Cincinnati Olympian Duke Ragan returning to the boxing ring in honor of his father

HEARTBREAK AND ANGER INTOMOTIVAT DUKE RAGAN HAS ALREADYRO PVED HE CAN BEAT SOMEF O THE BEST. THE DECORATED BOXER A OLYMPIAN BROUGHT A SILVER MEDAL HOME TO CINCINNATI LAST MMSU. NOW THE 24-YEAR-OLD HAS SOMETHING NEW TO PROVE, THAT HE CAN TRAIN AND WIN WITHOUT THE LIVING REASON HE EVER STEPPED INSIDE A RING. DUKE: EVERY DAYY M DAD WLDOU CALL SO JUST GOT TO TALK IT ONE DAY AT A TE.IM JATARA: DUKE'S DAD DERRICK RAGAN DIED AFTER CONTRACTING COVID AND WAS INCARCERATED SERVING ON DGRU CHARGES AND MOVED TO THE HOSPITAL WITHOUT HIS FAMILY BEING CALLED. DUKE AND HIS SIBLINGS DIDN'T GET TO SAY GOODBYE NOT EVEN ON FACE-TIME. HE'S TRYING TO FIGHT THROUGH BRIEF WITHOUT HIS LIFELONG COACH. HE'S BNEE WEANGRI BOXING GLOVES SINCE HE WAS IN DIAPERS. DO YOU BELIEVING REMEMBERS -- DUKE REMEMBERS HISAD D TAKING OVER HIS BOXING CAREER WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 15. HE AND HIS FATHER SHARED THAT OLYMPIC DREAM, EVEN AFTER DERRKIC RAGAN'S ARREST HE COACHED HIS SON OVER THE PHO.NE DUKE: I TELL MY OTHER COACH WHAT MY DAD IS SAYING AND WE BREAK IT DOWN TO MORE WHAT I UNDERSTAND. THAT'S WHAT I MISS MORE, HELPING ME, GUINGDI ME, STUFF LIKE TT.HA JATARA: DUKE VISITED HIS DAD EVERY SUNDAY AND IN BETWEEN CALLS TO EACH OTHER, DERRICK WOULD CALL HIS SON C'SOACHES TO CHECK IN. WHEN DUKE WON SILVERN I TOKYO, DEREK RECEIVED A MEDAL REPRESENTINGIS H CONTRIBUTIONS AS A OLYMPIC COACH. DUKE: IT WAS AN UNBELIEVAEBL MOMENTOR FE M. WE TOOK A TICKET TOGETHER -- PICTURE TOGETH.ER JATARA: DUKE GETS A HAND WRAP AND THIS TIME WHERE HIS DAD USUALLY SIGNS HE ASKED HIS SISTERS TO LEAVE A MOTIVATING MESSAGE AND A REMINDER OF HIS WHY, THE ONES STILL HERE AND THE ONE WHO'S NOT. DUKE: I DON'T CARE WHAT NOBODY ELSE SAY BUT I CARE WHAT MY DAD SAY. ME DRIFTING AWAY I KNOW HE PROBLYAB WOULD BE OK WITH IT. JATARA: THE BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS NOW HAVE NEW MEANING. AND HIS DAD'S MEMORY HAS A PERMANENT PLACE IN DUKE'S HEART AND ON HIS SIDE. DUKE: I WANT TO PUT IN MY OWN EYES MY OMHST SO HE CAN SEE ME FIGHTING AND HE ALWAYS SAID HE FEELS LIKE'M I FIGHTING, T.OO JATARA: HE SAID WHEN HIS DAD WAS HEAD COACH HE WAS IN THE BEST SHAPE OF HIS LIFE, EVEN BETTER THAN THE SHAPE HE WAS IN DURING THE OLYMPICS. HIS GOAL DURING THIS TRAINING CAMP IS TO GET BACK TO THAT. HIS FIRST MATCH SCEIN TOKYO IS

Duke Ragan has already proved he can box with and beat some of the best. He's a decorated boxer and Olympian from Cincinnati. Last summer, he brought a silver medal home to Cincinnati from the Tokyo games. Now the 24-year-old has something new to prove, that he can have success in the sport without the person who is the reason he ever stepped into a ring. Duke Ragan's father Derek Ragan, 51, died in December after fighting COVID-19. He was incarcerated at the Butler County Jail serving time on drug charges when he contracted the virus and spent more than a week sick before he was taken to the hospital."Every day my dad would call. So I just have to take it one day at a time," Duke Ragan said.He has been wearing boxing gloves since he was in diapers. His dad took over his boxing career when he was 15. The two shared the dream of making it to the Olympics.Even after Derek Ragan was arrested, he continued to coach his son over the phone. Duke said he visited his father every Sunday."I'd tell my dad what my other coach was saying and he'd probably break it down better to me so that I could understand, so that's probably what I miss more, him helping me, guiding me," Duke Ragan said. In between calls to each other, Derek Ragan would call his son's coaches to check in. When Duke Ragan won silver in Tokyo, Derek Ragan also received a medal, recognizing his contributions as an Olympic coach."It was an unbelievable moment for me. I ended up getting to see him. We took a picture together," Duke Ragan said. He cherishes the photo with his father's silver medal draped around his neck. The blood, sweat and tears now have new meaning for Duke. A portrait of his late father is tattooed on his side. "When I fought he always said he felt like he was fighting too," he said. "I wanted to put him on my stomach where he could see me fighting."Duke Ragan's first fight since the Olympics will be April 9 on ESPN.

CINCINNATI —

Now the 24-year-old has something new to prove, that he can have success in the sport without the person who is the reason he ever stepped into a ring.

Duke Ragan's father Derek Ragan, 51, died in December after fighting COVID-19. He was incarcerated at the Butler County Jail serving time on drug charges when he contracted the virus and spent more than a week sick before he was taken to the hospital.

"Every day my dad would call. So I just have to take it one day at a time," Duke Ragan said.

He has been wearing boxing gloves since he was in diapers. His dad took over his boxing career when he was 15. The two shared the dream of making it to the Olympics.

Even after Derek Ragan was arrested, he continued to coach his son over the phone. Duke said he visited his father every Sunday.

"I'd tell my dad what my other coach was saying and he'd probably break it down better to me so that I could understand, so that's probably what I miss more, him helping me, guiding me," Duke Ragan said.

In between calls to each other, Derek Ragan would call his son's coaches to check in.

When Duke Ragan won silver in Tokyo, Derek Ragan also received a medal, recognizing his contributions as an Olympic coach.

"It was an unbelievable moment for me. I ended up getting to see him. We took a picture together," Duke Ragan said. He cherishes the photo with his father's silver medal draped around his neck.

The blood, sweat and tears now have new meaning for Duke. A portrait of his late father is tattooed on his side.

"When I fought he always said he felt like he was fighting too," he said. "I wanted to put him on my stomach where he could see me fighting."

Duke Ragan's first fight since the Olympics will be April 9 on ESPN.

Cincinnati Olympian Duke Ragan returning to the boxing ring in honor of his father

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