Kenneth Sims Jr beat Batyr Akhmedov in a WBA eliminator last May
One of super lightweight’s dark horses could finally get his career back in gear, as Golden Boy Promotions announced today that they’d signed WBA no. 1 Kenneth Sims Jr ahead of a planned summer return.
“I’m excited to become a member of the Golden Boy family,” said Kenneth Sims Jr. “Thank you to Oscar De La Hoya, Eric Gomez and the entire Golden Boy team for making this deal happen and giving me the opportunity to showcase my talent to the world. My team and I know that with the Golden Boy team backing me, I will definitely become a world champion.”
Sims (20-2-1, 7 KO), a former standout amateur, hit an early professional roadblock when a 1-2-1 skid saw him draw with Montana Love amid decision losses to Rolando Chinea and Samuel Teah. After more than two years of rebuilding, he suddenly burst back into prominence with a well-aging upset of Elvis Rodriguez in 2021. He went on to score another noteworthy upset by narrowly overpowering dangerous vet Batyr Akhmedov in last May’s WBA eliminator, but hasn’t seen action since.
Even with his new partner, he may have to wait even longer before he gets his title shot. Champ Isaac Cruz is already set to return in August against Jose Valenzuela and interim Ismael Barroso is presumably still owed another shot after his debacle with Rolando Romero. That said, Sims should have no shortage of solid opponents thanks to DAZN’s increasingly robust roster at 140.
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