Heavyweight Joey Dawejko spoke to World Boxing News this week as he continues his run in Team Combat League on Sunday.
The 43-fight veteran, who has 16 big KO wins from 28 professional bouts, aims to halt a run of two straight losses in the TCL at the 2300 Arena, Philadelphia. Before Sunday’s showdown against 6-1 Patrick Mailata, Dawejko had made a blistering start to his TCL tenure with five wins on the spin.
Representing the Philadephia Smoke, Dawejko hopes to reach the semi-finals later this month ahead of a potential move back to the pro side in August.
WBN began by asking Dawejko for his thoughts on fighting in front of his hometown fans in Philly.
“I feel great heading into my fight this Sunday. I think this will be another great event at 2300 Arena in front of our hometown Philly fans,” Dawejko told World Boxing News exclusively. “It’s going to be the Smoke versus the Las Vegas Hustle, and I have a tough fight. But I’m confident in myself and my ability. I’m ready to go.”
On Mailata, Dawejko added, “Mailata is from the Hustle, and we know it’s a tough fight, but if we do our job this Sunday against the Hustle, we’ll make the Team Combat League Semi-finals on Saturday, July 27. We’ll be fighting back here at 2300 Arena. And if we win the Semi-finals, we’d make it to the MegaBrawl 2 championship on Thursday, August 1, in Commerce, CA.”
According to his current schedule, the 34-year-old is then penciled in to face Homero Fonseca at Valley Forge Casino and Resort, Valley Forge. The fight is booked for two weeks after the TCL Final.
A win for Dawejko would see him bank a second straight pro victory and could lead to something more significant for the big-puncher.
“Yes, I still want to fight big names. I took a little time to fight in Philly against local guys, and I’d love to get another big fight against another big name, but there’s nobody specific.”
So far in his career, Dawejko has shared the ring with Stephan Shaw, Zhan Kossobutskiy, and Frank Sanchez. He’s also sparred with world champions on his long road to becoming a heavyweight contender.
At this career stage, the TCL is a welcome addition to his run and keeps him active. The chance of a trophy at the end of the season is all the motivation Dawejko needs.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
