Randall “The Knock Out King” Bailey (45-8, 38 KOs) has signed an promotional contract with South Korean-based AK Promotions, Bailey’s manager Si Stern (SHS Boxing Management) announced today.
Bailey, who fights out of Miami and is trained there by Orlando Cuellar, is scheduled to make his AK Promotions debut October 4, in the main event versus an opponent to be determined, at Seonhak Boxing Stadium in Inchon, South Korea.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for Randall,” Stern said. “I’ve had personal experiences in the Far East and one of my fighters, Sherman ‘Tank’ Williams, won a couple of titles there. (WBO China Zone and interim WBO Asia Pacific championships via a 12-round decision, June 28, 2012, vs. Chauncy Welliver in Macao, China) I’ve been to South Korea and it’s an extremely exciting place. The great career of Randall Bailey will continue. I’d like to thank promoter Andy Kim for presenting us with this tremendous opportunity.”
“I’m very happy to have signed Randall Bailey,” AK Promotions president Andy Kim commented. “I hope this helps boost the Korean boxing scene. There are US Army personnel and a lot of foreigners in Korea and I hope it interests them, too. Hopefully, Randall can get another world title shot soon and bring back a championship belt to Korea.”
Bailey has defeated a litany of top junior welterweights and welterweights during his 19-year professional career, including Mike Jones, Rocky Martinez, Carlos Gonzalez, Hector Lopez, Demetrio Ceballos, Anthony Mora, Juan Polo Perez, Frankie Figueroa, DeMarcus Corley, Harrison Cuello, and Jackson Osei Bonsu.
Bailey, 40, was the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight champion (1999-2000), Interim World Boxing Association (WBA) junior welterweight titlist (2002) and International Boxing Federation welterweight champ (2012),
Now on a mission to win a fourth world title in his third weight class, the always dangerous and feared junior middleweight believes this signing has given him a new lease on his boxing career. He has had many problems securing fights in the past few years simply because he’s such a risky opponent for champions, contenders and top prospects alike.
“I can’t wait to go there,” Bailey (pictured on left with his head trainer Orlando Cuellar) said. “This is going to do a lot for my career. I spoke to my new promoter and he’s as excited about signing me as I am about signing with him. He told me that getting me another world title is his goal. He knows me, liked what he saw, and he’s all about doing his job as my promoter.
“I went to South Korea in 2005 with female boxer we brought there to fight. It was a nice trip, a lot of fun. Traveling to fight there won’t bother me a bit. I have a good contract, no complaints at all with what they’re giving me. I’ll go there a week before my fight to get acclimated. When I come back from a fight, I’ll only take two or three days off, and then go back in the gym because I know that I’ll be fighting every three or four months. I’m excited and ready to get there to fight.”
“The boxing center of gravity will soon shift towards South Korea when Randall Bailey makes his debut there,” Cuellar predicted. “One look at his devastating one-punch power and Koreans will fall in love with him. What Manny Pacquaio is in Macau and Roy Jones, Jr. in Russia, Randall Bailey will become in South Korea. Bailey has a great opportunity to make a big splash in South Korea. Once Korean boxing fans get a taste of Bailey, they will be hooked.”
Bailey has joined a growing stable of AK Promotions fighters, including newly signed heralded Pakistan amateur (87-16) super flyweight Muhammad “Falcon” Waseem, WBC Asian Boxing Council welterweight champion Neeraj Goyat (3-2-2), of India, and middleweight Dilbag Singh (1-0), of India.
