Brooklyn’s rising powerhouse faces upset specialist live on DAZN as he enters a new phase of his heavyweight climb
Undefeated heavyweight prospect Pryce Taylor is officially leveling up. This Saturday in Atlanta, the Brooklyn native takes on battle-tested spoiler Calvin Barnett in his first scheduled 10-round bout—a critical step toward contention. With momentum, power, and elite sparring experience behind him, Taylor now faces a fighter known for derailing unbeaten records.
NEW YORK CITY – Undefeated Brooklyn heavyweight prospect Pryce Taylor (11-0, 7 KOs) has graduated to 10-round matches, starting this Saturday night (May 9) in Atlanta against upset-minded Calvin Barnett (7-4, 4 KOs).
Taylor vs. Barnett is on a card presented by Taylor’s promoter, Salita Promotions, which will be streamed on DAZN live from Gateway Center Arena.
This fight will mark the first scheduled 10-round bout in Taylor’s relatively short professional career, another goal that the 29-year-old Taylor will soon attain.
“I feel like this (first slated 10-rounder) means I’ve made it to the next level,” Taylor said. “I’ve been training to go 10 rounds, if needed, for a long time and I always pace myself in fights to try not to do too much. I’m capable of going 10 rounds, but I always go in the ring trying to end the fight early.”
A former college basketball, the 6’ 4”, 275-pound Taylor will face another upset specialist in Barnett, who has knocked off 2 unbeaten fighters in his last 3 fights, 11-0 Drake Banks (WKO3) and Dominique Valera 8-0-2 (WDEC3).
“Every great heavyweight has a moment where the spotlight gets brighter, and the competition gets real,” Taylor’s manager Keith Sullivan commented. “For Pryce Taylor, that moment is this weekend in Atlanta. I fully expect him to rise to the moment and show the world he is ready to be the future of the American heavyweight division. His opponent is more than a gatekeeper; he is a record destroyer, taking away his last two opponents’ unblemished records.”
Barnett stands 6’ 3“ and weighs 250-pounds. The dangerous southpaw is a former Oklahoma State Heavyweight Champion.
“Like some of my other opponents,” Taylor noted, “He looks good on paper but not when they get in the ring with me. I’ve fought 4 lefthanded fighters and I have a good straight right, so he’s no different than some of my opponents.”
Taylor will be fighting for the 8th time in the last 17 months, something the Brooklynite embraces and more.
“I like to fight as often as possible to keep busy,” Taylor concluded. “The busier I can be keeps me sharp while I gain more experience.”
Taylor spent a large share of his training camp as a sparring partner for former World Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (45-4-1, 43 KOs), as well as undefeated Ukrainian heavyweight prospect Andrii Novytskyi (16-0, 12 KOs) in Long Beach, California.
Keith Sullivan, a former New York State Athletic Commission Deputy Commissioner, also manages undefeated 3-time, 2-division World Champion Miyo Yoshida (19-5, 1 KO), Bronx NYPD officer Nisa Rodriguez (4-1, 2 KOs), Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga (21-1, 21 KOs), lightweight Fei Faiva (6-0-1, 4 KOs) and junior featherweight prospect Brooklyn “The Big Deal” Barwick (4-1, 4 KOs). Sullivan co-manages IBF Welterweight World title challenger Paddy “The Real Deal” Donovan (14-2, 11 KOs) and his cousin, middleweight Jim Donovan (2-0, 1 KO), alongside coach and ex-world champion Andy Lee.
