By James Slater: Former linear heavyweight champ Shannon Briggs – last seen losing heavily to WBC king Vitali Klitschko, and recently losing out on a substantial sum of money in a court case – is set to fight again. Next year.
As reported by Fightnews.com and Sport 360, the New Yorker has just been a guest in the country of Dubai, there to take in the “Destiny in The Desert” boxing event. The money men behind this event have secured Briggs’ services, and Sport 360 reports how the 40-year-old will fight a TBA on February 8th of 2013. Fightnews reports how the bout will contest a belt made of solid gold and real diamonds.
It all sounds nice and exciting (and it will be noteworthy if Briggs, 51-6-1 with 45 KO’s, faces a notable opponent in Dubai: Briggs is reportedly hoping it will be Vitali in a return!) and the Brooklyn man says he thinks Dubai will be “the new mecca of boxing.”
“I look forward to coming back next year and resuming my fight career,” Briggs said. “I want to thank Eisa and Jesse [Robinson] again, without them I would still be in retirement and they have helped me make the decision to try and win my third world title. Dubai is beautiful and it will be the mecca of boxing in a short while.”
Briggs, who is also a former WBO ruler, might need the money, or maybe he simply has the urge to fight again. The veteran who holds a win over the legendary George Foreman can surely forget all about a return with Vitali (and why on earth would he want one, considering the brutal beating Shannon was the victim of in October of 2010!), but Dubai may indeed become a player on the boxing scene in the coming months/years. Briggs, if he can beat his as yet unannounced foe (and Feb. of next year sure is a long way off), can pick up some real treasure, though, and if he’s as popular and as respected in Dubai as it seems, why wouldn’t he want to box there?
“I’m a born fighter and I will do my best to make my country proud and win the title,” Briggs told 360 Sport.
He never mentioned which title he hopes to win.