After building a reputation as being one of America’s best young heavyweights with 13 KOs in his first 16 wins, Jermaine Franklin has gone the distance in each of his last four bouts. He’ll look to shut the critics up on April 22 when he faces Stephan Shaw in a battle of undefeated American heavyweights in their Ring City USA main event. Franklin (20-0, 13 KOs) has the experience of fighting in main events under his belt, and has the belief in himself that he can separate from the rest of the pack of American prospects who haven’t yet tasted defeat. At just 26 years old, he’s young for a heavyweight and has been hailed as “the next great American heavyweight” by many boxing outlets. He’s out to prove he’s just that this April.

Undefeated American heavyweight Stephan Shaw comes from St. Louis boxing royalty. Shaw (14-0, 10 KOs) is the grandson of Buddy Shaw, the renowned St. Louis trainer whose main work was with amateur fighters but who also worked with the likes of former two-division world champion Cory Spinks at one point. Shaw is the quintessential student of the game, able to rattle off dates of historic fights off the top of his head, partly due to being exposed to the sport at a young age via his grandfather’s extensive VHS collection of fights. It’s only a slight coincidence he trains in San Diego mere walking distance from the San Diego Sports Arena, where Ken Norton broke Muhammad Ali’s jaw and handed “The Greatest” his second ever pro loss. Shaw is out to prove he’s the best young undefeated American heavyweight by knocking off a fellow one in Jermaine Franklin in the April 22 main event of Ring City USA.

Canadian multi-hyphenate athlete Jelena Mrdjenovich has become a dominant force in a sport that she initially only picked up when an injury derailed her basketball dreams. The 5'7 WBA Featherweight Champion played basketball at The University of Alberta before an ACL tear ended her career on the hardwood. So at the encouragement of her father, Jelena took her athleticism and moved into the ring. Mrdjenovich made her professional debut in 2003 and has gone on to carve out an illustrious career, capturing world titles in three different weight classes and unifying the WBC and WBA Featherweight titles in 2016. In what will be her 53rd professional fight, Mrdjenovich enters the ring for the first time in the absence of her longtime trainer Milan Lubovac, who suffered a heart attack earlier this year. By her side on Dec. 17 will be her new trainer Jonathan Banks, who has previously worked with former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. So while her return to the ring will be different in so many ways, as a seasoned pro with a lengthy record, so much remains the same.

A single majority decision loss in her second pro fight is all that keeps Erika Cruz Hernandez from being undefeated. The Mexican featherweight contender Hernandez (12-1, 3 KOs) has scored her fair share of upsets in the past, including a clear unanimous decision win over once-beaten Vissia Trovato in March 2019 in Trovato’s homeland of Italy. You could even say Hernandez beat Trovato more clearly than Hernandez’s Ring City USA opponent Jelena Mrdjenovich did three months later on Mrdjenovich’s home turf. Hernandez has proved she always comes to fight and she won’t be hard for Mrdjenovich to find, meaning we’re likely looking at a war when the two meet April 22. 

Only Manny Pacquiao has won more world titles in more weight classes than Amanda Serrano, the Brooklyn-Bushwick-bred and Puerto Rican-born future Hall of Famer who headlines Ring City USA’s March 25th card. Serrano has nine titles in seven weight classes to her credit, and she even pulled off the nearly impossible when she went from winning a world title at the 140-pound super lightweight limit to four months later boiling down to the 115-pound super flyweight limit to hoist her seventh divisional world championship. She hasn’t lost in nearly nine years and has rare knockout power that hasn’t often been seen from women pro boxers. Her and her sister Cindy were the first sisters to ever earn world titles in the ring and making firsts has been a signature to the Serranos’ careers -- particularly Amanda.

Much has been made of the fact that Daniela Bermudez’s opponent Amanda Serrano comes from a fighting family. But such is the case too for the pride of Santa Fe, Argentina. The Bermudez family owns a gym -- the Bermudez Boxing Club in Villa Gobernador Galvez in Santa Fe, and three of her five siblings have established themselves in the pro ranks. Daniela and her sister Evelyn joined the Serranos as the only pair of sisters to hoist world titles when Evelyn won her world title in 2018. Daniela hasn’t lost in nearly seven years and is a three-division world champion chasing her fourth in this super fight against Serrano. Like Serrano, she also appears on every women’s pound-for-pound list and is the most accomplished opponent to step in the ring with her.

