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On December 17th, Michel Rivera (24-0) will have the biggest fight of his young career when he faces fellow unbeaten lightweight Frank Martin (16-0) in a Showtime main event. The bout will headline a Premier Boxing Champions’ card at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
The showdown will be the third fight of the year for both Rivera and Martin. Rivera is very excited to headline a major Showtime card.
The truth is, first of all, I am very grateful for the opportunity my manager Al Haymon, Luis DeCubas and my promotor Sampson (Lewkowicz) have given me. I feel very motivated and excited,” Rivera told BoxingScene.com. “This is a very important step in my career that I must take advantage of 100%.
Frank Martin is a good fighter. It is an attractive fight for the fans and that is something that matters a lot. I will do whatever it takes to win this fight.”
The 24-year-old Dominican Republic native was last in action on the Deontay Wilder-Robert Helenius undercard on October 15th. He defeated Jerry Perez via unanimous decision over 8 rounds.
Rivera is highly rated by most sanctioning bodies and has been patiently awaiting a shot at 135 pound world lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis. Tank is currently slated to fight Rivera’s countryman Hector Luis Garcia on January 7th before facing Ryan Garcia sometime in the spring.
While a win over Martín will raise Rivera’s profile even further, he believes he’s already done more than enough for a shot at Davis.
“I should have already gotten my opportunity a long time ago but right now I am 100% focused on Martin. Once I take care of business everything will fall into place,” said Rivera.
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