Jeff The Nightmare Camp

Camp initially played football at Dunbar High School and then transferred to Isus Trade and Technology Prep. At 18, he finally walked into the boxing gym of veteran local trainer Kenny Miliner. Four years later, he won the middleweight crown at the 2011 Missouri Black Expo in St. Louis and the following year he won the middleweight crown at the Ohio State Fair. He was then a longshot entrant in USA Boxing’s Last Chance qualifying tournament in Cincinnati. Winners would advance to the U.S Olympic Trials and have a chance at making it to the 2012 London Games. He shocked everyone by winning three bouts before losing a close decision in the quarterfinals. In the process, he said Cincinnati pizza baron and boxing patron Buddy LaRosa gave him “The Nightmare” nickname. His Cincinnati showing caught the eye of the organizers of the World Series of Boxing and he was flown to Los Angeles for a fight the next day against amateur standout Kanat Islam, a Chinese-born middleweight who’d fought in two Olympics, won bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games and today is the World Boxing Organization’s unbeaten middleweight champ with a 28-0 pro record. Although the fight was stopped in the fourth round, Camp fought admirably and made his name known. After switching trainers, he turned pro in 2014, a move that began with a thud: a draw and two losses. Rededicating himself, he then won five straight fights.