Ancee Gedeon came from Haiti to Miami and started boxing in March of 1990 in Phoenix, AZ, and was 8-1 while fighting out of there. Then he would lose 3 in a row in Mexico, New Mexico and Nevada. His loss in New Mexico was to Paul Gonzales the 1984 Olympian.

After going 0-6-1 including to future world champion Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, then 17-1, in the sixth loss Gideon knew he had to make a change. In December of 1994 Hall of Fame trainer Jesse Reid took him over when he was 8-7-1, moving him to Westminster, CA. In his first bout he defeated Rey Hernandez, 32-15-1, in Scottsdale, AZ. Just 2 days later he won a 5 round decision.

Gedeon then would start winning over top notch contenders like former IBF super flyweight champion Robert Quiroga, 20-1, in January of 1995. “He beat the hell out of Quiroga,” said Reid. In April he defeated Mexican super flyweight champion Joel Luna Zarate, 26-1. “Don King had Zarate and wanted a rematch. I told him only in Las Vegas, not Mexico and he wouldn’t do it,” said Reid. In June he won the USBA bantamweight title over Sergio Reyes, 11-1, and in December over Chris Gomez, 11-6. He was the No. 1 contender in the IBF and in a world title fight was stopped for the only time in his career by Mbulelo Botile, 18-0, in the 11th round of a scheduled 12. “He was in the fight going into the 10th and his eye was hanging down. I had to stop the fight and told him not to fight anymore but he did without me,” said Reid.

After Gedeon lost in the world title bout he was inactive for 17 months and without Reid came back defeating Tomas Cordoba, 16-5. In his final bout 8 months later for the NABF title he lost to Adan Vargas, 26-1-1, in May of 1998 by a decision over 12 rounds. His 15-9-1 record was a big improvement with Reid as his trainer going 6-1.

KEN HISSNER: Jesse how did you end up training Gedeon?

JESSE REID: Came into our gym from AZ. My son was watching him work out and said he doesn’t have a good record but he has good reflexes. I had Orlando Canizales at the time. Gedeon was like 8-7-1 and I asked him if we could train him and he said he would appreciate it.

KEN HISSNER: Did you have to change his fighting style?

JESSE REID: What I did I added to it like turning his shoulders.

KEN HISSNER: Did he have a loser’s mentality when you started with him?

JESSE REID: He did but he was fighting for food.

KEN HISSNER: Did your son help train him or was your son still fighting?

JESSE REID: Definitely, he found him and trained him along with me.

KEN HISSNER: Were you surprised when he started winning over name boxers?

JESSE REID: No. I wasn’t afraid to put him in since he had the tools.

KEN HISSNER: Who promoted his title fight?

JESSE REID: Cedric Kushner did.

KEN HISSNER: How come after losing in that title fight Gedeon was off for 17 months before he fought again?

JESSE REID: He had an eye problem. Today he does masonry work and is married with a child. There was talk about doing a movie on him and it’s something that should have happened.

KEN HISSNER: Thanks Jesse as always taking these questions.

JESSE REID: It’s always a pleasure.