By: Sean Crose
“I learned a lot about life in different respects,” then heavyweight contender Bryant Jennings said to me back in late 2015. He was referring to what at the time had been his only loss – a unanimous decision defeat at the gloved hands of then heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko. Had Jennings won that night in Madison Square Garden, he would have left the ring the new IBF, and WBO heavyweight champion of the world. Instead he exited with experience and hard earned knowledge. “The majority of things I learned wasn’t about me and boxing,” he continued, “it was about me and life.”
Jennings was always one of the more thoughtful fighters out there at the time. Holding a full time job while reaching the point where you can fight for the heavyweight crown – in Madison Square Garden, of all places – is no small thing. Unfortunately, the lessons learned against Klitschko would not lead him to another title shot. Indeed, the Philly native ended up losing again numerous more times before finally hanging up the gloves in 2019 with a record of 24-4. Now, though, the nearly 40 year old Jennings is set to make a ring comeback.
For Saturday night in his hometown of Philadelphia, Jennings will slip through the ropes to engage in gloved combat for the first time in over five years. Jennings’ opponent will be the 9-8-2 Joe Caudel. The heavyweight matchup is a scheduled 8 rounder, which shows that team Jennings isn’t rushing into anything here. While the Jennings-Caudel fight will be aired live on Triller, it’s obvious that Jennings’ comeback is likely a low-key affair by design. Again, Jennings is a rather cerebral type, one who isn’t apt to set up sky high expectations for himself his first time back in the ring.
With all that being said, Jennings is a hard fighter not to like. He may be more laid back than some of his peers, but the man’s work ethic has been astounding. Furthermore, things have changed in the heavyweight division since Jennings’ last saw action in the ring. Oleksandr Usyk has proven that traditionally sized heavyweights can indeed defeat super sized heavies like Klitchsko, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder. Five years ago, it seemed like the big guys were the guaranteed future of the division. Not so anymore. If Jennings has watched and learned during his retirement, he may perhaps return to the ring with more tools than were previously to be found in his toolshed.
*Images: TrillerTV