Fans know it when they see it. That raw power that so few boxers naturally possess. When Josh Lupia (5-0-0, 5KOs) lands one of those shots, everything else becomes irrelevant. The fight is over. Such has been the case for all five of Lupia’s opponents. On Saturday, May 2, he looks to keep his perfect KO% intact against undefeated Bolivian champion Walter Roca (8-0-0, 6KOs) for six rounds at the Hamilton Convention Centre.
Lupia-Roca is part Three Lions Promotions (TLP) presents “Rdy 2 Roar,” headlined by Hamilton’s own Jessie “Roc” Wilcox (15-0-2, 9KOs) in a ten-round clash for the WBC USNBC Super Welterweight Championship against Andres “Pitufo” Viera (10-2-0, 8KOs) of Mercedes, Uruguay.
At 22 years of age, Lupia is actually the senior fighter in this battle of young guns. He made a real statement his last time out, stopping Edgar Martinez (3-3-0, 2KOs) of Veracruz, Mexico, in the fourth of a scheduled six rounds. Earlier in the year, Martinez took Lupia’s Western rival Raffaele Santoro (5-0-0, 2KOs) the distance, losing in a close majority decision.
“I want to make a statement against Roca,” said Lupia. “He’s the national champ in Bolivia. Like me, he’s never tasted defeat. I’m a different animal entirely though. He won’t be able to endure my power. I’ll set him up with clean boxing, then bang him out of there. A couple of big shots and he’ll call it a night like the rest. Otherwise, he’ll be taking a nap on the canvas. His choice. He can get it anyway he wants.”
Roca has stopped six of his eight opponents, winning the Bolivian welterweight title late last year. At just 20 years of age, he’s been exceptionally busy in the pro ranks, showing patience and composure well beyond his years. He likes to dig to the body, clearing the way for uppercuts up the middle.
“My coach and I have been studying Josh,” explained Roca. “I’m sure he has been doing the same because this will be his toughest fight yet. It’s my first international bout and I look forward to visiting Canada and putting on a show for the fans.”
Daniel Otter, Managing Director of TLP, is impressed with the eagerness and abilities of both men.
“I like Josh’s mind set,” said Otter. “We both agreed, right from the start, that we were looking for a real test. This is it. Lupia and Roca are both young and hungry. Neither wants to lose that perfect record. Both men have the sort of power that can change the complexion of a fight with a single punch. It’ll be a banger!”
“Rdy to Roar” will feature four additional contests, including the return of WBC International Silver Cruiserweight Champion Ryan “Bruiser” Rozicki (12-0-0, 12KOs) of Sydney Forks, Nova Scotia, in the eight round co-main event against WBC Latino Cruiserweight Champion Jose Gregorio Ulrich (17-3-0, 6KOs) of María Juana, Santa Fe, Argentina.
The undercard will feature three other top prospects. In welterweight action, “Ruthless” Carolyn Redmond (3-0-0, 2KOs) of Guelph, Ontario, meets Beatriz Jiminez (6-4-1, 1KOs) of Mexico. Jiminez recently stayed the distance with both Kandi Wyatt (10-1-0, 3KOs) and Jessica Camara (7-2-0), making her an important test for the ruthless one. At middleweight, undefeated St. Catherine’s standout Antonio Napolitano (5-0-0, 3KOs) meets once-defeated Hector Hurtado (4-1-0, 4KOs) in a six rounder. An opponent for Bradley “The Truth” Wilcox (9-0-0, 4KOs) of Hamilton will be announced in the coming days.
For fans following from afar, there will be a PPV stream available for purchase. “We have teamed up with a new platform to ensure there will be no further issues,” said Otter. “I apologize for the last PPV stream and we will continue to improve.”
Tickets are available online: https://hamilton.snapd.com/events/view/1315415
For more information, visit www.threelionspromotions.com.
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