Puerto Rico Boxing Championship reactivated after 14 years
- The San Juan Daily Star
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
By The Star Staff
The Puerto Rico Professional Boxing Commission will reactivate the Puerto Rico championship this Saturday with a fight that will crown a new national champion, as part of the “Road to Glory” card to be held at Rafael G. Amalbert Coliseum in Juncos.
“Reviving the Puerto Rico championship is, without a doubt, working to promote sports traditions and giving an additional boost to Puerto Rican boxing,” Recreation and Sports Secretary Héctor Vázquez Muñiz said in a written statement.
The last fight for a local title was held on Oct. 28, 2011, in Guayama, when Abner Cotto defeated Fernando Torres by unanimous decision to win the lightweight division crown.
“The main objective of reviving the iconic tradition of crowning a local champion is to create new spaces that will allow local boxers greater opportunities for exposure and promotion,” Commission President José Miguel Pérez said.
In this new phase, John Bauzá and Omar Rosario will face off for the national title in the super lightweight category. The winner will receive the Sixto Escobar Belt, the official symbol of Puerto Rican champions, as part of the restart leading up to the centennial of professional boxing on the island, which will be celebrated in 2027.