Jordan Panthen (proper) catches Ravshan Hudaynazarov with a proper hook en path to a second-round knockout on April 4, 2024. (Picture by Damien James)
Thursday night time at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, Jordan Panthen makes his third look of 2024 when he faces Victor Toney in a scheduled eight-rounder.
That shouldn’t elevate any eyebrows. Fighters battle, proper? Nicely, not precisely, and never in 2024. However the 27-year-old isn’t like the opposite prospects.
“If I used to be combating twice a yr, I don’t know what I’d be doing,” Panthen mentioned. “I’d simply be within the health club coaching for nothing. That’s no enjoyable. I keep in mind after my professional debut, I didn’t battle till 9 months later. I used to be within the health club on a regular basis, and generally I used to be like, ‘What am I coaching for?’ So this is essential to me to remain busy. I wish to preserve successful, I wish to preserve displaying my expertise, I wish to shove my identify down individuals’s throats, and the way I do that’s by combating and successful fights the old-school approach, and that’s how I’m going to do it.”
For those who’ve been taking note of the rise of the junior middleweight up-and-comer, you’ll discover that he does a number of issues a fighter beneath the age of 30 doesn’t. He spars laborious, spars as a lot as he can, and when he’s within the ring, it’s often not a boxing match, however a battle. That’s garnered him loads of optimistic notices from followers and pundits, and he’s doing all of it with out spending most of his day on social media.
“There’s sure issues that I can’t do; I’m simply not that individual,” he mentioned. “I’m not that man who’s going to do BS movies on social media, do different issues for clout or climb on somebody’s again to climb up the ladder. I can’t faux it till I make it. I can’t do this. I don’t have that talent or that capacity.”
He laughs.
“It’s so exhausting,” Panthen continues on the subject of social media. “And it irritates me. I take advantage of social media to put up my fights, however I put up when it’s obligatory. I’m not posting each week or posting foolish movies or fashionable movies. I attempted that after and it’s simply an excessive amount of vitality and it actually makes me indignant. In order that’s not a great factor to have.”
Promoters and managers seemingly cringe at listening to that from a younger, marketable boxer, however Panthen is sticking to his weapons, understanding that whereas new types of communication can support in a fighter’s rise, you continue to must battle, and no TikTok dances can assist you there.
(Picture by Damian James)
“It nonetheless will be performed,” he mentioned. “And I’m dedicated to do it that approach as a result of I simply received’t do it the opposite approach. So I’m both going to do it and make it this manner or I’m going to fail.”
That every one or nothing perspective is mirrored in Panthen’s combating model, which may very well be filmed in black and white for that old-school emphasis. However over the course of his 8-0 (7 knockouts) run, has he been examined but?
“I feel I’ve been examined,” he mentioned. “I really feel like my fourth battle (towards Todd Manuel) was an enormous check. I used to be undoubtedly nervous coming into it. I knew of him, he was coming to upset me, and I confirmed up and put out a great efficiency. I feel my sixth battle (towards Cameron Krael) was the large check, and it went the space. I had two badly bruised fingers in that battle, and each time I hit him was painful. So, that was the check, going all eight rounds.”
Panthen stopped the 44-fight vet Manuel in three rounds and practically shut out Krael. On Thursday, one other check is anticipated within the 8-2-1 Toney, whose solely losses have been through resolution to present WBC/WBO titleholder Sebastian Fundora and unbeaten Troy Isley. Add in a current upset win over Jahyae Brown, and Toney is a dwell canine, to say the least.
Panthen places the ending touches on his victory over Hudaynazarov. (Picture by Damien James)
“This battle, I received a man who fights a bit of bit in a shoulder roll and does some issues that I haven’t seen in a battle but. I’ve seen it within the room and sparring, so it’s nothing I haven’t seen earlier than, however not in a battle. So I feel I’ll be examined another way and I’m wanting ahead to that, and I’m wanting ahead to simply overcoming and placing on one other dominant efficiency. That’s what I see. I see one other dominant efficiency coming, regardless of which approach you have a look at it. If I’m examined early or whatnot, I see me overcoming and discovering a approach and displaying extra of my expertise on June twentieth.”
You get a definite impression that Panthen likes the thought of being pushed to the restrict, of combating somebody who doesn’t fall down when he hits them. That’s the fighter inside him. And that fighter isn’t permitting him to sit down again and odor the roses anytime quickly. There’s an excessive amount of work to do.
“I’m simply so targeted on the mission at hand,” he mentioned. “Even after I received my third battle, fourth battle, I suppose I’m simply laborious on myself. I used to inform myself, I haven’t performed shit but, haven’t achieved shit but. I’ll really feel good for a day or two, then I’ll be like, ‘You understand what? I haven’t received a world title. I haven’t made one million {dollars}. I haven’t received a number of world titles. It’s not over but.’ So I preserve making an attempt to remind myself that this isn’t a one-month mission, a one-fight mission, a one-year mission. This can be a very lengthy, ongoing mission. It’s a course of, and I’ve received to remain dedicated.”
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