Austin, Tex., junior middleweight Kenton Sippio-Cook suggests Khiary Gray should’ve done his homework before agreeing to fight him Friday, Sept. 18th, 2015 at Twin River Casino.
“Somebody in Khiary’s team either got lazy with their work in finding an opponent, or really just doesn’t care about Khiary,” Sippio-Cook said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Gray (8-0, 6 KOs), speaking publicly for the first time at Wednesday’s press conference at Rocky’s Sports Bar in his hometown of Worcester, Mass., insists this is no last-minute cram session as he prepares to lock horns with Sippio-Cook (6-2, 4 KOs) in the six-round co-feature of “Mayhem,” presented by CES Boxing.
“I don’t care what he says. He’s going to feel a left hook, body, or head. After that, he’s just going out,” Gray said. “I’m excited for it. I’ve been waiting for it.”
This will be Gray’s first six-round fight, whereas Sippio-Cook has boxed six full rounds three times already and recently went the distance with Wes Capper in a scheduled eight-round bout in May. While Gray has been incredibly in 2015, having already fought five times, none of those fights went past the first round as Gray knocked out each opponent, raising questions as to whether or not he’ll have the stamina to fight six full rounds, if it lasts that long.
Gray, however, insists it’s no issue, referencing his second pro fight last September in which he boxed four full rounds with the game Sergio Cabrera, a fight he won unanimously on the scorecards.
“I could’ve went six or eight rounds,” Gray said. “I’ve sparred 10, 13 rounds before. This is going to be no different.”
This fight also represents Gray’s toughest opponent to date. Though he’s coming off a pair of losses, the 24-year-old Sippio-Cook has stepped up the level of competition in recent fights; his last three opponents have a combined 22-3 record.
The showdown between Gray and Sippio-Cook is on the card which also includes the 10-round main event between Rhode Islanders Rich Gingras (15-4-1, 9 KOs) of Lincoln, and unbeaten challenger Angel Camacho Jr. (14-0, 4 KOs) of Providence.
