Anaheim, California – Arnold Barboza (32-1, 11 KOs) makes his welterweight debut tonight against Kenneth Sims Jr. (22-3-1, 8 KOs). They’re headlining a stacked card featuring superstars Oscar Collazo and Gabriela Fundora.
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Surprisingly, Barboza is listed as the slight underdog against Sims. With DraftKings listing Sims the favorite at -170 and Barboza the underdog at +135. This is Arnold’s first match since having lost a unanimous decision to Teofimo Lopez last May in New York. There are many who believe Sims is the better boxer who’ll seek to outpoint Barboza by controlling the distance and box him on the outside.
Barboza, however, has other plans. The added weight has benefited Barboza in that he is not having to cut as much weight as before. He can diet more comfortably and without having to strain himself to cut weight.
At yesterday’s weigh-in, he said, “Man, I feel faster, stronger. Like you know, last night I drank coconut water and chugged water and ate three hard-boiled eggs before I went to sleep. I’ve never done that before. So, yeah, I’m going to feel better. I’m going to feel stronger. You know, I feel rested, I feel good.” This could be a different Arnold, who’s taken the loss and time in between to improve. He stated that he learned a lot from the loss and has improved as a result.
As for Kenneth, we have a boxer who’s fought at multiple divisions on and off, having fought at both 140 and 147. In his last match, he fought in his hometown against Oscar Duarte last August in Chicago. He appeared much trimmer and more muscular than he did yesterday. He did not look physically impressive, appearing a bit soft in his midsection.
Although the match against Duarte was contested at 140, he looked more physically imposing. This could be an indicator of his preparation for the match. Although he survived the match against Oscar, he did take some punishment in that fight.
When asked how he can neutralize and counter Sims’s boxing ability, Barboza said, “Well, you know, I’m a good boxer as well. Um, I fought really good boxers. Uh, you know, I just feel like we’re well-rounded just like him. So, we’ll be able to counter anything he wants to bring.”
Barboza has struggled with mobile boxers in the past, against Sean McComb and Teofimo Lopez. Which is what Kenneth will seek to exploit. If Arnold has taken the time away to improve, as he says, and utilizes his three-inch reach advantage, he could pose difficulties for Sims when coming in.
He’ll have to use precise timing to catch him on the inside and attack the body to slow him down. Barboza has the better resume and is more experienced against top-level competition, having fought the likes of Jack Catterall, Jose Ramirez, and Lopez. Victory is within his grasp if he fights intelligently; he can beat the oddsmakers.
Last Updated on 2026/03/14 at 7:35 PM
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