Heavyweight prospect Sardius Simmons wants to steal the show when he faces Jerell Nettles in a four-round bout on Saturday at the Fox Theater in Detroit.
The 32-year-old Simmons, 4-0 (2 KOs) and from Flint, Michigan, is planning to put his name on the map.
“My goal is to be better than the main fight,” Simmons told BoxingScene. “It is nothing against the main event, this game is you got to get out there, and I want to be the star of the show.”
Simmons turned pro earlier this year and will be fighting for the fifth time. He gets motivation from seeing many of the people he grew up with, such as Jermaine Franklin, Claressa Shields, Ardreal Holmes Jnr, and others, fighting on big stages. Simmons learned the craft of boxing at Berston Fieldhouse, even remembering the days and hours he trained - 6pm to 8pm, Monday through Friday. He now trains with Ultimate Boxing out of Saginaw, Michigan.
“That’s where I grew up,” Simmons said of the basement sparring sessions at Berston Fieldhouse. “That is where the pain and tears and everything were created.”
Franklin, who faces Moses Itauma on January 24, is someone Simmons has sparred with since he was 15 years old. When training, the heavyweight is not short of motivation.
“I use everything in the gym from death in the family to personal things,” Simmons said. “When I am in the gym, nothing can bother me.”
Nettles, 4-12 (1 KO), is a 29-year-old from Detroit. He enters the bout on a six-fight losing streak, but recently faced heavyweight up-and-comers Pryce Taylor and Drake Banks. Both stopped Nettles. Simmons believes that despite a late start to his pro career, he is ready to make a name for himself.
“I might have gotten on the train a little late, but it is nothing for me to get to the front,” Simmons said. “It's time to have some fun.”
