By day, 17-year-old Aiden Anderson is a soft-spoken junior at Dallas ISD's Carter High School. After school, his alter-ego, Aiden "Wake 'Em Up" Anderson, comes out to fight.
"I just throw a lot of uppercuts and you wouldn't see it," Anderson explained in a soft voice. "So I hit you with it, you woke up! Now you're looking at me instead of looking down."
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WATCH HEREAnderson turned 17 last week. At 16 years old, he won a Silver Gloves boxing tournament that has him ranked No.1 in Texas in his 143-pound weight class, and No. 2 in the country.
"I get to let all my anger out," Anderson said. "Makes me feel good, happy really, too!"
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SIGN UP "Even from elementary school, they'd call and tell me, 'Hey your son was involved in a fight,'" Ju Anderson said. The single dad said Aiden never started those fights.
"People used to mess with me a lot, especially when I had got glasses," Aiden Anderson explained.
Anderson's dad, who is also one of his coaches, brought Aiden to Maple Ave. Boxing and Fitness in Dallas. "I wanted to turn something negative into something positive," Ju Anderson said.
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Over the last three years, Aiden got serious about boxing. Now he wants to be a professional boxer one day.
"Be the next biggest in Dallas," Aiden Anderson said. "Well, around the world really!"
Those kids who used to 'mess' with Aiden for wearing glasses don't bother him anymore.
"No," Aiden said smiling as Ju laughed beside him. "We joke a lot. A lot! Probably too much," Ju Anderson "Hey, it's love!"
Anderson has his next bout, a Golden Gloves amateur tournament in February. If he wins, or as his dad says, WHEN he wins; Aiden would be ranked No.1 in his weight class in the country.
