Veteran boxer Dan says he still has gas in tank
35-year-old returns to Casino ring Thursday for eight-round semifinal bout
At age 35, Montreal boxer Jo Jo Dan believes he still has some productive years ahead in the fight game, although promoter Yvon Michel doubts the welterweight will again challenge for a world title.
“There’s a lot of good examples in pro boxing of guys who have fought after 35 and they make the most of their careers. That gives me confidence,” Dan said Monday morning during a news conference at the Montreal Casino. “I’m not worried about my age. The time has passed, but I’m good. I feel like 25.
“I don’t know if I’m going to fight again for a world title,” added Dan, 35-4 with 18 knockouts. “But I believe there’s still a lot of good opportunities there for me. That’s what I’m planning. I’m only thinking about the next opponent. We’ll see after that. I’ll do my best to win the fight. That’s the most important thing.”
Dan returns to the ring Thursday night at the Casino. He has an eight-round semifinal bout at the catch-weight of 150 pounds against Jesus Gurrola (23-10-3 with 11 KOs). The bout’s on the undercard of the 10-round main event between Brossard’s Shakeel Phinn and Mexico’s Josue Aguilar.
Phinn (12-1 with eight KOs), is the Canadian super-middleweight champion, while his opponent has 12 wins and three draws over 16 fights along with seven KOs. Four other bouts are on the card, which begins at 7 p.m.
Dan’s coming off a sixth-round loss last November to Jarrett Hurd in Philadelphia. The Quebecer took the fight on three weeks’ notice, he said, and fought at 154 pounds. With three children and a wife at home, Dan was eager for a payday — especially since he hadn’t fought in 14 months.
Hurd subsequently won the vacant International Boxing Federation super-welterweight title last month, stopping Tony Harrison in the ninth round.
“All my career was like this,” Dan said, shrugging. “Until now I took all the best opportunities that came up on the table. I don’t feel sorry (for myself ). If I missed one of them, bad or good, maybe I would have quit.”
Dan, originally from Romania like his compatriot, Lucian Bute, was a promising boxer who won his first 26 fights. Then, in June 2010, he ventured to Turkey and lost a controversial 12-round splitdecision to Selcuk Aydin.
Dan’s career seemingly has always been on the cusp since then, but he has been unable to take the next step when moving up in class.
He lost a 12-round rematch against Aydin by unanimous decision in November 2011. But then, after winning a pair of hard-fought, split-decisions against Canadian Kevin Bizier in Quebec City, Dan was stopped in the fourth round by IBF welterweight champ Kell Brook in March 2015. The defeat against Hurd means Dan has lost two of his last three.
“He’s a professional boxer,” Michel said of Dan. “I don’t believe he’s still dreaming about winning a world title. But he’s a pro. He brings a lot of credibility and some strength to the show. He’s a consummate pro. He’s always bringing his A-game. It’s good to have him.”
And unless something drastically changes, Michel said Dan’s welcome to remain part of his stable.
“You bring him back,” the promoter said. “There will be somebody, somewhere, either in a comeback fight or a young up-andcoming prospect. Someone will
I don’t believe he’s still dreaming about winning a world title. But he’s a pro. He brings a lot of credibility to the show.
want to gain experience with him and to make a claim that they’ve beaten Jo Jo Dan.”
Although Bute, the former IBF super-middleweight champ, attended the Monday news conference, he has yet to reach a decision on his future following last month’s fifth-round technical knockout defeat he suffered against Eleider Alvarez.
Bute, 37, a first-time father, expects to meet with Michel in the late spring or early summer, following a family vacation in Romania.
“He came to the office the other day and wanted my opinion,” Michel said. “I told him to take a break for now. Forget about your career. When he returns, we’ll sit down and see what’s next.”
Michel said he’s waiting word from Premier Boxing Champions about a bout, tentatively scheduled for April 29, between World Boxing Council light-heavyweight champ Adonis Stevenson and Sean Monaghan in Uniondale, N.Y.