Minnesota boxer and former WBA “common” world champion Jamal “Shango” James will make his return Saturday, Feb. 25 throughout a Premier Boxing Champions occasion at The Armory in Minneapolis.
James (27-2, 12 KOs), a well-liked determine at The Armory, will face battle-tested veteran Alberto Palmetta (18-1, 13 KOs) of Argentina as a part of a Showtime televised tripleheader.
A world title struggle within the 140-pound division headlines the cardboard. In the primary occasion, hard-hitting Subriel Matias of Puerto Rico (18-1, 18 KOs) will face Argentina’s Jeremias Ponce (30-0, 20 KOs) for the IBF junior light-weight championship.
As BoxingScene.com beforehand reported, Elvis Rodriguez is scheduled to collide with Joseph Adorno as a part of the televised card.
James, of Minneapolis, is set to show he’s nonetheless a high contender within the 147-pound division.
“Each struggle is necessary. You don’t need to lose any struggle,” James stated. “This struggle is clearly essential as a result of it would put me again on monitor to get a title alternative once more. It’s additionally necessary to me to let individuals know I’m nonetheless within the combine. I’ve been off for some time so now it’s time to remind folks that at 147, Jamal ‘Shango’ James is right here to take over.”
James hasn’t boxed since October 2021, when he misplaced his WBA “common” welterweight title to Radzhab Butaev in Las Vegas.
Palmetta hopes to spoil James’ homecoming. The battle-tested southpaw, a 2016 Olympian, presents a tricky problem for the Minneapolis fighter. Most just lately, in November, Palmetta scored a third-round TKO win over Thomas Mendez.
“It all the time feels good preventing at The Armory,” James stated. “That’s hometown love. It’ll undoubtedly really feel good getting again into the ring and preventing in entrance of an viewers generally simply because it’s been so lengthy.”