Boxing Prospects

Arena Wars January 24

Salem Armory

Main Event for Arena Wars Heavyweight Title
In what will be one of the intriguing heavy weight bouts early in the year, Canadian Brandon Colantonio (6 1 1KO) will face Esera Iosefa (4 1 1KO) in a five round fight. Colantonio stepped into the ring in November to face Jaye Byard for the WBC USA Heavyweight belt, thought the bout was stopped and ruled no contest in the fourth round. Iosefa won a split decision over Nick Mills in his last bout. While each man has only scored one knockout in their previous fights, don’t mistake that for lack of power. In each of their previous fights they have shown the ability to box strategically. Iosefa is tough in close, while Colantonio uses his reach advantage to keep opponents moving.

Co Main for Arena Wars Middleweight Title
Middleweights Anthony Alvarado (6 1 1KO) will step in to face Christian Aguirre (9 13 4KO) in bout scheduled for six rounds. Alvarado’s only loss came by way of a unanimous decision at the hands of Aaron Thompson. Since then, Alvarado has won two, scoring unanimous decisions in each. While Aguirre has gone the distance in each of his last two bouts, he lost both by unanimous decision. Both men have a common opponent in Mike McMillian, Aguirre lost a six rounder to him, while Alvarado won a seven round fight. Aguirre will have the advantage in ring experience, and that he carried knockout power early in his pro career, though Alvarado has shown that he has the ability to go the distance against some tough men.

Featured Bout
In what looks to be one of the more exciting fights on the card, Emmanuel Ojeda (3 1) will face Vasyl Yakymiuk (2 0 1KO) in a four round featherweight bout. If previous bouts foreshadow what might occur in this, expect non stop action. Yakymiuk is a pressure fighter whose fast hands land with power. Ojeda is a good defensive fighter, though he too has shown quick hands and good foot movement to avoid getting caught. Ojeda’s sole loss came to unbeaten Alexis de la Cerda Landin, and Ojeda went the distance. Prior to that fight Ojeda had shown that he could control the action in a round by stepping in close and unleashing effective body shots. Yakymiuk has dominated the action in his two bouts, scoring a second round knockout in his last outing and winning three of four rounds in his professional debut.

Jose Garcia-Ponce (5 0 4KO) will face Brandon Watley (1 4 ) in a super welterweight bout scheduled for six rounds. Garcia-Ponce has looked sharp in each of his pro fights, dispensing the initial four opponents by knocking them out. Watley has gone the distance in each of his five bouts, and the test for him will be to avoid Garcia-Ponce’s power. Watley dropped a close majority decision in his last outing while Garcia-Ponce went the distance to score a unanimous decision in a five round bout. Watley’s win came in a six round bout; this will be Garcia-Ponce’s first time fighting a six round bout.

Arena Wars Featherweight Title
Featherweights Anthony Cruz Herrera (4 0) and Devon Jackson (1 0) will step in to the ring to battle in a fight scheduled for five rounds. Herrera is coming of a split decision win over Blaiwas Eaglepipe, a fight in which he showed his physical toughness. It was physical toughness that propelled Jackson to his initial win as a professional, a unanimous decision in his professional debut. Herrera will have an advantage in rounds fought, facing veteran opponents, and amateur bouts. However, Jackson will likely enter the fight with adrenaline flowing after the excitement he felt after winning his debut. Adding to his credentials, Jackson has an MMA win against UFC flyweight champion Josua Van

Jeremiah Sierra (5 3 2KO) will step in to the ring to fight Gerald Powell-Wood (1 0) in a f bout scheduled for five rounds. Powell-Wood scored a spilt decision win in his first pro fight, one in which he was one round from claiming the unanimous decision. Sierra is coming off a fourth round TKO win against Joseph Aguilar, a fight in which the left handed Sierra used his skill and strength to score the win. Powell-Wood will have to make the adjustments necessary in fighting a southpaw, while Sierra will look to continue to land heavy with his left, forcing Powell-Wood to step in close to negate the power punches.

A four round feather weight bout will see Alan Hernandez (0 3 1) facing Derick Funkhouser (0 2) looking to score their first win as a professional. Both of these men have faced tough opponents, and though they have yet to record a win, do not be lulled into thinking they are not tough fighters. Funkhouser’s previous opponents have a combined record of ten wins and no losses. Hernandez has gone the distance in each of his four fights.

