New Faces – Daniel Bailey

Daniel Bailey - Photo courtesy of Daniel Bailey

Mar

by Anson Wainwright |

NEW FACES – DANIEL BAILEY

Age: 25

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Weight class: Featherweight

Height/ Reach: 5-foot-8 (173 cm) / 69′ (175 cm)

Amateur record: 85-15

Turned pro: 2020

Pro record: 10-0 (5 knockouts)

Trainer: Monyette Flowers

Manager: Ryan Roach

Promoter: Free Agent

Twitter: @DanielBaileyJr

Best night of pro career and why: Bailey, who is the nephew of former two-weight world champion Randall Bailey, feels he is a work in progress and there is much more to come from his career.

“My best night hasn’t come yet.” Bailey told The Ring.

Worst night of pro career and why: The 25-year-old feels he could have been better when he edged past Jean Carlos Sepulveda (MD 6) in June 2021.

“My bout in Atlanta, because I lost two rounds,” he said. “I’m someone who wants to look great all of the time.”

Next Fight: Bailey will face his toughest test to date when he meets unbeaten Jonathan Fierro in his first scheduled 10-rounder at the Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, Washington on Saturday.

Fierro turned professional in October 2019 and has since won all 12 fights, 11 inside the distance. The 18-year-old from Guadalajara will also be stepping up in opposition in this fight.

“I’m excited and I can’t wait to win,” he said. “I’ve worked too hard [to lose.]”

Daniel Bailey – Photo courtesy of Daniel Bailey

Why he’s a prospect: Bailey was a good amateur, engaging in 100 fights and was a four-time U.S. Army champion and rated No. 1 in the country.

He fought at the nationals, though came up short against the likes of Joshua Franco, Bruce Carrington, Shakur Stevenson and Keyshawn Davis.

The Floridian has added to his repertoire by sparring with several elite professionals. He was stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado and was enrolled in the special soldier-athlete program, World Class Athlete Program (WCAP).

“I’ve been in the ring with Guillermo Rigondeaux, Terence Crawford, Jamel Herring and Juan Carlos Payano,” he said. “There are others but these guys stick out. I don’t remember the amount of rounds [we sparred], but the experience was incredible.”

Bailey feels one thing sets him apart from the competition.

“My dedication,” he said without pause. “I work hard every day. I love the process.”

Bailey’s manager, Ryan Roach, who is the nephew of esteemed hall of fame trainer Freddie, believes his clients work ethic, which doubtlessly was honed during his six-year stint in the Army will play a key part in his development.

“Daniel is a very gifted fighter,” said the manager. “He works very hard to improve his craft and I think we will see him as the king of many weight divisions in the future.

“His career has gone exactly as planned. We have stayed busy mixing it up with opponents, especially southpaws, and he has handled himself very well. He has made my job easier by staying ready, which has led him to opportunities.”

Roach feels that Bailey has been able to expertly juggle Army life and an amateur life, which contributed to his foundation.

“I believe his Army experience helped him tremendously,” he said. “He boxed all over the world and country against the best. He was stationed in Colorado (close to USA Boxing’s base in Colorado Springs), which was great for great sparring with some top names.”

Why he’s a suspect: Although Bailey is solid across the board, as an amateur he lost when he fought the elite level fighters, which raises the question of how far he will go as a professional.

The level of opposition since transitioning to the professional ranks hasn’t been very high and Fierro, will be a marked step up and give us more of an idea.

He has a 50 percent knockout ratio, so we know he doesn’t punch like his cousin. However, he has enough pop to keep his opponent honest.

When asked, Bailey feels he needs to improve in a particular area.

“I need to improve my combination punching,” he said. “I’ve been drilling like crazy so I can get better.”

Storylines: Bailey was born and raised in “The Sunshine State”.

“Growing up in Florida was hard,” he said. “I didn’t come from money, but that was a blessing. It made me a monster.”

Bailey like many from his generation was influenced by Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I saw a clip of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. training and I was hooked,” he explained. “My neighbor would teach me and after a while, I found myself in the gym.”

He does speak to Randall Bailey, on occasion, for advice.

“My cousin and I talk but he lets me do my own thing,” he said. “Seeing him make it just gave me hope that I can and will be a champion one day.”

Bailey has three boxing hero’s, Muhammad Ali, Nicolino Locche and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

The father of one has big boxing goals and then intends to make a difference outside his chosen profession.

“I will be a champion in multiple weight divisions, and I will go down in history as the greatest defender ever,” he said boldly. “I will be an icon.

“After boxing, I will get into real estate and do a lot of giving back, too.”

Fight-by-Fight record

2022

Feb. 5 – Raymond Chacon – UD 6

2021

Nov. 20 – Austin Reed Ward – TKO 1

Oct. 16 – Pedro Hernandez – UD 6