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Justin Pauldo has set his sights high ahead of his important clash with Nike Theran.
They fight on Saturday at the Save Mart Arena in Fresno, California. Pauldo, 19-2 (9 KOs) is confident big things lie ahead on the other side of this weekend’s ProBox TV show.
Now 31, the Houston-based Floridian said his victory over former IBF 130lbs titlist Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov two fights ago saw him level up.
“Absolutely,” Pauldo said. “I think the Rakhimov fight came with notoriety and made me more noticed in the boxing world. So, a lot of people are getting to know me and see that my style’s an exciting style and that I bring action.
“I don’t think anyone is lining up to fight me. All those top guys, they know who I am. They know that I’m a tough fight for them so I’ve got to keep knocking at the door, keep beating the guys put in front of me so I can get into a position where they have no choice but to fight me.”
Pauldo is ranked No. 11 with the WBC at lightweight. He knows what’s at stake and is fully aware that Colombia’s Theran is 20-1 (14 KOs) and has his own ambitions.
“It’s very motivating for me, to step in there with someone with a great record as him and to get to go out there and dominate,” Pauldo added. “Me going out and beating guys like this, they have no choice but to give me a crack at the top guys, so it’s very exciting to go out there, get the opportunity to showcase my skills.
“The type of victory is just as important as the victory, so in camp I just push myself hard, keep perfecting my skills so I can go out and shine. I know that fans and people want to see knockouts, they want to see action, so I just follow the gameplan, push myself in training camp and it’s not too much pressure on me. As long as I keep pushing myself, the victory will come and it will be in great fashion.”
Pauldo has not had things easy.
He lost a split decision to Miguel Madueno in February 2024, also on ProBox TV, but said he has enjoyed his activity on the channel.
“It’s making me become more of a seasoned fighter, seeing different styles and being in there with tough guys who are going to try to win,” Pauldo said. “You’ve got a fighter like that on the other side of the ring, it pushes you in camp and it makes you sharp. That’s what I need to get to that next level.”
Pauldo hopes his career trajectory goes only one way, starting with Theran. Going the WBC route could mean an eventual run-in with Shakur Stevenson, should the three-division champion remain at the weight. Also appealing is a clash down the road with newly crowned WBO titleholder Abdullah Mason, the youngest male boxer to hold a major belt at just 21 years of age.
“It’s no particular fighter but the Abdullah Masons, the Shakur Stevensons, those guys have got the belts, those are the guys that I want,” said Pauldo. “I want to take on those guys and I want to take those belts.”
Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, a BWAA award winner, and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.
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