SAN ANTONIO – Bryan Acosta may be taking a risk heading into his fight with top-rated contender Ramon Cardenas on Saturday, but it’s a gamble he has calculated.
Acosta is rated 14th by the IBF at 126lbs, but he opted to cut the additional four pounds and travel to Cardenas’ hometown of San Antonio for a 10-round junior-featherweight fight at the Boeing Center at Tech Sport. The fight will headline a ProBox TV card.
Acosta says he didn’t need much convincing to agree to the bout.
“I took the risk,” said the 26-year-old Acosta, 20-0 (8 KOs). “I saw the fighter and I told my trainer, ‘Let’s do it. We will win this fight’.
“I feel really motivated being the underdog. I know this is the biggest fight of my career right now. Like every fight, I’m prepared 100 per cent. I know my talent and I know my experience. I know who the guys [are] I’ve been in the ring with. I’m ready for Saturday. I will bring the ‘W’ back to Mexico.”
Though Acosta, of Hermosillo, Mexico, is fighting in his opponent’s hometown, it is a return of sorts for him. Born in Mexico, Acosta and his family moved to San Diego when he was a newborn. He lived there until he was five years old, becoming fluent in English before returning back to Hermosillo in Sonora state. He says he had always dreamed of returning to the United States for a big fight.
“This is my dream since I started boxing,” said Acosta, whose most recent pro fight was in February, when he stopped Maximino Toala in three rounds. “One thing that I wanted was to have a big fight in America for my debut, and I think ProBox is on the road to being one of the biggest brands here in boxing. I’m glad to be one of the fighters on this card.”
Though little is known about Acosta in American boxing circles, he isn’t without credentials. He had an amateur career of approximately 135 bouts, he says, but opted to turn pro shortly before his 18th birthday because he felt the politics of amateur boxing in Mexico wouldn’t allow him to progress further.
He is trained by Alfredo Caballero, who is best remembered as the trainer for former world titleholders Juan Francisco Estrada and Miguel Berchelt.
After turning pro, he signed with a manager who gave him his nickname “El Latino”, which he says took some getting used to.
“He told my dad, ‘This guy doesn’t look like a Mexican’,” Acosta said. “He said, ‘We’re gonna call this guy ‘El Latino’. He chose that for marketing purposes. At first I didn’t like it. I would tell the commentators, ‘Don’t call me El Latino, only Bryan Acosta’. In time, everyone is calling me El Latino, and now I like it. It’s a unique nickname.”
If he can pull off a win over Cardenas, 25-1 (14 KOs), people may have to start calling him “El Contendiente”, or “The Contender”.
Cardenas is rated second by the WBA at junior featherweight, and a win for Acosta would likely earn him a high ranking with that organization.
Acosta, who has never weighed lower than 123.5lbs for a fight, said he believes he’s stronger at 126lbs. But should he emerge victorious, he would suddenly be a real player at 122lbs.
“In all aspects – because I think Cardenas is a great fighter – after I beat him, I will be the number-two contender after this fight,” Acosta said. “But first we have to win. The other thing is that everyone will know me after this fight. They will say this guy is in the big league and is here to stay.”
Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.
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