Kenneth Sims Jr.: ‘Duarte Is A Tough, Durable Fighter’

Originally posted on Fights Around The World | Last updated Oct 9, 2024 7:53 PM ET

LAS VEGAS (October 9, 2024) – Super lightweight contender Kenneth “Bossman” Sims, Jr. (Chicago, Ill.) will be back in the ring for the second time in four months on November 16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as he challenges Oscar Duarte on Riyadh Season and Golden Boy Promotions’ “Latino Night” card. Sims and Duarte will face off in a 12-round super lightweight WBA title eliminator live and free to viewers on DAZN.

Sims made his 2024 debut on August 10 with a fifth-round stoppage over Jonathan Romero at Mandalay Bay and he’s thrilled to be right back in the ring so quickly following a 15-month layoff prior to his last fight. “I’m at my best when I’m active so I’m grateful for this opportunity to get right back in the ring,” Sims said.

Sims signed with Golden Boy Promotions in May and he will be fighting for the second time under his new promotional banner in November. He knows that he is not taking on an easy task in Duarte but feels that he is definitely up for the challenge.

“Duarte is a tough, durable fighter,” Sims said. “I think he’s also a little one dimensional though so it’s my job to neutralize what he does well.”

Sims returned to his Las Vegas training camp location in mid-September in preparation for his November 16 bout, enjoying just a month at home with his family before opening camp for his upcoming bout.

“It was definitely hard to leave my family again so quickly. On the training side, it was good for me to get right back in to camp because one just rolled in to the next and I didn’t have to reset my mind and get in to camp mode because I was already there from my last fight,” Sims said.

He and Duarte came face to face for the first time last week at the announcement press conference in Los Angeles, six weeks before their showdown. Sims wasn’t intimidated by their first meeting and said he will save his animosity for the ring on November 16.

Sims and his team will complete his preparatory training camp in Las Vegas prior to departing for Saudi Arabia and his first international fight as a professional. He traveled the globe as a member of multiple USA Boxing national teams during his standout amateur career.

Sims is a top super lightweight contender with a 21-2-1 record. He has been seeking a world title opportunity for the past two years and won his first world title eliminator in a fight of the year candidate with Batyr Akhmedov last year. He plans to continue to stake his claim as the top super lightweight with his performance in Riyadh on November 16.

This article first appeared on Fights Around The World and was syndicated with permission.

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