Abimael Ortiz had to earn his respect the hard way -- and that came in August 2018 when he stopped 2012 Puerto Rican Olympian Jantony Ortiz Marcano in the fifth round. Abimael was the underdog and that victory helped land him on people’s radars. Ortiz is all about taking stiff tests and he’ll face another in the eight-round Ring City USA co-feature March 25th when he meets once-beaten Mexican contender Eduardo Baez. Ortiz will be the local favorite and though other names on the Puerto Rican circuit have garnered more publicity, Ortiz could prove to be the best of the latest class of rising prospects. The Baez fight will be a great indicator of where his career can go.

Eduardo Baez made his Ring City USA debut on the show’s finale back on December 17th, comprehensively defeating then-unbeaten Narek Abgaryan by an eight-round shutout decision. The twin brother of Leonardo Baez (who also fights on this card), Eduardo is 9-0 when he shares a card with his sibling. His only loss came four years ago against Mauricio Lara -- a loss that has taken a different light since Lara’s demolition of an undefeated former featherweight champion Josh Warrington last month. Baez could prove to be another Lara-like spoiler -- and he’ll be that if he hands the hometown Abimael Ortiz his first defeat on Ortiz’s home turf in Puerto Rico.

Hailed as one of Puerto Rico’s next great stars in the mid 2010's, Machado lost his 130-pound world title in a shocking defeat at the hands of Andrew Cancio in 2019. The heavy-handed Machado says he had been starving himself to make the weight for years, but was able to bail himself out with his power punching. Now fully entrenched at the lightweight limit of 135 pounds, Machado is out to show his second run as a world champion is just around the corner. Intent on taking the hard road back, he steps in on March 18th on Ring City USA against a once beaten up-and-comer Angel Fierro in the latest installment of boxings' greatest rivalry.

Mexican fighters are known for having a ton of heart and being willing to accept difficult challenges. In these manners, lightweight contender Angel “Tashiro” Fierro (17-1-1, 13 KOs) is no different. Just 22 years old, Fierro has stepped in on short notice to face a former 130-pound world champion in Alberto Machado—on his Puerto Rican adversary’s home turf no less. Fierro alternates between training in San Diego, California and Tijuana, Baja California Sur, Mexico—the latter being at a gym owned by the greatest fighter in Tijuana’s history (and one of the all-time great Mexicans) in Erik “El Terrible” Morales. Morales will be in Fierro’s corner for the biggest opportunity of his career on March 18th—a huge boost to the once-beaten come-forward fighter, who was already in the gym getting ready for a local stay-busy fight when he got the call to face Machado. Those that know the sport know that Fierro is a true test for Machado, making this a fifty-fifty fight.

Once hailed as one of Puerto Rico’s most promising up-and-coming fighters, it’s been tough sledding for Jose Martinez (21-1-2, 14 KOs) the last couple years. A knockout loss to Aston Palicte in 2018 grinded his career to a halt, but he showed a lot of resolve in his next fight last February when he climbed off the canvas in round one to deck Yeison Vargas in the second. A skilled boxer-puncher, Martinez is at a career crossroads, and has an opportunity to revitalize his career in a big way with a win over the thrice-title challenger Israel Gonzalez. He will have the luxuries of fighting at home in Puerto Rico in his corner—a place where he has never tasted defeat. Will it be sink or swim for “Chiquiro” Martinez? Tune in March 18 to find out.

Like his Mexican compatriot on the card Angel Fierro, Israel Gonzalez (26-4, 11 KOs) is never one to turn down a challenge. A three-time super flyweight world title challenger, Gonzalez has faced some of the elite names of the 115-pound division, and even held his own. Many believed he beat unbeaten British world champion Khalif Yafai when the two met in 2018, but he wound up losing a decision. He traveled to Japan to score his biggest win of his career at the hands of local world-rated contender Sho Ishida a few days after Christmas 2019, and he’ll have to bring the same determination as he looks to defeat a home fighter yet again in the form of Jose Martinez of Puerto Rico. “Jiga” Gonzalez is up for the task and won’t be deterred from earning yet another shot at a world title. At just 24 years of age, he’s poised for a serious run.

