Azael Villar and Ricardo Astuvilca will run it back on October 3, headlining a nine-fight card at the Seneca Resort and Casino in Niagara Falls, New York. Their 2023 meeting produced a thrilling back-and-forth battle, which Villar won on points. This time, they’ll clash in a 10-round main event for a WBA regional junior flyweight title.
Promoter Felix Zabala of All Star Boxing confirmed the matchup, noting the neutral ground and expecting another war. The event will mark All Star Boxing’s 10th show at the venue, where they’ve sold out every time. ESPN KnockOut will televise the card internationally starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Villar (21-4-4, 16 KOs), rated No. 15 by the WBO, has built a career mixing notable wins with setbacks on the international stage. His résumé includes victories over Leroy Estrada and former WBA champion Ryo Miyazaki, along with a 2023 decision over Astuvilca. The Panamanian enters this fight after a points win over Kevin Vivas.
Astuvilca (23-3, 5 KOs), a former WBA Gold champion, began his career in Peru with 21 straight victories before stepping up in class. He has since fallen to Erick Rosa, Villar, and most recently Rene Santiago, but remains a seasoned contender at 36.
The co-feature will see unbeaten local contender Mikiah Kreps (10-0, 2 KOs) meet Argentina’s Juliana Basualdo (13-6, 2 KOs) in an eight-round junior featherweight bout. Also confirmed is Elon De Jesus (10-1-2, 3 KOs) against Colombia’s Belmar Preciado (22-9-1, 15 KOs), plus heavyweight prospect Joseph “Ming” Mesi (2-0, 1 KO), nephew of Joe Mesi, taking on Alexis Taveras (3-3, 1 KO).
Fight card:
▪️Azael Villar vs. Ricardo Astuvilca, 10 rounds, light flyweight
▪️Mikiah Kreps vs. Juliana Vanesa Basualdo, 8 x 2 rounds, super bantamweight
▪️Elon Dejesus vs. Belmar Preciado, 8 rounds, super bantamweight
▪️Gerffred Ngayot vs. Jaylan Phillips, 6 rounds, lightweight
▪️Alexander Hernandez vs. Rodolfo Puentes, 6 rounds, middleweight
▪️Michael Vega vs. Carlos Aguilera Martinez, 6 rounds, super lightweight
▪️Joseph Mesi vs. Alexis Soriano Taveras, 4 rounds, heavyweight
▪️Miguel Estrada vs. Sterling Love, 4 rounds, flyweight
▪️Daniel Dejesus vs. Don Linwood Stewart, 4 rounds, super featherweight
