Saturday, July 15 has been named Randall Bailey Day in Key West, Florida. Special festivities honoring Bailey will be held all day, highlighted by a parade through Key West.
The Jones fight was extremely emotional for Bailey, who has rarely expressed himself like he did before and after his last fight. He entered the ring wearing a black mask and broke down in the corner before celebrating his victory.
"I wore the mask because I felt I'd been invisible for years," Bailey explained. "Nobody saw me before and I wanted to keep it that way. After all of the talk and pressure I put on myself, training and the sacrifices I made, to do what I did, well, it all came out of me after the fight. It wasn't fake."
Bailey also clarified speculation about him fighting Devon Alexander on August 25. "Alexander has to get in line like I had to," Bailey stated. "He must think that they can throw around a few bucks and I'll fight him. What I'm saying is I will fight anybody for the right money."
Bailey is 37, celebrating his next birthday September 1, and as remarkable as it is to win a world title at his age, even more impressive is he did it more than a decade after capturing the Interim World Boxing Association ("WBA") Light Welterweight Championship (W-KO3 vs. Demetrio Ceballos), 13 years since his first world title victory for the World Boxing Organization "("WBO") junior welterweight belt in 1999 (W-KO1 vs. Carlos Gonzalez).
"If people look at my record," Bailey remarked, "they'll see that I've only had a few tough fights, no Corrales-Castillo type fights. I've only been fighting once a year because opponents have stalled, thinking I'd be getting older. All of that has worked to my advantage. The worst thing that they can do is let me rest. I live a clean life and haven't damaged my body. I'm a young 37 with a lot left in the tank."
Patience has finally paid off for the quiet, unassuming Floridian with the huge punch, who got into boxing for the most simple of reasons. "I enjoy fighting," he concluded. "I just love beating the hell out of a guy and then get out of the ring without going to jail for doing it. I got into a lot of street fights as a kid. I wanted to fight without getting into trouble and boxing was the way for me."
Call Randall Bailey a late bloomer who has certainly paid his dues in the ring. His stunning stoppage of Jones propelled him into The Ring Magazine ratings at No. 9 and all he wants now is a significant payday, one that he so richly deserves, to take care of his family. Show Randall the money!