Isaac Lucero hopes to be the latest fighter to have a breakout year with trainer Bob Santos.
Lucero will face fellow unbeaten Omar Valenzuela in a junior middleweight bout at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas this coming Saturday.
Lucero, 16-0 (12 KOs), 26, has spent most of his career fighting in Mexico (outside of his 2019 professional debut, when he fought in Los Angeles). Lucero is currently in Las Vegas and aiming to elevate to a notable name in his division.
“Well, obviously, we are in a 50-50 fight,” Santos told BoxingScene. “We're going to be in a barnburner of a fight. So he has to just be prepared. He has to stay calm in the moment.”
Santos, a veteran of the sport, knows how fleeting opportunities can be in boxing.
“Like many things, sometimes life is not always fair,” Santos said. “Sometimes people will get more opportunities than others. Sometimes people only get one chance. So take nothing for granted. Stay disciplined in what we need to do.”
Valenzuela, 23-0 (20 KOs), is a 28-year-old from Tijuana, Mexico, who has fought exclusively in his home country. He enters on an eight-fight knockout streak.
A battle of two unbeaten proud Mexican fighters might fly under the radar until the gloves fly, but it has the potential to be a show-stealer. Santos believes certain intangibles give his fighter an edge.
“He has a lot of heart, a lot of desire,” Santos said of Lucero. “His father was a former fighter, so he's got that. He's got it in his veins, as we would say. But expect the guy that will always put on an entertaining fight.”
Santos expects that this could be a matchup that is talked about at the end of the year as one of the better fights of 2025. With his mix of style and grit, Santos anticipates Lucero putting on a show.
“He's a very serious guy in the gym,” Santos said. “He takes things very seriously, and he can bang. You'd be surprised. He's able to box, but definitely he's a banger, and he wants to get in there and mix it up.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.