The race to be Lake Wales' next mayor is heating up with the election a little more than two weeks away.
Both candidates are African-Americans, which is something residents are saying is uncommon in the area.
If the championship belt that sits on 30-year-old Curtis Gibson's coffee table is any indication of his confidence, he could be the city's next mayor.
"I'm a concerned citizen," Gibson said. "I want the best for Lake Wales. I went to school here (and) I graduated here."
Gibson, a father of two, said he has a lot of family and friends in the area, and that's another reason why he’s running for office.
"This is my home," he said. "People (are) coming in with their complaints and their concerns. Somebody has to take charge."
Gibson said that when he looks at the history of the city, he knows the race with current Mayor Eugene Fultz is a pretty big deal for the area.
"We know a change needs to happen, and it's happening," Gibson said. "Look, I'm young. I'm trying to take action. I'm trying to stand up. We can make history."
Gibson doesn't want the history to get in the way of some of the big issues he plans on tackling, like jobs, growing the downtown area and the renaming of Washington Avenue to Obama Avenue. It's something Fultz didn't agree with.
"If I was in that situation, I would stick behind the people," Gibson said. "Whatever the citizens want, that's who I would stand by 100 percent."
Election Day for the Lake Wales mayoral race is April 7.