At various points over the past decade, it would have been easy for Josh Wagner to give up on his boxing dream.
His is a career which has sent him to challenging places — a promising start in Alberta stalled, followed by a five-year layoff and an uphill comeback as a B-side fighter, forced to beat undefeated prospects in an effort to restore his own status — but he never drowned.
Far from it.
On July 8th, the reinvented and undefeated Wagner (15-0, 8 KO) will step into the ring at Barrie’s Sadlon Arena for a career-defining clash with Argentina’s Williams Herrera (15-1, 6 KO). On the line: The IBO Americas Welterweight championship.
“I’ve been manifesting this for the last couple years — the big stage, the big fights,” said Wagner after a sparring session during the final weeks of training camp. “I’m destined for it.”
The man known as The Boss entered camp with renewed energy: It’s his 16th fight as a professional, sixth with trainer Stevie Bailey and he is laser-focused on the task at hand.
“This camp has been about mental toughness: It’s for a title, he’s ranked higher than I am and is my hardest opponent to date. I’m training like my life depends on it,” reflected Wagner, who is coming off a dominant unanimous decision win over Xhuljo Vrenozi in February. “I’m callusing my mind to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations.
“When I started boxing, I craved the big stage and this is the next step.”
The fighting pride of Orangeville, Ontario took a major conditioning leap prior to camp — something his trainer believes could take him to an entirely different level.
“He’s been getting more emotionally mature about what he should be doing between fights, and as a result we can focus more on gameplan (and) technique,” said Bailey, one of Ontario’s premier trainers. “He’s three, four steps ahead of where he would begin camp previously (and) a career-best performance in Barrie will really change the conversation.
“Josh has come back from adversity, beat the A guy as the B guy, and proven he’s a real fighter — those in the game know what I mean by that.”
Wagner echoes his trainer’s thoughts, and believes significant shifts outside the ring will help him within the squared circle.
“I made some serious life changes in the past two years, (and) The Boss is happy right now,” he reflected. “Every fighter says it, but I’m coming off my best camp and just getting started — people haven’t seen the best of me yet, and I’m coming up to Barrie to put on a show!”
Wagner versus Herrera.
The best Canadian-based welterweight and the number-one ranked Argentine in the division will battle in Barrie on United Boxing Promotions’ co-main event.
One of them will leave town with a championship belt, vault up the world rankings and continue their climb to the global elite; the other will be forced to lick their wounds and reassess their career.
“We’re going to work the body, use the jab, take him into deep waters and get him out of there,” predicted a steely Wagner. “I don’t think he’s going to be ready for what I’m bringing.”
He speaks with the quiet confidence of somebody who has been to those waters.
Josh Wagner, you see, has already swam with sharks.
He beat them, learning from each battle along the way, and on July 8th will aim to sink his fistic teeth into Williams Herrera — and claim the IBO Americas Welterweight title in the process.
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A championship doubleheader of boxing comes to Barrie on Saturday, July 8th, as hometown hero Mark Smither squares off with Mexico’s Gerardo Jasso for the IBO Americas Super Lightweight Championship and Orangeville’s Josh Wagner battles Argentina’s Williams Herrera for the IBO Americas Welterweight Championship. VIP tables and suites are sold out, but bowl seats are available now at ticketpro.ca.
Ringside with Carlos is a column written by United Promotions Ring Announcer Carlos Verde, featuring reflections on Ontario boxing, fighter profiles and feature stories on those in the fight game.
