World HeavyweightBKB Champion Bobby Gunn To Be Inducted Into BKB Hall of Fame Thursday, Presented Title Belt

This Thursday in Belfast, NY, World Heavyweight Bare Knuckle Boxing (BKB) Champion Bobby Gunn will be acknowledged for his accomplishments and achievements and be inducted into the BKB Hall of Fame, as well as presented the World Championship Belt, last held by legendary BKB fighter John L., Sullivan in 1889.

Scott Burt, coordinator and founder of the BKB Hall of Fame will be presenting Gunn with the belt.  Gunn solidified his world championship title with a win over Richard Stewart in 2011, the first sanctioned and legit BKB bout since 1889.  

 

A pioneer of what the sport of bare knuckle boxing has become as of recent, Gunn is the face of BKB, staying active and working diligently with his team BKF—the only legitimized and sanctioned BKB body currently out there, to make the sport mainstream.

 

“To say it is an honor to be inducted, and to be presented this illustrious belt is an understatement,” said Gunn.  When any athlete—especially fighters—first begin training, they dream of not only becoming world champion, but to make it to the Hall of Fame.  It is beyond humbling, and I cannot express enough gratitude to Scott Burt for making this a reality.  It is one thing to win belts, which I accomplished within the squared circle, but it is another to be recognized and acknowledged by my peers as being the world champion.  Knowing that I have solidified my legacy within the BKB Hall of Fame is one of the top achievements of my fight history.”

 

In recent months Gunn has receiving his share of affirmations for what he has accomplished as the BKB world champion, having Showtime 60 Minutes Sports feature his accomplishments.  Most recently Ring Magazine—the Boxing Bible-acknowledged Gunn as the true and legitimate champion of the world.  

 

Gunn and his team want to make BKB as mainstream as MMA and gloved boxing, and continue to persist forward with their efforts to bring it all to fruition.  

 

World Heavyweight BKB Champion Bobby Gunn will be honored at 1 p.m. at the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame at 5 West Hughes Street in Belfast, NY.  

 

“I’d like to thank my savior Jesus, all of my fans for the ongoing support, and my team for working so hard to make BKB what it has become.  Thursday’sinduction ceremony will be a true testament to how fast we have come with BKB, and legitimize what I have accomplished and all of the hard work we have put forward.

 

Don’t miss the opportunity to watch the BKB Heavyweight Champion of the World presented the belt and inducted this Thursday, November 6 at 1 p.m. in Belfast NY. 

Showtime Sports Acknowledges Bobby Gunn As BKB Champion of the World

In any sport—regardless of the level you compete at—athletes work the grind day in and day at for one reason, to achieve the highest level of success; to be the best.  For professional athletes it is all about winning championships and solidifying their legacies and place in history amongst the greatest to ever play the sport. 

In boxing, from the first day a green boxer laces up the gloves, their aspirations are set on one day raising a title belt over their head, and being deemed champion of the world.  Nowadays in the gloved sport, there are so many alphabet belts out there that pugilists of all levels have their names decorated through Boxrec.com and other sites and it is hard to truly decipher who really is the best of the best.

But in bare knuckle boxing—gloved boxing’s sister sport and the fastest growing combat sport since mixed martial arts emerged onto the fight scene in the early 90’s—there is only one fighter who can claim fame to being the best amongst all the others who go to battle in the original form of combat, and that name is Bobby Gunn, the true undefeated and undisputed bare knuckle heavyweight champion of the world.

The former IBA Cruiserweight gloved champion of the world, Gunn, had his first BKB fight at the age of 13, and has since made his mark in the BKB world as the most skilled and talented fisticuff fighter.  But unlike his counterparts who have only proven their talents on the underground scene in abandoned buildings, garages and such—where Gunn has held ‘street court’ several times and has prevailed—Gunn is the first and only to have participated in a sanctioned BKB match. 

Last night Showtime 60 Minutes Sports portrayed an inside look at the secretive world of underground bare knuckle boxing, circled around its king Bobby Gunn, and acclaimed him as the true sanctioned heavyweight champion of the world. 

Gunn and his team are in the works of putting together a second sanctioned show, with a date and location to be released shortly.  This show will have a handful of bouts featuring fighters from around the world displaying their BKB talents.

