Tag Archives: Arnold Barboza Jr.

William Silva to Fight Teen Boxing Prospect Ashton Sylve in August

Posted on by
Reply

William Silva is taking on a rising boxing star…

The 36-year-old Brazilian boxer will fight Ashton Sylve, the teen boxing prospect under Jake Paul‘s promotional banner, this summer.

William Silva,Sylve, the undefeated, 19-year-old rising star, will face William Silva, a 34-fight veteran, on August 5 in Dallas on the undercard of the Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz event.

The fight is contracted for eight rounds at 135 pounds. Silva has just four career losses, two of them against top fighters Teofimo Lopez and Arnold Barboza Jr.

Sylve (9-0, 8 KOs), who is promoted by Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, is coming off a unanimous decision win over Adam Kipenga on Paul’s first Most Valuable Prospects card May 26. Sylve, a Long Beach, California native, was ESPN Ringside‘s 2022 Prospect of the Year and has an illustrious amateur record.

Silva (30-4, 18 KOs) has won two straight via finish after falling to Cletus Seldin in October 2021. He lives and trains in Florida and has won five of his past seven fights. Silva is promoted by Reyes Boxing and Fire Fist Promotions.

“Ashton continues to impress and entertain at such a young age and will bring his unique combination of knockout power and agility to the ring on Aug. 5,” Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said in a statement. “This fight represents his toughest test to date against a battle-tested and dangerous Silva, who has only lost to some of the best fighters in the game.”

The Paul vs. Diaz semi-main event pits women’s boxing undisputed featherweight champion Amanda Serrano against Heather Hardy. Also on the undercard, longtime Diaz teammate and MMA veteran Chris Avila will face Jeremy Stephens, a longtime UFC knockout artist.

Oscar Valdez to Fight Emanuel Navarrete for Vacant WBO Junior Lightweight Title

Posted on by
Reply

Oscar Valdez will be fighting for a title in February…

The 31-year-old Mexican professional boxer will fight Emanuel Navarrete for the vacant WBO junior lightweight title on February 3 in Glendale, Arizona, according to ESPN.

Oscar ValdezThe Top Rank Boxing on ESPN main event will be supported by an intriguing co-feature between Jose Pedraza and Arnold Barboza Jr., both of whom are ranked in ESPN’s top 10 at junior welterweight.

Valdez and Navarrete will vie for one of the two titles vacated by Shakur Stevenson after he missed weight in September. The bout shapes up as a slugfest between two pressure fighters who have been involved in some brutal boxing matches.

Valdez, a two-time Olympian from Sonora, Mexico, spent a good portion of his childhood in Tucson, Arizona. He welcomed raucous fan support for his September 2021 decision victory over Robson Conceicao in Tucson and will now compete in a third title fight in Arizona.

That victory was marred by a positive test for the banned stimulant phentermine weeks before the bout.

Afterward, Valdez (30-1, 23 KOs) was routed by Stevenson in an April title unification at 130 pounds, the first loss of his pro career. Valdez also held a title at 126 pounds. He’s currently rated No. 3 by ESPN at junior lightweight.

Navarrete, ESPN’s No. 1 featherweight, holds the WBO title at 126 pounds but will move up four pounds when he attempts to become a three-division champion. The lanky volume-puncher from San Juan Zitaltepec, Mexico, has made three defenses of the title he won in October 2020.

Navarrete (36-1, 30 KOs) also held a title at 122 pounds. He’s coming off a sixth-round KO of Eduardo Baez in August.

Pedraza (29-4-1, 14 KOs), a 33-year-old Puerto Rican, was set to fight Teofimo Lopez on Saturday but fell ill. Now Pedraza will meet Barboza in a fight with title implications at 140 pounds.

A former titleholder at 130 pounds, Pedraza is rated No. 10 by ESPN at 140. He’s coming off a draw with Richard Commey in August.

Barboza (27-0, 10 KOs) is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Danielito Zorrilla in July. A 30-year-old from Los Angeles, Barboza is rated No. 6 by ESPN at 140 pounds.

Alex Saucedo to Fight Arnold Barboza Jr. in October

Posted on by
Reply

Alex Saucedo is ready for a major rumble…

A junior welterweight battle between 26-year-old Mexican professional boxer, a former title challenger, and unbeaten fighter Arnold Barboza Jr. has been finalized for October 17.

Alex Saucedo

The fight is part of the undercard for the Vasiliy Lomachenko–Teofimo Lopez lightweight unification fight at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.

Saucedo (30-1, 19 KOs) faced Maurice Hooker in November 2018 for the vacant WBO title, losing by seventh-round TKO. Since then, Saucedo has changed trainers, and has defeated Rod Salka by first-round knockout last November and Sonny Fredrickson by unanimous decision in June.

Saucedo is currently ranked No. 6 by the WBO.

Barboza (24-0, 10 KOs), who defeated Tony Luis by unanimous decision on August 29, is rated No. 7 by the WBC and WBO.