Oakland, California – Now that Amari Jones has introduced himself to the boxing world, he hopes to revive the middleweight division.
Jones knocked out Shady Gamhour in the third round at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The bout was featured on the DAZN undercard of Vergil Ortiz Jnr vs. Erickson Lubin and was Jones’ debut with Golden Boy Promotions.
Jones, now 15-0 (13 KOs), also spent his second full training camp with Virgil Hunter, who he turned to this year to help guide his career. Jones, of Oakland, California, currently sits at No. 13 in the IBF rankings.
“I just needed an opportunity to show the world what I can do,” Jones said. “I put the division on notice, and with Golden Boy Promotions keeping me active and putting me on televised fights, I am planning on having a huge year in 2026.”
Jones, a former USA Boxing standout turned Las Vegas transplant for the first half of his career, has spent time around the world’s top fighters. He sparred with Tim Tszyu during Tszyu’s run at the top of the sport, and for his most recent camp, he prepared by working with light heavyweight contender Joshua Buatsi.
Gamhour, now 14-3 (9 KOs), had not been stopped before.
“He was a little awkward,” Jones said. “I had to stay calm and let the fight come to me. Once I settled in, I was able to land the punches I wanted to and got the result I was looking for.”
With Janibek Alimkhanuly and Erislandy Lara unifying three of the four major middleweight titles, and WBC titleholder Carlos Adames fighting once a year since 2021, the division has stalled since the days of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin.
“I wasn’t nervous at all, fighting on this big stage,” Jones said. “I feel I am built for this, and it felt natural to fight on a big card. Middleweight has needed a fighter like me to bring life to the division, and I am here now.”
