Glenelg grad delivers TKO in first pro fight

On Sunday morning, Tucker and his father and trainer, Mark Tucker, Sr., were already on their way down to Florida to train and enjoy the tropical weather.

‘‘Pretty much, every day, all day long I’m training,” Tucker said. ‘‘You can’t go out and party.”

From 9 a.m. to noon each morning they train at the Johnson’s camp, then from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. he gets his road work in, running daily.

The change in locale helps this schedule. Even though Maryland is getting a touch of a warming trend, reaching temperatures in the high 60s, Florida is offering up temperatures around 80 degrees.

Friday’s fight revealed Tucker’s career potential. With consistent performances such as his bout with Edwards, chances for Tucker to land a good undercard expand.

Tucker Sr. said that he’s trying to get in a fight a month, with his next bout somewhere in early April. They’re still in the process of lining up an opponent, but would like to add onto the April 12 card.

Boxing has a thin margin of error, with immense pressure on the athletes to keep undefeated records for as long as possible.

‘‘They’re all important, and we’ll attack them all,” Tucker Sr. said.

Tucker Jr. was 140-22 as an amateur boxer, including a Golden Gloves championship. Naturally ambidextrous, he writes with his left hand, but throws a baseball with his right hand (to allow him to play more positions in little league baseball, he learned to throw as a right-hander). But overall, he favors a southpaw attack that has at times been described as awkward and unconventional.

‘‘I have a different style. I can’t really describe it,” Tucker said. ‘‘Overall, everything is just different.”

He’s also aware of the need to build up a fan base. At the Pikesville Armory on Friday, he played to the crowd with a Mohawk and his ‘‘TNT” nickname.

‘‘This guy I used to train with, Henry Buchanon, used to call me that, and I liked it,” Tucker said. ‘‘It was probably because I hit hard.”

Edwards (0-2) found that out the hard way. In only his second professional match and quickly heading towards tomato can status, Edwards was caught in the corner and absorbed 22 unanswered punches from Tucker. He was called out after suffering a couple cracked ribs and a broken nose.

Tucker took less damage in the fight, with a cut on his forehead and a gash on the back of his head from an elbowing from Edwards.

‘‘I just came out. It was real sloppy at first,” Tucker said.

Boxing is all business for Tucker, who normally trains at the Maryland Boxing Club in Eldersburg. The Glenelg High graduate has been so focused on life inside the ring that he hasn’t been able to follow his alma mater’s recent playoff runs.

‘‘I didn’t even know who was in the Super Bowl,” Tucker said. ‘‘I saw the last part of it, but that was it.”