Jeovanny Estela arrives in Japan early for Prizefighter bout with Aaron McKenna
Boxlab Promotions’ unbeaten middleweight Jeovanny Estela (14-0, 5 KOs) has wrapped up training camp and arrived in Japan for his highly anticipated “Prizefighter” tournament bout with fellow undefeated foe, Irishman Aaron McKenna (18-0, 9 KOs).
The 10-round bout will take place on Monday July 15, 2024, at the Yamato Arena in Osaka, Japan.
The ‘Prizefighter’ tournament, televised globally on DAZN, features eight top-tier fighters, with the champion taking home a $1,000,000 grand prize. Estela, the sole competitor from the United States, is ready to shine on the international stage while proudly representing both Puerto Rico and the USA.
Estela, who trains out of Miami, gives his thoughts on his upcoming fight as he enters into fight week.
“I had a great training camp and I’m focused on the task at hand, which is to come out victorious in my bout against McKenna,” stated Estela who recently arrived in in Osaka, Japan, with his team.
“This is the turning point in my career that can change everything for me. I worked really hard to get to this point and I’m going to take full advantage of the opportunity. The goal for this week is to get plenty of rest, and peak on fight night.
“I just arrived in Japan over the weekend to get acclimated to the climate out here and I feel great,” concluded Estela, who hails from Orlando, FL.
“Since I’m the only American competing in this tournament, I feel a great amount of pride for my country and my family back in Puerto Rico where my parents are from. I’m excited about fighting on the big stage and I can’t wait to step in the ring next Monday.”
Boxlab Promotions, based in Orlando, Florida, has significantly shaped Estela’s professional career by promoting 11 of his 14 bouts in the Central Florida area.
“Since his professional debut, we showcased Jeovanny Estela’s talent to the world and now we have arrived at the pivotal point in his career.” said Amaury Piedra, Estela’s promoter at Boxlab Promotions.
“As a promoter, these are the moments you envision when you sign a fighter to a promotional contract. He’s going into this tournament with a tremendous amount of support from both the USA and Puerto Rico, as both his parents were born on the island. We believe Estela has what it takes to win this tournament and bring home the $1,000,000 prize.”
What has Aaron McKenna said?
Aaron McKenna: “It’s definitely something that excited me from the start. It’s an exciting PrizeFighter tournament that goes back years and it excites the fans as well and also the prize fund; it’s a massive opportunity. I’ve got all of those things in my head and I believe I’m the best fighter in the world.
“It was hard for me to get fights in the past, I’ve had a lot of pull-outs late on, like the last seven or eight fights, it’s been pull-out after pull-out on late notice.
“This tournament, all of the fighters are coming believing that they can win, so it’s going to bring really entertaining fights for the fans. There’s a reason why I’m the favourite; because I’m the best!
“I think my experience across the world, I’ve travelled all over the world. I’ve been in America for four years, spent four years over there and trained in Robert Garcia’s gym for a year and Freddie Roach’s gym for a year. I’ve been to Vegas and Mexico, nearly sparred literally everyone in the world that there is to spar.
“I’m 18-0, 24, young fighter, hungry. Just for this camp alone I’ve been sparring Terence Crawford and his camp. I know what I can do in the ring. This is a life-changing opportunity for me. Winning this tournament puts you in a very strong position to fight anyone in the world and get even bigger fights and purses. This is the start of success for my career.”