{"id":132145,"date":"2026-02-17T13:09:41","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T19:09:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=132145"},"modified":"2026-04-07T13:38:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T18:38:18","slug":"arnold-barboza-jr-vs-kenneth-sims-jr-meet-in-the-boxing-ring-on-march-14th-breaking-boxing-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=132145","title":{"rendered":"Arnold Barboza, JR. Vs Kenneth Sims, JR. Meet In The Boxing Ring On March 14th &#8211; Breaking Boxing News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1545664804358300\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block; text-align: center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1545664804358300\" data-ad-slot=\"8616314829\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=132145\" rel=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=132145\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-132146 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/thumbnail-2-1-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/thumbnail-2-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/thumbnail-2-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/thumbnail-2-1.jpg 936w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Southern California pride meets Chicago grit as two elite contenders step into a new division and straight into danger when former interim champion Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-1, 11 KOs) of South El Monte faces Chicago\u2019s Kenneth \u201cBossman\u201d Sims Jr. (22-2-1, 8 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight clash exclusively live worldwide on DAZN. With redemption at stake and 147 pounds wide open, both fighters aim to make an immediate impact and announce themselves as new threats in the division. The main event takes place Saturday, March 14, from the Honda Center in Anaheim and is presented in association with Cancun Boxing.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Tickets for Barboza Jr. vs. Sims Jr. go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 10:00 a.m. PT and are priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable fees. A limited number of Golden Boy VIP Experience packages will also be available, featuring exclusive merchandise and premium fight-night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or GoldenBoy.com.<br \/>\n\u201cI\u2019m officially stepping back into the ring after some much needed time off,\u201d said Arnold Barboza Jr. \u201cMy first loss didn\u2019t break me, it built me. Built a new team, new gym, new mindset yet still same purpose, same hunger, same goals. I heard the doubters get louder. I saw some opinions change yet nothing about me changed. This is bigger than revenge. This is the Redemption Tour.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a fight that I\u2019ve been wanting for a long time. Barboza is a good fighter who\u2019s been on the big stage, but I\u2019ve always known that I am a better fighter than him and only wanted the chance to prove it,\u201d said Kenneth Sims Jr. \u201cI\u2019ve been chasing this opportunity for years now and this is a great time for it to finally happen. This is a do or die fight for both of us, and I can\u2019t wait to get in there and handle business on March 14.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI love this fight because neither guy is afraid of the other. Arnold Barboza Jr. and Kenneth Sims Jr. have worked their entire careers to become the best and on March 14 somebody takes a major step toward the top of the division,\u201d said Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. \u201cThe undercard will be stacked with talent, with the return of Puerto Rican Unified Champ Oscar Collazo and Undisputed Champ Gabriella Fundora both defending their titles. Fans are getting a complete night of high-level Southern California fights!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In a 12-round co-main event co-promoted with Miguel Cotto Promotions, Puerto Rico\u2019s WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine minimumweight world champion Oscar \u201cEl Pupilo\u201d Collazo (13-0, 10 KOs) will defend his titles against Mexico\u2019s Jesus \u201cChiquito\u201d Haro (13-3, 2 KOs). Collazo most recently delivered a devastating knockout victory over Jayson Vayson in September 2025 and now returns looking to continue his dominant championship run.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very happy to be returning to the ring this coming March 14th. Unfortunately, we won\u2019t be pursuing a unification bout for reasons beyond my control,\u201d said Oscar \u201cEl Pupilo\u201d Collazo. \u201cThe company presented us with this opportunity with Jes\u00fas Haro. I respect him because I know he comes with the desire and hunger to be champion, but on March 14th he\u2019ll be facing the best in the division. Without a doubt, Puerto Rico vs. Mexico is a guaranteed war. We\u2019re ready to put on a great fight and secure a solid victory for Puerto Rico.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s going to be a great fight,\u201d said Jesus Haro. \u201cThe Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry has always been present in this sport, and although I was born in the USA and I love this country, Aztec warrior blood runs through my veins, and I&#8217;m not going to let my Mexican people down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In another stacked title bout in co-promotion with Sampson Boxing, Undisputed Flyweight World Champion Gabriela \u201cSweet Poison\u201d Fundora (17-0, 9 KOs) returns to defend her throne against WBA Interim World Champion Viviana Ruiz Corredor (10-2, 5 KOs), the Australia-based Venezuelan challenger looking to dethrone boxing\u2019s reigning queen in a 10-round fight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are only two ways of doing something, the right way or the wrong way.