SAN JUAN, P.R. (Sept. 17, 2024) – Puerto Rican born, undefeated lightweight Joshua James Pagan (10-0, 4 KO) and fellow unbeaten Trevor Thonson (13-0, 10 KO) will headline at the iconic Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan, P.R., on Friday, October 18. The main event bout is scheduled for 10 rounds in the lightweight division and is a cross-roads match for both rising prospects looking to shine in their main event debut airing live globally on DAZN.
In the October 18 co-feature from the Caribbean island’s new marquee arena, Juan Carillo (12-0, 9 KO) will face Lenin Castillo (25-5-1, 19 KO) in a 10-round light heavyweight bout. The remainer of the fight card, up to eight bouts in all, are to be announced. Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketera.com and the venue’s official website: www.cocacolamusichall.com.
The event is promoted by Salita Promotions in collaboration with PR Best Boxing Promotions (PRBBP) and 21 Events and is part of Salita Promotions’ burgeoning “Big Time Boxing USA” series, the leading developmental series for promising prospects and young contenders on their journey toward a world championship.
“Historically, San Juan has been one of boxing’s world capitals,” said Dmitriy Salita, president of Salita Promotions. “We are proud to bring the Puerto Rican heat to the world with these high-stakes matchups on DAZN. Joshua Pagan is facing the fifth undefeated fighter of his career in just his 11th pro fight. He will take a big step toward stardom with a win over Trevor Thornson. Thonson is a great opponent and a tough match up for anyone in this division. Likewise, the power-punching Juan Carillo is determined to make a statement against a battle-tested Lenin Castillo. In victory, two of these men will make a name for themselves among the elites in their respective divisions. It will be a great night of fights with significant implications for each fighter.”
Pagan, who goes by the moniker “Double J”, is 24 years old and a native of Grand Rapids, Mich. Pagan has impressed fans and pundits through his first 10 professional bouts, especially with his most recent victory in May, a close unanimous decision win over then undefeated prospect Roger Hilley. Pagan currently holds the Junior NABF Super Lightweight title belt and is trained by his father, Victor Pagan.
“This is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid watching fights on Showtime and HBO,” said Pagan, who has a large extended family living on the island. “I am beyond blessed and excited for the opportunity to headline my first fight card and to do so in Puerto Rico is even more special. I am deep in training now and I will be ready to put on a show for my family back home. I couldn’t do any of this without God, my dad, and the support of my whole family.
“Thonson is a tough fighter,” said Pagan of his opponent. “Also undefeated and very skillful. I am preparing for the very best Trevor Thonson and I am going to be the very best version of myself on October 18. You don’t want to miss the Double J Pagan show.”
Thonson, a 32-year-old native of Montreal, Canada, is a power-puncher. His first eight professional wins have come by way of knockout. An active young fighter, Thonson turned pro in 2022, and has already fought four times this year, including last month when he recorded a unanimous decision over hometown fighter Pablo Marcos Villafane in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Trained by Bobby McRoy, Thonson has gotten great sparring while training in Las Vegas mixing it up with Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson and Brandon Figueroa among others.
“Headlining on a DAZN card will be an amazing experience,” said Thonson. “But it’s only the first of many. My opponent, Joshua Pagan, is a hungry, undefeated fighter who has had a good start in his career. He will definitely bring his best, and so will I. Pagan is a test that I need to pass but, respectfully, everyone is a stepping-stone until I secure a world title.”
The hard-hitting light heavyweight Juan Carrillo is a 31-year-old southpaw from Barranquilla, Colombia. Carrillo looked impressive in his last outing in March as he knocked out Quinton Rankin in the third round in a “Big Time Boxing USA” main event promoted by Salita Promotions at Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit. Carillo was a member of the Colombian national team and competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
“I am excited to be back in the ring especially against a very durable but most of all an experienced fighter,” said Carrillo. “This is my chance to prove to everyone that I am ready to take things to the next level and beyond. I am trying to go all the way to the top. A win against Lenin Castillo legitimizes my skills as a serious prospect and it will show that I am not just some undefeated fighter with a padded record. I have been asking for big fights and I believe a win here will get me a step closer to a world title opportunity. Hopefully, sometime within this year or early next, I will be fighting for a world title.”
Lenin Castillo is 36 years old and from the Dominican Republic. Castillo competed at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, and won a bronze medal in 2009 at the American Continental Championships. In 2019, Castillo challenged pound-for-pound great and world champion Dmitry Bivol for his WBA (Super) Light Heavyweight title and suffered a unanimous decision loss. In his last fight in July, Castillo recorded a unanimous decision over Reynaldo Acevdeo Carmona.
“I feel very happy to return to Puerto Rico to fight,” Castillo said. “I have many friends there and I hope they are with me. Puerto Rico is a boxing country, and I know they will be supporting us.
“Carrillo is a good boxer. I’ve seen him fight several times and I think it’s going to be a good fight. We have similar styles. The only difference is he is a southpaw. But I think that my experience and having faced guys like Bivol is going to be an important factor.”
ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS:
Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.
ABOUT PR BEST BOXING:
PR Best Boxing Promotions was founded in February 2001 by Peter and Ivan Rivera with its first boxing show being on May 20 of that same year, broadcasted live internationally on the Telefutura network. PRBBP has worked and developed great Puerto Rican world champions such as Hall of Famers Miguel Cotto and Iván Calderón as well as Román “Rocky” Martínez, Eric Morel and Juan Manuel “Juanma” López among others. Considered the best boxing promotion company in Puerto Rico, PRBBP has presented boxing cards broadcast by the best TV networks such as ESPN, Univision, Showtime, Telefutura, HBO and PPV events. PRBBP presented the first boxing event broadcast live on the ESPN network from Puerto Rico, also the first boxing broadcast by the PPV system from the Island and presented the first sports event at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot.
ABOUT 21 EVENTS:
21 Events, a fully integrated Latino marketing firm with 20 years of experience in producing marketing solutions and events in Sports and Entertainment that drive measurable results for our fortune 500 clients seeking true engagement with Latino consumers.
ABOUT COCA-COLA MUSIC HALL:
The Coca-Cola Music Hall (CCMH) is a property managed by ASM Global, located at 250 Convention Boulevard, San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was developed by PRISA Group and its construction was completed in 2020. Naming rights were sold to The Coca-Cola Company in 2019. This venue is known for being a modern, hip, and state-of-the-art facility, that incorporates artistic and cultural elements characteristic of Puerto Rico. The property features three levels and can accommodate up to 4,000 people seated.
ABOUT PRCCDA:
Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority (PRCCDA) is a public corporation created under Law Number 351 of September 2nd of 2000, as amended. Its mission is to develop and operate the Convention District, positioning Puerto Rico as a world-class business, tourism, and entertainment destination. PRCCDA’s objectives include efficiently managing prominent venues, revitalizing urban areas, promoting job creation and business opportunities, and acting as a facilitator in partnership with the private sector.
