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JungleBoy and Jabba Set to Clash!
By Jesse Kelley
On Friday,
September 15th "JungleBoy" Zach Walters will meet Lloyd "Jabba"
Bryan in a light heavyweight main event fight in Superior, Wisconsin.
For Walters, taking on a veteran with so much experience against world
class opposition will be a new experience.
" Bryan has so much experience against a lot of good fighters."
said Walters. He is a good body puncher, a really good body puncher. He
doesn't waste too much time jabbing around and he likes to get inside
and throw bombs. I know he is an aggressive fighter and he is definitely
coming to fight. I've got a game plan though that we have been working
on after watching video on him (Bryan). I have been working on polishing
my game since the Muller fight, just the little things that can improve
myself overall because I believe there is always more to learn."
Walters, who's record stands at 14,1, 11ko's believes that in order to
see where he is at compared to the top fighters in boxing, he has to beat
a guy that has competed with those fighters.
"Lately, I have been fighting a lot of the "up and comer"
type of guys. Guys like Mike Wood, Jesse Sanders and Ted Muller. We thought
it would be good to step it up to the next class of fighters. Guys that
have been there and done that. He might not have necessarily beaten all
of those guys but he competed and went the distance with some. Lloyd Bryan
has fought some of the top fighters in the sport. I believe this is going
to be a good measure as to where I stand with the top guys. If I can beat
a guy like this that came up just short with world class fighters then
it will show where I am at.
According to Mike Letourneau of Sharky Promotions, a handful of fighters
turned down this fight before Lloyd Bryan accepted. "We had a hard
time getting an opponent lined up for Zach in the Beginning" Said
Letourneau. A few guys accepted the fight but when it came time to sign
a contract they were never heard from again. Lloyd Bryan was the only
one who stepped up and took the fight.
Although his
record is far from perfect (23-13, 10ko's), Lloyd Bryan brings to the
ring what will most likely be his greatest advantage against Walters,
his ring experience. Before turning professional in 1991 Bryan says that
he had an amateur record of 30-5. The 36 year old Jamaican born fighter
built a respectable pro record of 23-3 before taking a big step up in
competition in 2000 against German Sven Ottke, a fight which he lost by
unanimous decision. That loss would be the start of an eight fight losing
streak against names like Omar Sheika, Markus Beyer and Scott Pemberton
to name a few.
Bryan took two years off from boxing following the losses but took a fight
with then undefeated Jeff Baker in Bakers hometown of Indiana in 2005."I
had this burning feeling inside that was telling me to get back to the
sport. I wanted to show everyone that I could come back. Nobody gave me
a chance in that fight with Baker but I just never let him get into his
fight. I was all over him from the start.
Now, almost a year later Bryan finds himself in an almost identical situation
as he was in against Baker. He will be fighting in another prospects hometown.
"I'm in the same predicament that I was in with the Baker fight"
says Bryan." I am going into his hometown. Zach Walters is trying
to use me as a stepping stone to get to where he wants to go in his career.
But the thing is, I am really going to be using him to get to where I
want to go."
Lloyd Bryan, who goes by the name of "Jabba" still feels like
he has one more run at a title shot
"I'm going to tell you the truth because I want to keep it real.
I am in a position right now where I have to box. I am physically and
mentally ready. I want to fight for another world title and I need to
win this fight to get there. I've got a burning desire to continue this
comeback and I want to prove I can do it.
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