Paschall's time to shine | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

Southpaw Paschall, 17-0-1 (four knockouts), takes on former Olympian bronze medalist Andre Dirrell of Flint, Mich., also undefeated at 15-0 (nine knockouts), at the Emerald Casino in Tacoma, Wash., on Showtime. The telecast starts at 9 p.m.

For Paschall, ranked 37th by the World Boxing Council and 14th by the North American Boxing Organization, it's a chance to gain widespread exposure, having never fought further away than Ocean City.

Dirrell, 25, comes with a lofty pedigree, currently ranked 13th by the World Boxing Association, 14th by the World Boxing Organization and second by the North American Boxing Organization. Beating Dirrell would be an unexpected result in the eyes of most boxing experts; Dirrell is considered the more skilled fighter. Many thought Paschall made a mistake in accepting the bout, but not Paschall.

"I have nothing to lose," said Paschall, 28. "If I win, it's a big upset leading to more big fights. If I lose, nobody expected me to win anyway. The way I look at it, I'm ahead of the game, anyway. I should have been dead by now."

Indeed, the road to tonight's opportunity has been one fraught with twists and turns, roadblocks and rarely a smooth straightaway. Paschall admits he was wild as a kid.

"I used to get into fights on the street all the time," he said. "I've been shot, stabbed, sold drugs, spent some time in jail. I never thought I'd live this long."

At 14, Paschall wandered into a gym in Pasadena. When asked if he fought, he replied to trainer Dan Kisner, "Sure, and I can beat anyone in here."

In his first try at the sweet science, he was knocked through the ropes in the first round. But he learned quickly after that experience.

After the birth of his child, Mike, Jr., Paschall decided it was time to get serious and stop his street adventures.

"I realized then it's no longer just about me," he said. "I want to be a good father to my son."

Paschall got a job as a pipe fitter at a Baltimore shipyard. After a stellar amateur boxing career, he turned pro in 2004 at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore. He started out as an exciting brawler, but after getting cut in his first few pro bouts -- all wins -- Kisner, who has been with Paschall since the beginning, convinced Paschall to change his style.

"Mike wasn't going to have a long career if he kept going to war every time," Kisner said. "I told him the key to boxing was to hit and not get hit. Since then Mike's adjusted well. Some of the wins haven't been pretty, but a win is a win."

According to Kisner, the Dirrell camp never thought Paschall would agree to fight him.

"Dirrell's lawyer mentioned it in passing, thinking we would probably say no, but we called their bluff and said, 'Sure,' Kisner said. "They thought Mike would be scared."

"After what I've been through, there's no way Dirrell's going to intimidate me," Paschall said. "I'm a lot quicker than he thinks, and he can't fight backing up. He likes to counter-punch like me, so it may not be an exciting fight, but I'll slug it out with him at times, then back off and box, try to do both styles so he won't know what to expect and when."

The bout will give Paschall a five-figure payday, his biggest so far. If Paschall can upset the favored Dirrel on the big Showtime stage, it would lead to a higher ranking and potentially even greater paydays. Even a loss might not set him back too far if he makes the fight competitive.

"Sometimes fighters and their managers see you lose and think you would be a good name on their record, but an easy win," Paschall said. "So either way, good can come out of this fight. But I think Dirrell is in for a surprise. A lot of my friends and family in the Baltimore area will be having fight-watching parties for this one. I feel confident they'll be happy with the result.."

Paschall is believed to be the first Anne Arundel County boxer to appear on Showtime.

"I'm excited to go national," he said. "I've trained harder for this fight than any fight in my life. I'm ready. After what I've overcome in my life, I feel like I've already won."