By Ryan Burton

Jay Jimenez, President of King Kong Boxing has advised BoxingScene.com that he has added former Olympian Carlos Negron to his stable of boxers that includes top heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz.

Negron (20-1) competed in the 2008 Olympics for his native Puerto Rico. He has won 7 fights in a row since suffering his only professional in 2011.

The 30-year-old last fought in June, 2016 when he stopped Derric Rossy in 4 rounds. His next fight is expected to be announced in the near future.

“There’s  a new heavyweight on the scene,” Jimenez told BoxingScene.com.

“We just signed 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian - the 6’6” heavyweight Carlos Negron to our stable to work alongside Luis Ortiz and train with Herman Caicedo. I think together with my help he could be the first born and raised Puerto Rican heavyweight champion.”

John Ruiz was the first fighter of Latin heritage to win a heavyweight world title when he defeated Evander Holyfield in 2001. Ruiz was born and raised in Massachusetts and is of Puerto Rican descent.

IN OTHER NEWS: Three-time, two-division world champion "El Gallo" Jose Rivera has a new opponent for his comeback fight this Friday night in "Homecoming", presented by Granite Chin Promotions (GCP) in association with Rivera Promotions Entertainment (RPE), at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The 45-year-old Rivera (41-6-1, 24 KOs), who was matched against Ruben "Modern Day Warrior" Galvan, didn't find out until yesterday (Tuesday) that Galvan had broken a finger the night before. Texas veteran Larry "Slomoshun" Smith (10-37-1, 7 KOs) is the late replacement for Rivera in the eight-round main event.

"I am not a fan of late changes," Rivera said, "but at this point it's either that or no fight, and I've trained too hard not to fight."

Rivera last fought in 2011, taking an eight-round decision over Paul Mpendo, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.

The name of the event is "Homecoming" because five fighters in action are from Worcester, including three who've never fought there before as professionals.

Super middleweight Kendrick Ball, Jr. (9-1-2, 6 KOs) and junior middleweight Khiary Gray (15-4, 11 KOs), both promoted by CES Boxing, will be fighting at home in Worcester as pros for the first time in a pair of six-round bouts. Ball faces Mexican Fabian "El Lobo" Valdez (2-3) in the co-featured event, while Gray (15-4, 11 KOs) faces Antonio Chaves Fernandez (9-33, 4 KOs), of Brockton, MA, in a rematch of a fight won by Gray.

Also scheduled to fight on the undercard in four-round bouts are Southbridge, MA welterweight Wilfredo "El Sucaro" Pagan (4-0, 2 KOs) vs. Engelberto "Guarura" Valenzuela (11-14, 3 KOs), Springfield's (MA) pro-debuting featherweight Joshua Orta vs. Worcester's Edwin Rosado (1-7-1, 1 KO), Worcester's pro-debuting welterweight Eslih Owusu.vs. Bryan "The Brick" Abraham (6-30-2, 6 KOs) and Springfield, MA welterweight Jose Angel "KO" Ortiz (4-13-1, 1 KO) vs. Somerville's (MA) Patrick Leal (0-4).