AFTER a whirlwind 10 days, the story of Doncaster lightweight Josh Padley, 15-1 (4 KOs), may not have had the fairytale ending that he dreamt of inside of the ring, but it has now culminated with success outside of it, signing a first promotional deal of his professional career.
The previously unknown South Yorkshireman was drafted in to face the highly rated Mark Chamberlain on the Joshua-Dubois card at Wembley Stadium back in September, expected to be easy work for his undefeated and in-form opponent, who was touted to move on to a world title challenge soon after.
However, the part-time electrician proved too much for ‘Thunder’, as he handed Chamberlain a first career defeat in one of the greatest upsets of 2024.
Nevertheless, in spite of his astonishing performance on the big stage, ‘Paddy’ had been sat waiting by the phone ever since that win, still awaiting a promotional deal despite derailing the progress of one of Britain’s hottest prospects, a triumph that the world of boxing seemed to have forgotten.
That was until last Tuesday, when news broke that Floyd Schofield had withdrawn from his WBC world title challenge against Shakur Stevenson, 23-0 (11 KOs), and up stepped Padley to save the fight, hoping to pull off one a Rocky-esque scalp and claim world honours in Riyadh on just four days’ notice.
Unfortunately, Padley was unable to cope with the skill of the American pound-for-pound sensation and was stopped in the ninth-round of the bout, but the gutsy nature of his performance earned him fans around the globe and the Jason Cunningham-trained 135lber has now become a fan-favourite in the States as well as in the United Kingdom.
Now, after making a name for himself despite the stoppage defeat, Matchroom Boxing have confirmed that they have signed Padley to a multi-fight deal, allowing the 29-year-old to quit his job as an electrician and focus entirely on a career in boxing.
In the press release following the announcement, Padley declared that his ‘dream has finally come true’.
“The dream has finally come true.
“I’m going to give this sport everything that I have now. It’s only a short career you get in boxing. It almost feels like I didn’t lose the fight with Shakur because everyone has got behind me so much. That was four days’ notice. I know I’ll be better next time I get my World Title shot.”
Meanwhile, Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn added that the focus for Padley is to earn another shot at the lightweight marbles, ideally with more than just 96 hours’ notice.
“I love great stories and there aren’t many better than the story of Josh Padley,
“Josh rolled the dice and stepped in with one of the greatest talents on the planet at just four days’ notice, and although he fell short to a pound-for-pound superstar on the night, he has completely transformed his life.
“With the purse he received from his brave showing against Stevenson and the backing of Matchroom, Josh can now put all of his focus on his boxing career – pursuing his dream of earning another World Title shot and winning a World Title.”
Padley has recently been linked to a showdown with fellow Doncaster contender, Maxi Hughes, 28-7-2 (6 KOs), for a potential main event at the Eco-Power Stadium, home of Doncaster Rovers Football Club.
