Simmons Wins Exhibition Bout In Tennessee
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Bermudian boxer Saundre “Dash” Simmons claimed a first-round stoppage win in an exhibition bout against Zion Tomlinson at the Holiday Inn in Johnson City, Tennessee, on Saturday [November 11].
Tomlinson, a mixed martial artist and bare-knuckle boxer, was a late replacement for Calvin Early, Simmons’ original opponent, who pulled out of their four-round cruiserweight contest at the eleventh hour.
The win will not count on Simmons’ pro record.
“It was the same as a pro fight with the rules and no headgear,” Simmons told Bernews. “It just wasn’t the pro fight I was looking for.
“It’s frustrating because I’ve had five or six pro fights fall through. Hopefully, I’ll break the ice soon because my coach [Enoc Solano] and I have a plan.”
The 26-year-old, raised in Somerset to Bermudian parents before moving to Asheville, North Carolina, with his mother when he was 12, forced his opponent to retire after landing a clean right hand.
“He’s had more than ten MMA fights and is eight fights deep in the bare-knuckle scene – he knew what he was doing,” said Simmons, who enjoyed a successful amateur career, placing runner-up at the USA National Boxing Championships in Louisiana and the Golden Gloves of America in Oklahoma in 2021.
“I caught him on the button, and he stumbled back before going down on one knee. He went to his corner before telling the referee he didn’t want to continue.
“The biggest thing for me was getting hit with ten-ounce gloves. He got a shot or two off, and I felt that weight.”
Simmons said he hopes to make his pro debut in Alabama on December 16 or in Atlanta on January 20.
