Local boxer Keaton Gomes is causing havoc by dimming the lights of his opponents in the WBC Grand Prix Series in Saudi Arabia.
The former SA heavyweight champion is rated No 28 by the WBC in the bridgerweight division.
That weight class, positioned between cruiserweight and heavyweight, was created in 2020 by the WBC’s president, Mauricio Sulaimán, for boxers who don’t fit into the traditional heavyweight category.
Kevin “Two Guns” Lerena is the WBC bridgerweight world champion.
Gomes and Lerena are trained by Peter Smith, who says he was a laughing stock when he entered Gomes in the inaugural series in April.
“They looked at his size and made conclusions,” Smith said yesterday.
Gomes won his first fight via a first-round knockout of Roberto Medina “Manfred” Aguirre in April, and he flattened Alija Mesic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the fourth round on June 21.
Gomes is in the quarterfinals of the series and will be up against American Devon “The Destroyer” Young next month.
“There is a great possibility that Keaton will be in the finals,” said Smith.
But he is wary that anything is possible in the heavyweight division, where one punch can make or break a fighter.
“Some guys come with 60 to 80 amateur fights,” he said. “But Gomes has the highest profile in terms of professional fights. Before being involved in the WBC Grand Prix Series, he had seven wins from 10 fights.
“These boys can punch,” said Smith, who will jet out to London with Lerena on July 12. Lerena will challenge WBC silver heavyweight champ Lawrence “The Sauce” Okolie at Wembley Stadium on July 19.
“It’s exciting for the country, which has two more fighters in the quarterfinals and I believe they [Bheki “Doctor Sleep” Maitse and Ntethelelo “Baby G” Nkosi] are going to do very well.”
The series features four weight divisions – featherweight, super lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight.
Winners in all weight divisions will earn $200,000 (about R3,6m) and the prestigious José Sulaimán trophy, named after the late WBC president.
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Image: WBC
Local boxer Keaton Gomes is causing havoc by dimming the lights of his opponents in the WBC Grand Prix Series in Saudi Arabia.
The former SA heavyweight champion is rated No 28 by the WBC in the bridgerweight division.
That weight class, positioned between cruiserweight and heavyweight, was created in 2020 by the WBC’s president, Mauricio Sulaimán, for boxers who don’t fit into the traditional heavyweight category.
Kevin “Two Guns” Lerena is the WBC bridgerweight world champion.
Gomes and Lerena are trained by Peter Smith, who says he was a laughing stock when he entered Gomes in the inaugural series in April.
“They looked at his size and made conclusions,” Smith said yesterday.
Gomes won his first fight via a first-round knockout of Roberto Medina “Manfred” Aguirre in April, and he flattened Alija Mesic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the fourth round on June 21.
Gomes is in the quarterfinals of the series and will be up against American Devon “The Destroyer” Young next month.
“There is a great possibility that Keaton will be in the finals,” said Smith.
But he is wary that anything is possible in the heavyweight division, where one punch can make or break a fighter.
“Some guys come with 60 to 80 amateur fights,” he said. “But Gomes has the highest profile in terms of professional fights. Before being involved in the WBC Grand Prix Series, he had seven wins from 10 fights.
“These boys can punch,” said Smith, who will jet out to London with Lerena on July 12. Lerena will challenge WBC silver heavyweight champ Lawrence “The Sauce” Okolie at Wembley Stadium on July 19.
“It’s exciting for the country, which has two more fighters in the quarterfinals and I believe they [Bheki “Doctor Sleep” Maitse and Ntethelelo “Baby G” Nkosi] are going to do very well.”
The series features four weight divisions – featherweight, super lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight.
Winners in all weight divisions will earn $200,000 (about R3,6m) and the prestigious José Sulaimán trophy, named after the late WBC president.
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