Written by: Sean Crose
“I've learned a lot about life in different ways,” then-heavyweight contender Bryant Jennings told me back in late 2015. He was referring to what was his only loss at the time – a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of a heavyweight at the time. king Wladimir Klitschko. If Jennings had won that night in Madison Square Garden, he would have left the new IBF ring, as well as the WBO heavyweight world champion. Instead, he came out with the knowledge and experience he worked hard for. “Most of the things I learned were not about me and boxing,” he continued, “it was about life.”
Jennings was always one of the most thoughtful fighters of the era. Holding down a full-time job to the point of being able to fight for a heavyweight title — at Madison Square Garden, of all places — is no small feat. Unfortunately, the lessons learned against Klitschko will not lead him to another title. Of course, the Philly native ended up losing several more times before hanging up the gloves in 2019 with a 24-4 record. Now, however, the nearly 40-year-old Jennings is about to play in a ring.
On Saturday night in his hometown of Philadelphia, Jennings will step into the ropes to take part in a glove fight for the first time in five years. Jennings' opponent will be 9-8-2 Joe Caudel. The heavyweight matchup is a scheduled 8 rounder, which shows that Team Jennings is not rushing anything here. While the Jennings-Caudel fight will be broadcast live Thriller, it's clear that Jennings' return is likely to be a low-key affair by design. Also, Jennings is a bit of a brain, who can't set high hopes for himself for his first time back in the ring.
With all that being said, Jennings is a tough player to dislike. He may be more modest than some of his peers, but the way this man works has been amazing. Furthermore, things have changed in the heavyweight division since Jennings last stepped into the ring. Oleksandr Usyk has proven that traditional heavyweights can beat heavyweights like Klitchsko, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder. Five years ago, it seemed that big boys were the guaranteed future of the division. That's not the case anymore. If Jennings has watched and learned in his retirement, maybe he can return to the ring with more tools than what was previously in his toolbox.
*Photos: ThrillerTV
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