Tag Archives: watts

Posted on 08/03/2018

By: Bryant Romero

Undefeated rising Jr welterweight prospect Juan Heraldez looks to keep his unbeaten record intact when takes on Kevin Watts (12-2, 5 KOs) in a ten round bout this Friday at the Sam’s Town Hotel in Las Vegas. Heraldez is coming off his career best victory over previously undefeated Jose Miguel Borrego, where Heraldez had to get up off the canvas to win. It’s been almost a year since Heraldez’s last fight as he was recovering from a hand injury. The hand is now good and healed as he will look to make a statement in the super-lightweight division. Boxinginsider caught with Heraldez to talk about his next fight, the super-lightweight division, and his ultimate goal in boxing.

“I was raised in Las Vegas,” Heraldez said. “I got to see the champs and watching the pros here training in Vegas motivated me and I became a pro and it was my dream. I’m living it. Me and my dad use to watch Chavez fights when I was kid and that’s what made me want to be a boxer,” he said.

Photo Credit: Juan Heraldez Facebook Account

Heraldez knew very early in his amateur career that he would eventually turn pro. He would later drop out of high school in just his sophomore year to turn all of his attention to boxing. After the success he was getting winning many fights and amateur tournaments, Heraldez knew he was destined to be a fighter.

“I was winning tournaments and I was just beating up everybody,” Heraldez told me. “I knew I had a chance and I caught people’s attention from boxing.”

He would turn pro in 2009 scoring a second round KO over Luis Tapia in his pro debut. After winning his first five bouts, Heraldez would get the attention of Floyd Mayweather and got the opportunity to spar Floyd to help him prepare before the first Maidana fight. Mayweather came away impressed and signed him to a promotional agreement.

“I use to spar a lot at Floyd’s gym and I use to spar with Jessie Vargas a lot. I became real close to Boza Edwards and it was easier to get the job to spar Floyd. And from there I started sparring Floyd for the first Maidana fight and Floyd told me that he thinks and I can be world champion and he put me under his wing,” Heraldez said.

Heraldez sees himself as a boxer/puncher, a patient fighter that takes it round by round. He doesn’t look for a knockout when he steps in the ring, but once he has his opponent hurt, Heraldez is not afraid to go for the kill. He’s heading into his next fight on almost a year of inactivity. Juan revealed that he had a hand injury before his last fight against Borrego.

“I had a hand injury prior to the Borrego fight. I took the fight with Borrego with one hand. A lot of people don’t know that I beat Borrego with one hand,” Heraldez said. “I didn’t have a right hand to throw a good punch.

“I just had to sit out for awhile and let my knuckle heal. I just had to ice it and go to therapy, but right now I’m 100 percent,” he said.

The 28-year-old doesn’t seem to be fazed at all by the inactivity heading into his next fight and envisions a beating for his next opponent this Friday. If all goes well this Friday, Heraldez sees himself challenging for a world title within the next year. He already has his eyes on the world champions at super-lightweight and he feels the division is wide open.

“Within six to eight months I think we put a couple of fights together and the 140 pound division is wide open,” Herladez said. “Anybody that has a belt, you got Ramriez, you got Maurice Hooker, Flanagan. There are a couple of guys at 140. I don’t see anybody special. Progrias I’ll fight him, he likes to get hit. People that like to get hit don’t last long,” he said.

The confident Herladez feels he’s a bad night for anybody in the super-lightweight division and has aspirations to not only become a world champion, but to land those big paydays to care for his family.

“Taking care of my family and taking care of everybody that looked after for me and my kids, being a world champion and all the accolades is extra. But to me being a caregiver to all my family and taking care of everybody that looked after me is the biggest championship belt I could get.

“I’m too fast; I’m too strong, it’s my show. I’m a bad man for anybody in the division and I’m going to stay undefeated,” Heraldez said.

Posted on 08/02/2018

By: William Holmes

Floyd Mayweather’s TMT Promotions will televise a card on Bounce TV live from Sam’s Town in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The main event of the evening will be between Ladarius Miller and Dennis Galarza in the lightweight division, and the co-main event of the evening will be between Juan Heraldez and Kevin Watts in the junior welterweight division.

The undercard will feature several solid contenders and up and coming boxers, including Sharif Bogere, Omar Douglas, Kevin Newman, and others.

Photo Credit: Mayweather Promotions

The following is a preview of the two main fights of the night.

Juan Heraldez (13-0) vs. Kevin Watts (12-2); Junior Welterweights

Both Heraldez and Watts are in the middle of their athletic prime and have under fifteen fights under their belts. Watts is twenty six years old and Heraldez is twenty nine years old. Watts is a little tall for the junior welterweight division, he stands at 5’10” with a 70 ½” reach.

Watts’ activity has been ok. He’s fought once in 2018, once in 2017, and twice in 2016. Heraldez hasn’t fought yet in 2018, but fought twice in 2017 and twice in 2016.

Neither boxer has a notable amateur career to write of.

Watts has gone 1-2 in his past three fights. He has losses on his resume to Jose Miguel Borrego and Eddie Ramirez. He had an impressive win over Ryan Karl in his last match, and also has defeated the likes of Michael Chuedcki, and Manuel Damairias Lopez.

Heraldez has already defeated on opponent that Watts has lost to, and that’s Jose Miguel Borrego. He has also defeated the likes of Alfonso Alvera, Reyes Sanchez, and Adam Mate.

Watts length and reach could be an issue for Heraldez, but Watts’ two losses were by stoppage and they came recently. Heraldez has a decent amount of power with eight stoppage wins, so it seems like he should be the favorite going into their bout on Friday night.

Ladarius Miller (16-1) vs. Dennis Galarza (16-3); Lightweights

The main event is between two contenders that are twenty five years old and are gunning for title shots in the near future.

Miller’s is one of Floyd Mayweather’s better fighters in his stable. He’s been fairly active and fought twice already in 2018, twice in 2017, and four times in 2016. He’s been on a solid seven fight win streak and is looking to make it eight in a row against Galarza.

Galarza has also been fairly active. He fought once already in 2018 and three times in 2017. However, he’s gone 3-2 in his last five fights and struggles against good competition.

Neither boxer has a notable amateur career. Miller will be giving up about one inch in height to Galarza but will have a two inch reach advantage.

Miller’s lone loss was to Rolando Chinea early on in his career. He has beaten the likes of Carlos Padilla, Jesus Gutierrez, and most impressively he beat Jamel Herring.

Galarza has losses to Edner Cherry, Cesar Alan Valenzuela, and Vincent Jennings His notable victories include Omar Tienda, Jonathan Perez, and Bernado Gomez.

Mayweather seems high on Miller, perhaps because Miller reminds him of himself. Miller only have five stoppage wins on his resume, but he’s known as an excellent defensive fighter.

Galarza has some power, as he has stopped nine of his opponents, but on paper it looks like he’ll need a knockout to win against Miller, because Miller is the better technical fighter.