It’s never been easy for Brandon Adams -- he’s been fighting his entire life. The seventh of nine kids who grew up in the tough Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, Adams is used to earning respect the hard way. He did it as a sparring partner to world champions Shawn Porter and Gennadiy Golovkin, and as the winner of the fifth season of The Contender. Adams has made noise at 160 pounds, but is now fully focused on putting the super welterweight division on notice, as evidenced by his two-round shellacking of rugged Sonny Duversonne, who just a month earlier pushed an undefeated fighter to the limit. Adams has real power at this weight, evidenced by his 8-1 record with 8 KOs in his last nine fights at or near the 154-pound limit.

It’s time for “El Flaco” to prove his gaudy knockout numbers are legitimate. 18-0 with 18 knockouts, the Ukrainian super welterweight contender has been making a name for himself on Gennadiy Golovkin undercards and southern California club shows since turning pro four years ago. Now trained by renowned southern California trainer Manny Robles, Bohachuk is ready to step up to the next level and will make his nationally televised debut with Ring City USA on March 4 against Brandon Adams. Bohachuk knows one way to fight, and that is coming forward. Hit and get hit, you can bank on Bohachuk being in an action fight.

Not every fighter is lucky enough to be mentored by the great four-division Puerto Rican legend Miguel Cotto, but Zorrilla has been taken under the future Hall of Famer’s wing since he turned pro in 2016. The 27-year-old super lightweight is intent on making up for time lost last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and hopes a title shot looms in the near future. His goal is to meet current unified champion Jose Ramirez, a Mexican-American star that would make this a great addition to the Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry in boxing. But first, Zorrilla must dazzle in his toughest test to date. He has the skills to do so, with three of his last four opponents succumbing by knockout. He’s considered one of Puerto Rico’s brightest upcoming stars and March 4 he will look to prove why.

Trained by Joel Diaz, Ruslan Madiev is looking to climb the super lightweight rankings in a big way in 2021. At a career crossroads at 28 years of age, the Kazakh contender made a change from former Gennadiy Golovkin trainer Abel Sanchez before his moost recent fight as he enters the most important bout of his eight-year career. Coming off 20-month layoff due to the pandemic, Madiyev knows the result of his next bout will likely determine how he is thought of in boxing circles. A win and he’s back on track to a title shot in a red-hot division. Madiev’s self belief is so great he’s traveling to Puerto Rico to fight a Boricuan fighter on their own turf. Will he follow in the footsteps of his compatriot GGG and be the next great Kazakh star? Ring City USA will help clear up that picture on March 4.

In a loaded lightweight division, San Antonio’s Hector Tanajara is out to prove he is the division’s most slept on fighter. Ryan Garcia, Teofimo Lopez, Gervonta Davis, and Devin Haney are drawing a lot of headlines, but Tanajara insists he’s right on their tails and is getting his biggest test on Ring City USA on March 4 against a former world champion in Alberto Machado -- on Machado’s home court in Puerto Rico. The 24-year-old Tanajara is trained by the renowned Robert Garcia, who sees Tanajara as one of his next world champions. He’s got a quiet confidence reminiscent of Hall of Fame fighter Alexis Arguello -- and he knows how a big win over Machado could earn him a life-changing payday against one of the aforementioned big names. It’s sink or swim time for Tanajara and he’s telling us he doesn’t need any floaties.

Hailed as one of Puerto Rico’s next great stars in the mid 2010s, Machado lost his 130-pound world title in a shocking defeat at the hands of Andrew Cancio in 2019. The heavy-handed Machado says he had been starving himself to make the weight for years, but was able to bail himself out with his power punching. Now fully entrenched at the lightweight limit of 135 pounds, Machado is out to show his second run as a world champion is just around the corner. Intent on taking the hard road back, he steps in on March 4 on Ring City USA against an unbeaten up-and-comer Hector Tanajara who doesn’t know how to lose. The right-handed dominant southpaw Machado has been fighting since he was 10 years old. Now age 30, Machado knows a big win with his name recognition could put him in the sweepstakes for a fight with one of the rising big-money names at lightweight. It’s the most important fight of Machado’s career -- will he pass the test?

Streaking prospect Charles Conwell returns to the ring for the second time this fall. The durable Conwell most recently fought in October, where he showed his grittiness by knocking out his opponent despite sustaining a hand injury mid-fight. Conwell, who began boxing at age 11, knows the meaning of bucking down and ignoring distractions - He had to do it every day growing up in Cleveland as one of nine children. Conwell never let distractions get in the way and that focus and intensity paid off, first in a standout amateur career; Conwell became a two-time USA boxing youth national champion, a 2015 National Golden Gloves Champion/USA Boxing Youth Male Athlete of The Year and a 2016 USA Olympian. Conwell's professional career has continued to unfold in a similar fashion as he has fought his way to an undefeated record of 13-0, 10 KO's and continues to hunger for his next win.

