Javon Wright, the current BKB Police Gazette welterweight champion, is set to defend his title at BKB 54’s “Mayhem in Manchester” on May 16th against Dan Gittens. The highly anticipated rematch, initially slated for January, was postponed, and tensions have been escalating throughout the year.
Speaking about the fight finally materializing, Wright expressed his anticipation and addressed Gittens’ vocal challenges. “I’m looking forward to it too, my man,” Wright stated. “Dude’s been running his mouth a lot since January. So, I’m hoping he’s gonna back up all that little stuff he was talking come Saturday. Ending my career and all of this. So, let’s hope he can back it up.”
When questioned about the notable bad blood preceding this clash, Wright didn’t hold back. “Oh, yeah. I’mma smack the s**t out of him for real. He’s been crying like a little girl since August for real. So he’s been crying about this title fight for a while, and I had to unexpectedly pull out a week before the fight due to an injury. He’s been crying to the promoters and everybody who would listen since then. So since he wants to run his mouth, I’mma make sure he backs up everything he was saying come Saturday.”
Wright also addressed Gittens’ potential doubts regarding the legitimacy of his previous injury. “Yeah, he definitely was [doubting]. But like you said, people are gonna run their mouth and talk. But I mean, I know I was injured, and my camp knows I was injured. So that’s all that really matters.”
Beyond the fight, Wright highlighted the profound significance of being a champion to his daughters. “Winning a world title is one thing, but it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t share it with your babies,” he explained. “My daughters are usually at the gym with me most of the time when I’m working out. They’re usually watching me, or trying to do what I’m doing. My daughter asked me who I’m fighting and told me, ‘Daddy, you better not lose.’ So, I definitely have to do what I can not to lose so my daughters don’t talk stuff when I get back home.” He acknowledged their playful taunts if he were to lose, emphasizing his determination to avoid hearing their remarks.
Wright expressed immense pride in his role within the growing BKB organization. “I’m very proud to be a part of something as big as what BKB is doing. With coming over here to England and then having fights over here, signing all the big names that we recently signed, the Ricky Hatton Foundation that they just launched, and all that. So it’s only going to get bigger and more global. I’m actually grateful to be a part of everything that they’ve got going on right now.”
He also spoke about the historical weight of the Police Gazette belt. “Yes, it definitely is [cool components]. The [Police] Gazette belt is over a hundred years old, and then I actually have my name already etched in legacy now just because of me winning the title and everything. So, to be holding a title that’s been something that’s been going on for years is a blessing for me. So, I love it.”
Wright shared his unique approach to training for the BKB Trigon, a compact fighting space. “I do a lot of shadow boxing in the sauna,” he revealed. “Usually the sauna is small. So if I can maneuver around and do my pivots and whatnot in the sauna, then the trigon is pretty much nothing at that point. So, I try to do a lot of shadow boxing and pivoting and whatnot in enclosed spaces. Like the sauna, maybe a closet, or anything. Anything small enough that I can still move around, I try to use to imitate the Trigon because if I can move around there, the trigon is pretty much nothing.” He added that the heat in the sauna also helps him regulate his breathing and temperature, preparing him for intense fight conditions.
Reflecting on how adversity hones a fighter, Wright recounted a past fight. “Probably my second fight against [Kylle] McMillan, maybe like the fourth or fifth round, I was getting tired. It got to the point where I was like, ‘Well, just stay on the bike and keep moving.’ So, it’s just like, ‘All right, just keep moving, keep turning, keep pivoting. Make him come to you and when he gets close enough, just turn him.’ So, it worked out for me in that fight, for sure.” He emphasized the necessity of pushing past limits to avoid defeat.
Wright also discussed the evolution of fight IQ in bare-knuckle boxing. “My clinch is pretty much one of my biggest weapons in this,” he stated. “Me coming from MMA and boxing, kickboxing backgrounds, it actually worked out better for me coming from those backgrounds first before I came to BKB. Because usually when I get that arm behind your head, it’s most likely you’re not getting out too, most of the time. So, I’m actually glad I started MMA and kickboxing before I came here ’cause I already had the skill set, the experience, and then I just transferred all the experience over to what I’m doing now.”
He continues to train at Hill Street Boxing Gym, benefiting from the expertise of former BKB Bare Knuckle titleholder Julio Tanori. “Yes, I’m still at Hill Street Boxing,” Wright confirmed. “I’m usually there pretty much almost every day training, and I got the guys up there helping me. Julio Tanori, the former BKB boxer, he’s there, and I got a few people helping me out. So yeah, I’m still at Hill Street Boxing, and that’s where I’ll most likely be at.” He admitted Tanori’s training can be intense, jokingly adding, “He be beating me up sometimes.”
Javon Wright states that Dan Gittens “is gonna get his a** destroyed”
Wright, who secured his first BKB title in a single round, is confident about how the rematch will unfold. “To be honest, I can’t see how it’s going to feel, but I can tell you this,” he said. “Like, I’ve been literally training as hard as I can for this fight. This is probably the hardest I’ve trained for a fight in a while. The dude’s been running his mouth a lot, so he gave me a lot more motivation to get ready for this fight. So, at the end of the night, it’s going to be me beating his ass and getting my hand raised.”
He humorously noted that his daughters’ playful trash talk has prepared him for Gittens’ verbal jabs. “Definitely. Like I said, he ain’t here yet, but I’m waiting for him to get here because I’m going to be talking s**t the entire next three days into the fight.”
While trash talk isn’t his usual style, Wright is prepared to engage if provoked. “Yeah, we can definitely do it. I don’t mind talking a little s**t,” he stated. “He definitely doesn’t want to fight with no referees there. I promise you, he doesn’t want to see me with no ref there because he is gonna get his ass destroyed. But I beat his ass outside the ring, inside the ring. I really don’t care. But I guarantee you, I just want him to back up everything he was saying. Everything. I want him to end my career. Please end my career.”
In conclusion, Wright shared his final thoughts heading into BKB 54: “Oh, yeah. My thought is Dan Gittens is a hoe, and I can’t wait to see him Saturday.”