Yesterday, Top Rank announced Claifornia junior welterweight Arnold Barboza Jr., will step up his competition level by facing Canadian veteran Tony “Lightning” Luis on August 29th in Las Vegas. The ESPN+ broadcast that night will be headlined by WBC/WBO junior welterweight champion Jose Ramirez defending against WBC title holder Viktor “The Iceman” Postol.
Luis (29-3, 10 KOs), from Cornwall, Canada, is a volume puncher with a knack for upsetting undefeated fighters. Since 2014, he has taken the ‘0’ from three previously unbeaten men, including a nationally televised decision over Karl Dargan in January 2015. Luis has won 10 consecutive fights since an April 2015 decision loss to Derry Matthews for an interim lightweight world title in Matthews’ hometown of Liverpool, England.
Luis said, "I want to thank Top Rank and my promoter, Liveco Boxing, for this amazing opportunity. I'm proud of myself for not giving up throughout all the uncertainty over the past several months. I knew this pandemic would be a test of character, and I forced myself to stay dedicated, knowing that if an opportunity arose, I'd be ready to strike. I have not lost in over five years, I'm in the best shape in my life, and I feel that Arnold Barboza Jr. is the perfect opponent to showcase my skills and take my career to the next level. Everyone dreams of fighting in Las Vegas. On August 29th, my dream will come true, and I plan to make the most of this opportunity. For a small-town kid, we proved a lot of people wrong. Let's get it on."
Barboza Jr. (23-0, 10 KOs) makes his 2020 debut following a 2019 campaign that saw him gain recognition in the 140-pound weight class with three solid wins. He knocked out [faded] former WBO titleholder Mike Alvarado on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Anthony Crolla undercard, stopped Ricky Sismundo in four rounds, and scored a body shot knockout over William Silva last November.
“Tony Luis is as tough as they come. He won't lay down for me. He sees this as a big opportunity, and I can’t let him take it,” Barboza said. “To be honest, the whole no fans thing, I’m more curious than anything. I’ve fought in front of limited fans deep on undercards before. Once you’re in the ring, there’s no difference. I am happy to be part of this ‘Bubble’ experience because it will go down in history.”
