Dennis Contreras continues to breathe new life into his boxing career, with a growing fan base along for the ride.
The March 12 edition of Boxeo Telemundo posted the series’ best ratings since the pandemic, averaging 369,000 viewers over the course of the 90-minute telecast according to Nielsen Media Research. Contreras headlined the show, scoring a 10th round stoppage of Miami’s Hairon Socarras to extend his current four-fight win streak in a thoroughly entertaining clash at White Sands Rehabilitation Center in Plant City, FL.
Ratings for the show improved nearly 30% from the 2021 season premiere one week prior on March 5, which averaged 285,000 viewers. The March 12 show was the best-performing telecast of all 10 shows since the long-running network series returned from the pandemic last August.
Contreras (24-10-1, 22KOs) has fought three times in that span, with “El Martillo” making his series debut last August in a 5th round knockout of Belmar Preciado. The streaking featherweight from Guadalajara returned five weeks later to stop previously unbeaten Carlos ‘El Stich’ Flores inside of six rounds atop an Oct. 3rd show which averaged 191,000 viewers. Both shows aired live without fans in attendance at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida.
The last show to exceed the March 12 show was the final card prior to the start of the pandemic exactly 52 weeks earlier. The March 13, 2020 edition of Boxeo Telemundo—which aired live from FIT Center in Mexico City—pulled a 2020-best average of 442,000 viewers. Junior flyweight contender Adrian Curiel scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Rosendo Hugo Guarneros in the evening’s main event.
The winter season finale of Boxeo Telemundo airs Friday evening from Bryan Glazer Family JCC Auditorium in Tampa, Florida. Rising bantamweight Saul Sanchez (15-1, 8KOs) of Pacoima, California faces Miami’s Frank Gonzalez (8-1, 4KOs) in the evening’s main event which is scheduled for 10 rounds.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox