Boxing News Boxing News
Tonight junior welterweight Wayland Willingham, 9-0 (5), steps into the ring for the tenth time as a pro and will be looking to stay undefeated on the undercard of Pugnacious Promotions’ double header from the Conference Center in Saratoga Springs, NY. Headlining the bill are a quartet of heavyweights, Shannon Miller, 14-1 (8), vs. Malachy Farrell, 14-0 (11), and Vinnie Maddalone, 26-3 (19) vs. Jermell Barnes, 17-12-1 (4).
Just last year Willingham made his pro TV debut on the undercard of the riveting Shannon Miller vs. Vinnie Maddalone war, in a bout against Shakha Moore in which Wayland won by unanimous decision on ESPN2 on August 15 of 2005.
Willingham, a slick southpaw with a combination style that is reminiscent of Shane Mosley and Pernell Whitaker mixed together, will take on Damon Antoine, 4-9-1 (2), of Akron, OH. Willingham has been a busy fighter this year and will be stepping between the ropes for the third time in just six months.
Earlier this year, Wayland decisioned a much more experienced fighter by the name of Jose Angel Roman, 9-11-3 (4), in March and then just a short time later he won a devastating first round TKO stoppage over Shad Howard, 12-6-3 (6), in June of this year.
In the Howard fight, Willingham proved his punching power and ability to be relentless if necessary. Willingham, usually a clever boxer who uses the whole ring to his advantage, wanted to show skeptics that he can be a showstopper when the urge arises.
Wayland is a young man of many talents who does not fit the mold of the average fighter. Willingham’s Mother, a politician serving her second term as a member of Albany’s County Legislature, is also one of his biggest fans and supports her son’s career as a prizefighter.
Willingham also goes to college in Atlanta, GA when not training, making sure that he has something besides boxing to fall back on. I had the opportunity to meet with Wayland at an amateur show last year, just a few days after his ESPN2 debut. I found him to be a polite, humble guy who seems to appreciate his success thus far in the ring and almost came across as shy due to the attention he was receiving from local fans.
Willingham thus far seems to be been marching his way in the right direction, both in and out of the ring. He has both the style and dedication of a champion and his southpaw stance, mixed with his speed, can mean trouble for many fighters to come. So far he is coming along nicely at a steady pace and is improving his competition with every fight. Not too fast, not too slow.
If Willingham can keep the same pace going, there is a chance we will see him break the top 10 within the next year or two. He has a solid team and a promotion company who believes in him strongly.
His promoter and head of Pugnacious Promotions, Lisa Elovich, has been quoted in saying
“I am really excited to have Wayland as part of the Pugnacious team. He has tremendous potential and is the type of fighter that will do what it takes to become a champion. He is a dedicated boxer, who is in great shape and continues to grow as a fighter with each bout.”
So keep your eyes out for one of boxing’s next rising stars and don’t be surprised if you see the words Champion next to his name in the future.
