By Jake Donovan
The biggest win of Juan Carlos Payano’s career to date came, strangely, at perhaps the worst possible time. A technical decision victory over Anselmo Moreno last September served atop one of the last shows promoted by the now-defunct Iron Mike Productions promotional company.
Payano had to overcome a severe cut early in the fight to pile up enough rounds to claim the lead by the time the fight was stopped in the 6th round of their Fox Sports 1-televised headliner in Texas. With the feat came the bantamweight title along with the satisfaction of unseating a longtime champion. What also came of the feat was a request to remain patient, with the promise of big things to come.
Patience proved to be a virtue, as his big opportunity has finally arrived. More than 10 months will have passed by the time the Dominican southpaw faces Rau’Shee Warren on August 2.
The bout will mark his first title defense, which headlines a newly formed series on Bounce TV, live from Full Sail Live on Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. The show is part of the Premier Boxing Champions series, which now spans seven networks and continues to grow.
“I am grateful to my management team at Probox – Garry Jonas and Henry Rivalta—and to Al Haymon and Luis DeCubas Jr. for making this happen,” Payano (16-0, 8KOs) told BoxingScene.com of the televised headliner. “They assured me that big things would come along this year and that I just had to be patient. My trainer Herman Caicedo is like a father to me, and I know he will have me fighting ready for this great opportunity on Bounce TV.”
Despite having not fought since last September, Payano still managed to serve as the face of the Dominican Republic boxing scene. The 31-year old represented his country in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, and remained one of its more promising prospects since turning pro in 2010.
His career-best win over Moreno was regarded big enough to land the distinction of being named Dominican Republic’s 2014 Fighter of the Year. At the time, his next fight date wasn’t yet on the horizon, but never once did he question the plan his team sought to put in motion.
“Juan Carlos Payano is a classy professional who is worthy of triumph,” notes Rivalta. “He’s a great example of what a fighter should be all about. He hasn’t made a lot of money yet, but is on his way.
“I fully believe in this kid. He’s all-action and good for boxing. It’s a privilege to watch him continue to spread his wings, and fans will absolutely love him once they see him back in the ring on Bounce TV.”
The showdown with Warren contains plenty of interesting trivia. Between the two have come five Olympic tours—Payano twice represented Dominican Republic, while Warren is the only fighter in U.S. boxing history to fight in three separate Olympic games. The unbeaten contender from Cincinnati served on the 2004, 2008 and 2012 teams before finally turning pro after the 2012 London Olympics.
Payano has boasted greater experience on the World stage, advancing to the second round of competition in Athens and Beijing. Warren never managed a win in the Olympics, but owns a win over Payano in the amateurs. It’s bound to come into play at some point during the promotion, but the unbeaten titlist assures that he is a far more evolved fighter these days.
“It’s an honor to make my first defense versus Rau’Shee,” Payano claims. “He beat me a long time ago in the amateurs, so I owe him one. This will be the hardest fight of his life.”
Warren (13-0, 4KOs) has been far more active in recent months, but is also taking a major leap in competition. The bout with Payano serves as his first televised headliner, while the defending titlist makes his second straight appearance in such medium.
As the PBC series continues to regularly roll out over several networks, Haymon’s stable—estimated at around 200 fighters—will continue to remain active, and more importantly in the public eye.
That’s the payoff Payano was waiting for, particularly after watching Iron Mike Productions fold shop. The unbeaten Dominican was believed to be a major benefactor when the promotional outfit was fomed in 2013, the merger between Acquinity Sports—headed by Jonas and Rivalta, and including Payano among its roster of fighters—and Mike Tyson and his marketing team.
By the time the company was formed, Payano was already a mandatory challenger following his ESPN2-televised knockout win over previously unbeaten Jundy Maraon, Unfortunately, only two wins have since followed—an off-TV stay-busy fight in February before landing the title shot versus Moreno, who had reigned for more than six years before conceding his crown last September.
“It's about time fight fans get to see Payano perform,” Jonas comments. “He's a non-stop action fighter who is hungry to prove himself on the big stage. He’s deserved this opportunity for a long time. We wanted it for him sooner, but everything has its time and place, and this is the perfect opportunity for Payano to prove he’s the best bantamweight in the world.”
His name was conspicuously absent from the list of fighters due to appear in the first several editions of PBC on the likes of NBC, Spike TV and CBS. There was hopes of his landing on a CBS-televised show in May, but the opportunity instead went to Tomoki Kameda, who saw his “0” go in a 12-round loss to Jamie McDonnell.
Barring a draw or no-contest, someone’s “0” will have to go when Payano and Warren collide in August. It’s been too long for Payano to get to this point, and he has no intention of throwing away an opportunity that required this much dedication and patience.
“I am ready to die in the ring. I was born for this and I will be victorious August 2,” Payano promises. “I can say this with great certainty—I will not only win, but look good doing so. I am going to give an all-action fight that will give fans their money’s worth and hungry to see me again.”
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox