Alex Bray’s opponent for this Friday in Orlando, Florida, is no longer the dreaded TBA. Instead, the unbeaten junior middleweight prospect will face Lesther Espino, according to a press release from Boxlab Promotions.
Bray-Espino is scheduled for eight rounds at the Caribe Royale Orlando in Florida. The main event features heavyweight prospect Gurgen Hovhannisyan, 8-0 (7 KOs), who will take on Chris Thomas, 15-1-2 (10 KOs).
Bray, 9-0 (7 KOs), is a 19-year-old from about 70 minutes east of Orlando in Melbourne, Florida. The 6-foot-3 prospect is coming off an eight-round majority decision in March over the 13-7-2 Victoriano Antonio Santillan.
Although the press release says Espino is 13-2-1 (5 KOs), BoxRec has the 34-year-old from Nicaragua at 9-6 (7 KOs). Espino was knocked out in five rounds in May 2024 by then-undefeated welterweight prospect Avious Griffin. Espino bounced back in December with a third-round TKO of the 11-6-1 Israel Lopez.
“This is the type of fight that I want to make a statement in,” Bray was quoted as saying in the press release. “Espino is tough. He’s been in there with solid fighters. But I’m here to prove that I’m one of the top prospects in all of boxing. This is my time and my stage to show the world what I’m capable of.”
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
