Anaheim, California – Arnold Barboza (32-1, 11 KOs) makes his welterweight debut against Kenneth Sims Jr. tonight. (22-3-1, 8 KOs). They headline a stacked card with superstars Oscar Collazo and Gabriela Fundora.
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Surprisingly, Barboza is listed as the slight underdog against Sims. DraftKings lists Sims as the favorite at -170 and Barboza the underdog at +135. This is Arnold’s first fight since losing a unanimous decision to Teofimo Lopez last May in New York. There are many who believe Sims is the better boxer who will try to outbox Barboza by controlling the distance and boxing him on the outside.
However, Barboza has other plans. The added weight benefited Barboza in that he didn’t have to cut as much weight as before. He can diet more comfortably and without exerting himself to reduce weight.
At yesterday’s weigh-in, he said, “Man, I feel faster, stronger. Like you know, I drank coconut water and chugged water last night and ate three hard-boiled eggs before I went to bed. I’ve never done that before. So, yeah, I’m going to feel better. I’m going to feel stronger. You know, I feel well rested.” It could be another Arnold, who took the loss and time in between to improve. He said he learned a lot from the loss and improved as a result.
As for Kenneth, we have a boxer who has fought on and off at various divisions, having fought at both 140 and 147. In his last fight, he fought in his hometown against Oscar Duarte last August in Chicago. He appeared much trimmer and more muscular than yesterday. He didn’t look physically impressive and looked a little thin in the waist.
Although the match against Duarte was stretched out at 140, he looked more physically imposing. This could be an indication of his preparation for the game. Although he survived the match against Oscar, he did take some punishment in that fight.
When asked how he could neutralize and counter Sims’ boxing ability, Barboza said, “Well, you know, I’m a good boxer, too. Um, I’ve fought a lot of good boxers. You know, I just feel like we’re well-rounded, just like him. So, we’ll be able to counter anything he wants to bring.”
Barboza has struggled with mobile boxers in the past, against Sean McComb and Teofimo Lopez. This is what Kenneth will try to exploit. If Arnold has taken the time to improve, as he says, and utilizes his three-inch reach advantage, he could cause problems for Sims when they come inside.
He will need to use precise timing to catch him on the inside and attack the body to slow him down. Barboza has the better resume and is more experienced against top level competition, having fought the likes of Jack Catterall, Jose Ramirez and Lopez. Victory is within his reach if he fights intelligently; he can beat the odds.
Last updated on 2026/03/14 at 19:35
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