079: Jackson Fearon

Jackson Fearon almost quit wrestling.

As a sophomore at Middletown North, he was trying to maintain 120 pounds.

His routine?

Wake up at 4 AM.

Run.

Sauna.

School.

Practice.

Go home.

Nap.

Then go to another practice.

Eventually, he'd had enough.

Jackson stopped showing up to practice.

Coach Morley wasn't having it.

He sent Jackson's brother and teammates to his HOUSE to get him and bring him back to the wrestling room.

Jackson stayed.

He moved up in weight.

And everything changed.

As a junior, Jackson exploded to a 43-7 season, won Districts, won Region 5 and made his first trip to the NJ State Championships in Atlantic City.

Now he's entering his senior year with one goal:

🏆 Become an NJ State Champion.

In this episode of New Jersey Mat Chat, Jackson talks about:

🤼 Nearly walking away from wrestling

⚖️ The brutal weight cut that almost ended his career

🚗 His teammates showing up at his house to bring him to practice

📈 His breakout 43-7 junior season

🏆 Winning Districts and Region 5

🥋 Growing up around MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

👊 His father's background as a professional MMA fighter

🤼 Growing up in the Middletown North wrestling system

🔥 The mentality inside the Middletown North room

🏟️ His first experience wrestling in Atlantic City

💔 The heartbreaking match that ended his state tournament

🎯 Why that loss changed his goals for senior year

💪 Improving his diet, conditioning and training

🔄 Changing his wrestling arsenal during the offseason

🤼 Training with different wrestlers and clubs around New Jersey

🎓 His thoughts on wrestling in college

🏈 Walking away from football to focus on wrestling

At the end, we asked Jackson a simple question:

When your Middletown North career is over, what do you want people to say about Jackson Fearon?

His answer:

“I did it.”

That's it.

State Champion.

One season left to make it happen.

🤼 Guest: Jackson Fearon

🏫 Middletown North

🏆 District Champion

🏆 Region 5 Champion

📈 43-7 Junior Season

🎯 Goal: NJ State Champion

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00:00 Intro / Champion Athletes Nutrition

01:26 Meet Middletown North’s Jackson Fearon

01:36 The Jump to a 43-7 Junior Season

02:31 The Weight Cut That Made Him Want to Quit

03:55 Growing Up Around MMA & Jiu-Jitsu

05:40 His Rough Start in Wrestling

06:45 When Jackson Realized He Was Good

07:03 Why He Almost Left Middletown North

07:43 Inside the Middletown North Wrestling Room

09:01 His First Trip to Atlantic City

10:12 The Match He Wants Back

11:30 Senior Year Goal: NJ State Champion

11:48 Will He Wrestle in College?

12:12 Building a Better Version for Senior Year

12:42 Changing His Wrestling Style

13:18 Training at Different NJ Wrestling Clubs

14:12 Middletown North’s 2027 Team

14:22 Walking Away From Football

14:56 “I Did It.”

15:09 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro