Yoenis Tellez (left) takes it to veteran Sergio Garcia. Photo by German Villasenor for The Ring
Yoenis Tellez is blazing his own trail to stardom at 154 pounds.
Tellez will face Johan Gonzalez on October 19, the Premier Boxing Champion (PBC) announced on Monday. The match will take place at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. Also on the card, Cesar Mateo Tapia will square off against Endry Saavedra.
Both 10-round bouts will precede the main event between newly crowned IBF world junior middleweight titleholder Bakhram Muratzaliev against former WBO world titleholder Tim Tszyu.
The three fights will be streamed live and exclusively on Prime Video (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT). Those with no Prime membership can join or start a free 30-day trial to check out the map.
“PBC Championship Boxing on Prime Video will kick off on October 19 with two bouts featuring undefeated fighters in junior competitions, all leading up to the explosive showdown between Tszyu and Murtazaliev,” said TGB Promotions President Tom Brown. “Yoenis Tellez can add his name to the star-studded lineup of top contenders at 154 pounds against the heavy-handed Johan Gonzalez.
“Mateo Tapia is poised to make some noise at middleweight if he can get the streaky Endry Saavedra in the opener. Be sure to tune in to Prime Video or come out to the Caribe Royale in Orlando for what will be a night of top-to-bottom action.”
Originally from Santiago, Cuba and now living in Stafford, Texas, Tellez (8-0, 6 KOs) last fought on April 26, earning a one-sided victory over Joseph Jackson in a clash of undefeated junior middleweights.
In his previous fight on December 15, Tellez knocked down one-time knockdown Livan Navarro and scored a 10-round knockout victory.
The 24-year-old Tellez believes, despite only having eight fights as a pro, that he is ready to take the next step and join the upper echelon of the 154-pound division, and make a statement at the expense of Gonzalez.
“Fighting an experienced fighter like Johan Gonzalez is a great opportunity to show the world what I’m made of,” said Tellez, who is trained by Ronnie Shields. “He fought at the elite level and I expect a tough fight. I’m going to leave everything in the ring. On October 19, I’m going to be at my best to put on a great performance and give all the fans who tune in (for) a great night of boxing.”
Gonzalez (35-3, 34 KOs), who is originally from Valencia, Venezuela and now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, stopped fighter Ivan Herrera in the second round of his last fight on August 24th. In his previous fight on May 4, Gonzalez was defeated by Jesus Ramos, Jr.
Before the loss to Ramos, the 33-year-old had won three in a row since a decision loss to Magomed Kurbanov in December 2022. Gonzalez is confident that his experience and punching power will be too much for Tellez.
“The fight is everything to me, it’s a must-win,” said Gonzalez, who made his pro debut in June 2017 and fought a total of 10 times that year. “I work hard every day to make sure I leave with my hand up. My only focus now is to do everything possible to keep my career moving forward. I have one mission, victory on October 19.”
In his last fight on April 24, Tapia (17-0, 10 KOs), who is originally from Tijuana, Mexico and now lives in Narrabeen, Australia, defeated Keiber Gonzalez by unanimous decision in a clash of undefeated middleweights. In his previous fight on October 18, 26-year-old Eric Robles was stopped after round five.
Tapia is managed by Ryan Rickey and is a regular sparring partner of Tszyu. Both fight under the No Limit Promotions banner.
Saavedra (16-1, 13 KOs) last fought on March 13, stopping Isaac Hardman in the eighth round of a close and competitive fight.
The 33-year-old Saavedra, who is originally from Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela and now lives in Tijuana, has won his last three fights since a decision loss to Etoundi Michel William in October 2022, also in a clash of undefeated middleweights.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached at (email protected)
