Have Gloves, Will Punch: Palacios Ready for Return

Much has changed in the life of Mexican welterweight Brandon Palacios since he turned professional in 2021.

The puncher nicknamed ‘Showtime’ debuted at the Arena José Sulaiman in Monterrey — 2,000 miles and a lifetime away from Oakville, the Toronto suburb where he will return to the ring on Friday against Argentinian veteran Juan Manuel Obelar.

“My life has changed a lot since that debut: I’m more focused on training and everything I do is now related to the sport,” said Palacios (2-0, 1 KO) early in fight week. “That’s forced me to mature a lot, mentally and physically.”

From Monterrey to Toronto: Palacios Finds His Base

Three years on from that debut, a credible first-round knockout of Luis Ruiz, Palacios has a strong team around him on Canadian soil. Fellow Mexican ex-pat Obed Espino is his manager, while Canadian Olympic medallist Chris Johnson — a North American Champion and credible Contender in his late-90s heyday — has the coaching reins.

“Chris Johnson has a ton of experience, he’s a Hall of Famer and has made me better as a boxer,” reflected Palacios. “Obed has supported me in many ways during this camp, from sparring to helping with elements of my personal life.”

Living in Toronto, the native of Zacatecas also benefits from the support of a growing Mexican fanbase.

“It means everything to me, as Mexicans we are passionate about boxing and it’s a sport that really resonates with our people,” reflected the 24 year-old. “I’m quite proud to be a Mexican boxer in Toronto, being able to represent my country is fantastic.”

Friday Night Test Against a Tricky Veteran

The plan in the short term is to steal the show in his 6-round opener on Friday’s United Promotions card; Obelar is a tricky opponent who has battled some of Canada’s top fighters in his time.

“He’s an older boxer with more experience, so I know he’s coming to put on a show,” admitted Palacios. “My plan is simply to put all the gym work into action — we’ve had great sparring and I felt terrific throughout, and I think that camp will be the difference between Obelar and me when the bell rings.”

The event will be headlined by two super lightweight bouts, with former WBC Grand Prix quarter-finalist Spencer ‘The Infamous’ Wilcox (12-1, 5 KO) headlining against Chilean veteran Cristian ‘El Tigre’ Palma and Mississauga’s Helmand ‘Savage Prince’ Alekozai (15-1, 7 KO) facing Argentina’s Gonzalo Manriquez. Local bantamweight Deaquan Rumbolt (1-0, 1 KO) will also feature, looking to build early-career momentum against Quebec journeyman Alex Gagnon.