News Every Day | 30 April 2024, 23:06

Ring Exclusive: Stephen Fulton will return June 15 on the Tank Davis-Frank Martin undercard in Vegas

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Stephen Fulton, formerly the WBC/WBO junior featherweight titlist and The Ring’s current No. 1 122-pound contender, is planning on a return to the ring on June 15 against Luis Reynoldo Nunez on the Tank Davis-Frank Martin undercard in a Premier Boxing Champions Amazon Prime PPV event The Ring has learned.

Fulton (21-1, 8 knockouts) will return, however, as a featherweight, scheduled to face the New York-based Nunez (19-0, 13 KOs). The plan is for Fulton and Nunez to fight for the vacant WBA featherweight title, which may be vacated by current WBA titlist Ray Ford after his June 1 title defense against Nick Ball (19-0-1, 11 KOs). In his last fight, Ball fought to a split-draw against WBC featherweight titlist Rey Vargas in March.

Fulton-Nunez adds to a star-studded card that will feature Davis, The Ring’s No. 2-rated lightweight, defending his WBA title against The Ring’s No. 5-rated Martin, and The Ring’s No. 1 super middleweight contender David Benavidez taking on The Ring’s No. 7-rated light heavyweight Oleksandr Gvozdyk for the WBC interim 175-pound title.

Fulton will return with a few major changes. For one, Bozy Ennis, the father, manager and trainer of Boots Ennis, will now train “Scooter,” while Wahid Rahim steps aside as trainer, though will continue as Fulton’s manager.

“I am still with my man Wahid, people need to know that, but Bozy will be training me,” Fulton said. “Wahid is my manager. I trust him. We both think this is what is best for me. I wanted to come back at 130 but will come back at 126 and the plan is for the WBA title. That’s my understanding, it will be against Nunez for the vacant WBA title. I have been around Bozy a lot and we know each other really well. I have been training and been around Bozy and Boots through the years. I know how they work and maybe there are some things that they see in me that I haven’t seen in myself yet.”

Fulton returned to the gym last September after the July eight-round stoppage loss to eventual 2023 Fighter of the Year Naoya Inoue, The Ring’s junior featherweight world champion and unified IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO titlist.

“I learned a lot from that fight,” Fulton said. “I should have trained harder than I did. Other than that, I do not want to say too much about that. I think my mindset is more different. I have added to my arsenal. I am over it. I am just completely comfortable with speaking about it. I feel like I could have done far better than I did. People pushed a narrative on me that do not know what they are talking about. I was killing myself to make 122.

“I could not throw the way I wanted to throw. I will not take anything away from Inoue; he won fair and square. He is a great fighter, and he gave me an opportunity. I am just mad at myself because I know I could have fought better. I do not give a damn and too focused on anything than having fun. I was killing myself three years ago to make the Brandon Figueroa fight (a Fulton majority decision to win the WBC junior featherweight title). I want Bozy and get my guy Steve Maltepes involved. He helped me for the Paulus Ambunda fight.

“This is a huge year for me. I plan on being a three-time world champion (WBO/WBC junior featherweight) this year. That starts June 15. That is what I was told. I can’t wait. The only one who can stop me is me. I feel like that about my last fight, too. I could have trained and worked harder for my last fight than I did, but there is no sense in crying over spilled milk. I am ready to step into those uncomfortable spots and work hard again.”

Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JSantoliquito

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