Kenneth Sims Jnr-Oscar Duarte back in play for August 2 in Chicago
Kenneth Sims Jnr not only has an Oscar Duarte fight back in his sights but won’t have to travel far at all for the occasion this time around.
Boxing Scene has confirmed that the attractive junior welterweight clash is in play to take place on August 2 from Credit Union 1 Arena in Sims’ hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Golden Boy Promotions – which has contracts with both fighters, having recently re-signed Duarte – will present the event, with an announcement expected to come this week.
Dose of Boxing was first to report the resurfaced matchup and of Duarte’s renewed promotional pact with Golden Boy.
The exact stakes are not immediately clear as this story goes to publication. However, Sims and Duarte are currently fourth and fifth in the WBA junior welterweight rankings. Golden Boy has a favorable relationship with the sanctioning body, which has returned to its liberal use of interim titles.
Gary Antuanne Russell is the WBA 140lb titlist, and is currently in talks with Japan’s Andy Hiraoka for an ordered mandatory title defense.
Sims-Duarte was previously set for last November 16 on Golden Boy’s “Riyadh Season: Latino Night” show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight was scrapped when Sims, 22-2-1 (8 KOs), suffered a knee injury and was forced to withdraw from the event.
Mexico’s Duarte, 29-2-1 (23 KOs), went on to face Uzbekistan’s Batyr Akhmedov, 10-4 (9 KOs), whom he defeated via unanimous decision in a terrific 10-round affair.
In his most recent outing, Duarte was once again left to face a late-replacement opponent. A 29-year-old bubble contender, Duarte scored a seventh-round stoppage over Miguel Madueño, 31-4 (28 KOs), atop a February 15 DAZN show from Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Madueño took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing former two-time 140lbs titlist Regis Prograis, 29-3 (24 KOs), who was pulled from the show after he suffered a severe shoulder injury late in training camp.
Sims appeared on that same show, where he outpointed San Antonio’s Kendo Castañeda over 10 rounds.
The knockout extended Duarte’s current three-fight win streak, which began with a ninth-round stoppage of former IBF 130lbs titlist Joseph “JoJo” Diaz last April 27 in Fresno, California. The fight marked a triumphant return following Duarte’s eighth-round stoppage loss to Ryan Garcia in their December 2023 clash in Houston.
Sims, currently riding a nine-fight win streak, turned around his career after a rough patch in which all three of his career blemishes (two losses and a draw) came in a four-fight, 16-month span.
Inactivity and previous promotional support remained the only hindrances in an otherwise terrific run. Sims hoped for a career resurgence after a May 2021 upset win over then-unbeaten Elvis Rodriguez.
He has instead bounced around from Top Rank to Premier Boxing Champions and ultimately Golden Boy, with whom he signed last May. He has still managed to scratch out credible victories during that time, including his August 2023 scorcher with Akhmedov, whom he outpointed over 12 rounds.
