Argentines face career-defining bouts
Reynoso takes on local in co-main event; Velasco gets shot at WBC Latino title belt
Roman Reynoso and Juan Jose Velasco cut their boxing teeth in the gyms and arenas of Argentina, but their careers will be made — or broken — here in the United States.
Saturday is perhaps the biggest day in both of their careers, as they represent the headliners of an eight-fight boxing card titled “Countries Collide” at Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino. Reynoso, who is 20-1-2, will take on Albuquerque’s Jose Osorio in an eight-round co-main event at 124 pounds. After that, Velasco gets the first of what he hopes are many title fights, as he takes on Mexico’s Juan Garcia Mendez for the World Boxing Council’s Latino title belt in a 10-round fight.
“That is a good challenge for me,” Velasco said through interpreter Marcos Lovera, who is Reynoso’s trainer/manager. “Getting that title [fight] here in the United States makes me happy for the chance.”
Velasco is the more veteran of the two countrymen, as the 30-year-old fought in the AIBA World Series of Boxing as an amateur, competing in Poland, Pakistan and Cuba. His professional career was strictly in Argentina until he beat Fernando Marin in February to win the WBA Fedebol welterweight championship in Guadalajara, Mexico. He comes into this fight with an unblemished 16-0 mark.
Velasco and Reynoso arrived in Santa Fe about two weeks ago to acclimate themselves to the region’s 7,000-plus feet elevation, but it represented Velasco’s first visit to the United States. Other than adjusting to the elevation, Velasco said his first impressions of the country were everything he expected.
“I knew the United States had big cities, but here in New Mexico, it is beautiful and I like it,” said Velasco, who lived in San Salvador de Jujuy before moving to Buenos Aires. “It’s not too big.”
The younger Reynoso, 26, spent the past six years working his way through the ranks in his homeland before making his way into Canada to further his prospects. Behind Lovera, who has trained Reynoso for 11 years, Reynoso went 18-1-1 before catching the attention of the boxing world when he fought undefeated American Adam Lopez to a draw in July of 2016.
Buoyed by the performance, Reynoso recorded technical knockouts in his next two fights coming into his bout against Osorio.
“As my mother says, I have to enjoy all that I have done,” Reynoso said through Lovera. “I am at the place where I always wanted to be. I am just enjoying what I’m doing. This is a dream from my childhood. I can see that I can go further.”
Reynoso harbors dreams of continuing in the footsteps of other Argentine greats as Nicolino Locche, the world light welterweight champion in the late 1960s and early 1970s; Carlos Monzon, who held the world middleweight crown from 1970-77; and Oscar Bonavena, a heavyweight who fought Muhammad Ali and George Frazier.
“This is my dream, and this is what I am working for — the big fights,” Reynoso said. “I have to work hard for that, but they may come. Hard work always pays off.”
Tickets: About 70 reservedseating tickets, which cost $40, remained as of Friday afternoon.