Junior welterweight Joshua James Pagan won the USA Boxing National Championships in 2021 and then decided to go pro with Salita Promotions. He is aiming to continue his ascent through the pro rank.
Pagan is facing Ronal Ron in an eight-round fight as one of the main undercard bouts on Claressa Shields-Danielle Perkins on February 2 at Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan. The fight will be broadcast nationally on DAZN.
Pagan, a 25-year-old from Grand Rapids, Michigan, he turned pro in January 2022. Since then, he has fought 11 times with his last fight seeing Pagan headline in Puerto Rico. Pagan reflected on the decision to turn pro three years ago.
“I fought Keon Davis for the national championship and then I went pro the next month. That was definitely a big moment for me,” Pagan, 11-0 (4 KOs), told BoxingScene.
“I’d been amateur for a long time. I’ve been fighting since I was 13. The opportunity presented itself. My teammate, Joe Hicks, he’s also signed to Salita. He sent some clips from the tournament to Salita and the rest is history.”
Pagan fought four times in 2022 and five times in 2023. In 2024, he only fought twice, but moved up to eight round fights. His last fight against Haskell Rhodes was a 10-round bout. Rhodes was a 38-fight veteran who had gone 204 rounds before that fight. Pagan has only gone 49 as a pro. The fight was a learning experience as Pagan starts to move up the rankings.
“I’m just very humble. I work very hard,” said Pagan, describing himself.
These virtues were instilled in him by one of the strongest voices in his corner, Victor Pagan, his father, who is also a former fighter.
“He did some Golden Gloves boxing back in the day when he was a kid,” Pagan said of his father. “So that’s what really inspired me to do it. We always watched boxing. The first fight I watched was when I was seven. It was Floyd Mayweather versus Oscar De La Hoya. So, that’s what really got me into boxing.”
Ron, 27, is on a two-fight winning streak after a four-fight losing streak. He is best known for being stopped by Abdullah Mason. Ron holds a record of 16-7 (13 KOs) and is from Venezuela, but trains in Chino Hills, California. This upcoming fight is another step in his journey to accomplish glory like he did as an amateur.
“I’m just staying ready to create more big moments,” Pagan said. “My dad taught me that hard work and consistency – that’s what has gotten me to the moments that I’ve had so far. I just encourage anybody, any young person, just to keep working hard.
“If you’re chasing something don’t give up; just be consistent.”
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