Welterweight Alberto Palmetta has been waiting for a big-fight call and after defeating Janelson Figueroa Bocachica it finally came. Now, he believes he’s one step closer to his dream of fighting for a title.
Palmetta will face Jesus Saracho in a 10-round welterweight bout headlining Wednesday Night Fights from the ProBox TV Events Center in Plant City, Florida, live on the ProBox TV app and on YouTube.
Palmetta (19-2, 13 KOs) faced a setback with a unanimous decision loss to Jamal James in February 2023, bringing his record to two losses after a 12-fight winning streak. Despite this, Palmetta, 34, remains optimistic. His November unanimous decision victory over Bocachica – in a battle of fringe contenders – has given the Argentinian native momentum and renewed focus.
“Really, against Bocachica, I didn’t have the best preparation,” Palmetta said. “I didn’t have strength and conditioning and was recovering from an injury. I was really focused on my boxing skills, but I couldn’t run. I couldn’t do different stuff.”
Palmetta has since invested in a sports psychologist, a strength and conditioning coach, and a boxing coach for his upcoming bout. “This fight might be better for me right now because I have done a lot of things in training,” he said.
He also praised his 23-year-old opponent Saracho (13-2-1, 11 KOs), originally from Mexico but now residing in Auburn, Washington.
“When I face a Mexican fighter, I prepare myself 150 per cent,” Palmetta added. “Because all Mexicans, they come to fight and they can take a punch and keep going.”
Palmetta has observed Saracho fighting in two different styles – typical ‘Mexican style’ with forward pressure and a more measured approach picking his shots. Saracho is also a southpaw, adding another layer to Palmetta’s preparation. “To be honest, I have been sparring with two different styles,” Palmetta said. “Boxers that walk forward, and people that box on the outside, so I am ready for both.”
Palmetta sees this opportunity as a gateway to bigger things, and the 2016 Olympian is eager to get a shot at glory.
“A win puts me higher in the rankings, and that’s the thing that I’m looking for. I want to have an opportunity to fight for the world title and finally achieve my dream. I’ve been working for a long time. I really want to be world champion. So, I think that the fight is gonna put me one step closer to achieving my goal.”
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.
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