Laase "Playing For Keeps" Saturday
By Jesse Kelley

19 year old RJ Laase will be in action this Saturday, June 7th as pro boxing returns to Superior, WI. Laase is (2-0) as a pro and has quickly established a name for himself around the boxing circles in his hometown of Duluth,MN.
Laase, like a lot of boxers, first got involved in the sport of boxing after watching an older sibling take a swing at it.
"One of my older brothers boxed through his early teens so i figured I’d try it out after seeing a flyer hanging in my 8th grade gym class. I had 45 fights in the amateurs with 40 of them wins and 1 draw. Not a huge amateur backing but a solid one" said Laase.

It was during those amateur fights that Laase first began to catch people's attention with his all around boxing skills. However, Laase will tell you that it has always been his goal to one day fight professionally.
"The pros is were it's at man" said the confident fighter. "This is something that I’ve wanted since the first time I laced up a pair of gloves. I’ve always hated the rules and judging in the amateurs. Come on, a knock down is equal to a jab?"

So Laase made his professional debut in October of 2007 against St. Paul's Raphael Magdaleno, winning a unanimous four round decision. He followed that with a first round destruction of Mike Krull this last February.

Just out of highschool, Laase's education has moved from the classroom to the squared circle as he follows the road his coach Chuck Horton and teammate's Zach Walters and Andy Kolle have begun to pave in the Twin Ports area.
"I’ve been with Shark (Horton) since day one. I took everything he’s said and added my own twist on it to adapt to my style through out the years. It's nice to be able to work with all the guys. They all bring a different style to the table. I like working with Kolle because I get a chance to read a southpaw and how they fight on a daily basis."

Laase will have the chance to continue to mature in the ring this Saturday as he faces North Dakotan Michael Davis. Davis has been in the ring with a handful of Minnesota fighters and should prove to be a good test for Laase.
"I dont know anything about Davis besides Tyler Gould out boxed him for 3 rounds and Corey Rodriguez knocked him out. So after hearing that Im saying its a done deal."

The young welterweight fights in a division in which Minnesota is rich with up and coming talent. Laase says he is up for testing himself against all the big names someday but also dreams of someday breaking out of his homestate to compete on a national level.
"Everybody obviously has the dream of winning a belt. But I just want to leave my mark in the game! I want to retire at the age of 30. I think 11 years should be enough time to make my mark. As for the
welterweight thing locally, I'm game at 140 but a lot of people cant make that so it's a catch weight thing. Right now my team is working on a fight with Cape (Patrick).

"June 7th is fight night and I am eager to step in that ring. It's been a long camp" said Laase in closing. " I have something up my sleeve for all my fans that night too so come check out the fights."

The card, dubbed "Playing for Keeps will take place at the Wessman Arena in Superior, WI. Included will be WBC-ABU Intercontinental champion, Zach “Jungle Boy” Walters (22-2), Andy “Kaos” Kolle (16-1), Gary “Stone Cold” Eyer (3-0), RJ “T-Rex” Laase (2-0), Tim “Thunder Heart” Taggart (2-0), and Skuli Armannsson. Visit Hortongym.com for more.