Kenneth Sims Jr (22-3-1, 8 KOs) has finally gotten his long-awaited fight against former WBO interim light welterweight champion Arnold Barboza Jr (32-1, 11 KOs). As the duo prepares to fight it out at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Sims Jr is looking forward to finally showing the reasons behind his madness.
Talking at their recent press conference, Sims Jr. explained his reasons for pursuing a fight against Barboza Jr. for so long.
“I’m competitive, I wouldn’t want to fight him if I didn’t respect him. I don’t want to waste my time. I want to fight a good fighter. He’s been ranked in the top 10 for years. That’s why I’ve been chasing this fight for so long, because I want that spot,” he said.
The fight finally came together after Sims Jr spent years pushing for the matchup as he tried to break into the top tier of the super-lightweight division.
For a long time, their timing never aligned, as Barboza Jr was focused on climbing the rankings and eventually earned a title shot against Teófimo López. After Barboza lost that title fight and started considering fights at a higher weight, both fighters suddenly needed a significant, career-reset matchup.
And being offered the Barboza Jr fight after his loss against Oscar Duarte has Sims Jr all fired up to prove his mettle as a fighter.
“I got offered it and this is my chance. And it’s happening now. He’s a fighter. I’m ready though. I’m ready to take it,” he said.
“Helps My Career”
Meanwhile, Sims Jr is confident that this fight will elevate him as a boxer and take his career to the next level. Speaking during the same press conference, he said that he’s not just looking to win but wants the fight to be as explosive as possible.
“It helps my career extremely because he’s been in big moments. He’s fought good fighters. Me going in there and taking care of him and winning in dominant fashion will show that,” he said.
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