Also within the next week Gunn and his team will be launching a new internet radio show in which he can connect with BKB fans around the world and provide them up-to-the-minute information about the latest BKB news, happenings, answer questions and more.

“Showtime did us such justice with how they portrayed bare knuckle boxing,” said Gunn.  “So many people think of it as a brutal street fight, but it really is all about being scientific and picking your shots, and ultimately it is a lot safer than gloved boxing and MMA.  Going forward with our sanctioned show people will see that.  We appreciate all the ongoing support we have been getting, and hope that it continues on an international level so we can take the fight sports world by storm and make BKB a household name.  I am anxious to get back in and defend my world heavyweight BKB title, and show the world that I still am the best at what I do.”

Stay in touch with all the latest news on Bobby Gunn and BKB by following Team Gunn on Twitter at @Real_Bobby_Gunn.

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT BARE KNUCKLE BOXING CHAMPION BOBBY GUNN TO DEFEND TITLE

This summer, undefeated and undisputed world heavyweight Bare Knuckle Boxing champion Bobby Gunn will be putting his unblemished record on the line as he goes to battle in what will be only the second legally sanctioned bare knuckle boxing event since 1889. 

On August 5, 2011, Gunn made history when he knocked out Richard Stewart in the 3^rd round of their Bare Knuckle bout—the first sanctioned BKB bout since John L. Sullivan last waged war in 1889—and re-introduced the pugilistic sport the over 800,000 sports via internet PPV (ustream.com). 

Through his career as a fighter Gunn has established himself as a world champion gloved boxer but has also carried a separate mystique throughout the bare knuckle boxing circuit as he has maintained an undefeated record, having fought all over the world and being known for never shying away from any challenge. 

This summer Bobby Gunn—who has earned the linear title last held legitimately by John L. Sullivan—will again compete in another sanctioned bare knuckle boxing event in which he will put his title on the line against an opponent to be named.

“We took the world by storm in 2011 when we made history with the first sanctioned bare knuckle fight,” said Gunn.  “We are taking our time in putting together this follow-up show to ensure everything is done properly and every guideline is followed.  This is the sport of the future in that it is safer than gloved boxing and much more technical than people realize.  We have big expectations that lie ahead for BKB in the near future.”

Gunn and his team shook the world with BKB in 2011, which led to more than a few smaller outlets and organizations trying to imitate bare knuckle boxing, including hosting shows featuring fighters wearing gloves comparable to MMA gloves.  Other organizations have fighters wear hand wraps around their knuckles.  It all goes back to the old adage, “often imitated, never duplicated.” 

“Real bare knuckle boxing is just what it sounds like,” says Gunn. “There are no MMA gloves, no hand wraps.  The true warriors of the sport, going back to the old days of John L. Sullivan, they used to fight wars, and nowadays these wannabe fighters make a mockery of what the real fighters stood for and fought for.  It’s a joke.  What we plan to show with our sanctioned shows is what REAL bare knuckle boxing is.”

To help jumpstart the campaign to spread the buzz about bare knuckle boxing and help make it a mainstream sport like gloved boxing and MMA, Gunn has been working adamantly with various TV networks in sharing his story about growing up and living life on the BKB circuit and inviting them into the underground world of bare knuckle boxing that has only been seen by the public in movies like Snatch and Fight Club.

Gunn and his team plan to announce more information about the next sanctioned show as it becomes readily available.

Gunn Jr. Locked and Loaded for Pro Debut!

Hackensack, NJ (March 13, 2014) – Although he’s just two days away from his professional debut, junior middleweight Bobby Gunn Jr. has no pre-fight jitters.

 

Perhaps part of the reason is that those around sport recall him not only training alongside his father Bobby Sr, a former IBA cruiserweight champion that fought a number of top fighters, but also appearing at most of his pro fights.

 

“The environment is something that can’t be matched,” Gunn Jr said of being around professional fighters and big fights since he was a young boy. “I’m used to being around big and rowdy crowds. I remember mentally preparing like I was about to go in the ring when my father fought Tomasz Adamek in front of a big crowd. Being a part of big fights and training with pros like my father and Adamek is an advantage that I have over most other young fighters."

