Bryant Jennings, 14-0, 6 KOs, the hottest young heavyweight in the country, puts his unbeaten record and newly minted status as a ‘fighter to watch’ on the line when he faces hard-hitting Youngstown, OH native Chris Koval, on September 8th, 2012 at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
The fight will be part of an important Saturday afternoon heavyweight triple-header that figures to help identify the next wave of world title challengers at the top of boxing’s food chain – the heavyweight division.
Although Tomasz Adamek, 46-2, 28 KOs, will have star billing on September 8th when he meets Travis Walker, 39-7-1, 31 KOs, in the 12-round main event, many boxing eyes have been keenly focused on Jennings for the last seven months. Nicknamed “By By,” Jennings has made a real splash in his last three bouts, going from unknown Philadelphia upstart to world-ranked contender and USBA champion, scoring victories over Maurice Byarm, Sergei Liakhovich and Steve Collins during the impressive run.
The pressure will be on Jennings to stay in the win column against Koval, and keep his career momentum going strong. A loss in September for the undefeated fighter would slow the steady progress that has pushed him to #8 in the IBF world rankings. The 27-year old was a relative latecomer to the sport. However in 2012, he has made up for lost time. Recently Hall-of-Fame trainer Freddie Roach called Jennings America’s best young heavyweight prospect.