ORANGE, California – A vicious combination of three losses within the past three years did its best to break the spirit of Mexico’s junior-welterweight Miguel Madueno.
And yet, a sudden turn of events has positioned the Sinaloa fighter to produce a magical and redemptive response in the main event of Saturday night’s Golden Boy Promotions DAZN-streamed card from Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Embracing the opportunity to replace injured former 140-pound world champion Regis Prograis (shoulder), the 26-year-old Madueno, 31-3 (28 KOs), accepted the bout with rising countryman Oscar Duarte, 28-2-1 (22 KOs).
“This is the first time I’ve had an opportunity like this,” Madueno said.
Earlier Wednesday, Madueno manager Alex Camponovo showed him how fate may be in play by pointing out that Madueno’s hotel room is one block away from the Orange, California office where Camponovo signed Madueno years ago.
“It just feels right,” Camponovo said.
Two weeks before Prograis got hurt, Camponovo had planted the seed of Madueno’s availability to Golden Boy President Eric Gomez, who phoned Camponovo February 4 to ask if Madueno was up for the replacement role.
Madueno said he “never thought twice” about agreeing to the bout.
“I was in good shape because we had a fight we believed was coming my way in the next couple of months. I knew I’d have to rush it along a little more, but I decided as soon as I got the phone call that I would take the fight,” Madueno told BoxingScene during a workout at SOA Boxing gym.
“I consider myself a good fighter, and I’m an athlete. So I always need to remain in shape. I mean it when I say I’m here to win, not just to collect a paycheck.”
Madueno is coming off a July 6 unanimous decision loss (99-91 on all three cards) to Keyshawn Davis, who fights for the WBO lightweight belt in New York Friday. In that bout, Madueno grew frustrated by Davis’ taunts and a low blow and wound up picking up Davis as if he wanted to body slam him in the seventh round.
Defeats before that to Steve Claggett and Jezzrel Corrales also sparked mood swings that distracted Madueno during the bouts, so he was asked to consider sessions with a sports psychologist that he has embraced.
Knowing that the aggressive Duarte is the opponent provided Madueno further incentive to say yes.
“I like the fact that he’s a boxer who comes forward. That fits perfectly with my style,” Madueno said. “If [Duarte’s] willing to fight like he always does, it will be a great fight for him, for me, for the public who will watch it.
“Considering the fact that I took this fight on such short notice, if they raise my hand in the end, that is a bigger plus than even being in a main event.”
Camponovo has personally observed how the pain of the three prior losses – in Panama, Montreal and New Jersey – have impacted Madueno.
The fighter who has learned under Julio Cesar Chavez, Jorge Arce and the Montiel family has repeatedly headed back to Mexico following those heartbreaks, determined to improve.
“For him to have this opportunity, win, lose or draw, I know he’s a winner, no matter what,” Camponovo said. “I know how much he cares about the sport, how badly he wants to have a future. So I can’t wait for him to have this opportunity, and I hope it’s the right one.”
Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.
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