A little over a month since winning the Northeast Junior Welterweight title in Lewiston, Brandon “The Cannon” Berry steps back into the ring on Saturday with plans of taking another step up in the boxing ranks.
Berry, from West Forks, is ready for his third fight in three months, a light welterweight bout against Freddy Sanchez of Worcester, Mass., at the Portland Expo.
“I’ve been training harder and training smarter. That’s the big thing,” Berry said. “I feel very relaxed and very confident about where I’m at right now. I feel this fight is very appropriate for me at this time.”
At 8-0, Berry enters the fight with more professional experience. Sanchez, who is 2-0 since turning pro earlier this year, boasts a deeper and decorated amateur resume and is the reigning USA Boxing New England champion.
Berry, who trains out of Wyman’s Boxing Club in Stockton Springs, said Sanchez is a powerful puncher who presents his most difficult challenge yet.
“We’ve had two opponents in common, one professional and one amateur, and he knocked both of those guys out. I expect a really tough fight,” he said.
“He’s got a pretty extensive amateur background,” said Ken “Skeet” Wyman, Berry’s trainer. “But professional boxing is a little different than amateurs, and we’re hoping Brandon’s experience in the pros is going to take us through this deep water.”
Berry last fought on Oct. 11 in Lewiston, a unanimous decision over Eric Palmer. It was his first six-round fight. Saturday’s fight will be four rounds, at Sanchez’s request.
“I’m assuming he thinks four rounds is to his advantage but I know right now I could go eight rounds,” Berry said. “I’m not going to worry about the rounds, just take it one round at a time.”
“He’s in tremendous shape. He’s been getting in a lot of good sparring and he’s ready to go,” Wyman said of Berry. “One fight doesn’t take you to another level. It’s the preparation for the next fight that takes you there, and Brandon has really been a workhorse the last six or eight months.”
The fight is part of the undercard of the International Boxing Association middleweight championship bout between Russell Lamour Jr. and Ashandi Gibbs. Tickets range from $25-$50. Doors open at 6 p.m., with bouts starting at 7:30 p.m.
Randy Whitehouse — 621-5638
rwhitehouse@mainetoday.com
Twitter: @RAWmaterial33
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