New London – It was nearly four years ago now when Cassius Chaney’s dad, Arthur, a man who preached education to his children as habit and not sound bite, learned his son would be less likely to sip punch at the company cocktail party and more likely to deliver them to some poor souls across the boxing ring from him.

"I'm going to take a fatalistic view of this," Mr. Chaney said at the time. "He doesn't have to do it. It's not the path I thought he would take. When I realized he was serious about it, I came to the realization that it's cool, as long as he takes it seriously. At some point it'll be about how he responds to when he gets hit. But this is what he wants to do. I'm OK with it. This is the path he's chosen.”

Cue the words of Anne Frank: “Parents can only give good advice or put their children on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.”

Cassius Chaney’s character was molded well before the lights of ESPN and HBO shone on him. He has a sports management degree from the University of New Haven. He is polite and respectful. His day job, at FamilyWise in Mystic, helps kids and families through education, empowerment and enrichment. Put it this way: If your daughter comes home with him, you blast trumpets.

And if she comes home with him in a year or two, you may one day be related to the heavyweight cham-peen of the world.

Chaney’s latest foray in the ring came in late July at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. It was hard to keep what happened in Vegas … in Vegas this time. Chaney, 28, won his third pro bout. It was on an HBO card. He got a chance to watch Floyd Mayweather Jr. spar before his bout with Manny Pacquiao. Quite the experience.

“My promoters, Main Events (a New Jersey-based boxing promotion company) have a champion, Sergey Kovalev,” Chaney said, alluding to the reigning unified light heavyweight champ. “Since I have the same promoter, they wanted to showcase me.

“At that time,” Chaney said, “Mayweather was starting to train (for Pacquiao) and I was able to watch him. I was like, ‘Wow, I’m here watching Floyd spar.’ Perfect timing. I learned a lot from him. He’s so relaxed. He’s the best of his era, I would say, all around. But I also think (Wladimir) Klitschko has dominated. But Mayweather is the dude.”

Chaney, recalling his trip one night earlier this month, sounded as though Vegas might as well have been his living room. That’s because the neon desert isn’t all that much different at times than Neon Uncasville, otherwise known as Mohegan Sun.

Chaney’s first pro bout came at the Sun in late April.

“Mohegan got me ready, no doubt,” he said. “That was an ESPN Friday night fight. The (ESPN) lights are bright. The HBO lights are really, really bright. So I was very prepared for Las Vegas.”

Chaney's 3-0, winning twice by knockout and the other time by unanimous decision.

And if Mohegan didn’t prepare him, his childhood certainly did. That and trying to box out various Connecticut Sun players during practice. Chaney explains:

“I grew up in a place where I fought and played basketball,” Chaney said, referring to Baltimore, his home before moving to New London. “In my neighborhood, that was part of it. We’d fight and go play basketball. That’s the just circumstances of my situation. It was not boxing. I was really fighting somebody.

“Older guys, guys my age. Didn’t matter. I think it was my personality. I was a little goofy and I was tall (Chaney is 6-foot-6). Older guys used to fight me and then I’d go right back to playing basketball. I tell people all the time I don’t get nervous when I fight.”

Chaney played basketball at Old Saybrook High and then at the University of New Haven. He is a regular practice player with the Sun.

“I enjoy the Sun. It keeps my reflexes good and keeps me involved with basketball,” Chaney said. "They’re super cool to me. But if I have a fight or if I’m sparring, I don’t like going to practice with them. They beat me up. Not kidding. (Kelsey) Bone. And Jen Lacy now, oh man, you talk about aggressive. Camille (Little), they’re all aggressive. Every time I leave there, I’m sore.”

Chaney trains with Peter Manfredo Jr. in Rhode Island, but makes time a few times a week to visit the place where his career began: Strike Zone on Bank St. in New London, under the eyes of Kent Ward.

“Coach Kent still knows me and my body,” Chaney said. “He knows me better than anybody.”

Chaney said his next fight is next month at either Mohegan, Foxwoods or the Providence Convention Center. He’s got a following now. Even better, he’s got a college degree, you know, just in case.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

Twitter: @BCgenius