Alycia Baumgardner defends her undisputed junior lightweight and The Ring Magazine championship for the first time in a rematch against Christina Linardatou at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, Michigan, with live streaming on DAZN.
Baumgardner aims to rejuvenate Detroit’s boxing scene with this event and is excited to perform before her hometown audience. Her victory over Mikaela Mayer to unify the IBF, WBC, and WBO 130-pound titles in October 2022 was a major milestone in her career. The fight against Linardatou will give Baumgardner the chance to pay homage to her Midwestern roots and inspire young girls in the region to pursue their dreams. She stated her gratitude and excitement about the upcoming fight, saying she is “realizing a dream come true.”
Linardatou, originally from Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic and now based in Athens, Greece, has won her last two fights since her defeat to Katie Taylor in November 2019. She is confident about her upcoming bout with Baumgardner and is eager to give an improved performance compared to their previous bout.
In the co-main event, the professional debut of Andy Cruz, a noteworthy talent from Cuba and the 2020 Olympic gold medalist, is also eagerly anticipated. Cruz is set to face former 130-pound title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos (35-7-3, 21 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight contest.
Cuban star Cruz recently inked a multi-year agreement with Matchroom Boxing, led by Eddie Hearn, who aims to rapidly propel the 28-year-old towards a world title. Hearn's strategy involves securing Cruz a title shot in less than four fights, optimizing his chances to clinch a belt before age or weight issues intervene. Contrarily, the 35-year-old Burgos, with a professional tenure of 19 years, has witnessed a slump in form, losing five of his last seven fights, including a recent eight-round unanimous defeat to Keyshawn Davis. Notably, Burgos' career features battles against luminaries such as Roman Martin, Mikey Garcia, and Hozumi Hasegawa.
Also, the native of Detroit, Michigan JaRico O’Quinn (15-1-1, 8 KOs) meets Carlos Mujica (8-2, 2 KOs) of Las Vegas, NV in an eight-rounder at junior featherweight.
In addition, Jermarco Holloway (5-0, 2 KOs) goes up against Angelo Snow (9-4, 6 KOs) in a 6-round welterweight bout.
Main card:
▪️Alycia Baumgardner vs. Christina Linardatou, 10 rounds, for Baumgardner’s undisputed super featherweight title ▪️Andy Cruz vs. Juan Carlos Burgos, 10 rounds, lightweight ▪️Jermaine Franklin vs. Junior Anthony Wright, 10 rounds, heavyweight ▪️Ja'Rico O'Quinn vs. Carlos Mujica, 8 rounds, junior featherweight
Prelims:
▪️Jermarco Holloway vs. Angelo Snow, 6 rounds, welterweight ▪️Cameran Pankey vs. Misael Reyes, 6 rounds, featherweight ▪️Joseph Hicks vs. Ramses Agaton, 6 rounds, super middleweight ▪️Joshua Pagan vs. Gabriel Smith, 6 rounds, super lightweight
Watch the weigh-in live on YouTube from Detroit, Michigan: Watch
