Rayo Valenzuela Joins Boxing World in Excitement as 7x US National Champ Signs With Bob Arum’s Top Rank

On Wednesday, Top Rank announced the signing of a 20-year-old sensation from the amateur circuit—Dedrick Crocklem. The Tacoma, Washington native will have his first pro match in his hometown on January 10 against Nesly Trezile. The Junior lightweight prodigy has taken the amateur boxing world by storm and has been a standout in the circuit.

With James Prince as the manager and Antonio Leonard as the co-promoter, Top Rank has high expectations from the youngster. The promotional company announced the signing in an Instagram post, sharing their joy over the completed deal. Fans showered the post with love and well wishes as rising Super Lightweight star Rayo Valenzuela also joined the celebration.

Top Ranks signs a “Top Dog”

Top Rank took to its Instagram to share a poster indicating that Crocklem had signed a long-term deal with the company. The caption read, “Dedrick Crocklem, a seven-time national amateur champion, has inked a long-term promotional contract with #TopRank!”

Dedrick Crocklem has won over 150 fights in the amateur circuit and has countless accolades to his name. He won the Youth National Championships in 2020 and 2021 and followed that by capturing the gold medal at the 2022 National Championships. He further added more accolades to his name by winning the bronze medal at the 2022 Youth World Championships.

However, his biggest achievement to date must be his flawless run in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trial. Crocklem was over the moon after the deal with the legendary promotion. He exclaimed, “This opportunity means a lot. I always wanted to turn pro with Top Rank because of how they move their fighters and the exposure I’ll receive. I chased the Olympic dream and am ready to show I’ll be a top dog soon.”

Top Rank head honcho Bob Arum has high expectations from the youngster. He explained, “Dedrick Crocklem stood out among the Team USA amateurs, and we are excited to watch his professional journey unfold. He has a real aggressive, crowd-pleasing style. Tacoma has a rich boxing history, and I believe Dedrick will be his city’s next world champion,” sharing his high expectations from the 7-time national amateur champion.

The boxing world has approved the deal as they wished the youngster the very best for his future, as Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela congratulated Top Rank for securing such a celebrated amateur.

Rayo Valenzuela leading the boxing world

The Mexican fighter led the charge and was one of the first ones to congratulate the star. He wrote, “Congratulations y’all got a gem! 💎,” commending Top Rank for a smart business. Currently, the PBC has Rayo Valenzuela under contract, and he fights in the same weight class as Crocklem. So, it won’t be surprising if we see these two fighting for a championship down the road.

Super Flyweight boxer Steven Navarro also joined the party and congratulated the youngster on securing a deal with a well-known promotion. He commented, “🔥🔥🔥🔥,” implying how brilliant this deal will be for both the parties. Navarro signed with Top Rank earlier this year in April and already has 5 wins in his pro career. We hope for a similar trajectory for Dedrick Crocklem. Recently turned pro and US Marine Corps Captain Stephanie Simon also congratulated the 20-year-old and wrote, “Congratulations!!!” showing her excitement for the future of the young champion.

A fan who has been following the American sensation on the amateur circuit declared, “Future world titlist, no doubt. Seen him fight at local amateur shows and this young man is a monster 🔥.” There’s no question about Crocklem’s exceptional talent, and with the right guidance from Top Rank, he seems destined to become a world champion.

Another fan who has been following Croklem for a while now through his amateur run, wrote, “I’m so proud of you @yung_hitta_dedrick congratulations! The come up is real, can’t wait till they know your name and see you shine ✨,” stating how much she is waiting for his debut.

Although it may be a while before we see Dedrick Crocklem vie for a world title, the words of Rayo Valenzuela and the buzz among boxing fans suggest that his journey will be nothing short of thrilling. Share your thoughts on this exciting signing in the comments below!