\u201d said Gabriela Fundora. \u201cWe are preparing to put on a great performance on March 14th at the Honda Center in Anaheim California. Save the date to watch on DAZN!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis opportunity to compete for the undisputed world title is an absolute dream come true for me. It represents everything we work toward from the moment we decide to become professional fighters, and I am incredibly grateful for the chance to perform on the biggest stage,\u201d said Vivian Ruiz. \u201cWe\u2019re coming to America to steal the show. I understand the challenge in front of me, I\u2019ve done the work, and I\u2019m ready. I\u2019m excited for March 14th, and I can\u2019t wait to be crowned the new undisputed world champion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>More information on the undercard will be released soon.<\/p>\n<p>Arnold Barboza Jr. is back! After more than nine months away from the ring, the South El Monte native returns on March 14 at the Honda Center, where he faces Chicago\u2019s Kenneth Sims Jr. in his highly anticipated welterweight debut. Stepping up to 147 pounds against a proven contender, Barboza Jr. begins a new chapter with the same focus and intensity that has defined his career. His last outing came on May 2 in New York City, when he met former WBO and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight Champion Teofimo Lopez in a long-awaited showdown under the bright lights of Times Square. In a high-stakes battle years in the making, Barboza Jr. showcased his composure, grit and elite skillset that night. Although he experienced the first loss of his professional career, he reaffirmed his place among boxing\u2019s top contenders and strengthened his resolve to return better than ever. Before that, Barboza Jr. captured the WBO Interim Super Lightweight World Title with a hard-fought split decision victory over Jack Catterall in Manchester, proving he could travel into hostile territory, beat the odds and emerge victorious against world-class opposition. Since turning professional in 2013, Barboza Jr. has compiled an impressive resume, including notable wins over Alex Saucedo, Mike Alvarado, Jose Pedraza and Jose Ramirez. Known for his technical approach, sharp ring IQ and versatile style, he has established himself as one of the sport\u2019s most disciplined and consistent competitors \u2014 and now looks to make his mark in the welterweight division.<\/p>\n<p>Kenneth Sims Jr. returns to Southern California for a highly anticipated showdown against Arnold Barboza Jr., as the two square off at the Honda Center in a California vs. Chicago clash on March 14. Sims Jr. enters the bout fresh off the biggest moment of his career, headlining a WBA title eliminator against Mexico\u2019s Oscar Duarte at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago. Fighting in front of a passionate hometown crowd, \u201cBossman\u201d displayed his slick, technical style against Duarte\u2019s relentless pressure in a compelling 12-round battle. Though the contest ended in a majority decision loss, Sims Jr. left with his stock elevated \u2014 showcasing composure and championship potential on a major stage. The performance was the latest chapter in his steady rise through the professional ranks. Since turning pro in 2014, Sims Jr. has built an impressive resume, highlighted by a breakout upset victory over previously undefeated Elvis Rodriguez in 2021. He followed that statement win with six consecutive victories, earning top 15 rankings with the IBF, WBA and WBC. Before his professional success, Sims Jr. was a decorated amateur \u2014 a nine-time national champion and proud member of Team USA. He competed in the 2012 Olympic Trials, narrowly falling to future world champion Jose Ramirez, and later represented the United States at the 2013 World Championships. Now a world-ranked contender, Sims Jr. remains focused on proving he belongs among the elite in the sport.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Welcome To The &quot;Bad&quot; Brad Berkwitt Show\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SzrDjx_cmIU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #808000;\"><a style=\"color: #808000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.authorhouse.com\/en\/bookstore\/bookdetails\/232300-BOXING-INTERVIEWS-OF-A-LIFETIME\">Click Here to Order Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime By &#8220;Bad&#8221; Brad Berkwitt<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"wpforms-container wpforms-container-full\" id=\"wpforms-126533\"><form id=\"wpforms-form-126533\" class=\"wpforms-validate wpforms-form wpforms-ajax-form\" data-formid=\"126533\" method=\"post\" enctype=\"multipart\/form-data\" action=\"\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F132145\" data-token=\"afc49f1d12ae298ba2f09adff83a2f8a\" data-token-time=\"1776339272\"><noscript class=\"wpforms-error-noscript\">Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.