SPRINGFIELD BOXING
Hartford cruiserweight Richie Rivera headlines New England Explosion boxing card.
SPRINGFIELD — In some ways, not much has changed with Hartford native Richie Rivera from a year ago when he boxed in his home city for the first time.
The 6-foot cruiserweight still wears a sailor hat and keeps a pipe in his mouth, acting out every bit of his “Popeye the Sailor Man” nickname. He’s a physically intimidating 29-year-old and still undefeated in his professional career.
In other ways, everything has changed. Since defeating Jaime Solorio in June of 2018 at the XFinity Theatre, he’s won seven more fights, bringing his career record to 15-0 as he rises in the boxing world. He’s fought all over the country and in Mexico, and now boxes full time.
On Friday at the MassMutual Center in Springfield he’ll fight “Mighty” Joe Jones (11-1) of Leesburg, Va., in the main event at New England Explosion, which will be broadcast live on NESN, marking Rivera’s first bout on television.
“Busy, busy, busy. Just trying to stay in the ring, no downtime,” Rivera said. “It’s good to not only be in the ring, but to put our brand out there to the world.”
Rivera has fought and won six fights in 2019, his most recent a technical knockout of Juan Celin Zapata in Daytona, Fla., in November.
He is one of seven NewEngland natives on the card for Friday’s event, and one of four from Connecticut.
“We’re going to be on NESN, this is going to be my pro debut on TV, if you think about it,” he said. “This is a whole other ballpark. We’re stepping it up, we’re on a whole new playing field. The nerves didn’t change from day one. I still have the same nerves as an amateur as I do today. I think that’s a little bit of why I’m still doing as well as I am. I don’t sleep on any fighter and I still get that excitement.”
East Hartford native Anthony Laureano, 24, will fight Angel “Aztec Warrior” Hernandez (17-14-2) of McAllen, Texas, in the co-main event. Laureano, a super lightweight, is 12-0 in his professional career, and turned pro in 2016.
Laureano works full time at Rockville High in Vernon as a paraeducator, and would like to pursue his bachelor’s degree in either criminal justice or sociology. Like Rivera, Friday will be his TV debut. He was named the 2018 Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame Boxer of the Year.
“I’m ready for war, but I know God is with me, and victory is mine already,” Laureano said. “12-0, I’m keeping it. I’m going to stay undefeated, of course. That amount of momentum helps me.”
Laureano won the 2016 New England Golden Gloves Champion at the MassMutual Center and is eager to return.
“It’s kind of a homecoming,” he said.
Danbury’s Omar Bordoy (9-1) will fight Dieumerci Nzau of Silver Spring, Md.,in the super lightweight round. Derrick Whitley II (6-1-1) of Springfield will fight Jermaine Corley (3-8) of Mt. Vernon, N.Y., in the welterweight round. Hartford’s Jeffrey Torres (5-0) will box Antonio Chaves Fernandez (9-39-4) of Brockton, Mass., in another welterweight round, and Angel Vazquez (0-1) of Springfield will fight Leondro Silva (1-3) of Woburn, Mass., in the light heavyweight round.