Paul Bamba targets Jake Paul, Tommy Fury after Oct. 12 fight in Newark
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 05 Oct 2024
NEWARK, N.J. — Cruiserweight contender Paul Bamba will return to action on Saturday October 12, when he meets former world title challenger Francisco Cordero in a ten-round bout at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Afterwards, he has his eyes set on some big targets.
The world-ranked Bamba (16-3, 15 knockouts) has set his targets on showdowns with social media stars Jake Paul and Tommy Fury, and intends to show he is ready for the big stage when he meets his most experienced foe to date.
“That’s the idea, to beat up some YouTubers and then get right back to boxing. I want to be the best in the cruiserweight division, I know that will take a lot more time and practice, and that’s all I do all day,” said the New York-based Bamba, who is rated no. 12 by the World Boxing Association at 200 pounds.
The Bamba-Cordero fight will be part of “Brick City Fight Night Series,” which is headlined by the USBA welterweight title fight between Michael “Slick” Anderson and Daniel “El Gallo” Gonzalez. The event will be promoted by Rising Star Promotions and Prudential Center in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.
Bamba, who is managed by R&B star Ne-Yo, set an audacious plan to fight 15 times in one year, mirroring the busy schedule set by Mike Tyson in 1986 on his way to the heavyweight title. Bamba set the goal for a busy year after suffering a disappointing defeat last year on a Misfits Boxing card. Bamba went back to the gym and aligned himself with star trainer Malik Scott, who has helped add many new dimensions to his boxing arsenal.
“He’s helped me develop a lot. I’m way more defensively sound than I used to be. My boxing IQ is night and day from before, I don’t just sit there and try to brawl. He has game plans for every fight. He’s also made me a lot more confident in myself,” said Bamba, a native of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.
Bamba, 35, may have come to boxing at a later age than most but he’s no stranger to combat, having served in the Marine Corps for two years, including a tour of duty in Iraq as a member of 1st Battalion, 4th Marines as an infantry machine gunner. After his tour of duty ended, Bamba fell on hard times in New York City and ended up homeless, at which point he began boxing as a means to collect the $10 per round being offered to spar amateur boxers at the legendary Morris Park Boxing Club in The Bronx. There he caught the eye of former WBA welterweight champion Aaron “Superman” Davis and trainer Bobby Miles, who taught him the proper way to box.
After just three amateur bouts, Bamba turned pro in 2021, learning his craft on the job as he works his way towards his goal of becoming a world champion.
“As each fight gets more challenging, the goal is to not only win but win well and look good and to be able to showcase my boxing skill instead of trying to just get in there and knock someone out. The idea is for me to win and to make sure I’m able to go all 12 rounds when I fight for a world title, to really show that I’m meant to be in there with the greats,” said Bamba.
Against Cordero, Bamba will be facing his most experienced opponent to date. Cordero (44-20, 33 KOs) of Barranquilla, Colombia previously fought for a world title and has been a professional since 2007, winning three of his last four fights. Bamba hopes to cap the year off with a shot at the WBA’s world title.
“There is potential to use the title as leverage to have the Tommy Fury fight actually happen like it was supposed to a few years ago on the Floyd Mayweather-Deji card in Dubai two years ago, or maybe even Jake Paul will want a shot,” said Bamba.
“Brick City Fight Night Series” will feature a number of other exciting fights, including hometown favorite Emmanuel “Salserito” Rodriguez (15-2, 8 KOs) of Newark, N.J. against Brooklyn’s Khalid Twaiti (13-0, 5 KOs) in a ten round bout, with the USBA Regional and WBA Fedalatin titles at stake, plus Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga (15-1, 15 KOs) of Edgewater, N.J. against Michael Hilton (11-0, 7 KOs) of Trenton, N.J. in an eight round bout, and many more fights.
Tickets, priced at $306, $231, $121, and $60, are on sale now and can be purchased at www.prucenter.com or www.Ticketmaster.com.
Brick City Fight Night Series is proudly partnering with the Greater Newark Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, The City of Newark Office of Violence Prevention, González Tullio & Blache, LLC and Trifecta Sports for this event.
Doors for Brick City Fight Night Series open at 6 p.m., with the first bout scheduled to begin at 6:10 p.m.
*All bouts are subject to change*
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