Joshua Pagan hopes to continue the legacy of other Puerto Rican fighters during a time when Puerto Rico is in the spotlight.
Pagan faces Maliek Montgomery on Thursday in Coliseo Pedrin Zorrilla, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The bout will stream on DAZN.
Pagan, 13-0 (4 KOs), is from Grand Rapids, Michigan, but his family is from Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico. He will fight for the second time on the island. His first fight in Puerto Rico was a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Haskell Rhodes in October of 2024.
Pagan might not have been born in Puerto Rico, but he aims to capture the hearts and souls of the fans with the type of fights he takes early in his development.
“Puerto Rico's greatest fighters, Miguel Cotto, ‘Tito’ Trinidad, they all were in tough fights,” Pagan said. “I just want to continue that legacy of fighting the best.”
Lately, Puerto Ricans have seen more exposure with the announcement of Bad Bunny, whose songs are in Spanish, performing at the Super Bowl halftime show. The dialogue around this conversation and event has raised the profile of Puerto Ricans in pop culture.
“It is an exciting time to be Puerto Rican,” Pagan told BoxingScene. “That’s all I got to say.”
Pagan, 25, will face his most decorated opponent to date, Macon, Georgia’s Montgomery, 20-1 (18 KOs), who also has a solid amateur boxing background. Montgomery took a shocking upset loss to Jeremy Hill in March. This will be the 30-year-old Montgomery’s first fight since his loss.
“This fight is a crossroads fight for me and Maliek,” Pagan said. “This fight could really elevate us and take us into that next chapter that is coming up.”
Pagan turned professional with Salita Promotions in 2022. Tony Pagan is his father and trainer and explained how the fights against Rogey Hilley and Rhodes have built to this point.
“Being tested led us to this fight,” Tony told BoxingScene. “It is an honor to bring a fight of this magnitude to Puerto Rico.”
Pagan, a former national champion in 2021 and a three-time Michigan Golden Gloves champion, explained that the amateur ranks paved the way for his development as a pro.
“The way I came up in the amateurs and the pros so far, it has prepared me for this moment,” Pagan said. “My dad and I wanted to take the tough fights. We wanted the hard road.”
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.
