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Oscar Collazo. Photo by Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy
Puerto Rico’s Oscar Collazo (7-0, 5 KOs) makes his first WBO 105-pound title defense against Garen Diagan (10-3, 5 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, on August 26, it was announced by Golden Boy Promotions on Friday.
The first men’s world title fight in Puerto Rico in six years will headline a special island broadcast of the Golden Boy Fight Night Series on DAZN from the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan and is presented in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions. The DAZN broadcast begins at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT.
Tickets for Golden Boy Fight Night on DAZN: Collazo vs. Diagan go on-sale Monday, July 31, 2023 at 10:00 am AST and are priced at $125, $100, $55, and $25 plus applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketera.com.
“El Pupilo” solidified his place at the top of the list of active Puerto Rican boxers with a meteoric rise in the sport through a spectacular knockout of former titleholder Melvin Jerusalem this past May 27 on the undercard of Rocha vs. Young. Displaying his adaptability and surgical use of a heavy left-hand punch that hurt the former champion, Collazo crushed a number of records in his victorious championship fight, including shredding the record for the fastest to become a world champion from Puerto Rico.
👀 POV: you become the fastest Puerto Rican fighter to win a World Title 🙌🇵🇷 #ElPupilo pic.twitter.com/2p2E6A00sT
— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) July 28, 2023
“I feel super honored to return to fight where I made my pro-debut, and make my first defense there,” Collazo, The Ring’s No. 3-rated strawweight, stated in the press release. “Great champions such as Wilfredo Gómez, Wilfredo Benitez, Tito Trinidad and Miguel Cotto have fought there, and this is another historic moment that marks my career once again. I am super grateful to Miguel Cotto Promotions, Golden Boy and DAZN for believing in me and allowing me to make my first defense here, in front of my people of Puerto Rico. I am very excited and grateful.
“Like all Filipinos, my opponent comes to fight. He is a strong boxer who has come with two great victories. He is tall and he uses his reach well. We have everything planned and we know the hands that I have can attack and make damage. I just want to continue thanking my fans for the support they have given me, and I want them to support me on August 26 to continue making history together with all my beautiful people from the Island,” concluded Collazo.
With a moniker of “Hellboy,” Diagan is a tough southpaw who created chaos in South Africa when he knocked out local hero Simpiwe Konkco and in Vietnam when he outscored world-ranked Huu Toan Le with a split decision victory. Diagan is not a stranger to being the underdog in a foreign land and securing an upset victory.
“I am amped about my opponent, Collazo is a world champion. I will bring my A-game,” said challenger Garen Diagan. “I’ll do my level-best to prove to all that I can hang with the best of them too. My opponent is a tough cookie and well-rounded fighter. There is something about him that sets him apart from the others – he packs a punch and is on a winning spree. He’s got some serious muscle. My coach and I have a plan, we have been putting in the hours in the gym, and I’ll give it everything I’ve got to show everyone that he’s up against a true Filipino.”
More information on the complete undercard will be announced in the coming weeks.
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The cover of the June-July 2023 Summer Special was painted by Richard Slone.
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