 

Gunn, who is trained by his father and Roger Bloodworth, faces Delvin Gist Saturday evening at the ABC Sports Complex in  Springfield,  VA. Admittedly, Gunn doesn’t know much about his foe.

 

“I don’t have a lot of information on my opponent but I’m training extremely hard for this fight and will go for the win. I’d love to get a knockout but winning one way or another is the most important thing.”

 

Bobby Gunn Announces Retirement, Steps Away From Decorated Career

Following Wednesday’s unanimous decision loss to world champion Glen Johnson, former IBA cruiserweight world champion Bobby “The Celtic Warrior” Gunn announced that he has stepped between the ropes of the squared circle for the last time in his career.

The former champion has had a decorated career inside and out of the ring spanning 24 years, having participated in wars with former champions and future hall-of-famers, as well as what some call the most notorious and controversial match of the decade—his first fight against Shelby Gross. 

Nowadays boxing has become about paydays, politics and coddling fighters.

Gunn was raised in an era of boxing when fighters fought, plain and simple.  They didn’t duck other fighters out of fear of blemishing their perfect records.  Through his career Gunn has prided himself on never shying away from a fight; he has called out champions and has always backed up his word.  And he never made excuses when he came up short in a fight.  Few know that in 2000 Bobby Gunn fell off a roof a sustained an injury to his heel that would’ve ended other fighters’ careers.  But his drive to get back into the ring again became his focus, and though at times the pain was nearly unbearable, he pushed through because being a warrior is all he knew.

Despite all of the controversy he faced through his career, he kept sight of what it was all about—being a warrior and going to battle between the ropes. 

Boxing has been coursing through the blood of Bobby Gunn since the ripe age of 6 when The Celtic Warrior competed in his first amateur bout.  Boxing and fighting became a lifeline for Gunn early on, and he worked hard to become the best he could be in his craft.

On September 16, 2006, all of Gunn’s hard work inside and out of the ring paid off as he stopped Shannon Landberg in the 7^th round to claim the vacant IBA World Cruiserweight Title.  That moment truly defined Gunn as The Celtic Warrior.  Through his career as a pugilist Gunn claimed seven titles.

Outside of the ring Gunn has a mystique about him due to his upraising within the bare knuckle boxing circuit, where he has successfully competed in over 70 bouts without suffering a loss.  In 2011 Gunn participated in the first sanctioned bare knuckle boxing match since 1889, defeating  Richard Stewart to claim the vacant World Heavyweight BKB Title, last held by John L. Sullivan.

Gunn has established himself as the top fighter in bare knuckle boxing worldwide, and despite his ferocious demeanor when standing toe-to-toe, he is a quiet and humble gentleman outside the ring.  He has never allowed himself to get caught up in the fame of holding a world title, or working with HBO and other major media outlets.  He fought simply out of desire to do what he loved, and to show his son—amateur standout Bobby Gunn Jr.—how hard work and unrelenting determination pays off.  He was admired and respected by his colleagues in the fight game, and looked up to by fans across the globe.

Gunn has striven to be a pioneer in fight sports, whether it be in boxing or BKB.  He is adamant about bringing the sports back to their roots, back to a time when fighting was about fighting, when the sport was genuine and true and free from the poisons that continue to plague it today.

Even with the glory and success he found in and out of the ring, Gunn never let it go to his head.  As world champion he continued to work full time to support his family, because that is what he put first and foremost with everything he did in his life.

For Bobby Gunn, boxing wasn’t about making it into the record books, making millions of dollars and getting sports endorsements; it was about pushing yourself to the limit, and going further when everybody else said you can’t.  Gunn defied odds from day one, and although boxing critics and haters did their best to bring him down, they were far from successful.

Anybody who has had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Bobby Gunn will attest that he is one of the most genuine and true warriors of the sport, and that gloved boxing is losing a special fighter with the announcement of retirement.

Gunn had the following to say in regards to his announcement.  “All my life I did things that people said I could never do.  I went against obstacles that in reality, I should never been able to do.  I had a wonderful career, and I have no regrets.  I want to thank God for all the blessings he has given me.  I have fought some of the best fighters out there.  A lot of people don’t realize the injuries and the inactivity I had throughout my career.  If I never had all the letdowns and setbacks, I truly believe I could’ve been somebody in this sport.  I got to share the ring with the best, legends and hall-of-famers, and that is something nobody can ever take away from me.  I go by something in my life that the great men, Theodore Roosevelt wrote about called the Main in the Arena. 

