Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.<\/a><\/p>\nWhich, coincidentally, is also where his boxing story starts.<\/p>\n
Way back 20 years ago when this now exciting American prospect stood, gloved up, and with little chest still heaving, over the crumbled body of an older brother sprawled out on the kitchen floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd first 15 seconds, my brother was really getting me,\u201d continues the fighter who has never lost to anyone who isn\u2019t a world champion.<\/p>\n
Same as James has also sparred Canelo Alvarez, withstood a crazy double knockdown, and right now, he insists, is no more than one or two fights from a title shot.<\/p>\n
But as for that afternoon two decades ago in the family kitchen?<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, I was really getting it from my brother,\u201d he recounts sheepishly. \u201cThen — boom — I found a flying uppercut \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Which goes some way to explaining why George Rose\u2019s phone has been ringing hot this week.<\/p>\n
With more than a couple of fight types wanting to know why Australia\u2019s No.1 promoter, as part of his upcoming Tszyucastle showcase, isn\u2019t only bringing this American puncher Down Under, but tossing him straight at No Limit\u2019s Next Big Thing \u2013 Callum Peters.<\/p>\n
Still only 23, and with just six pro wins on his resume, Peters \u2013 aka \u201850 Cal\u2019 — still carries that boxing equivalent of a new car smell.<\/p>\n
Yet only two weeks from now, and in a huge dice roll by the Rose boys, this 2024 Olympian will be catapulted into the co-main of Nikita Tszyu\u2019s April 6 showdown \u2026 and against James.<\/p>\n
Which is no small thing.<\/p>\n
Diaz sends Nikita training message | 00:10<\/p>\n
Especially when learning how apart from icing his brother aged six, or sparring Alvarez as part of a world title camp, this American also remains undefeated against every opponent who hasn\u2019t then won a gold strap.<\/p>\n
In 13 appearances, James has only lost once, to Guatemala\u2019s Lester Martinez — who currently holds the WBC interim super middleweight crown.<\/p>\n
Which also goes some way to explaining why, when Sportsbet opened wagering on the Tszyucastle card this week, both James and \u201850 Cal\u2019 were locked at $1.95; with only some early hometown money now seeing Peters wound in slightly.<\/p>\n
Still, there is no doubting Australia\u2019s most exciting fight prospect is about to be tested in ways not everyone is certain he\u2019s ready for.<\/p>\n
Indeed, speaking with Fox Sports Australia from his Sacramento gym this week \u2013 having paused an evening workout for our interview \u2013 James will stare down the barrel and, while somewhat understatedly, and after initially praising Peters, still promise to finish the Aussie.<\/p>\n
Sure, the fighter admits to having known nothing about his impending rival when initially called out.<\/p>\n
Same deal, the host city of Newcastle.<\/p>\n
And when it comes to even naming the man headlining his upcoming card?<\/p>\n
Well, when asked about what he knew of Australia, James replied: \u201cI know you have the outback. I saw a series of Survivor was once filmed there\u201d.<\/p>\n
WOLLONGONG, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 05: Callum Peters reacts during the Middleweight bout between Callum Peters and Delio Anzageci Mouzinho at WIN Entertainment Centre on April 05, 2026 in Wollongong, Australia. (Photo by Jeremy Ng\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
And as for Australian fighters?<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, Tim Tszyu,\u201d he says. \u201cTim Tszyu and Kostya Tszyu, that\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if he had heard of Peters when first approached for the fight, our man continues: \u201cNo not at all. But we did a quick search, saw he was a tough opponent and thought he would be a good person to add to my resume. Another one for the collection.\u201d<\/p>\n
So your plan is to win this one by finish?<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, what\u2019s the point travelling all the way down there to win a decision?\u201d James continues, smiling.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know I\u2019ve got to do something spectacular.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m coming into his backyard so of course we can\u2019t just go out there and look pretty.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know we\u2019ve gotta do something spectacular. Make something happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd once I\u2019m there, it\u2019s time to have fun.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile I know Callum thinks he can come forward, I\u2019m going to show him who can really come forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
The American\u2019s trainer Dre Martinez agrees, stressing the visitors are convinced a highlight reel performance against Peters \u2013 who himself boasts six knockouts in as many fights \u2013 will fast-track them into a rematch of his only loss.<\/p>\n
Martinez added the touring partner would boast no more than the fighter and three cornermen. <\/p>\n
\u201cBecause we aren\u2019t flying for pleasure,\u201d he stressed, \u201cwe\u2019re coming for business\u201d.<\/p>\n
Already, there has been plenty of talk in domestic fight circles about just how big a test James will be for Peters, who lives and trains out of Adelaide.<\/p>\n
In the American\u2019s most recent December win against Yojanler Martinez, both fighters were incredibly knocked down at the same time in the third round, although James clearly responded the better and would eventually take a majority decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if Shon wins this fight via spectacular knock out,\u201d Martinez stressed, \u201cwe think he\u2019ll be contesting for that world title within one, maybe two fights\u201d.<\/p>\n
