Denzel Bentley Faces Shane Mosley Jr At Copper Box Arena After WBO Title Strip
Denzel Bentley prepares to face Shane Mosley Jr in a high-stakes middleweight bout at the Copper Box Arena this Saturday. The Battersea fighter enters the ring after the World Boxing Organisation stripped him of his hard-won world title outside the ring. Bentley must now focus on delivering a performance against a dangerous opponent on the Zuffa Boxing 12 card.
The event is headlined by Chris Billam-Smith versus Cheavon Clarke and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
The WBO mandated that Bentley fight his mandatory challenger, Yoenli Hernandez, next. Bentley stated he was willing to accept that fight but had already committed to facing Mosley Jr. He initially wanted to conduct the bout as a voluntary defence or a non-title contest.
“We put up a really good case and everything we mentioned was kind of ignored,” Bentley told Sky Sports.
“The reasons as to why they stripped me are their reasons,” he continued. He noted that WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames is able to do a non-title fight and box. “I was happy to fight Hernandez next year,” Bentley added.
“They just want to seem like they’re doing justice, but they’re not.
Shane Mosley Jr, the son of boxing legend Shane Mosley, arrives fresh from a tremendous stoppage victory over Serhii Bohachuk. The American is currently rated No 6 in the WBO’s own rankings. Bentley believes his opponent deserves a title shot based on his resume and history of fighting top contenders.
“If this was for a world title, everyone would be like this is a good defence,” Bentley said. “He’s No 6 with the WBO, everyone knows his resume, he’s fought top fighters and I’d say he deserves a title shot if I’m being honest.
Bentley feels he deserves to defend his title despite the controversy surrounding his recent move. He believes critics are targeting Zuffa as a promotional company, placing him in the middle of the crossfire. “I’m being criticised for my move but that’s because a lot of people out there are putting out narratives to try and take a hit on Zuffa,” he explained.
“It’s not [fair] but life is not fair,” Bentley admitted. “You’ve just got to take it as it is. He has vowed to use the antagonism to fuel his motivation for the upcoming fight.
“I’m expecting a dogfight at some point, it should be good,” he said. “I get excited about these fighters. He’s a good fighter and if I turn up I can put on a good performance.
Bentley expressed relief at being free from the circus surrounding the title stripping. “I’m free of all this circus and I can just move forward and box like I want to do,” he stated. He is determined to let his boxing speak for itself in the Copper Box Arena.
Bentley’s route through boxing has never been smooth, marked by significant adversity. He became a three-time British middleweight champion before losing his first world title fight. He eventually came back to win the WBO’s interim belt, which was later upgraded to the full world championship.
He was out of action for more than a year before his crucial fight with Endry Saavedra. That period was a struggle, as he looked for work outside of the sport. He could not even secure jobs as a delivery driver during his layoff.
“I was out for 16 months,” Bentley recalled. “During that time there was no income because I wasn’t fighting. He highlighted the difficulty boxers face in securing sponsors during such gaps.
“It’s hard for boxers to get sponsors and I just couldn’t get anything going,” he said. “So I was trying to apply for Amazon delivery, like a zero-hour contract one, you just download the app put in your details and it just gives you jobs and you just do it whenever you can.
“And there were just no jobs in my area at the time,” Bentley explained. “That’s the only reason why I didn’t do it. He had to sit tight and wait for a fight date to materialise.
“I just couldn’t get any work,” he added. “I just had to sit tight and wait for a fight date. He reflected on the resilience required to navigate such financial and professional uncertainty.
“I don’t think I take enough time to sit back and think about my journey,” Bentley concluded. “When you put it like that it is quite incredible. Fans can watch Bentley versus Mosley Jr live on Sky Sports this Saturday.