WFC @ Emerald Queen Casino

February 6

Welterweight Josue Cadena (7 0) will enter the ring unbeaten, though his opponent is yet to be signed. Cadena is a multifaceted fighter that has the power to dispatch an opponent by way of a knockout as well as break down opponents with solid boxing skill and deft movement to create angles to land body shots. Cadena stays in condition, so going the distance, if necessary, in this six-round welterweight bout should not be a problem. Cadena scored a third-round knockout in his last fight, one which saw him break down his opponent piece by piece in each round.

Dedrick Crocklem (5 0) is another unbeaten fighter who will enter the ring to face William Flenoy (3 6 1) in a six round super feather weight fight. This will be a st4ep up in rounds for Crocklem who has shown himself to be quite comfortable in fighting four round fights. Flenoy may have an advantage in that he has fought six rounds previously, though he lost a unanimous decision in his last six round outing. Perhaps the biggest advantage Crocklem will bring to the ring is his amateur experience, he fought fifty-eight times as an amateur, winning forty-seven.

Travis Castellon (17 6 1) began his boxing career on a tear, winning sixteen of his first seventeen fights, the only blemish was a draw in his first professional fight. He will face a tough opponent in Julio Ocampo Hernandez (8 0), who has yet to lose as a professional. This six round super lightweight fight will be the third for Hernandez, while Castellon has fought eight and ten round fights. Hernandez has won half of his fights by knockout, while Castellon has lost six of his previous seven by knockout. This could be a puncher’ duel, though Hernandez has shown he can be patient and box until an opening for a big punch presents itself.

Super bantam weight Alexis De la Cerdin Landin (7 0) will stake his unbeaten record on the line as he faces Daniel Robles (9 3 1) in a six-round bout. Robles is riding a two win streak, scoring unanimous decisions in fights that saw him lose only one round in each fight. Landin, in his last fight, scored a unanimous decision of a tough fighter, Emmanuel Ojeda. In that bout Landin showed that he could effectively counter punch, a key element in staving off the aggressive Ojeda. Landin will be the second unbeaten fighter Robles has faced; he dropped one of those bouts by unanimous decision, and was knocked out in the other.

Haidon Allen (6 0) faced his toughest opponent in his last fight, scoring a six round unanimous decision over veteran Rob Diezel. Finding opponents for Allen can be difficult as any opponent has to be wary of Allen’s knockout power; he has scored two early round wins in that manner. However, the opponent also has to find a way to counter Allen’s quick hands and footwork that enables him to slip out of range and then step in to deliver a body shot. Allens’ opponent for this four round super featherweight bout has yet to be determined.

Super lightweight Ricardo Garcia will make his professional debut when he faces Agustin Tovar (4 1 1). Garcia is turning pro after two amateur fights. Tovar fought only once as an amateur, but has proven himself worthy as a professional, losing only once. Tovar is coming off an impressive win over the always tough Gerardo Esquivel where he scored a six-round majority decision. Tovar is a crafty fighter, as he showed against Esquivel, in that Tovar can take a punch, but is quick enough to throw counter punches that make an opponent back away. This bout is scheduled for four rounds.

A good women’s bout on the card is an effective ticket seller. And the super featherweight fight featuring Whitney Gomez (2 0) and Denise Moran (3 1) will be one of the more exciting fights of the evening. While both of these women are relatively new to the realm of professional boxing, both fought as amateurs. And it is that realm of the amateurs that Gomez has a clear advantage. She fought thirty-three times as an amateur, winning nineteen.  Moran fought six times and won four. Both women have found success in the professional ranks. Gomez, over the course of eight rounds has, according to the judges, only lost two. Moran bring international experience to the ring, having dispatched tough opponents in Mexico. This fight is scheduled for four two minute rounds in the super feather weight division.

Jerrell Lane (0 0 1) will be looking to get his first win as he faces Reth Duir who will be making his professional debut in a four round super lightweight bout. Duir last fought as an amateur in 2023 where he compiled a record of four wins and four losses. Lane is coming off a split draw against Agustin Tovar, a fight which hinged on the outcome of one round.

Rounding out the card will be bantam weights in a four-round bout, Jahelel Brito Carrillo (3 3 1) and Bryan Andrew Cox (0 6). Carrillo is coming off an impressive first round knockout win in his last fight. Carrillo was aggressive from the outset and dispatched his opponent at the 1:32 mark of the opening round. Cox has yet to win a professional bout, though he has faced tough opponents with a combined record of seven wins and one loss.

Please note that BoxRec's numbers for Amateur Fights usually includes only those fought in tournaments, therefore fighters generally have many more amateur fights than listed.