Ever since he signed an exclusive promotional contract earlier this year with 50 Cent’s SMS Promotions, 21-year-old “Magic Man” Luis Olivares (6-0, 4 KOs) has been riding a wave towards boxing stardom.
The undefeated junior welterweight from Arizona is scheduled to fight for the seventh time this year this Friday night, in his first scheduled six-round bout, on the “Big Apple Boxing” card at Resorts World Casino NYC in Jamaica, Queens, New York.
The 10-round main event on the SMS Promotions-promoted show is a 10-round battle of unbeaten junior lightweight prospects, Joel Diaz, Jr. (13-0, 11 KOs) and Wanzell Ellison (9-0-1, 5 KOs). Undefeated Amir “Young Master” Imam (11-0, 10 KOs) and Mexican veteran Sergio “Sirenito” Perez (28-15, 9 KOs) square-off in the 10-round co-feature for the vacant North American Boxing Federation (NABF) junior welterweight title.
Olivares puts his perfect professional record on the line against Tony “Sugar Boy” Walker (5-3-1, 3 KOs). “I have no complaints,” Olivares spoke about fighting so often. “I like staying busy. SMS has been very good keeping me active. Every fight I learn something new and keep progressing. I’ve improved my timing and I’m more relaxed having transitioned from the amateurs to the pro style. Instead of scoring, scoring, scoring (in the amateurs), I’ve learned how to place my shots and now, overall, I’m smarter.
“Fighting in a six-round bout for the first time means a lot to me because it shows that my team trusts me and in my ability to step-up and fight six rounds. I have taken my training even more serious. Going from four to six rounds doesn’t seem like much, but it is in the ring. I’ve gone from three rounds as an amateur to four and now six rounds as a pro. I’m happy with my progress.”
Olivares was a standout U.S. amateur boxer with a final 120-15 record, highlighted by his bronze-medal placing at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team Trials, in which he lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual 141-pound U.S. Olympian, Jamel Herring, who is now a 5-0 junior welterweight as a professional.
“Signing with 50 Cent has already helped me a lot,” Olivares added. “Anytime I’m asked questions, his name comes up as my promoter. He is so well known and that’s helped build my name. I’m excited and looking forward to the future.
“I don’t know a lot about my opponent but I’ve heard that he was a good amateur. I don’t take anybody lightly. I will have to fight smart; not cautious but more alert because my team told me Walker can fight.”
Also fighting in the undercard in six-round matches are undefeated Puerto Rican junior middleweight Emmanuel “Pirata” De Jesus (8-0, 5 KOs) vs. Antonio Fernandez-Chaves (4-13-2), super bantamweight Thomas “KO” Snow (16-1, 10 KOs) vs. Nate Green (4-0, 1 KO), and welterweight Donte Strayhorn (3-1) vs. Sam Moura (0-2).
Scheduled to fight in four-round matches are lightweight Ryan “Blue-Chip” Martin (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Eric Jamar Goodall (1-2), and pro-debuting bantamweight Mafato Kamogawa vs. native Michelle Cook (0-0-1).
All fights and fighters are subject to change.
