Callum Walsh vs Ismael Villarreal fight details
Callum Walsh and Ismael Villarreal headline 360 Promotions' Hollywood Fight Nights
Undefeated WBC USA Silver super-welterweight champion Callum Walsh (8-0, 7KO) faces once-beaten Bronx boxer Ismael Cleber Villarreal (13-1, 9KO) in the main event of Tom Loeffler's 360 Promotions' Hollywood Fight Nights in the Big Apple this week.
All the details can be found below:
Fight Details
Venue: Madison Square Garden Theater, New York
Date: Thursday, November 9, 2023
Time: 7pm
UK Time: Friday, November 10 at 1am
Rounds: 10×3 championship rounds
Titles: Walsh's WBC USA Silver super-welterweight title is on the line
How to Watch
TV Channel:UFC Fight Pass
Price: £6.99 monthly / £71.99 yearly
Background
Rising super-welterweight star Callum Walsh, 22 from Ireland, will make his New York debut against American Ismael Villarreal. Based in LA and trained by Freddie Roach, "King" Callum has raced to 8-0 within two years and aims to finish the year with another KO, which would total up to five in a row if he can win inside the distance.
However, local Bronx boxer Ismael Villarreal will not be willing to lose so close to home, living just 10 miles away from the famed MSG venue. The 26-year-old New Yorker lost in his penultimate fight to unbeaten Ardreal Holmes Jr. via split decision so one of the three judges had Ismael as the winner. Most recently, he returned to the win column with a second-round TKO of John David Martinez, who had 16 KOs from 19 wins, back in September. That night, Villareal scored three knockdowns over Martinez during the second round of a scheduled eight. He plans to use his chance in the spotlight to upset the odds and make a name for himself.
Fun Fact: Callum Walsh turned up to the Wildcard Gym accidentally on their sparring day, so he jumped in the ring with Blair Cobb and impressed so much that the rest is history: “I just showed up at the gym,” Walsh recalled. “I knocked on the door and asked if I could train, but he [Freddie Roach] said that I can train but it’s a sparring day today, so if I want to train I had to spar.”
Quotes
Walsh: “Every fighter aspires to fight at Madison Square Garden. It’s a big combat sports week and a dream come true to fight at ‘The Mecca of Boxing’ in New York City and ahead of UFC 295. I can’t wait to put on a great show for the fans and my Irish compatriots.”
Villarreal: “My dream is to be a world boxing champion and to achieve it, I have to eliminate all the obstacles that come my way and Callum Walsh will be no exception,” Villarreal remarked. “I will be happy to do it in New York in front of my fans, in the city where I was born and have lived all my life. I know that this victory will open the doors for me to compete in a world championship no later than 2024. On November 9, the boxing world will know who Ismael “Maelo” Villarreal is.”
Tom Loeffler: “Fighting at Madison Square Garden is a huge step for every future superstar in boxing. Callum draws sold-out, celebrity-filled crowds to his events in Los Angeles and we’re expecting another tremendous evening for his New York debut at The Garden. Dana White and his team at the UFC continue to be tremendous partners for the growth of Callum and we’re very excited to be part of their tremendous week at Madison Square Garden.”
Predictions
Tim Rickson, BBN Editor: “Callum is been highly impressive so far, I have been keeping a close watch on his career and I believe he is future star. He is similar to Manny Pacquiao in that he is a southpaw and fights with his hands by his hips, bouncing on toes. Plus, he swarms opponents like Pac-Man used to do raining in punches from all angles until they submit. He will have quite a sizeable height advantage over Villarreal which should allow him to land those shots from distance, but his ninth opponent will be a strong competitor. Walsh has four knockouts in a row, all within four rounds, so I have every confidence in him to seize his moment in the main event, in his New York debut, to score yet another stoppage. I believe he will break him down with those unending punches and sustained pressure until a big blow gets through to score a knockdown or Villarreal just gets overwhelmed and can't throw back. I envisage this happening before the midway mark in the fight.”
Running Order
Callum Walsh vs Ismael Villarreal
10×3 super-welterweight title
Cain Sandoval vs Wesley Ferrer
8×3 super-lightweight contest
Umar Dzambekov vs Frederic Julan
8×3 light-heavyweight contest
Gor Yeritsyan vs Luis Alberto Veron
8×3 welterweight contest
Brian Ceballo vs Kenneth McNeil
8×3 super-welterweight contest
Feargal McCrory vs Nikolai Buzolin
6×3 super-featherweight contest
Omar Cande Trinidad vs Andrew Bentley
6×3 featherweight contest
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