16-0 with 12 KO’s is an impressive record for a prospect. Usually that would raise the eyebrows of networks and the sanctioning bodies. For up and coming super featherweight prospect, Yuandale “Money Shot” Evans, that hasn’t been the case. He’s ranked very low in the WBC rankings and not ranked at all by the other major sanctioning bodies but that doesn’t seem to faze young Evans.
“I mean I’m doing my job when I go out there. I’m knocking guys out. My shots going to come”, said Evans. His next shot will be against a highly touted prospect in the super featherweight division by the name of Javier Fortuna on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights on April 27thin Texas. “I don’t complain because beating him is going to raise my status. I should be where he’s at but when it comes down to it I’m going to beat him. I’ve been under the radar but while it’s bad for me in my career, it’s good for me when I step in with these prospects that are high up there. They think I’m just a stepping stone but I’m not a debut fighter and I’ll show them that in April”, explained Evans.
Although he was very active last year fighting 6 times and winning 5 by TKO Evans explains “I feel like a deserve much more. I’m with Square Ring right now but I feel like I’m not being moved the proper way.” Square Ring is Roy Jones JR’s promotional company. “To be honest, I feel like I’m put in a lot of underdog situations when I’m fighting guys in their home state and sometimes their home country. I’m not real happy about that and not real happy with the company but I’ll fight to the end of the contract then evaluate that later. Right now I’m focused on Fortuna”, added Evans.
Maybe Evans isn’t fazed because he comes from the tough gritty city of Cleveland. Although he was always involved in a scrap here and there, he wasn’t the typical tough guy in school. “I mean I was kind of nerd. I was into computers but I did have my share of fights here and there. I was too small for basketball and too small to take on bullies so I had to learn how to scrap. It was actually my brother who started boxing first.” said Evans.
From there it took off for Evans. His amateur record is an impressive one with over 140 wins. His trophy collection is full of national tournaments and Golden Glove titles. He’s even worked with 2012 Olympic hopefuls Rau’shee Warren and Terrell Gausha. But on this stage, the only thing that he say’s can help him is being in the ring. “Main difference is getting hit from the amateurs to the pros. I want to get in there and get hit. There ain’t no amount of amateur preparation that can test you being hit by 8 oz gloves and headgear, not even sparring”, said Evans.
Not even world class sparring can prepare him for that and Evans has received some of the best. With the help of his manager Paulie Deblasi and his company 100 Percent Management, Evans has been all over sparring with the worlds best and impressing. “I’ve been to Indonesia and worked Chris John out. His coach Craig can vouch for that. I was so impressive they had to put me on a card in Indonesia” said Evans speaking of his fight that he won by TKO on a Chris John undercard last year. He won that fight by KO in the first round. If putting in work with Chris John wasn’t good enough, he even put on a show in Miami where he sparred with Yuriorkis Gamboa and in Houston where he sparred with Guillermo Rigondeaux. “They (Gamboa’s people) were sending these sparring partners home when he was sparring for the Ponce De Leon fight. I get on there and put in work. I didn’t drop Gamboa but they ain’t sent me home if you know what I mean” said Evans. Deblasi added “Yuandale was winning 70% of the rounds. They knew this kid was good and that’s why they kept him around.”
Sparring with great fighters is an excellent experience tool for a prospect like Evans. “Yeah its help me get through fights that experience. I’m never going to say any fight is easy because it’s not. But that experience has made it easier in my tough fights like the Emmanuel Lucero fight. But the way I see it, these guys are traffic that I need to get through” said Evans.
Where he wants to get to is the big fights. Evans let it be known that no one is safe. “Anybody and everybody is what I want. I want Adrien Broner. It’d be a big fight for the rivalry between Cincinnati and Cleveland. Of course, I took on Gamboa in sparring and think I could beat him. I’ll take on Gary Russell, JR, Ponce De Leon, a Rocky Martinez. I can beat all these guys. You can’t go into these fights thinking you going to lose, if you believe in your skill you feel like you’re going to win” explained Evans.
Another fight that Evans mentioned that should have already happened but his promotional company never made happen was a fight with stable mate Jason Litzau. Deblasi explained “It’s a fight that should have already happened but what can you expect from a company that doesn’t even have a website. This kid is like a son to me and it’s sad that he hasn’t been moved to the level where some of the other prospects have but all in due time.”
That time comes April 27th when he squares off against Fortuna. ‘Like I said, dude is traffic that I gotta get through; he’ll see the right hook. He’ll feel it. That’s why it’s called the money shot and that’s why my name is the money shot”, raved Evans. If he lands the money shot and wins, there will more shots in line for Evans to get bigger and better fights to make that money.
