Blair Cobbs calls every top-10 welterweight onto the canvas

Blair Cobbs has never been shy about engaging in a bit of showmanship to get where he wants to go in boxing.

Cobbs – the spotlight-seeking, third-person-speaking, Ric Flair woo-ing welterweight southpaw from Philadelphia now fighting out of Las Vegas – is challenging any 147lbs fighter, Prince Ranch Boxing announced on his behalf Tuesday via press release.

Cobbs, 17-1-1 (10 KOs), who most recently outpointed Adrien Broner in June, is 34 and has no time to waste if he’s going to make a move up the alphabet rankings, challenge for a belt and enjoy more than just a fleeting moment near the top of the sport.

Currently ranked as the WBO’s No. 10 welterweight, Cobbs doesn’t appear among the other sanctioning bodies’ top 15 in the division.

“I’ve proven I belong at the elite level with my win over Adrien Broner,” said Cobbs, who trains under Justin Gamber in Las Vegas. “Now it’s time to take on the best in the world. I’m calling out anyone ranked in the top 10. Let’s give the fans the fights they want to see.

“I’m ready to face any of them. My ultimate goal is to win a world title, and to do that, I need to break into the rankings. Whether it’s the WBC, WBA, WBO or IBF, I’m here to show I’m worthy of fighting the top contenders. I’m putting in the work every day, and I’m ready to take on any challenge that gets me closer to that goal.”

Cobbs is outspoken, does not lack for confidence and clearly is no less than a decent fighter. (He did enough to handle Broner, who is diminished but remains dangerous.) Yet big fights have proven Cobbs’ white whale. And his most respected opponent to date – Alexis Rocha – knocked him out in March 2022.

​​“Blair has shown he has what it takes to compete at the highest level,” said Greg Hannley, president of Prince Ranch Boxing and Cobbs’ manager. “He’s in great shape and has a lot of fight left in him. After his victory over Broner, he’s earned the right to challenge any of the top contenders in the welterweight division. It’s time for the sanctioning bodies to give him the opportunity he deserves.”

In boxing, just as William Munny once said of a man’s fate in the Wild West, “Deserve’s got nothing to do with it.” But Cobbs has fashioned himself into something of an attraction, and his performances in the ring have been respectable enough that it comes as a bit of a surprise that a division now nearly devoid of star power isn’t clamoring for his services.

In the meantime, he’s keeping himself in fighting trim for whenever the call comes.

“Staying ready is my motto,” Cobbs said. “I’ve been training like my next fight could come tomorrow. My team and I are prepared to step in at a moment’s notice. I hear [Jaron] ‘Boots’ Ennis needs a dancing partner, and my message to him is, ‘Lets go!’ I’m ready to fight anyone, anywhere, anytime.

“It’s no secret that some fighters are avoiding me. They’ve seen what I bring to the table, and they know I’m a dangerous fight. But I’m not here to play it safe. I’m here to take risks, prove myself and fight the best. The fans deserve exciting matchups, and I’m ready to deliver.”

Jason Langendorf is the former Boxing Editor of ESPN.com, was a contributor to Ringside Seat and the Queensberry Rules, and has written about boxing for Vice, The Guardian, Chicago Sun-Times and other publications. A member of the Boxing Writers Association of America, he can be found at LinkedIn and followed on X and Bluesky.