Javon Wright, the reigning BKB Police Gazette welterweight champion, is set to defend his title at BKB 54 on May 16th in Manchester. The highly anticipated co-main event will see Wright face Dan Gittens, a bout that was previously cancelled in January. With tensions escalating throughout the year, Wright expressed his eagerness for the rescheduled fight, stating his opponent has been “running his mouth a lot” since January and that he hopes Gittens will back up his claims of ending Wright’s career.
When questioned about the palpable bad blood leading into this confrontation, Wright was unequivocal. “Oh, yeah. I’mma smack the s**t out of him for real,” he declared, citing Gittens’ persistent complaints about the title fight since August. Wright acknowledged he had to unexpectedly withdraw from their initial January bout due to injury but feels Gittens has been “crying like a little girl” to promoters and anyone who would listen. “Since he want to run his mouth, I’mma make sure he backs up everything he was saying come Saturday,” Wright vowed.
Wright also addressed the possibility that Gittens might doubt the legitimacy of his previous injury. “Yeah, he definitely was,” Wright confirmed. However, he emphasized that his injury was genuine and known to his camp, asserting, “that’s all that really matters.”
Beyond the fight itself, the BKB champion finds his greatest motivation in being a father. He believes winning a world title is less meaningful if it cannot be shared with his children. Wright spoke about the pride he takes in being a “fighting father,” sharing that his daughters often accompany him to the gym and engage with his training. He recounted a recent conversation where his daughter asked about his upcoming fight and warned him, “daddy, you better not lose.” This drives him to succeed so he doesn’t face any “stuff” from them upon returning home.
He confirmed that his daughters are indeed vocal if he doesn’t win. “Oh, yeah. Yeah, they are definitely gonna let me hear. They definitely gonna let me hear it,” he said with a laugh. “So, I mean, I got to do everything I can so I don’t hear it.”
Wright also expressed immense pride in being part of the growing BKB organization, noting its expansion into England, the signing of prominent fighters, and the recent launch of the Ricky Hatton Foundation. He anticipates BKB will continue to grow globally and feels grateful to be a champion within the promotion.
The significance of the Police Gazette championship belt, with its century-long lineage, is not lost on Wright. He sees holding this title as a blessing and a permanent mark on his legacy. “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,” he stated.
Discussing his unique training methods for the confined space of the BKB Trigon, Wright revealed he practices shadow boxing and pivoting in small, enclosed areas like saunas or closets. “If I can maneuver around and do my pivots and whatnot in the sauna then the trigon is pretty much nothing at that point,” he explained. He also noted that training in the intense heat of a sauna helps him regulate his breathing and temperature, preparing him for demanding late rounds in a fight.
Wright recalled a specific instance where this training paid off during his second fight against Kylle McMillan. In the later rounds, when he felt fatigued, he employed his pivot and movement strategy, making McMillan come to him and effectively turning him. “So, it worked out for me in that fight, for sure,” he confirmed.
He believes that overcoming adversity in fights is crucial for growth. “Cuz I mean if you don’t you’re going to either get knocked out or you’re gonna end up losing the fight. So it’s either suck it up and go past your limits or fall off and lose the fight,” Wright stated, emphasizing the importance of digging deep and sticking to the game plan.
Wright highlighted the unique evolution of bare-knuckle boxing and his commitment to elevating his fight IQ. He considers his clinch work, honed from his MMA and kickboxing backgrounds, to be a significant weapon. “Because like I said, usually when I get that arm behind your head, it’s most likely you not getting out too, most of the time,” he explained, appreciating how his prior combat sports experience has benefited him in BKB.
He continues to train at Hill Street Boxing Gym, where he benefits from the guidance of former BKB champion Julio Tanori. “He be beating me up sometimes,” Wright joked about the sparring sessions, acknowledging the “iron sharpens iron” principle.
Looking ahead to his title defense, Wright stated that Dan Gittens “is gonna get his a** destroyed.” He mentioned that this fight has motivated him to train harder than he has for any previous BKB bout, largely due to Gittens’ constant trash talk. “But [the] dude [has] been running his mouth a lot. So, he gave me a lot more motivation to get ready for this fight,” Wright admitted.
He believes his daughters’ playful taunts have prepared him for verbal sparring. “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,” Wright declared.
While not his usual style, Wright is ready to engage in trash talk if provoked. He scoffed at Gittens’ suggestions of fighting outside the ring, stating, “he definitely don’t want to fight with no referees there. I promise you, he don’t want to see me with no ref there because he is gonna get his ass destroyed.” He concluded, “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 his final remarks for BKB 54 fight week, Wright simply stated, “Oh, yeah. My thought is Dan Gittens is a hoe, and I can’t wait to see him Saturday.”