More than 25 years ago, out of desperation to pay to treat his mother’s cancer, Tracy Sneed got involved in selling drugs to make ends meet, leading to his conviction in court where he received a 52-year sentence in jail. Fast forward to the modern day, Sneed now owns the Tracy Sneed Boxing gym after a successful 23 years as a professional boxer.
The 51-year-old from Chandler served seven years and four months before his future boxing manager Brendan Garrett helped him get out of jail.
Sneed once sat atop the middleweight boxing rankings before prison, even fighting in a title. When released from jail, Sneed used that opportunity to replicate his previous success in the middleweight division. Now 25-years removed from selling drugs, Sneed can look back on the legacy he built himself in his boxing career.
His career record is an impressive 27 wins and four losses, but even more so when considering the spotlight he did it under.
“Yeah, you know, I fought on TV,” Sneed said. “I fought on ESPN, USA, a few different things like that. ESPN a couple times, USA once. I did some good fights. I used to beat up all the world champions.”
Chandler can be proud as Sneed represented his hometown while boxing on the worldwide stage.
Sneed is a legend in boxing with 21 career knockouts, yet he believes his son Adrian Sneed will far surpass his legacy.
“I don’t want to be biased towards my own kid, but he’s very good,” Sneed said. “He’s a lot better than I was in boxing. So I see him doing great things. If he sticks with it, I don’t see anything other than a world champion.”
That’s high praise coming from someone with his experience, especially for a 10-year-old, but Sneed foresees greatness in his son’s future.
His father alluded to the fact he’s not the only one watching though, as connections of Floyd Mayweather have been looking into Adrian, keeping a watchful eye on his career going forward.
As special of a career as his son could possibly have, what ultimately means most to Sneed is the passing of the torch of his love of boxing to his son.
“It is a huge honor because he wants to carry on my legacy,” Sneed said. “It’s an honor that he wants to do what his dad does.”
Sneed’s legacy brought about opportunities to live with Riddick Bowe, train with Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather, while becoming friends with James Toney and Roy Jones Jr.
Of all Sneed’s connections and interactions with former champions, a memory with a specific icon, Muhummad Ali, sticks out.
“I fought that night so Ali had blessed me,” Sneed said. “But he had prayed on me and blessed me. And I don’t know what that did, but it just took me to a whole other level. I was excited because I met Ali, overwhelmed. He was out there saying, ‘come on, champ! Let’s go, champ!’ And I think that pumped me up because I broke that dude’s ankle and hit him in the jaw.”
Few can share stories of interacting with Ali, but to receive his blessing and support, leading to a career highlight is an unforgettable moment for Sneed.
This is the passion for boxing he passes to his son, as he hopes one day Adrian can also be in the presence of all time greats and eventually become one himself.
The beginning of Adrian Sneed’s legacy takes place on September 28 at Tracy Sneed Boxing gym, where he’s set to compete in his first fight.