The fighter agreed, adding of Peters: \u201cI\u2019m coming into his backyard to beat him in spectacular fashion.<\/p>\n
\u201cMake a statement and grow my name internationally.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen soon after that, I\u2019ll go fight for a world title. My goal is to become mandatory again for Lester Martinez.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of his 10 wins, James has earned five by finish, although the best knockout story involves the first ever time he threw a punch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was six and arguing with my older brother,\u201d he recounts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t even remember what about now, but we were 11 months apart, sharing the same room, so we were bound to get into a fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that\u2019s how boxing started for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter getting into our argument, my pops says to us, \u2018OK, put some gloves on, let\u2019s settle this \u2026\u2019.\u201c<\/p>\n
And guess what? They did.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe went into the kitchen and went at it,\u201d the fighter continues, smile widening at the memory.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd first 15 seconds, he was getting me, too. I was really getting it from my brother when — boom — I found a flying uppercut.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe fell flat on the ground. Was out. I started boxing from that point forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pushed on the decision to fly across the world for a fighter who is only six wins into his career, the more experienced American stresses the incentive isn\u2019t simply financial.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely could have waited for another fight in the States,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut look at Callum Peters, look at his record.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe guy\u2019s six-and-oh with six big knockouts. Why wouldn\u2019t I take a fight against someone like that?<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s dangerous. And they\u2019re the fights I like to take.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlus, I really believe boxing needs these types of great fights, the 50\/50 fights.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Coach Martinez also heaps praise on Team Peters for taking the fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe definitely won\u2019t be saying anything against those guys,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone has to start somewhere, and Callum has been doing the right things, building the right way.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now he wants to step up to that next level.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s doing things the way we did. Which is taking on tough opponents to find out where you stand.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019ll also say that no one has seen the best of Joeshon yet. Or certainly not how I\u2019ve seen him in the gym.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll his other fights so far, I still haven\u2019t seen his truest potential.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo right now, I\u2019m really waiting for everyone else to see what I\u2019ve already seen. And I know it\u2019s coming out against Callum Peters.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"First time he ever knocked somebody out, Joeshon James was six. \u201cYeah, my big brother,\u201d grins the rangy…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":622392,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[571],"tags":[2095,61502,64,63,689,112910,802,301688,301695,485,288473,301686,2791,301684,2057,301683,301694,301690,301687,301691,301685,301698,71732,25536,116724,47573,301696,301697,481,673,10668,2782,11876,2041,2067,677,301693,7184,3595,2020,283039,85,194430,670,5942,2614,4526,2836,301689,301692],"class_list":{"0":"post-622391","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-boxing","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-american-fighter","10":"tag-au","11":"tag-australia","12":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","13":"tag-australian-fighters","14":"tag-boxing","15":"tag-boxing-equivalent","16":"tag-boxing-story-starts","17":"tag-california","18":"tag-callum-peters","19":"tag-car-smell","20":"tag-central-america","21":"tag-domestic-fight-circles","22":"tag-europe","23":"tag-evening-workout","24":"tag-exciting-fight-prospect","25":"tag-experienced-american-stresses","26":"tag-family-kitchen","27":"tag-fight-types","28":"tag-fighter-admits","29":"tag-flying-uppercut","30":"tag-guatemala","31":"tag-heaps-praise","32":"tag-host-city","33":"tag-james","34":"tag-kitchen-floor","35":"tag-knockout-story","36":"tag-los-angeles","37":"tag-new-south-wales","38":"tag-newcastle","39":"tag-nick-walshaw","40":"tag-nikita-tszyu","41":"tag-north-america","42":"tag-northern-america","43":"tag-oceania","44":"tag-rangy-californian-middleweight","45":"tag-sacramento","46":"tag-southern-europe","47":"tag-spain","48":"tag-spaniard-oscar-diaz","49":"tag-sports","50":"tag-super-middleweight-crown","51":"tag-sydney","52":"tag-tim-tszyu","53":"tag-united-states-of-america","54":"tag-wollongong","55":"tag-world-title","56":"tag-world-title-camp","57":"tag-yojanler-martinez"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=622391"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622391\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/622392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=622391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=622391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=622391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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