<\/noscript><div class=\"wpforms-field-container\">\t\t<div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_4-container\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-text\"\n\t\t\tdata-field-type=\"text\"\n\t\t\tdata-field-id=\"4\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<label class=\"wpforms-field-label\" for=\"wpforms-126533-field_4\" >Email Name Comment<\/label>\n\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_4\" class=\"wpforms-field-medium\" name=\"wpforms[fields][4]\" >\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_1-container\" class=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-name\" data-field-id=\"1\"><label class=\"wpforms-field-label\">Name <span class=\"wpforms-required-label\">*<\/span><\/label><div class=\"wpforms-field-row wpforms-field-medium\"><div class=\"wpforms-field-row-block wpforms-first wpforms-one-half\"><input type=\"text\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_1\" class=\"wpforms-field-name-first wpforms-field-required\" name=\"wpforms[fields][1][first]\" required><label for=\"wpforms-126533-field_1\" class=\"wpforms-field-sublabel after\">First<\/label><\/div><div class=\"wpforms-field-row-block wpforms-one-half\"><input type=\"text\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_1-last\" class=\"wpforms-field-name-last wpforms-field-required\" name=\"wpforms[fields][1][last]\" required><label for=\"wpforms-126533-field_1-last\" class=\"wpforms-field-sublabel after\">Last<\/label><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_2-container\" class=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-email\" data-field-id=\"2\"><label class=\"wpforms-field-label\" for=\"wpforms-126533-field_2\">Email <span class=\"wpforms-required-label\">*<\/span><\/label><input type=\"email\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_2\" class=\"wpforms-field-medium wpforms-field-required\" name=\"wpforms[fields][2]\" spellcheck=\"false\" required><\/div><div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_3-container\" class=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-textarea\" data-field-id=\"3\"><label class=\"wpforms-field-label\" for=\"wpforms-126533-field_3\">Comment or Message<\/label><textarea id=\"wpforms-126533-field_3\" class=\"wpforms-field-medium\" name=\"wpforms[fields][3]\" ><\/textarea><\/div><script>\n\t\t\t\t( function() {\n\t\t\t\t\tconst style = document.createElement( 'style' );\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle.appendChild( document.createTextNode( '#wpforms-126533-field_4-container { position: absolute !important; overflow: hidden !important; display: inline !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important; z-index: -1000 !important; padding: 0 !important; } #wpforms-126533-field_4-container input { visibility: hidden; } #wpforms-conversational-form-page #wpforms-126533-field_4-container label { counter-increment: none; }' ) );\n\t\t\t\t\tdocument.head.appendChild( style );\n\t\t\t\t\tdocument.currentScript?.remove();\n\t\t\t\t} )();\n\t\t\t<\/script><\/div><!-- .wpforms-field-container --><div class=\"wpforms-recaptcha-container wpforms-is-recaptcha wpforms-is-recaptcha-type-v2\" ><div class=\"g-recaptcha\" data-sitekey=\"6LeyxF8eAAAAALCgKefmpigcK22wWdwPbUdyB_q8\"><\/div><input type=\"text\" name=\"g-recaptcha-hidden\" class=\"wpforms-recaptcha-hidden\" style=\"position:absolute!important;clip:rect(0,0,0,0)!important;height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border:0!important;overflow:hidden!important;padding:0!important;margin:0!important;\" data-rule-recaptcha=\"1\"><\/div><div class=\"wpforms-submit-container\" ><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"wpforms[id]\" value=\"126533\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page_title\" value=\"\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page_url\" value=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132145\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"url_referer\" value=\"\"><button type=\"submit\" name=\"wpforms[submit]\" id=\"wpforms-submit-126533\" class=\"wpforms-submit\" data-alt-text=\"Sending...\" data-submit-text=\"Submit\" aria-live=\"assertive\" value=\"wpforms-submit\">Submit<\/button><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wpforms-lite\/assets\/images\/submit-spin.svg\" class=\"wpforms-submit-spinner\" style=\"display: none;\" width=\"26\" height=\"26\" alt=\"Loading\"><\/div><\/form><\/div>  <!-- .wpforms-container -->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Southern California pride meets Chicago grit as two elite contenders step into a new division and straight into danger when former interim champion Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-1, 11 KOs) of South El Monte faces Chicago\u2019s Kenneth \u201cBossman\u201d Sims Jr. (22-2-1, 8 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight clash exclusively live worldwide on DAZN. With redemption at [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":132146,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[17145,34128,34127],"class_list":["post-132145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-boxing-news","tag-arnold-barboza","tag-jr-meet-in-the-boxing-ring-on-march-14th-breaking-boxing-news","tag-jr-vs-kenneth-sims"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=132145"}],"version-history":[{"count":-2,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132145\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/132146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=132145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=132145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=132145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}