Undefeated super middleweight prospect Steve “The Savage” Sumpter (8-0, 7 KOs) will fight unbeaten James “Pitbull” Perkins (12-0-1, 9 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round bout tomorrow, Saturday, August 19th, in the main event, for the vacant IBA Americas super middleweight belt.
“I expect him to do what I have seen him do before by moving forward and bringing smart pressure. He has quick hands and likes to brawl,” said Sumpter, who is fighting in his second main event. “That does not worry me. I know how to deal with a guy of that skill set. I need to stay disciplined, just box, and not let him fight his fight. I expect a decent fight, but I do not think it will be that close.”
Sumpter versus Perkins will be at the famed The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts. Tickets to “Pandemonium at The Palladium,” promoted by Granite Chin Promotions, one of New England’s fastest-growing boxing promotional companies, can be purchased at ThePalladium.net. The main event and the seven undercard bouts will be streamed live on bxngtv.com.
The twenty-nine-year-old southpaw boxer from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, will face his second undefeated fighter in his last three bouts. Last year, Sumpter moved up to the light heavyweight division and beat undefeated Edet Mkpanam (8-0, 7 KOs) by way of an eight-round unanimous decision for the vacant USA Massachusetts state title. He won every round except one on two of the judges’ scorecards.
“I want to fight competitive guys who want to fight and not guys who do not want to take a punch and lay down,” said Sumpter. “I always want to challenge myself and fight the best.”
Perkins had a majority draw in his professional debut against Aaron Trecell Smith (he avenged that draw by winning a unanimous decision three years later, knocking him down twice). Since then, he has won twelve in a row. The thirty-year-old from Lynn, Massachusetts, will be fighting for the fourth time this year (he obtained knockout victories in all three bouts). Perkins, who digs graves as a job, has yet to box past six rounds.
Despite being involved in boxing for five years and only having seven amateur bouts (5-2, culminating with him reaching the semifinals of the Western New England Golden Gloves in 2020) and soon-to-be nine professional fights, Sumpter offsets his lack of experience and amateur pedigree with a tremendous work ethic, power in both his left and right hand (eighty-seven percent knockout ratio), fast hand speed, and athleticism. The confidence, poise, and ring IQ he demonstrates in the ring is well beyond his age and fighting experience.
Sumpter has also gained invaluable fighting experience by sparring with several skilled boxers: Mark DeLuca (30-4, 18 KOs), Juan Carlos Abreu (25-7-1, 23 KOs), former middleweight world title challenger Steven Bulter (32-4-1, 26 KOs), Carlos Gongora (21-2, 16 KOs), and undefeated prospects Rohan Polanco (10-0, 6 KOs), and Laurent Humes (9-0, 9 KOs), among others.
“I decided to go professional despite not fighting a lot of amateur bouts because of my age. I was older, and then COVID hit, and I was not doing anything, so I decided I was either all in or all out on boxing,” said Sumpter. “I was holding my own sparring with professional fighters, so I decided why not go pro.”
Sumpter trains at two boxing gyms, Universal Training Academy with his head trainer Hector Bermundez (for the last year) in Springfield, Massachusetts, during the day, and in his hometown with Sean Jennings at Southeast Kettlebell boxing gym (since he started boxing in 2018) at night. He works alongside and spars with his older brother Quinton (thirty-four years old), a professional boxer competing in the heavyweight division (6-2, 4 KOs). Quinton lost an extremely controversial eight-round majority decision to undefeated Sean Bey two weeks ago, despite knocking him down and controlling most of the bout. He has a win over undefeated Timothy Hatfield via a four-round majority decision.
“I train so hard because I want to be the best in boxing,” said Sumpter, who, in his last fight, scored a first-round technical knockout over veteran Miguel Angel Suarez, who has fought six undefeated fighters in his last seven bouts. “I always give it my all. I am a competitor. I do not like to lose.”
In addition to being a professional boxer, Sumpter works full-time installing wood flooring for Oak Hill Wood Floors. His promoter is Chris Traietti of Granite Chin Promotions, who is also the promoter of Perkins, who he recently signed. Sumpter’s manager is Gunter Fishgold.
For more information about Sumpter’s boxing career and to purchase tickets to his upcoming bout, follow his Instagram handle @thesavagesouthpaw47.
“My career is progressing nicely. When I first started professional boxing, I did not have the skills that I have now. I pay attention to what I am being told in the gym. I am like a sponge and absorb all the information given to me,” said Sumpter. “After this fight, I want to take that next step up in competition. I am ready for it.”