(Oct. 19, 2021) — Longtime heavyweight contender Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas hopes unbeaten knockout artist Ryan Rozicki is not a bridge too far.
Rivas and Rozicki will clash this Friday, Oct. 22 at L’Olympia in Montreal, a 12-round showdown to crown the inaugural WBC Bridgerweight world champion (weight limit: 224 pounds). Rivas has fought as high as 251½ pounds, while Rozicki has spent the entirety of his five-year pro career as a cruiserweight.
Rivas-Rozicki will headline a special Canadian fight night streaming live and exclusively in the United States on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Rivas (27-1, 19 KOs) is a 2008 Colombian Olympian who has spent his 12-year pro career based in Montreal. In January 2019, he knocked out former world title challenger Bryant Jennings in the 12th round of an ESPN+ main event. Six months later, he dropped a highly competitive decision to British star Dillian Whyte. Rivas returned in March 2021 — weighing 221¼ pounds — and knocked out Sylvera Louis in three rounds. Rozicki (13-0, 13 KOs), from Nova Scotia, Canada, has stopped 12 of his 13 foes in three rounds or less and has never gone past six rounds in the paid ranks.
In other streaming action on ESPN+:
- In an eight-rounder at super middleweight, Steve Rolls (20-1, 11 KOs), best known for his 2019 challenge of Gennadiy Golovkin, returns from a nearly two-year layoff to fight Gregory Trenel (14-7-2, 4 KOs).
- Canadian welterweight contender Sebastien Bouchard (19-2, 8 KOs) will face Mexican knockout artist Sergio “Checo” Ortega (24-2, 18 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Ortega has won eight straight fights, all by knockout, since returning from a nearly three-year layoff in 2018.
- In a four-round cruiserweight rematch featuring a pair of Quebec natives, Alexandre Roberge (1-1) will look to avenge his lone pro defeat against Francis Charbonneau (3-1, 1 KO). In March, Charbonneau edged Roberge by six-round split decision.
- Light heavyweight prospect Terry Osias (9-0, 4 KOs), from Longueuil, Canada, will fight Joaquin Murrieta (9-9-3, 7 KOs) in a six-rounder. Murrieta is coming off a knockout win in August over the previously undefeated Carlos Avila (10-0 at the time).
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