Of the eight participants, only Aram Avagyan (10-0-1, 4KOs) and Yeis Gabriel Solano (15-0, 10KOs) have previously appeared on the series. Avagyan faces Panama’s Jose ‘Magnifico’ Nuñez (11-0-1, 4KOs) in an eight-round featherweight bout, while Solano takes on Mykquan Williams (15-0-1, 7KOs) in an eight-round junior welterweight contest.Rounding out the show, Martino Jules (10-0, 2KOs) and Pedro Márquez Medina (12-1, 8KOs) both debut on ShoBox in their eight-round featherweight battle.
https://www.boxingscene.com/patrick...21-season-premiere-jan-20-mohegan-sun--154089
The four-fight card will mark just the second ShoBox telecast since the pandemic, though entering the new year with a bang. The event will mark the first Showtime card of 2021, with both sides of the main event making their respective series debut.
San Juan’s Cora (10-0, 7KOs) was unable to get in a fight in 2020, largely due to the lack of activity in his native Puerto Rico. The 21-year old former national amateur champion last appeared in December 2019, scoring a 4th round knockout of then-unbeaten Geronimo Sacco.
The upcoming clash with Normatov will mark the third straight fight against an undefeated opponent for Cora, along with his first fight stateside. The 13 months spent between fights will be well worth the wait given the upcoming opportunity and the preparation he’s enjoyed along the way.
“Fighting on Showtime is a dream come true and being put in the main event is just beyond words,” said Cora, who gained extensive work with then-unified 154-pound titlist Jeison Rosario and Top 10 contender Erickson Lubin despite an inactive 2020 campaign. “At the end of the night, I will prove I belong there with the best of the best. There are no excuses. I am ready for war and to win for Puerto Rico.
“My opponent had a great amateur career and he's talented. It will be a great experience for sure, but I have worked hard for these types of fights; the hand they will raise at the end of the fight will be mine.”
Normatov (10-0, 3KOs) was only slightly more active over the past year than was his upcoming opponent. The 28-year old southpaw from Brooklyn by way of Andijan, Uzbekistan managed to get in one fight in 2020, an eight-round win over Uriel Hernandez this past January in Toronto, Canada. While this bout represents a step up in class, being surrounded by world class talent—including former titlists Daniel Jacobs and Richard Commey along with perennial contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko—has him believing that a win is the next career step towards putting a 154-pound title around his waist.
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