Photo: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom – Amari Jones (13-0, 12 KOs) is the Prospect of the Month of August.
“Hi Laurent, I’m a huge fan of your work. This week, EOTTM announced a gala in Gatineau with middleweight Alexandre Gaumont as the main event. So I was wondering, who’s the top prospect at 160 pounds and can you write about him?” – Noé Cloutier, a lifelong fan.
The middleweight division is pretty intriguing right now because it’s changing.
Zhanibek Alimkhanuly just fainted trying to make weight, Erislandy Lara is old enough to stop paying for the bus on the island of Montreal, and the division is so weak that Sugar Shane Mosley Jr. is in the top 10.
Steve Viera was the one who enlightened me on Noé Cloutier’s question. He must have been reading over my shoulder as I checked my emails. He explained that the famous Oakland Bay is known for three things: rapper 2Pac grew up there, the Oakland Museum is the highest-rated in North America, and it’s Andre Ward’s hometown.
Then he repeated to me that the future of American boxing at middleweight rests on a 22-year-old named Amari Jones…
Who is Amari Jones?
Amari Jones (13-0, 12 KOs) is one of the most intriguing prospects in the United States right now. Last night, August 31, 2024, he will box in the final of a gala that he himself organized with his team. His opponent, veteran Daniel Echeverria (21-12, 18 KOs), actually suffered a real 3-round beating…
Like all the kids in his neighborhood, Amari Jones dreamed of playing American football. He played as a wide receiver and defensive end for Clayton Valley High School. After finding himself in problematic situations with a few fights in the street and after school, his family, wanting to avoid seeing him go to jail like his father, brought him to the boxing gym to channel his anger into something positive.
Before the age of 18, he won two amateur championships and was ranked No. 1 in the world middleweight.
It was at this time that the two Haneys, boxer Devin and trainer Bill, took young Amari under their wing. This partnership allows him to train with the best boxers in the world and especially to gain visibility by being on the same galas as Devin Haney.
Why is he a prospect?
It’s strange, Amari started his career as a right-hander, and overnight, he was boxing as much left-handed as right-handed. He is incredible on both sides, his punching power is identical, no matter which hand is his back hand. He is a real headache for his opponents.
At 6 feet, he generally has the advantage of reach and size over his middleweight opponents.
With his manager Wali Herawi, his trainer Daniel Castillo and his best friend Devin Haney, he is well surrounded to revive boxing in Oakland and develop his own career.
Does he have any flaws?
The future of the 160 can be summed up in four names: Zander Zayas, Amari Jones, Yoenis Tellez and Jahi Tucker. While Amari is my favorite of the quartet, his defense worried me against Armel Mbumba-Yassa. The Congolese-German boxer had success by charging head down and lunging at Jones. It wasn’t exactly elegant, but Yassa’s kamikaze style worked before Jones knocked him out with several right hands to the head in the sixth round.
Despite this fight, the X-boxing community (now Twitter) has been saying that only Amari Jones can beat Zhanibek Alimkhanuly at middleweight.
While we wait for that potential fight, just like Cleveland with Abdullah Mason, Oakland has something to smile about, because bright days are coming back.
If I were you, I would write down this name: Amari Jones. Don’t lose sight of him…
