The loss of his IBF lightweight title to Mikey Garcia was a difficult pill to swallow but for Robert Easter Jr., he was alright with starting over.
Easter’s comeback didn’t start the way he wanted. He fought listlessly against Rances Barthelemy, resulting in a split decision draw. Ultimately, Easter did get his head back in the game. On back-to-back occasions, he outclassed those who were standing across the ring from him.
His path wasn’t entirely clear, but Easter knew that if he kept stacking up wins, he would eventually land a world title shot. However, Easter’s championship dreams, and more importantly his life, were almost taken away.
In February of 2022, Easter was reportedly approached by a group of men wielding a gun and demanding cash. According to Easter, they brazenly shouted to him “Give me those,” making reference to the jewelry Easter had on. Easter quickly made a run for it before being shot a total of three times. Once he was on the ground, those same assailants reportedly snatched two gold chains, three of his diamond rings, and Easter’s cell phone. Shortly after the attack, Easter was forced to undergo surgery.
Although boxing wasn’t pertinent to his condition and the furthest thing from his mind, Easter (23-1-1, 14 KOs) kept a close eye on the sport. The lanky former champion from Toledo, Ohio, slowly but surely completed his rehabilitation before ultimately making his way back to the gym.
For the most part, he’s kept out of the public eye and hasn’t been spotted much out and about. But while he’s kept a low profile, Easter has continued to put in work.
This past weekend, Easter sat in his ringside seat as he watched Jared Anderson, an up-and-coming heavyweight contender from his hometown, pull off a 10-round unanimous decision win over Charles Martin.
Watching someone else from his hometown has seemingly given Easter a bit of extra juice. At this stage, Easter feels content with where he’s at physically. And while there isn’t a precise timetable on when he could make his return, Easter did reveal to FightHype.com that his fans can expect to see him strolling those ropes in the coming months.
“I’m a be back in the ring at the end of the year.”