Miguel Vazquez Back In Action On ESPN+
Former lightweight world champion Miguel Vazquez continues his march back to contender status this Saturday, Oct. 2 in a 10-round lightweight main event against former world title challenger Oliver “Trombita” Flores at Verite Social Venue in Monterrey, Mexico.
Vazquez-Flores and a full slate of undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Vazquez (43-10, 17 KOs) held the IBF lightweight world title for more than four years, from August 2010 to September 2014, and made six successful title defenses. He is 9-6 in his last 15 bouts, a run of fighting top competition that’s included a ninth-round stoppage defeat to current undisputed junior welterweight world champion Josh Taylor and last October’s highly controversial split decision loss to Lewis Ritson. He rebounded from the Ritson disappointment with April’s seventh-round TKO over Isai Hernandez. Flores (30-3-2, 19 KOs), from Leon, Nicaragua, challenged Takashi Uchiyama in 2015 for the WBA super featherweight world title, falling via third-round TKO. He is 3-1 since that setback and has not fought since a second-round TKO win over Rolando Giono in September 2019.
In other streaming action on ESPN+:
- The heavyweight co-feature will see American southpaw hopeful Brandon Moore (9-0, 5 KOs) fight hometown favorite Jesus Angel Nerio (15-9-1, 6 KOs) in a 10-rounder.
- Mexican junior welterweight puncher Jimerr “Mortero” Espinosa (10-0, 9 KOs) looks to extend his knockout streak to four against Jorge Luis Melendez (14-7-2, 8 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
- Rising Cuban contender Neslan “Pitbull” Machado (17-0, 8 KOs) will face the upset-minded Alan “Malagueno” Salazar (11-8-1, 3 KOs) in an eight-rounder at a contract weight of 124 pounds. The 25-year-old Machado previously won the WBA International and WBC Latino belts at 122 pounds. Salazar has lost only once by stoppage.
- In an eight-round junior welterweight contest, Christian Uruzquieta (19-4-2, 7 KOs), unbeaten in his last three fights, will take on 30-fight veteran Juan Ocura (13-15-2, 6 KOs).
- Featherweight Jonathan “Geo Don” Lopez (4-0, 2 KOs), an 18-year-old phenom from Puerto Rico, will step up in an eight-rounder against Jorge Amaya Diaz (6-1, 3 KOs), who has never been knocked out as a pro.
- Dominican junior welterweight standout Hendri Cedeño Martinez (3-0, 3 KOs) will look to notch the third first-round knockout of his young career in a four-rounder against Mexico City native Oscar Moreno (2-2), winner of two straight fights.
Marquis Johns is a unknown humorist and avid boxing fan. His love for the sweet science goes back to when matches were 15 rounds and has been covering fights since closed-circuit pay-per-views. Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth is not only a quote by Mike Tyson, it's also a pretty good reminder to keep your guard up.