Alberto Puello digs a left into the physique of Batyr Akhmedov. (Picture by Esther Lin/Showtime)
WBA junior welterweight titlist Alberto Puello will put his belt on the road for the primary time towards Rolando Romero at an as-yet-to-be-decided venue on Could 13.
The struggle be featured in a Showtime tripleheader that may embody two extra junior welterweight contests: rising contender Gary Antuanne Russell vs. fellow unbeaten Kent Cruz and former two-weight world champion Rances Barthelemy towards Omar Juarez.
Puello (21-0, 10 knockouts), who’s rated No. 9 at 140 kilos by The Ring, labored his means up by way of the ranks in his native Dominican Republic and holds wins over skilled campaigner Patrick Lopez (TKO 7), beforehand unbeaten Jonathan Alonso (UD 12) and big-punching Ve Shawn Owens (UD 10).
When Josh Taylor was compelled to vacate the WBA title, Puello, 28, was matched with Batyr Akhmedov to fill the emptiness in June 2021. Puello used his tough southpaw expertise to edge previous Akhmedov by cut up choice.
Romero (14-1, 12 KOs) began his professional profession in 2016 and constructed his title on Las Vegas membership reveals staged by his promoter, Floyd Mayweather. He gained notoriety by controversially beating Jackson Marinez (UD 12) in 2020.
Romero (proper) had his moments towards Gervonta Davis however was stopped within the sixth spherical. (Picture by Amanda Westcott/Showtime)
The 27-year-old additionally holds an emphatic win over Anthony Yigit (TKO 7) however misplaced when he stepped as much as the large leagues towards Gervonta Davis (TKO 6) final Could.
It’s an intriguing struggle; Puello is a slightly nameless champion, however the polarizing Romero will present some visibility. Puello’s boxing expertise ought to see him win, however he’ll need to watch out of “Rolly’s” energy.
Russell (16-0, 16 KOs), The Ring-rated No. 7 junior welterweight, is the youthful brother of former WBC featherweight titlist Gary Russell Jr. and bantamweight contender Gary Antonio Russell Jr. He was a standout newbie and represented the U.S. on the 2016 Rio Olympics, reaching the quarterfinals.
After transitioning to the skilled ranks in 2017, Russell was spectacular, however the 26-year-old southpaw had his breakthrough in 2022, separating himself from the pack by stopping former titleholders Viktor Postol (TKO 10) and Rances Barthelemy (TKO 6).
Cruz (16-0-3, 10 KOs) has largely fought beneath the radar since turning professional over a decade in the past. The 30-year-old St. Louis-born fighter is coming off a pair of eight-round attracts with Enriko Gogokhia.
On paper, this can be a large step up in school for Cruz, and Russell can be strongly favored to maintain his one hundred pc knockout ratio intact.
Barthelemy (29-2-1, 15 KOs) was an newbie boxer in Cuba earlier than defecting to the U.S. to comply with his older brother Yan, who was an Olympic gold medalist in 2004. He confirmed promise in beating the unbeaten pair of Hylon Williams Jr. (UD 8) and Arash Usmanee (UD 12).
After a no-contest outcome towards IBF junior light-weight titlist Argenis Mendez in 2014, Barthelemy gained a direct rematch through 12-round unanimous choice to seize the belt. One protection adopted earlier than he abdicated and moved as much as light-weight, the place he picked up the vacant IBF title towards Denis Shafikov (UD 12). He moved as much as 140 kilos and cut up a pair of fights with Kiryl Relikh (UD 12/L UD 12), the latter for the WBA title, then went 3-0-1 earlier than the loss to Russell.
Juarez (14-1, 5 KOs) turned skilled in 2018. He gained his first 11 earlier than struggling a defeat towards skilled Filipino All Rivera (MD 10). It proved to be a worthwhile studying curve for the 23-year-old Texan, who has since overwhelmed Jairo Lopez (UD 8), Ryan Karl (SD 10) and Austin Dulay (UD 10).
Barthelemy should use his expertise and expertise to choose off Juarez, who in all probability doesn’t have the facility to harm the Barthelemy, but when he could make the Cuban struggle at an uncomfortable tempo, he may trigger the upset.
Questions and/or feedback could be despatched to Anson at [email protected].
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