Sam Noakes found himself in the rare position of seeing his stock rise when he suffered the only loss of his career.
The 29-year-old was defeated in a November 2025 war by the gifted Abdullah Mason over 12 frenetic rounds in Saudi Arabia.
But the fight was so good that both fighters were applauded for their grit, courage, and their efforts.
Noakes returned to tick over on a Top Tier-promoted show in May, but on Saturday is back in tough again, having been paired with Ukraine veteran Denys Berinchyk.
While some might see it as a bout between Noakes, on the rise, and Berinchyk, stopped in four in his last fight by Keyshawn Davis back in February 2025, Noakes knows the importance of victory at London’s O2 Arena.
“It’s sort of make or break really for the pair of us, so in my head, win this, it’ll put me in good, good contention for another world title by the end of the year, hopefully,” said Noakes, who said he valued the idea of activity rather than sitting around and waiting for a date when it came to his May bout.
“I think it was right I have that little run-out, or you don’t have it, do you, and then obviously take this fight in August where it was already planned. I feel like, in my head, I’d rather fight than not fight.
“It’s definitely nice to blow away the cobwebs. I think, obviously, coming off the back of that tough fight in November last year, I think having that nice little run-out is going to put me in better stead for this fight.”
Noakes improved to 18-1 (16 KOs) with a two-round defeat of Mexican journeyman Benito Sanchez Garcia, and it was a far cry from his previous bout, against Mason for the vacant WBO lightweight title.
“As bitter as it is to me to say,” Noakes told BoxingScene, “it’s probably the best way to lose. I think it would have gained me a lot more fans in America and things like that, so narrowly missing out on a world title fight against, obviously, a pound-for-pound great fighter is just unlucky. It was my turn to lose.”
It is an admirable attitude to have. Noakes smiled when asked whether he felt like that at the time.
“I’m not a sore loser,” he explained. “I think, obviously, straight away after, you just feel a bit deflated. We had such a good week out there in Saudi. We had a nice hotel, everyone had a good laugh, we were buzzing. It was all good. There was no stress, really. And you didn’t get the result and you’re going home without the belt, but that’s just all natural. I was straight back in the gym after a week off and then straight back in there.”
But Noakes admitted the fatigue of what he and Mason put one another through did take a toll.
“So straight after, I was obviously cut and then had swellings everywhere and my head was even bigger than it is now. I think that’s probably about a week it took for that to go down, and then they were meant to be dissolvable stitches but they didn’t dissolve, so I had to cut them out myself.”
How banged up did he feel?
“I think, initially, walking out of that ring, if you’d have offered me a hundred grand to get punched one more time, I would have said, ‘Keep it.’ I think I was at my capacity for that, and then – obviously – as time went on, it got a little bit better.”
And while the experience might have helped Noakes further his cause in the pro ranks, the hard fight seems to have benefited Mason, too, though Noakes reckoned the Ohio talent was always going to achieve big things.
“I think he was always destined to do that anyway, it could have been me or another fighter. I think he’s just an unbelievable talent and at 21… He’s some fighter, isn’t he? But I think it’s nice to be a part of that and obviously, as I’ve said, if I can get another world title or maybe meet for another one down the line in a year, I don’t think anyone’s going to neglect wanting to see that fight again.”
While he feels Mason was destined to reach the top, Noakes believes he can still arrive at his final destination.
“I’m sort of creeping up round the back. Even with the Abdullah fight, everyone wrote me off. As far as Americans are concerned, I wasn’t going to get out of the first round. I always know what I put in and what I’m about, and I think it’s only a matter of time before it pays off. I’m putting the work in and then, I think if I can grab a world title, I think anything after that’s just a bonus for me.”
Of course, he can’t afford to look beyond Berinchyk, although he is not fussed about how he does against the Ukrainian compared to what Keyshawn Davis did to him.
“As long as I win,” Noakes said. “Keyshawn is another one of them great fighters that are unbelievable. Just for example, you only got to look at his following and my following and I think as long as I win in good fashion, I don’t think it matters whether it’s points or whatever. I’m not paying attention and even if they do want to compare me to Keyshawn Davis, then cool. That’s it, all right. No problem. I feel like being in the same sentence as that fighter ain’t a bad little thing. It’s still a dangerous fight, still a live fight and I think, get through it, win it however I can… and win is the main thing.”
Berinchyk’s only loss in his 19-1 (9 KOs) career is to Davis, but in order for the Maidstone man to achieve his goals, he must become the second man to defeat his opponent.
“I just want to win a world title, to be honest,” Noakes said of his ambitions. “I think that’s like the be-all and end-all for me. I just want to tick that off and everything after is a bonus.”
