Former United States Olympic Education Center boxer Jaidon Codrington, of Queens N.Y., has been making a strong appearance on ESPN’s televised boxing competition “The Contender”.

The show started with 16 athletes, and was cut down to 10. Codrington fought Briand Vera from Austin, Texas. In the fight Codrington knocked out Vera with 1:32 left in the match. This knockout brought Codrington directly into the semifinals. It was his 13th knockout and his professional record is now 17-1-0.

Codrington trained at Northern from 1999 to 2004 under current boxing head coach Al Mitchell.

While training at the USOEC in 2002, Codrington earned the National Golden Glove amateur boxing title. After leaving the USOEC, Codrington turned professional and went back to New York to box in the 168-pound super-middle class.

“Codrington is a great listener and a very aggressive boxer. He has a great attitude and isn’t afraid to put it all on the line,” Mitchell said. This is his time to shine; it is about being in the right place and the right time.”

The winner of “The Contender” will win the tournament title and $750,000. “The Contender can be seen on ESPN, Tuesday at 10 p.m.