A major title bout will make its way to fight week of one of the sport’s most celebrated matchups.
BoxingScene has learned that WBO flyweight titlist Anthony Olascuaga will next face mandatory challenger Juan Carlos Camacho on a September card at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. The event will take place on one of two dates immediately preceding the September 13 Saul “Canelo” Alvarez-Terence Crawford superfight from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Crawford’s promotional company - TBC Fight, LLC - has venue holds at Fontainebleau Las Vegas for both September 10 and 11, both of which will air live on DAZN. The dates are designed to hold a series of fights as part of a loaded fight week leading up to the Alvarez-Crawford event on Netflix.
Olascuaga, 9-1 (6 KOs), will make his third defense of the title he claimed in a fourth-round knockout of Riku Kano last July 20 in Tokyo.
Interestingly, Olascuaga, a Los Angeles native, will fight stateside for the first time since October 2022. The 26-year-old Olascuaga has spent his past five fights in Japan, as he is co-promoted by Teiken Promotions and All Star Boxing, Inc. His lone career defeat came in an April 2023 ninth-round knockout to then-lineal, WBA and WBC 108lbs champ Kenshiro Teraji. The opportunity came on less than two weeks’ notice, when he replaced an ill Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez.
Fittingly, Olascuaga’s first title defense came against Puerto Rico’s Gonzalez.
Their clash last October 14 was originally ruled a one-round no-contest when Gonzalez informed referee Robert Hoyle that he could no longer continue due to a cut over his left eye. Olascuaga successfully appealed the outcome with the Japanese Boxing Commission, which changed the verdict to a first-round knockout.
In his most recent start, Olascuaga outpointed former two-division titlist Hiroto Kyoguchi on February 24 in Tokyo.
Camacho will be debuting on the title stage, which will double as his first career fight in continental US.
The 28-year-old Camacho, from Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, advanced to the No. 1 slot with the WBO shortly after his split decision victory over Jayson Mama last October 30. The hard-fought affair saw Camacho, 19-1 (8 KOs), survive two knockdowns to prevail.
A split decision victory over David Tapia on March 29 in Cancun allowed Camacho to extend his current 14-fight unbeaten streak.
Olascuaga-Camacho is the second confirmed bout to take place during Canelo-Crawford fight week. Boxing financier Turki Alalshikh previously revealed an intriguing battle between American heavyweights Michael Hunter and Jarrell Miller atop the September 11 show.
Check out the latest boxing news.
