Javon Wright, the reigning BKB Police Gazette welterweight champion, is set to defend his title against Dan Gittens at BKB 54 on May 16th. This highly anticipated bout, originally scheduled for January, has been fueled by mounting tensions throughout the year. Wright expressed his eagerness for the fight, stating, “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.”
Addressing the significant animosity leading into this clash, Wright declared, “Oh, yeah. I’m gonna smack the s**t out of him for real. He’s been crying like a little girl since August. 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 everyone who would listen since then. So since he wants to run his mouth, I’m gonna make sure he backs up everything he was saying come Saturday.”
Wright also addressed the perception that Gittens doubted the legitimacy of his injury, stating, “Yeah, he definitely was. But people will run their mouth and talk. I know I was injured, and my camp knows I was injured. So that’s all that really matters.”
For Wright, true championship status is defined by being a good father. He believes that winning a world title is secondary to being able to share it with his children. He shared, “My daughters, they’re 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, working out, hitting the bag. My daughter asked me questions like, ‘Who are you fighting? What’s his name?’ She’s like, ‘Well, 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 that his daughters would indeed let him hear it if he were to lose, motivating him to avoid that outcome.
Wright expressed immense pride in being part of the growing BKB organization, particularly with its expansion into England and the signing of major names. He noted, “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. To be champion of everything that they’ve got going on is a time.” He also highlighted the significance of the Police Gazette belt, which carries over a century of lineage, saying, “The [Police] Gazette belt is over a hundred years old, and then I actually got my name already etched in legacy now just because of me winning the title. So, to be holding a title that’s been going on for years is a blessing for me.”
When discussing his unique ring craft for the BKB Trigon, Wright revealed, “I do a lot of shadow boxing in the sauna. 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 in enclosed spaces like the sauna or a closet. 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 training in the sauna’s heat also helps him regulate his breathing and temperature, preparing him for intense fight scenarios.
Wright recalled a fight against Kylle McMillan where this approach paid off. “We were maybe in the fourth or fifth round, I was getting tired. It got to the point where I was like, ‘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 importance of pushing past one’s limits: “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 believes his background in MMA and kickboxing has given him an advantage in bare-knuckle boxing, particularly his clinch work. “My clinch is pretty much one of my biggest weapons in this. 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. 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, where he benefits from the guidance of former BKB champion Julio Tanori. “He be beating me up sometimes,” Wright quipped, referring to the sparring sessions.
Looking ahead to his title defense, Wright stated, “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. Only off because dude was running his mouth a lot. I mean, I’m not really the type to talk a lot of s**t. I just come in there and back my thing up. But [the] dude has 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.”
Wright is also ready to engage in trash talk, fueled by Gittens’ previous provocations. “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.” He added, “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.”
In his closing remarks, Wright declared, “Dan Gittens is a hoe, and I can’t wait to see him Saturday.”