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Wagner training for upcoming fight in Massachusetts

July 15, 2021   ·   0 Comments

Welterweight up against undefeated opponent

By Brian Lockhart

Local welterweight Josh Wagner is training for an upcoming bout in Springfield, Massachusetts against an undefeated opponent.

Wagner’s last match-up in April was cancelled abruptly with the entire card at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City scrapped due to the COVID pandemic when organizers decided that under the restrictions at the time, it would be impossible to hold the event.

Returning to boxing in 2020, after a five year hiatus, Wagner currently has a 7 – 0 professional record. His last bout in November of 2020, in Rimouski, Quebec ended with a unanimous decision over hometown fighter Raphael Courchesne.

This upcoming bout will pit Wagner against Jeffrey Torres, a welterweight hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Torres is undefeated with a 7 – 0 record including three KO’s.

“There’s a matchmaker we’ve been talking to and this guy always has his ear in the mix,” Wagner said of how the match was set up. “He knows a bunch of promoters from across North America. We got the opportunity and we agreed to it – and we got a fight.”

Going into the fight, Wagner said he really hasn’t had an opportunity to see his opponent in action. There some video of Torres in the ring, but enough to really see his style.

“He’s a skilled boxer,” Wagner said. “He’s tall, he’s my height so it’s going to be even heights. My last fight – it was my first fight in five years – and I fought well and got the win, but I thought I could have put some more power behind it. I was too timid on letting my hands go. This fight, we’ve been working in the gym – we want to make a statement with this one – we want to get a knock-out.”

Wagner has been training steady since he got back into the fight game.

“Through this whole pandemic, even after my last fight got cancelled, me and coach and my whole team has continued training,” he said. “Obviously the intensity is not all-out, but you’re still going through the motions, you’re still in the gym every day. I’m already in shape, even though we got the call for four weeks, it’s tune-up time. I’m already in great shape, I’ll make weight.”

The bout is scheduled for six rounds and will be the co-main event for the night. Currently billed as a superwelterweight, Wagner is dropping to the welterweight division and will weigh in at 148 lbs.

“Our last fight was scheduled for ten rounds, and I’m in shape to do 12. I’m in the best shape of my life. Our game plan is – first round we feel him out, then second round we go to work. I’m planning on stopping this guy in the fourth or fifth round.”

The bout is scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 7, at the MGM Springfield, in Springfield Massachusetts.

The night’s event can be view online at www.ufcfightpass.com.

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