On May 20, Sean McComb will have the opportunity to elevate his career to an entirely new level.
Boxing News understands the 31-year-old will take on Arnold Barboza as part of the Devin Haney-Ryan Garcia undercard at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn.
After his unexpected loss to Gavin Gwynne in their Commonwealth lightweight title bout in 2021, McComb, with a record of 18-1 (5 KOs), has managed to make a remarkable comeback by securing seven victories.
McComb, who currently competes in the super-lightweight division, continued his impressive streak with a dominant performance in his recent match against Sam Maxwell in Belfast. Despite being a former British 140lbs champion, Maxwell proved to be no match for McComb, as he was knocked down thrice during the fight. It is worth mentioning that Maxwell, being a veteran in the sport, was nearing the end of his career and has subsequently retired.
Although facing Arnold Barboza is a significant step up for McComb, it won’t be his first time competing in America. In October 2018, McComb fought for the fourth time as a professional, defeating Carlos Galindo on a Matchroom show in Boston. The event was headlined by Tevin Farmer and James Tennyson.
Barboza is expected to be the clear favorite to win, but his mandatory position with the WBO is at stake. McComb is currently ranked seven places below Barboza, who has an impressive undefeated record of 29 wins. Last month, Barboza disclosed that he was prepared to step in for Ryan Garcia in the main event on April 20 if Garcia decides to withdraw. Concerns have been mounting about Garcia’s well-being due to his recent behavior in videos and on social media, raising doubts about his readiness to face WBC champion Haney.
In November of last year, Barboza became a member of Golden Boy Promotions after leaving Top Rank. Then, on January 6, he made his first appearance under Oscar De La Hoya’s banner, impressively outperforming Xolisani Ndongeni who was withdrawn from the match after eight rounds. Recently, the South African fighter faced lightweight contender Raymond Muratalla, going the full 10-round distance in their bout last weekend.
