Olympic Bronze Medalist Oshae Jones makes her pro debut on Friday

Olympic Bronze Medalist Oshae Jones makes her Pro debut on Showtime this Friday.

This Sunday, the class of 2020 through 2022 will be officially inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame located in Canastota, NY. On Friday, in honor of the special event, there will be a fight card at the Turning Stone Casino, which Showtime Boxing will host. That night will feature the Pro debut of Olympic Bronze Medalist Oshae Jones from Toledo, OH.

The 24-year-old Jones comes from a fighting family filled with fighters and coaches, but boxing wasn’t love at first sight, at least not right away. Jones told FanSided, ”I got into boxing as I was always competing with my little brother Otha Jones III. I really started when I was about 10 years old, but I didn’t want to box. So I was told by my father I didn’t need to box and that I could just go to the gym and work out since I was kind of chubby when I was younger.

Jones continued, “When I got there, he made me spar, and I actually beat up the girl, which is how I got into boxing. Eventually, I started getting into the USA National Tournaments and then realized I could go to the Olympics. I kept my spot for five years and made it to the Olympics. I won a bronze medal and took some time off because boxing drains you. I think I am the last of the girls from that Olympic team to go pro.”

Oshae Jones makes her pro debut on Showtime to kick off Hall of Fame weekend.

Speaking of the Olympics, Jones didn’t get the whole experience as COVID prevented all of the athletes from doing things they would generally be able to do. Jones described her experience as being “okay” and noted that things were “hard and depressing” at times because of the COVID-19 restrictions. Nonetheless, Jones still medaled and did something that only a few have been able to do in years past. After the Olympics, Jones took some time off and worked on things both in and out of the ring before working on her Pro debut date.

Although she isn’t signed to a promoter, her manager (David McWater) was able to land her a spot on the Hall of Fame weekend. Training camp for this fight was held in sunny San Diego, CA, where it never rains, or at least that is how the chorus to the Tony Toni Tone song goes. Jones told FanSided, “I had training camp in San Diego where there was a lot of good sparring. My weight is good, and I feel ready. I’ll be debuting at 147 (welterweight).

Making your pro debut on such a high-profile weekend could potentially put a lot of pressure on a fighter. Jones isn’t going to let the moment get to her and says, “I feel like fighting on that weekend fits me perfectly, and the world has been waiting on me. I’m a star, so of course, I’m going to fight on Hall of Fame weekend.”

Lastly, Jones has a message for those who have been eagerly awaiting her debut. She said, “I just want to tell my fans; thank you for always giving me kind words and uplifting me on social media. I promise that I won’t let you down. It’s going to be a movie. It might not be a movie because that takes too long; it’ll be a TikTok.”