Super middleweight Ronny Alvarez (7-0, 6 KOs) will take a step forward in his young career when he faces Narciso Carmona (12-2, 7 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round bout on Friday, October 2nd at Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. The bout will be featured as part of Matchroom Boxing’s second edition of its Project Series, airing live on DAZN. With six knockouts in seven professional victories, Alvarez has quickly established himself as an emerging puncher. But with increased attention comes increased competition, and Carmona represents the type of experienced, dangerous opponent Alvarez knows he must defeat to continue advancing.
Alvarez has spent camp preparing for the toughest test of his young career. While his six knockouts have shown what he can do offensively, Alvarez says the focus in the gym has been on sharpening every part of his game. “Camp has been very good, but hard,” said Alvarez. “A lot of work, a lot of sparring, a lot of conditioning. That's what I like. I don't want an easy camp because I'm not preparing for an easy fight. I'm preparing for a guy who's coming to beat me. Every day I'm learning. I have power, I know that, but there is more to boxing then just punching hard. We've been working on my defense, moving my head, using my jab, going to the body and staying patient. I want people to see a better Ronny Alvarez every time I fight. I'm hungry, man. Seven wins is good, but seven wins is nothing compared to where I want to go. I'm still at the beginning. I have a lot to prove.”
With a 12-2 record and seven knockouts, Carmona represents a step up in experience. Alvarez isn't interested in making predictions about an early knockout. He expects Carmona to come ready to test him and says that is exactly the kind of fight he wants. “Carmona can punch. He's been in more professional fights than me, so I'm not looking at this guy like he's just another opponent. I'm taking him very seriously,” Alvarez added. “I'm not going in there crazy looking for the knockout. If you look too hard for it, sometimes it doesn't come. I'm going to box, pressure him, work the body and do what my corner tells me. But when I hurt somebody, I'm a finisher. That's just me. If I see the opportunity, I'm going to take it.”
Alvarez, who fights under the promotional banners of Boxlab Promotions, Warriors Boxing and Dreambigg Promotion, believes that a victory over Carmona could accelerate his progression. But instead of talking about championships before he's earned his position, the undefeated super middleweight wants his performances to create those opportunities. “This is a big fight for me because a win takes me another step forward,” stated Alvarez. “I don't want to be 7-0 forever fighting the same level of competition. I want to move up. I want better fighters. That's how you find out what you're made of. Of course, my dream is to become a world champion. First it's Carmona. I beat him, then give me somebody better. I beat that guy, give me somebody better again. That's how I want to build my career.”
Friday's fight gives Alvarez something else he has been working toward: exposure. Competing on Matchroom Boxing's Project Series live on DAZN means Alvarez will be fighting in front of an audience that extends well beyond Orlando. “This is exciting for me. DAZN is a big platform, Matchroom is a big name in boxing, and I know there are going to be a lot of people watching who have never seen Ronny Alvarez fight before, he concluded. “So I want to introduce myself the right way. I want people watching in America, Cuba, wherever they're watching from, to remember me after the fight. I want them to say, ‘I want to see that kid fight again. That's the kind of fighter I want to be. I don't want boring fights. I like to come forward, I like to throw punches, I like to fight. That's who I am. But I'm learning that you have to be smart with that aggression too. I want to give the fans excitement and still show that I'm becoming a complete fighter.”
Amaury Piedra, President of Boxlab Promotions, believes Alvarez's personality inside the ring is one of the things that makes the undefeated Cuban an intriguing young fighter. But Piedra says the work Alvarez has put in when nobody is watching is what has earned him the opportunity to perform on a Matchroom Boxing platform. “Ronny is a fighter. That's probably the simplest way I can describe him,” said Piedra. “He loves being in the gym, he loves to compete, and when the bell rings, he wants to fight. You can't manufacture that mentality. He has it naturally. What we're seeing now is a young fighter learning how to combine that Cuban fighting spirit and his natural power with patience and technique. He has six knockouts in seven fights, so we know he can punch. But we're looking beyond the knockouts. We want to see him develop into a complete fighter who can eventually compete at the highest level.”
Piedra believes Carmona represents the right opponent at the right time, particularly with Alvarez receiving national and international exposure on DAZN. “He's put in the work for this opportunity,” Piedra concluded. “Now he gets to go out there against a step up fighter and show what he's been learning. Carmona is not coming to Orlando to make Ronny look good. He's coming to win, and that's why this is an important fight for Ronny's development. The beautiful thing is he's getting this opportunity on a Matchroom Boxing show and live on DAZN. People around the world are going to have a chance to see him. Ronny doesn't need to go out there and try to be Superman. He just needs to be himself, listen to his corner and fight the way he's capable of fighting. If he does that, I think the fans are going to enjoy what they see.”
