Mykal Fox hopes his most recent fight is another step toward facing “the final boss,” who he believes could be Xander Zayas.
The veteran Fox added to his credentials with a 10-round unanimous decision last Saturday night over Ray Robinson at Maryland Live Casino in Hanover, Maryland. Fox, 26-5 (5 KOs), won a junior middleweight regional title, but he hopes the victory puts him back in the top 15 of the world rankings.
For now, the short-term goal is to stay active. Down the road, the hope is that it leads to Zayas, the unified WBA and WBO 154lbs titlist.
“You know who is at the top of the mountain is Xander Zayas,” Fox told BoxingScene. “We've got to go fight by fight until we get to the final boss.”
Fox's preparation began long before he was due to face Robinson.
The camp began eight weeks before a scheduled fight date in November. That bout was scrapped at the last minute when his opponent fell ill.
Refusing to take a break, Fox ultimately trained 16 weeks ahead of last weekend’s victory.
It was a necessary step, as far as Fox is concerned. He doesn’t boast a glossy record and, at 6ft 4in and a southpaw, is hardly the first opponent in mind, unless you’re specifically looking to simulate the height difference and stance for a desired fight with WBC titlist Sebastian Fundora.
Fox, a 30-year-old from Forestville, Maryland, lost his unbeaten record to junior welterweight Shohjahon Ergashev on "ShoBox: The New Generation" in 2019, but he returned to upset then-unbeaten prospect and 2016 Olympic gold medalist Fazliddin Gaibnazarov three months later. He resurfaced as a welterweight in 2021, losing a highly controversial fight to Gabriel Maestre, a bout in which Fox dropped Maestre and appeared to outpoint him.
All was not lost in the TV-aired clash with Maestre, however. The controversial ending drew unwelcomed attention for the WBA, whose interim title was at stake and forced it – at the time – to clean up its act.
A little over a year later, Fox fell short to former title challenger Egidijus Kavaliauskas, better known as “The Mean Machine.” Fox, prolific on the social media platform X, interacted with fans during his highs and lows, and in May took an ill-fated fight against Serhii Bohachuk at junior middleweight. Fox suffered a defeat in a bout in which Bohachuk missed weight.
Given the ups and downs in his career, he considers this past weekend’s regional title win a minor victory in his career.
“It is a first down, not a touchdown,” Fox said. “It was a step in the right direction.”
Robinson, 26-4-2 (14 KOs), a 40-year-old veteran from Philadelphia, has fought three times in this decade. Robinson turned professional in 2006 and has faced the likes of Kavaliauskas, Shawn Porter, Yordenis Ugas and Josh Kelly. Fox relished the rebuild in his career, as he hopes for another big fight one day.
“It is something to celebrate,” Fox said. “We had a long camp.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
