IBA Champions’ Night comes to the American continent for the first time on April 6th when it presents its pro fights at Aguascalientes, Mexico at the Palenque de la Feria Nacional de San Marcos arena. Pan-American champion Marco Verde of Mexico will have his hands full in a middleweight bout with Cuba’s Roniel Iglesias, who is a former amateur world champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist. Iglesias is listed as 4-0 as a pro, but the 35-year old also went 25-6 in paid World Series of Boxing, making 29-6 a more accurate record. Verde was originally announced to face a different opponent, but Iglesias is actually a better fight.
There have been many other changes to the IBA’s previously announcecd line-up for this show. Mexican boxer Jose Miguel Borrego (20-4) has already taken part in IBA Champions’ Night and scored one victory and one loss. He will compete in six rounder vs. a new opponent, Shamar Canal (7-0) of the USA.
IBA World Championships bronze medallist and Pan American Games medallist Rogelio Romero from Mexico will now fight Evgeny Shvedenko from Russia in the 86kg division, who has both amateur and professional experience with a 16-1-1 record.
The opening fight of the night will feature a cruiserweight bout between Kevin Martinez (13-0) of Mexico and Ecuador’s Julio Castillo, who won silver at the amateur worlds.
As previously announced, local featherweight Bryan “El Latino” Acosta (20-0) and South American Games silver medallist Alberto “El Impacto” Melian from Argentina will dispute the IBA championship belt. Melian is currently a pro boxer with a 23-4-1 record including the World Series of Boxing.
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MARCH 15, 2024: A ten-round battle between Mexico’s Israel Gonzalez and Uzbekistan’s Shakhobidin Zoirov will determine the IBA pro championhip at super bantamweight. Zoirov is a 2016 Olympic gold medal winner who also fought in the 2021 games. As a pro, he’s listed as 5-0 but he has four wins in the World Series of Boxing, including one over former champion Robeisy Ramirez, so 9-0 is a more accurate record. Gonzalez (28-5-2) will have home field advantage at the first-ever IBA Champions’ Night in Mexico, which is set to take place in Aguascalientes on April 6th at the Palenque de la Feria Nacional de San Marcos arena.Gonzalez has failed in four lighter-weight title shots throughout his career, losing to Jesse Rodriguez, Roman Gonzalez, Khalid Yafai and Jerwin Ancajas.
The IBA event will also feature six more Mexicans. Pan-American champion Marco Verde will face Pan-American bronze medallist Jorge Cuellar of Cuba at to dispute the IBA American Champion title at middleweight.
Mexican feathewrweight Bryan Acosta (20–0) battles Alberto Ezequiel Melian from Argentina (11-2).
Mexican junior middleweight Jose Miguel Borrego (20-4) has already taken part in IBA Champions’ Night and scored one victory and one loss. Joselito Collado from the Dominican Republic (17-3) will be his rival in the eight-round ranking fight.
In a 190-pound bout, Rogelio Romero from Mexico is to face Marlo Delgado (7-0) from Ecuador in a six rounder. Romero had a strong amateur career but was 3-3 in the World Series of Boxing.
At cruiserweight, Mexico’s Francisco Cantabrana Soto (8-1) will face off against a seasoned boxer Julio Castillo from Ecuador, who is the IBA World Championships silver medallist.
In the opening bout, Mexican featherweight Carlos Vargas Jaquez (17-2) meets with Shon Mondragon (8-0-1) from the USA (8-0-1) in a six-round ranking fight.
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