Hailing from the European boxing hotbed of Kazakhstan, Madiyar Ashkeyev put everything on the line when he left his family to go train in Oxnard, C.A. five years ago. The transition was almost as tough as the training - Ashkeyev was lonely and unfamiliar with the culture. He missed his family and leaned on other European boxers for comfort and companionship, including former champion Sergey Kovalev, a longtime training and sparring partner. But he stayed steadfast in his focus and determination create a great life for himself inside and outside of the ring. All of his sacrifices and training have paid off. With his wife a three kids now living with him in the states, numerous friends both within and outside of the boxing world, and still clinging to an undefeated record, the 32-year-old is ready for stardom. Ashkeyev has leaned into the role of a self-made boxer and fought himself out of a hard life in Kazakhstan - His next step is to fight for a belt.

Canadian multi-hyphenate athlete Jelena Mrdjenovich has become a dominant force in a sport that she initially only picked up when an injury derailed her basketball dreams. The 5'7 WBA Featherweight Champion played basketball at The University of Alberta before an ACL tear ended her career on the hardwood. So at the encouragement of her father, Jelena took her athleticism and moved into the ring. Mrdjenovich made her professional debut in 2003 and has gone on to carve out an illustrious career, capturing world titles in three different weight classes and unifying the WBC and WBA Featherweight titles in 2016. In what will be her 53rd professional fight, Mrdjenovich enters the ring for the first time in the absence of her longtime trainer Milan Lubovac, who suffered a heart attack earlier this year. By her side on Dec. 17 will be her new trainer Jonathan Banks, who has previously worked with former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. So while her return to the ring will be different in so many ways, as a seasoned pro with a lengthy record, so much remains the same.

Hailing from Monterrey Mexico, the fiery Paola Torres made her pro debut in 2013 and has gone on to challenge for the WBO Featherweight Title. Based in San Antonio, Torres challenged Cindy Serrano for the WBO belt in 2017 in a close and fiercely contested matchup. Torres didn't let a slim defeat turn into a greater setback, and bounced back with a win shortly after. Her most recent victory came in August of 2019, when she claimed a split-decision victory over Cristina Fuentes in Torres's adopted home state of Texas.

“Battle-tested” is his badge of honor and it’s one Brandon Adams wears proudly. As the seventh out of nine children, Adams has been fighting his whole life. As a child he fought against gangs and drugs that ran rampant on the streets in his hometown of Watts, C.A. Once he found boxing, he fought his way through the amateurs, and then, when he went pro, through a cadre of impressive sparring partners including Shawn Porter and Gennadiy Golovkin. He fought his way through the Epix Television Series “The Contender,” where he defeated Shane Mosley Jr. to win the title, all while personally coping with the sudden passing of his longtime trainer. Now trained by accomplished trainer Dub Huntley, Adams returns to the ring for the first time since challenging WBC Middleweight Titleholder Jermall Charlo for the belt in 2019.

Chasing a dream doesn’t mean you get to avoid all of life’s nightmares. Sonny Duversonne learned this lesson the hard way. As a second generation fighter, boxing was always in Sonny’s blood. But so was the violent streak that led to trouble in his teenage years, and eventually, time in prison. It was there that Sonny learned vital lessons in self-discipline, and saw how “penitentiary rules” could actually help him navigate life in South Florida once he was released. Essential to that new life was his childhood love for boxing. Despite being a “late-starter” at 27, his resilience, punching power, and 80-inch reach have all contributed to his 11-2-2 record (with 8 KO’s). His only two losses include a controversial split-decision versus Chordale Booker in November, and a losing decision against Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson in October, where Duversonne scored a 5th round knockdown of the highly-regarded prospect.

For a fighter that got such a late professional start, Brian Ceballo has lived up to the challenge through his first 11 professional fights, winning all of them handily. The 26-year-old Ceballo went through an extensive amateur career, during which he lost in the 2016 Olympic Trials in a controversial decision. But Ceballo did not let a long tenure in the amateurs wear him down. The welterweight contender laid the foundation for stardom in 2017, when he won the 2017 U.S. National Amateur Championships. Shortly after, he made his pro debut in March 2018, defeating his opponent in one round. Since then, Ceballo has continued to shine on his way to an undefeated record of 11-0, 6 KO’s. Bolstered by a strong work ethic and impressive patience, he has no regrets about his late start as he has settled into his professional career, even boasting a bachelors’ degree in finance. He returns to the ring off back-to-back knockouts and after a Covid-19 lockdown where the determined Ceballo was able to find creative ways to stay in shape.

