A Cinderella story is set to take place in Harts Creek on December 3rd, as Eric Monn, the dark horse of the division, will take on long reigning champion Densel Chapman.
To really understand the story of this fight, you have to look back in time almost a year, to Monn's very first fight. A lifelong fan of the sport, it was always a dream of his to step into the ring himself, but that moment never happened and for a time Eric believed that maybe he wasn't meant to be a fighter, after all. But his love for combat sports never died, and alongside David Frenette he founded Fight Bros, a combat sports organization and community that has been rapidly growing, with new members from all over the world joining each week, all brought together through a passion and love for mixed martial arts and boxing.
But as Fight Bros grew, so did that old desire to compete, and in January of 2022 Monn made his boxing debut at New Line Championship Boxing 1 in Huntington, WV against Rob Mayernik. Eric Monn's first taste of what it is to be a fighter was bittersweet, and by the end of the second round he watched the judges raise his opponents hand as he heard the announcer call his name, and announce that he had won by second round TKO.
This could have been the end of Eric's story, as we have seen with so many fighters who have tasted defeat before him. He could have walked away, and most people said that he should. After such a disastrous debut, it would have been easy to lose hope, but that's not what happened. A fire was lit in Eric Monn, he knew that he was capable of more, and he knew that he was a fighter. He doubled down, he worked harder. He also stepped up his training, joining Heathen Clan Combat under the leadership of Thoran Hensley and began to hone his skills, ready for his chance at redemption.
That redemption came at the Baileysville Brawl, just a few short months later. Monn entered the tournament, as a massive underdog, looking like a completely different fighter and walking away from the first round with the unanimous decision victory over Hunter Schmoekel. After an injury knocked him out of the tournament, Monn returned in Wayne to defeat Daniel Green in another unanimous decision victory.
Most recently we saw him defeat Delano Reynolds at King Of The Mountain State in Huntington, and with that, Eric Monn is sitting on a three fight win streak and has left little doubt that he is a fighter. But that is not enough for him, as he believes he has what it takes to be a champion.
Standing in the way of that dream is Densel Chapman, one of the most decorated fighters in West Virginia, and reigning lightweight champion. A longtime fan favorite, Chapman is an all action fighter, but one who is always sharp, and always technical. He is a dangerous southpaw who carries big power, along with beautiful footwork and head movement, and is a difficult puzzle to solve, by far the toughest test Monn has faced.
We have not seen Chapman fight since NLC 8, where he lost his lightweight title in a razor thin decision against Jason Wilson, and we haven't seen him compete in boxing since his first round demolition of Tyler Estep. Densel has been a busy man since then, moving camps and training at Fight Society under Edson and Jenny Freitas and All American MMA under Nick Browne and AJ Bosley.
It's a Cinderella Story in Harts Creek, will the underdog Eric Monn be able to continue his inspiring comeback story, or will Densel Chapman make the fairy tale journey come to an end?
Story by Elijah Thacker
