He immediately turned professional under the banner of New Jersey's Main Events, the promotional organisation that had already signed gold medallists Pernell Whittaker, Mark Breland, Meldrick Taylor and Tyrell Biggs.
International games draw huge attention and not just to high-profile athletes like Pernell Whitaker, the boxer who brought home the gold, and Greg Louganis, the diver who did so, as well.