McALLEN — Weslaco’s Brandon and Omar Figueroa, Brownsville’s Omar Juarez and Raymondville’s Eric Molina all made names for themselves as professional boxers fighting out of the Rio Grande Valley.
This year’s Borders Wars is set to shine the spotlight on the future of RGV boxing with a stacked card featuring Edinburg’s Fabian “The Unknown Warrior” Diaz, a three-time USA Boxing National Junior Olympics champion, fighting in his first main event July 28 at Payne Arena in Hidalgo.
“I just want to thank God for putting me in this position, putting me on this path. I’ve been working hard to get ready for this main event,” the 19-year-old lightweight Diaz said during a news conference Thursday at La Bahia restaurant in McAllen.
The Edinburg High alumnus Diaz has built a 4-0 professional record since making his pro debut last summer.
He won his first two professional fights by unanimous decision with victories over Julio Gomez on July 9, 2022, at the Alamodome in San Antonio and Jesus Maldonado on Sept. 10, 2022, at Payne Arena.
Diaz finished his next two bouts with a first-round knockout against Jonathan Rangel on Dec. 3, 2022, in Mercedes and a first-round technical knockout against Eleazar Mendietta on Feb. 11 at the Alamodome.
“The first two fights, I was barely getting the feel of it. The last two, I got the feel and I’m getting the knockouts in,” Diaz said.
Now, he’ll put his 4-0 record on the line in the Border Wars main event against 5-0 Ivan Alvarado from Monterrey, Mexico, for the vacant Interworld Boxing Organization lightweight title. It’ll be Diaz’s first time headlining a professional card.
“I’m going for the knockout. I’m going to put on a show and show everybody I’m about it,” he said.
“Fabian Diaz has a big future in boxing,” said Anthony Cavazos, the president of Cavazos Boxing Promotions. “He’s fighting an undefeated fighter. Not everybody wants to fight an undefeated fighter. It’s going to be a hell of a fight. These guys are training hard, and I think it’s going to be a war on July 28.”
Antonio “El Tornado” Iruegas is another 19-year-old rising star fighting out of Pharr with a 5-0 professional record. A two-time national champion, Iruegas is scheduled to fight Fernando Robles (2-3) in a super bantamweight bout.
Four of Iruegas’ five professional victories have come by way of knockout, including three first-round finishes. He won his last fight by unanimous decision over Jesus Dorado Cruz on July 22, 2022.
Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or in-person at the Payne Arena box office. For more information, contact Cavazos Boxing Promotions at 956-369-0742.