Jeremías Ponce, the man from Buenos Aires who trained in a cradle of champions and wants to give boxing another world title

Argentina has a very rich boxing tradition. On a professional level, our country has celebrated the consecrations of 46 national boxers in different categories throughout history. Far from the years of glory, today it has only one current world monarch, Fernando Martínezsuper flyweight title holder of International Boxing Federation. Though this Saturday, another name could be added to that long list of champions. Why Jeremy Ponce will try to fill the vacancy super light belt of the IBF in the fight he will play against the Puerto Rican subriel matias.

The fight between the 26-year-old from Buenos Aires and undefeated by 30 wins (20 by KO), and the Puerto Rican, 30 and a record holder of 18 wins (all by fast track) and one loss, will be held at the center of events The Armory from Minneapolis, United States. The evening – which will be broadcast by TyC Sports – will also see another Argentinian as the protagonist. Because in one of the fights in the background, Albert Palmetto will face the former world champion Jamal Jameseven if there will be no title in game.

For Ponce, born to José Mármol and trained by Alberto Zaccaria, the duel against Matías will be the most important of his career. “That’s right, because it’s for a world title. I’m facing a strong and expert opponent, who knows how to work by combining blows. It will be a heated fight, we will both try to conquer the center of the ring: it will be a stick and a stick”, anticipated in an interview with Clarin last week.

And even though he knew he wasn’t going to start as a favourite, he said: “I have a lot of self-confidence, they’ve already called me three times to fight abroad thinking I would lose and in the end I won.”

Ponce began boxing at the age of 14 at the school of Saints Zachariaswho was one of the great coaches of Argentine boxing and counted former world champions among his students Sergio Vittorio Palma AND Martin “Whip” today.

“When I was a boy, it was kind of terrible. I played ball in the square and I always got pineapples there. I fought for pure heat and I was also the one looking for trouble,” he once said.

In the gym set up in Rafael Calzada, where he still trains, he began to hone his talent and even met Iara Altamiranoalso a boxer and with whom he is married and has a son, I’m leaving.

After a solid amateur career, in which he broke the 40-fight barrier; He made his early pro debut in September 2015, aged just 19. It was with a knockout victory against sanisidrense Jesus Barrazzain the ring of FABULOUS.

He spent almost his entire career in Argentina, although he had a chance to show himself abroad. Also, his last three fights have been out of the country. On June 12, 2021, he defeated the British by technical knockout lewis ritson in Newcastle, a victory that gave him access to the fight for the title this Saturday. In November of the same year he defeated the Venezuelan by knockout Michael Marcano in Hamburg. And in April 2022 he beat the Georgian in that same city Achiko Odikadzealso by TKO.

Ponce – who in 2020, during the lockdown due to the pandemic, attracted attention by showing himself training with a bat and tire on the patio of his house – had to fight for the IBF title against the Scotsman Josh Taylorbut the then champion decided to leave the crown vacant and opened up the possibility of the figure of Matías.

The Puerto Rican has recognized the qualities of his rival in recent days. “I would compare it to Marco Maidan“said the Central American, who had his last fight in January last year (victory by technical knockout of the Russian Petros Anayan in Atlantic City).

“Today I don’t see many people like him in boxing. He’s a great boxer, very strong and with a ferocious style. I respect him a lot,” he added.

Ponce won the super welterweight title in September 2019 International Boxing Organization (IBO), but this body is not recognized by the FAB. For this he considers the fight against Matías his first chance in the World Cup, which would allow him to become the 47th Argentine boxing world champion.

“I try not to scheme too much thinking I could be Argentina’s 47th world champion so I don’t get anxious, but it would be really a pride to be able to achieve that,” said Jeremías.

Palmetta, facing a great opportunity

He will be the other Argentinian protagonist of this Saturday evening Albert Palmetto. The welterweight from Buenos Aires, already recovered from a back injury, will face the most transcendent fight of his career against the local Jamal Jamesformer interim WBA world champion.

Palmetta was due to face James late last year, but an injury sustained in training that left his left leg completely paralyzed forced him to postpone the fight.

James, 34 and a record holder of 27 wins (12 by KO) and two falls, was the interim welterweight champion of the world boxing association (WBA) and lost the crown to the Russian Radzhab Butaev on October 30, 2021.

Born in San Isidro 32 years ago, left-handed Palmetta has had an extraordinary amateur career, during which he won the bronze medal at the 2014 South American Tournament in Chile and at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games and attended the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara and was an Olympian Rio de Janeiro 2016.

Coach and physical trainer beto He started his professional career in November 2016 in Catamarca and suffered his only surprising defeat a year later: he was eliminated in the fifth round by Cordovan Gonzalo Coria at Punta dell’Este. Installed in the United States since 2018, it beat the New Yorker in August 2020 Tre’Sean Wiggins and captured the WBA International Welterweight title.

His last fight was on November 10, 2022, when he knocked out the Dominican in three rounds tommaso mendez inside Sports bar of Sosua. Today he accumulates a record of 18 fights won, 13 in the preferential lane and only one defeat. A win against James would bring him one step closer to his dream of fighting for a world title.