betweenJosniel “TG” Castro (13-1, 8 KOs), fighting out of Boca Raton (FL), who defends his newly captured WBC U.S. super welterweight title against reigning Junior North American Boxing Federation champion Denzel “Double Impact” Whitley (14-0, 8 KOs), of Holyoke (MA), in the 10-round main event.
Card subject to change.