The Dominican Republic’s top junior welterweight contenders, Rohan Polanco and Elvis Rodriguez, are set to return to action in separate 10-round bouts on Friday, Sept. 27, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. This event, promoted by Top Rank in association with Matchroom Boxing, promises to deliver an exciting night of boxing as part of a stacked ESPN+-streamed undercard.
Polanco (13-0, 8 KOs), a former Tokyo Olympian, will face off against Argentina’s seasoned veteran Marcelino Lopez (37-4-1, 22 KOs). Polanco, who went 3-0 in 2023, has been on a tear, recently stopping Luis Hernandez in two rounds in June. Lopez, known for his power, is looking to bounce back after two decision losses in 2023 and aims to upset the undefeated Polanco.
Elvis "The Dominican Kid" Rodriguez (16-1-1, 13 KOs), trained by the legendary Freddie Roach, will test his skills against Mexican American veteran Kendo Castañeda (21-6, 9 KOs). Rodriguez has been on an impressive five-fight winning streak, including victories over Joseph Adorno and a seventh-round TKO of former world champion Viktor Postol. Castañeda, with nearly 12 years of experience, has faced top contenders and is eager to add Rodriguez to his list of notable opponents.
The night’s action will also feature rising U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson (13-0, 6 KOs) in an eight-round junior welterweight clash against Puerto Rico’s Yomar Alamo (22-2-1, 13 KOs). Both fighters are looking to make a statement as they step up in competition.
Tickets for this thrilling event go on sale Wednesday, Aug. 21, at 12 p.m. ET via Ticketmaster.com. Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ starting at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.
Read more about the event Ryan vs. Mayer here.
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