Article by Rick Mohamed

Courtney King Penn Pennington was ready for the battle of his life vs James “JJ” Metcalf for the WBA Continental Super Welterweight (154 lb.) title, fought in Leeds, England in the U.K. However, everything wouldn’t go as planned for him.

Pennington had COVID when he stepped into the ring, which totally disabled him and prevented him from performing at his best! No cardio, no legs, and no power..

Courtney King Penn Pennington (16-6-3, 7 KOs), Brawlers Sports fighter, was on his way to Leeds England to fight James “JJ: Metcalf (24-2, 15 KOs) for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: the chance to win a championship belt. Everything seemed okay. He was prepared, he was ready.

This would be the fight of his life.

King Penn Ready to Rule

He was fighting for Metcalfe’s WBA Continental super welterweight (154 lb.)title. At stake were the promises of more big fights vs. big names and even bigger paydays. He was fighting to achieve a chance at greatness.

Everything looked great for him and for Brawlers Sports Media, CEO, Rick Mohamed, his manager.

Something’s Wrong…

However, something strange & unusual happened on the night of the fight on December 10th, 2022, Courtney faced a very difficult situation. When the fight started, everything seemed fine. He fought well in the first and second rounds, but as the third round began, he began to fight more lethargically.

His punches were flailing about, missing their mark. His punches were also very weak, lacking sting and speed.. He seemed to lunge with his punches, looking listless This was not him at all! What was wrong?

His opponent took advantage but was unable to put him away. Courtney was forced to hold on to Metcalfe for dear life, yet it seemed that something was truly wrong with him. He was not this type of fighter at all!

King Penn held on until the end of the sixth round. Then he decided to call it a day and surrendered the fight, The win was awarded to JJ Metcalfe. Metcalf retained his title, and Courtney went home shattered and searching for answers. He’d trained well for this fight.

What Happened?

Did he eat something that made him sick and sapped his strength? Was it just a very bad night? Questions abounded, waiting for clear answers.

Courtney & CEO Rick went home empty-handed and totally disappointed. This was the chance,
and you don’t get many of them. Would this be the last chance? Unknown.

The Reason Behind it All

Courtney was discovered to have COVID. He was given a COVID test. The test proved to be positive! This would explain his lackluster performance. However, does this diagnosis, after the fight, actually vindicate him and get him another opportunity to prove himself?

The 800-pound gorilla in the room is: how that COVID test will be seen by the general public, by
those who saw the fight, by those who promoted the fight, including Matchroom CEO Sir Eddie
Hearn. Will this prove to everyone that something was actually wrong and that Courtney deserves another chance?

Redemption for Courtney Pennington?

Will this give King Penn Pennington a chance at a rematch? Will he get another shot in some other
way? We don’t know. Know this: this fight was not indicative of his terrific skillset, and we hope
that he gets another opportunity to show up and show out.

He would love another opportunity, especially after knowing he stepped into the ring with COVID which was the culprit in his demise. If given another chance, the Courtney King Penn Pennington everyone was hoping to see will perform. Not to make any excuses, but it’s hard to perform when you have no power, no cardio, & no legs! This just isn’t possible…

LETSGOCHAMPS!! 

#THEBRAWLERSSPORTSBOXINGSHOW

LETSGOCHAMPS!