For Utah native Larry Gomez, boxing is all about honoring his father. His father is the impetus behind Gomez’s professional career. Gomez boxed as an amateur before stepping away from the sport at age 15. Over four years late he returned at age 20 to honor his late father Joe. Joe himself started a career as a professional boxer, he was 2-0 before an illness forced him to step away from the sport. Larry was only 9 when his father passed, but there was a familial and magnetic pull that brought Larry back with the urge to carry on his father’s legacy. And what an amateur return it was. Gomez steamrolled to a 7-0 record and notched a first-round win in the Utah Golden Gloves State Tournament. Since going pro in 2015, two years after his return to the sport, Gomez racked up eight consecutive wins and boasts an impressive record of 10-1 with 8 KO’s. He faces Ceballo in what will be Gomez’s first fight of 2020.

“You can’t fight mad.” That realization was the turning point in O’Shaquie Foster’s career. The disappointment of being outpointed by JoJo Diaz in 2012 Olympic qualifying, and a life full of twists and turns, led Foster to a moment of reckoning in 2016. From a jail cell he watched Bud Crawford fight on television and realized his career — and his life — were at a crossroads. A talented fighter with extraordinary ring IQ and dexterity, Foster recognized that anger and past grudges were his true adversaries. A new relationship with trainer Bobby Benton, and a total focus and commitment to training, catapulted O’Shaquie’s career to new heights. With 7 consecutive wins, a spectacular knockout of Jesus Bravo in 2019, and a unanimous decision against previously undefeated Jon Fernandez in 2018, Foster established himself as a rising star in the 130 lb. division. Today, Foster (17-2, 10 KO’s) fights with a cool, calculating calmness that justifies his nickname “Ice Water.” A victory against veteran warrior Mickey Roman on Nov. 19 can establish him as a legitimate 130 lb. contender.

You can never underestimate an underdog. Roberto Ramirez is not only living proof, he fully embraces the role. In 2018 Ramirez brought an 18-2-1 record into his US debut in Queens, NY. Facing the former WBC lightweight champ Dejan Zlaticanin, the unknown Ramirez shocked the crowd with a relentless flurry of punches in the 2nd round that broke Zlaticanin’s nose and jaw. With that victory came new-found confidence, a stronger commitment to training and diet, and a realization that boxing can open doors in many different facets of his life. As a university graduate with a Criminal Justice degree, Ramirez uses boxing to inspire kids in his hometown to find a goal in life that keeps them out of trouble. Since defeating Zlaticanin, Ramirez has won 5 consecutive bouts to improve his record to 23-2-1 with 16 KO’s. Entering the fight with William Zepeda on November 19th, Roberto knows he’s the underdog. Some fighters bristle at the term, and refuse to accept it. Roberto Ramirez just smiles as his gloves are laced, knowing there’s no greater thrill in sports than seeing an underdog win.

"What does it mean to be Mexican?” William Zepeda asked himself growing up in San Mateo Atenco. His dad told him that being Mexican is in his blood and is something to be proud of. As a boy, Zepeda excelled as an athlete, but had a hard time finding meaning in the sports he tried. At the age of 13, he found boxing. From the moment he put on his first pair of gloves, everything started to make sense. When he and his father watched part one of the quadrilogy between Marquez and Pacquiao, the relentless back and forth, the composure of Marquez while being smothered with immense pressure, all led him to a realization: being Mexican is a way of life. A life of perserverance through mental and physical strength. Zepeda brings both to the ring, and sees himself as a next generation Mexican Warrior, proud to represent his people through boxing. He has blazed a trail in the sport and become San Mateo Atenco’s Hometown Hero. He was part of the Mexico Junior-Olympics team, WBS Mexican Guerreros team, and currently holds the WBF Mexico Lightweight title. William Zepeda stands with an untainted record at 21-0 (19 KO’s), and is ready to make a mark in his debut fight in the United States come Nov 19. A win against Roberto Ramirez, 23-2 (16 KO's), will establish Zepeda’s name as one of the up-and-coming contenders in the lightweight division.