Thomas Covington takes ‘John Wick’ comp to heart as he enters pros

Thomas Covington stands on the threshold of his professional boxing career with the hope of living up to a truckload of amateur accolades and an assassin’s malice.

Covington, a 20-year-old originally from Memphis, Tennessee, recently announced he will turn pro in the featherweight division and signed with Wise Owl Boxing Management.

An eight-time national champion, Covington dominated the featherweight amateur ranks, capping off his 2024 run with a win over recent ProBox TV signee Ramon Ordonez in the finals. BoxingScene reported on Covington’s performance, for which he was named the most outstanding elite boxer.

Previously a member of Team USA, Covington was widely considered to be in a two-man race with Salim Ellis-Bey to grab the program’s 132lbs spot for the Olympics. But in December, Covington lost a unanimous decision to Ellis-Bey at the 2025 USA Boxing National Championships.

The loss didn’t sit right with him.

“I had a fight, and I felt that I won, and it messed up my opportunity to get back on Team USA,” Covington said. “I always felt pro-ready; my amateur style was a pro style. I felt once that opportunity passed by, that this was my next step.”

Covington doesn’t just bring hype to the pros – he also carries with him a frightful comparison inspired by the 2014 movie “John Wick.” The film is based on a hitman seeking revenge against the bad guys who killed his dog. Although Covington lacks a similar revenge story, there’s good reason for the comp.

“I had a coach before that said when I am in the ring, it reminded him of John Wick,” Covington told BoxingScene. “I am super-comfortable in these shoes because my talent and skill set speak for themselves. Whenever you watch, you see that I am super-skillful, super-sharp, and that comes with violence in the ring. I fill the shoes of John Wick as ‘Tom Wick’ very well.”

Covington, who trains in Detroit with coach Khalil Harvey Snr, is a southpaw who is also quick to point out that he can fight orthodox as well. That flexibility has helped him both earn opportunities sparring high-quality opposition and trouble less skilled opponents.

“My expectation for the pros is being me,” he said. “I can adjust to any style.”

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.