Lancaster boxer set to return to the ring for first time in 8 months on Friday | Boxing

Lancaster’s James Bernadin will face off against Yucatan, Mexico’s Guillermo Keb in a 139-pound battle at a ProBox event Friday night in Arlington, Texas.

It’s been eight months since Bernadin’s last fight — a 142-pound matchup against Bryce Mills (22-1) — which he lost unanimously.

But the long break, and the loss, don’t seem to plague Bernadin (13-4, six KOs).

Prepping for Friday’s eight-round fight, he said he had one of his best training camps. He said he’s not looking for a fancy fight, but being “himself.” During camp, he said he went back to his jab so he could “get in there and fight.”

“I just want to go get him,” Bernadin said.

At weigh-ins, Bernadin had the height on Keb by at least an inch and nailed the 139-pound weight while Keb (14-0, six KOs) was at 137.4 pounds.

Both athletes fight orthodox.

But the differences between the two outweigh the similarities. Bernadin is 33 and has been boxing professionally since 2018. Keb — his full name is Jose Guillermo Keb Canul — is 22, debuted professionally in 2022 and has never fought outside of Mexico, according to BoxRec.

Keb’s also undefeated, a claim that Bernadin lost in 2023.

But Bernadin’s experience and maturity may give him the advantage. A solid camp, including sparring 10 rounds with Hendri “La Bazuca” Cedeno (16-0, 12 KOs) of Reading via the Dominican Republic might also give Bernadin an edge.

Bernadin trains at Lancaster City Boxing Academy with coach Will Torres. In addition to Cedeno, Bernadin has been sparring almost daily with teammates and recent National Golden Gloves bronze medalists Jasiah “Monster” Ortiz (67-21) and Jerimiah “Drip” Munoz (51-23).

Bernadin didn’t sound nervous about Friday’s contest, despite his opponent’s record and the possibility of ring rust.

“I’m good,” he said. “Like always, I just want to thank God for giving me another chance to fight, and to my team for believing in me.”

Headlining the card in co-main events are Edward Vazquez (19-3, six KOs) vs. Daniel Lugo (28-3-1, 19 KOs) and Weljon Mindoro (16-0-1, 16 KOs) vs. Elias Espadas (23-8-1, 16 KOs).

Fights begin at 8 p.m. and can be streamed on the ProBox TV YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXeC-RPk65I).

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