As an amateur, Wright amassed a 90-12 record, including 4 straight Tacoma Golden Gloves titles, appearing in the finals of the 2001 U.S.
[3] He opened his pro career by losing in his debut to Matt O'Brien by knockout, despite leading on all three cards.
Wright then compiled a string of consecutive victories, becoming a regular fixture at the Battle at the Boat series at the Emerald Queen Casino in Washington, culminating in his appearance on the ESPN reality show "Contender Season 2", a welterweight tournament.
On the January 12, 2007 edition of ESPN's Friday Night Fights at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington, Wright squared off against undefeated but untested Dan Wallace, defeating Wallace by TKO in the eighth and final round.
3 years later, on June 19, 2010, Wright returned to the Emerald Queen Casino claiming he had never been away from the sport despite not competing, and won a unanimous decision in a 6-round super middleweight bout over Joshua Snyder.