The newest player in town has resurrected an old tradition for its upcoming fight week.
Turki Alalshikh has confirmed a three-fight card as part of fight week festivities for Riyadh Season’s U.S. launch. Unbeaten lightweight prospect Marc Castro will headline a July 31 show, which will air live on DAZN from the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California.
Castro (12-0, 8 knockouts) will face Southern California native George Acosta (17-2, 3 KOs) in a scheduled ten-rounder. It will mark the first main event for the 24-year-old from Fresno, California.
The event will precede the Aug. 3 Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford-Israil Madrimov DAZN Pay-Per-View event from BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Castro enters his second fight of 2024. The Matchroom Boxing-promoted, Keith Connolly-managed lightweight turned away a stern challenge from Abraham Montoya to win a decision in April. It was the first time that Castro went ten full rounds.
Acosta also fights for the second time this year. He suffered an eight-round decision defeat to Rene Tellez on Feb. 8 in Las Vegas. The 27-year-old from Whittier, California has never been stopped through 19 pro fights.
Also on the show:
Uzbekistan’s Shakhram Giyasov (15-0, 9 KOs) and Mexico’s Miguel Parra (22-4-1, 14 KOs meet in a scheduled welterweight contest.
Nathan Lugo (1-0, 1 KO)—a recent Queensberry Promotions signee—faces Utah’s Ray Corona (4-1, 0 KOs) in a four-round super middleweight bout.
All three bouts will take place following a scheduled open media workout dedicated to the Crawford-Madrimov show. The mid-weight fight week is a return to when promoters would regularly showcase its talent during fight week of a major boxing event. Previous Riyadh Season shows have used the same template of grand arrivals, media workouts, final press conference and pre-fight weigh-in.
The break from the norm gives Castro the taste of a main event slot. He normally appears on the undercard of high profile Matchroom Boxing shows, including several shows headlined by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs). His Feb. 2021 pro debut came in supporting capacity to Alvarez’s knockout win over Avni Yildirim in Miami Gardens, Florida.
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