Robin Safar the latest to be impressed by prospect Joseph Awinonga Jnr
Jan 17, 2026 • 6:00 AM ET
Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy Promotions Sweden’s Las Vegas-based cruiserweight Robin Safar is the latest in a lengthening line of boxing insiders to sing the praises of young American heavyweight Joseph Awinonga Jnr.
Awinonga Jnr, 18, is from Illinois and the son of former pro Joseph Awinonga Jr Snr, and he’s caught the eye with a string of stellar performances in amateur bouts and in the gyms.
He worked with Safar in DLX in Las Vegas recently, and Safar said: “He’s got good potential. He’s got really good potential. There's a lot of things that he has got to change when he turns pro, obviously, but I think he has got a really good future in boxing, for sure.”
In his 26-fight career, Awinonga’s father boxed the likes of Ezra Sellers and Steve Cunningham. He fought out of West Palm Beach, Florida.
Awingoya Jnr is on Team USA, and is a multi-time National Champion.
Safar is a 19-0 (13 KOs) pro and the 33-year-old has defeated the likes of veteran former champion Sergey Kovalev and Denis Grachev on his way through.
Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, a BWAA award winner, and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.
