Fresh off a vicious, Knockout of the Year candidate win over previously undefeated Mike Jones, new IBF welterweight champion Randall Bailey is focused on securing a lucrative, big name opponent for his next bout.
The 37-year-old Bailey finds himself holding a belt in a division stacked with name fighters such as Paulie Malignaggi, Andre Berto and Devon Alexander. But if Bailey had his way, he’d face the sport’s biggest cash cow next.
“I’ve been avoided forever, but now I’m coming off a world title fight win that ended with a punch people are going to be talking about for a long time,” said Bradley. “If I had a choice, I’d fight Mayweather next. I like the way Floyd’s fighting. He’s not running around so much to try to win on points. He’s giving guys an opportunity to hit him and that’s my type of fight.”
Bailey’s one-punch, right uppercut knockout of Mike Jones saved an abysmal performance for Bailey, who struggled to connect with a solid punch for most of the fight. The 37-year-old now views the shot as the best punch he’s ever landed.
“I didn’t have that much on my punch in the 10th round because my leg was twisted,” said Bailey of the first Jones knockdown. “In the 11th, he was laying in under his jab so I couldn’t hit him with my overhand right. I decided to back up and as we got closer, he kept his chin down to keep away from my overhand right. It was just natural for me to come with my uppercut like I did. That was my best punch ever. It had so much on it that it looked like my fist was in his face. I hit his nose and it felt like meat coming out.”
Per Bailey’s manager Si Stern, the team hopes to get in big money fight before the IBF requires a mandatory bout.
“We’ll listen to any offers – (Paulie) Malignaggi, (Devon) Alexander, (Andre) Berto, (Victor) Ortiz, even (Manny) Pacquiao or (Timothy) Bradley – if the price is right,” Stern detailed. “Randall has been avoided like the plague; they’ve been scared to death because of his one-punch power. We’ll only have one or two opportunities for a big fight before his mandatory is due. It would be crazy for him to fight now for short money.”
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Chase that paper, Randall! Bailey-Jones was a perfect example of one of the beautiful aspects of boxing; it only takes one punch to turn things around. And by turn things around, I mean a horrid fight that had boos cascading down from the MGM Grand. Now instead of a past prime fighter with options dwindling, Randall Bailey is holding a belt and a rumored challenge from Devon Alexander to fight on August 25.
Whichever fight Bailey chooses, he’ll go into it the same way he did the Mike Jones fight… an underdog. But the aged fighter will also go into the bout with the great equalizer… dynamite punching power.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 