Main Events has added Puerto Rican sensation Roberto Acevedo (8-1-0, 5 KOs). Acevedo is coming off a win over Russian Ilshat “The Sheriff” Khusnulgatin (11-1-0, 6 KOs) at Resorts International Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ on January 24th.
Acevedo sees this opportunity with Main Events as an important step to achieving his goals. He said, “My goal is to become a world champion and make my country proud of my accomplishments. I know that Main Events is the right company to take me there, I am really excited and looking forward to this next step in my career.” Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva said, “We have great faith in Roberto’s ability to continue to overcome every obstacle that is put in front of him-all the way to the world title!”
Roberto had an impressive amateur career (50-1-0, 20 KOs). His only amateur loss was the result of a fight halted due to a bloody nose that could not be stopped. Roberto started boxing in his early teens after his uncle encouraged him to fight in the ring instead of on the streets of his hometown, Bayamon, Puerto Rico. He won several amateur regional and national titles in Puerto Rico during his six-year amateur career.
Most of those accomplishments came after doctors told Acevedo – on two separate occasions – that he would never fight again. The first occurred shortly after he began boxing when he was shot three times at the local barber shop, the victim of a drive-by shooting. His clavicle was crushed. Roberto ignored the doctors’ orders; a year and a half later, he won the Puerto Rican national championship for a second time.
Then, in 2008, he was hit by a drunk driver and hospitalized for over a month. Again the doctors told him his boxing days were over. Despite the grim prognosis, Acevedo defied the odds and returned to the ring. He set aside his Olympic dreams in 2010 when he decided to turn pro instead.
Roberto made his professional debut on July 1, 2011 against Felix Rodriguez. Acevedo knocked Rodriguez down in the fourth round on his way to a unanimous decision win. Since then Roberto has suffered only one career loss: a six round unanimous decision defeat to Paul Littleton at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, IL on March 22, 2013.
Jose Acevedo, Roberto’s older brother and manager, said, “I am very pleased to have Roberto sign with Main Events, they have a long, strong and outstanding tradition in developing and promoting their fighters and we look forward to a long and successful relationship building the next Puerto Rican to a World Champion.”