There are two kinds of people in this world; the ones who talk about it and the ones who do it.  I am the guy that did it.  Fighters fight.

God Bless to all my family and friends, to my fans, because without you, I would’ve left this sport a long time ago.  At the end of the day, if you can’t look at yourself with dignity and pride, you did something wrong.” 

Bobby “The Celtic Warrior” Gunn may be retiring from boxing, but in no time soon will what he has given this sport be forgotten. 

Gunn has worked with his son Bobby since the boy could walk, and plans on focusing his full-time efforts on training the rising star as he enters the pro ranks and looks to establish a name of his own. 

The next chapter of the Gunn legacy will surely be continued on by Bobby Jr., with The Celtic Warrior by his side to pass along his insight and knowledge—both of the sweet science and of life.

Warriors aren’t defined by their successes—but rather by the amount they are willing to sacrifice, how much adversity they are willing to overcome and how much blood and sweat they are willing to shed to get to the top.

Bobby Gunn defines the word warrior.

We thank you Bobby for all you have given to the sport of boxing.  God Bless.

Johnson Decisions Gunn; “The Celtic Warrior” Calls it a Career!

 

Bethlehem, PA (December 19, 2013) – Former WBC-USNBC, WBA-NABA and IBA cruiserweight titlist Bobby “The Celtic Warrior” Gunn believed yesterday’s match up with boxing great Glen “The Road Warrior” Johnson would serve as a perfect ending to a career that started four decades ago.

 

Gunn, a bare knuckle boxing legend who is well known for his toughness, previously came up short in big fights versus Enzo Maccarinelli, Tomasz Adamek and James Toney. Against Johnson, “The Celtic Warrior” planned to box with speed, stay on his toes and move his head.

 

Unfortunately, he was never able to get on track, taking a number of good shots from the aggressive and busier Johnson. As the rounds progressed, Johnson’s pressure bothered Gunn, who suffered a cut on his nose and showed a solid chin but was never able to match Johnson’s punch output.

 

All three judges scored the eight round cruiserweight bout 80-72 in favor of Johnson, who improved to 53-18-2 with 36 knockouts.

 

Moments after the decision was announced, the classy Gunn took the microphone to congratulate his opponent on a well-earned victory and inform his fans that this was the last time they’d see him inside the squared circle.

 

“Some nights you just don’t have it,” stated the dejected Gunn. “I (got too caught up) in trying to land one punch but Glen isn’t the type of fighter that you can get out of there easily. Had I fought Roy Jones, I think I could have stopped him but I just couldn’t get my punches off.

 

Gunn, who had a good training camp and didn’t have any major injuries, gave credit where it was due and didn’t search for excuses regarding his performance.

 

“I couldn’t pull the trigger and I promised my wife that this would be my last fight. I want to thank everybody who’s been there for me when I was at my lowest point and rode with me all the way to the biggest fights of my career. My main focus right now is helping my son, Bobby Jr., get ready for his pro debut and this is the last time you’ll see me as a professional boxer.”

 

Gunn, who was self managed and negotiated a number of big fights during his career, also plans to assist other young fighters and ensure they are not taken advantage of from a business standpoint.

 

Since turning pro in 1989, Gunn fought in Mexico, England, Arizona, New Jersey, Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Virginia, Mississippi, Arizona and Pennsylvania. He competed in nine title fights, multiple controversial bouts, had more than 250 amateur matches and served as a sparring partner during his younger years for more than 25 world champions.

 

His final professional record is 21-6-1 with 18 knockouts.

Fans can interact with Bobby on Twitter @real_bobby_gunn.

Bobby Gunn Ready To Go Out With A Bang Against Glenn Johnson

Tomorrow night live from the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, former IBA cruiserweight champion of the world and Bare Knuckle Boxing legend Bobby “The Celtic Warrior” will throw hands with ring veteran and former light heavyweight champion Glenn “The Road Warrior” Johnson.

