Lightweights Charlie Sheehy and Manuel James may be from the same area of Northern California, but they are taking different paths heading into their upcoming fights, which could set the trajectory for the rest of their careers. be.
They will play an eight-round bout Saturday at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, Calif., as part of an undercard telecast on ESPN+ for the vacant WBO lightweight title fight, Emmanuel Navarrete vs. Dennis Belinczyk.
Sheehy (9-0, 5 KOs), a native of Brisbane, California, was a top prospect who advanced to the medal round at the 2019 Olympic Trials and signed with Top Rank after making his professional debut in 2022. Sheehy's manager is Peter Kahn, who also manages Xander Zayas. Sheehy, 25, is confident in his approach to his upcoming fight, which will take place about an hour from his hometown.
Meanwhile, James (15-1-1, 11 KOs), of Stockton, Calif., will have to take a blue-collar approach developed by Toscano Boxing Promotions, the Stockton-based promotional organization run by Jorge Toscano. there were. He turned pro on his first card, was based on the local circuit, and even lost a show streamed in Mexico with little fanfare.
For James, 24, this part of his career has been about overcoming adversity in and out of the ring, following the deaths of two family members last summer. And he believes facing Sheehy is the opportunity he needs right now.
“This is a fight where I make a statement,” Sheehy told BoxingScene. “I'm ready for whatever he brings. I believe this is the fight that will make my name known in the boxing world.”
The two were scheduled to spar a little over a year ago, but that never happened. More than that, they had never met as amateurs or passed each other at the gym, even though they lived about an hour away from each other.
This bout would create a credible prospect on the brink of contention in one of boxing's more attractive divisions. Javier Centeno, who recently took over from Sheehy's longtime coach Miguel Rios and currently serves as a second assist corner, gave his thoughts on the camp that ended in Florida.
“Charlie has had a great camp and is ready physically, strategically, tactically and mentally to handle everything Manuel Jaimes has to offer,” Centeno said. “He's feeling more comfortable knowing that he can slowly build the foundation to beat James as an eighth-rounder.”
James spent most of his camp in Riverside, California, training at Robert Garcia's Boxing Academy. When James is in his gym, he always looks at a photo of “Sweet Steve,” a boxer he trained at Stockton's PYA gym decades ago. James always sought inspiration from “Sweet He Steve” and wondered how he would have trained. Now, next to the fighter he admired is a photo of himself and a regional title strapped around his waist. James participated in a tune-up contest in March, having not played a game since May. Jaimes was originally scheduled to face Pedro Borgaro, but during the week of the fight his opponent was changed to Belmar Preciado, who are coached by former title contender Oscar Negrete. The drawback is that Preciado only competes in eight-round matches. And not 6.
James won by unanimous decision, but admitted it wasn't his best performance and partially attributed it to rust.
“It took a huge mental toll and it lasted almost a few months,” James said of his time away from the ring. “I took some time to think about it. I was scheduled to play in December, but I hurt my hand, and looking back, I think I should have taken a little more time before returning to the game. .”
A stalwart in James' corner is longtime Stockton PYA coach Steve Salas, who believes in his fighter's skills.
“He's ready,” Salas said. “He's been out of the spotlight for the past few years, but now it's his time to step on that stage. I hope he gets a lot of eyes on him.”
This match is reminiscent of the 2019 United States Boxing Youth National Championships, which pitted many fighters from the same region against each other. One such contest saw Cain Sandoval, who had sparred with Sheehy earlier in camp, win a three-round unanimous decision over crosstown rival Lorenzo Powell, when the two of Sacramento fighters competed against each other. This battle has the same regional charm, but takes place on a bigger stage.
“He's excited to know that this showdown between the Bay Area and Stockton will continue to legitimize his rise as a West Coast lightweight,” Centeno said.
