VERO BEACH, Florida (May 23, 2006) – The best light heavyweight never to fight in a world title bout, Prince Badi “The Boxing Prince” Ajamu (25-2-1, 14 KOs), looks at his July 29th showdown against five-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. (49-4, 38 KOs) as a golden opportunity to gain respect in the boxing world..
Prince Badi holds five belts – NABO, WBC Continental Americas, WBC CABOFE, IBC Intercontinental and Pennsylvania State – but he understands that the business of boxing is not necessarily about hardware collections. When he defends his NABO light heavyweight title against Jones in the main event on “Hold Nothing Back!” on pay-per-view live from Boise, Prince Badi’s career will be at the crossroads.
“I’ve always been a fan of Roy’s and I find it almost mystical that I’m now fighting somebody I’ve admired so much,” Prince Badi said. “But this is business. A win puts my name down in history and tells the world I’m ready to fight at the next level. A lot of guys have good records, but there are questions about them. A win means I can fight the top guys in my division, whether people feel I’m fighting a vintage Roy Jones or not. You can’t take anything away from him because of three fights.
“I’m preparing to fight the Roy Jones who defeated Bernard Hopkins, James Toney and knocked out Montel Griffin. Roy is a man who had caught up with his goals. He is a man on the rebound, chasing his demons, and his fight against me is an opportunity to conquer his demons. Any questions about Roy will be answered in our fight. Roy Jones is very, very unique. He has all of that experience in world title fights, but I’m hungry, determined and dedicated.”
Prince Badi is rated No. 5 by the World Boxing Council, No. 8 by the World Boxing Organization and No. 13 by the International Boxing Federation.
Victory against RJ certainly will give Prince Badi props, proving he belongs in the same elite class of the light heavyweight division along with Tarver and Johnson, as well as his much deserved world title fight in the not-too-distant future.
“I’m coming to fight, coming to win,” Prince Badi concluded. “To beat Roy Jones I have to listen to my corner and do the things we all believe in.”
Prince Badi is promoted by Silverhawk Boxing, managed by Rider Boxing, and trained by Buddy McGirt. For more information about Prince Badi or Silverhawk Boxing go to www.silverhawkboxing.com.