In what has the makings of a ‘Fight of the Year” candidate simply by looking at bother pugilists’ resumes, Gunn and Johnson will battle for the vacant WBU world cruiserweight title.  Fight fans can watch the battle live by visiting http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Glen_Johnson_V_Bobby_Gunn/2139.

“I’ve been working training harder for this fight than any other as I know a win over Glenn and capturing the WBU belt can be a career defining moment,” said Gunn.  “I’m coming into this fight in top shape and I am ready to show the world that there are still some bullets left in this gun.”

Gunn was originally scheduled to fight Roy Jones Jr., but Jones Jr. backed out only weeks before the title fight.  Rather than becoming complacent and abandoning all the work he had put in preparing for the faceoff, Gunn requested Johnson, a man who viciously knocked out Jones Jr. in 2004, and the fight came to fruition.

Through Gunn’s career he has dealt with his share of controversy and adversity inside and out of the ring, but has always kept his focus on doing what he does best—fighting.  Inside the ring he has battled future Hall of Famers Tomasz Adamek and James Toney and captured world titles, while outside he made history by competing—and winning—in the first sanctioned bare knuckle boxing match since 1889. 

Turning 40 on Christmas Day, Gunn has expressed that this will be the final fight of what has been beyond a decorated career.

“I turned pro in 1989, and through the 24-years within the squared circle I have accomplished so many great feats, and tomorrow night I plan to go out with a bang against Glenn Johnson.  I suggest that any true boxing fan watches the fight online if they are unable to come in person.  I guarantee they won’t be disappointed.  We are going to put on fireworks, and we will leave it all in the ring.  Two warriors will enter, but I will be the one who comes out holding the world championship belt.  There can be only one…Gunn.”

The doors at the event center will open at 6:30 p.m. and the action is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.  Tune in to http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Glen_Johnson_V_Bobby_Gunn/2139 to watch what may prove to be the fight of the year.

Gunn Locked N’ Loaded for Johnson Showdown!

 

Hackensack, NJ (December 16, 2013) – Wednesday, December 18 2013 is a day that Bobby “The Celtic Warrior” Gunn hopes he’ll reminisce about for the rest of his life.

 

Gunn, a bare knuckle boxing legend who won multiple cruiserweight titles, fought a number of top fighters and participated in controversial fights, could spend hours talking about the trials and tribulations of his career.

 

“It’s no secret that my career’s been controversial,” stated Gunn, who was born in Canada but resides inNew Jersey. “I’ve had a few fights stopped early, opponents switched on 24 hours notice, fought multiple times in hostile territory, sparred with more than 25 world champions when I was a young prospect and boxed all around the world. There was a lot of craziness that I have been a part of and that’s not even including my bare knuckle fights.”

 

Even with all he’s witnessed and been a part of, winning the WBU Cruiserweight championship Wednesdayevening at Sands Casino in Bethlehem, PA against former Fighter of the Year and boxing great Glen Johnson would be the icing on the cake.

 

“Beating Glen Johnson is going to be the best memory of my entire pro or amateur career and would even top winning the bare knuckle championship. Johnson is one of the most underappreciated fighters in boxing history and he viciously knocked out my original opponent Roy Jones Jr. A victory on Wednesday evening would be the highest point of my career without question.”

 

With the proposed Roy Jones Jr. matchup moved multiple times prior to Jones Jr’s withdrawal, Gunn’s been a gym rat since the summer. The 39 year-old is in great condition and believes his extended training camp will be a big part of what leads him to victory.

 

“I’ve never spent so much time in the gym for one fight. In a way, it’s a blessing everything that went down with the Roy Jones Jr. situation because we had a lot of changes. What that means is I had the opportunity to work on everything in camp and I had tremendous sparring. Mark my word, I will be victorious Wednesdayevening because this is The Gunn’s time!”

 

Tickets for the XFE promoted “Celtic Warrior vs Road Warrior”, a surefire candidate for Cruiserweight Fight of the Year, are available by going tohttp://sandseventcenter.com/event/details/world-championship-boxing/ or calling the Sands box office at610-297-7400. The card is also available on IPPV for just $14.99 and can be ordered by going tohttp://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Glen_Johnson_V_Bobby_Gunn/2139