Can Duarte’s Relentless Attack Overwhelm the “Shakur-esque” Boxing of Kenneth Sims Jr. on August 2nd?

A light welterweight clash between contenders Oscar Duarte and Kenneth Sims Jr. is expected to be announced for August 2nd at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The winner will be pushed higher in the rankings and positioned to challenge for a world title.

The Mexico native Duarte, 29, has turned his career around since being stopped in eight rounds by Ryan Garcia in December 2023. Since then, Duarte has won his last three fights, defeating Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz, Botirzhon Akhmedov, and Miguel Madueno. Oscar is ranked #5 WBA and appears to be positioned to challenge champion Gary Antuanne Russell for his newly won title.

Duarte’s Pressure Key to Victory?

Duarte will have to apply nonstop pressure to defeat Kenneth Sims. As we saw in Sims’ victories over Elvis Rodriguez and Jonathan Romero, he does well against fighters who fight at a slow pace, throwing one punch at a time. That style works for Sims.

Sims retreats in a Shakur-esque manner when attacked, but he doesn’t have the legs to run around the ring like him. He definitely gives ground and tries to neutralize the offense when pressured. It’ll be tougher for Sims to do that against Duarte if he attacks him the way he did Miguel Madueno in his last fight.

It’ll come down to whether Duarte can keep Sims under the gun the entire fight, because if he has room to box, he’ll pick him apart with his Shakur style. He’s not a power puncher. His focus is on scoring points, winning rounds, and getting the decision. It’s not a style the average fan likes to watch; hence, Sims hasn’t received much attention during his long career.

Sims Jr.’s Need for Urgency

The 11-year pro Sims is ranked #4 WBA and #10 IBF. He needs to push his career faster because he’s 31 and running out of time. Sims will be coming into the Duarte fight with a nine-fight winning streak with victories over Elvis Rodriguez, Jonathan Romero, Kendo Castaneda, and Botirzhon Akhmedov.

MP Boxing broke the story on the Duarte vs. Sims Jr. fight being signed for August 2nd. It’s a good clash between the boxer/puncher Sims Jr. (22-2-1, 8 KOs) going up against the pressure fighter Duarte (29-2-1, 23 KOs) in a Golden Boy-promoted event.