La Cruz vs Reyes and More in IBA Champion's Night in Phuket, Thailand

By Carlos Costa

PHUKET, Thailand — World’s top rated boxers from 9 different nationalities successfully made weight ahead of the “IBA Champion’s Night” unfolding today, Saturday, July 15, in the paradise island of Phuket in the Kingdom of Thailand.

In the main event, Cuban star Julio La Cruz, a 2-time Olympic Gold and 5-time Amateur World Champion, made weight ahead of his tough heavyweight clash against Spanish-Cuban Olympian and 2023 Heavyweight Silver Medalist in the European Games Enmanuel Reyes of La Coruña, Spain.

In the co-feature, Cuban 2-time Olympic Medalist Arlen López Cardona tip the scales at 80 kilos for his rumble against Russian light heavyweight warrior 2023 Bronze Medalist in the World Championships Imam Abdulayevich Khataev of Chechnya.

Also in the show, Spain’s Flyweight Martín Molina Salvador, the Bronze Medalist in the 2023 World Championships collides hard against Olympic Gold Medalist Hasanboy Dusmatov.

In another high-level battle, 22-year-old 2023 IBA Men’s Welterweight World Champion Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev of Uzbekistan takes on skilled Dulat Bekbauov of Taraz, Kazakhstan.

Plus, cute Mexican Zacateca warrior girl Guadalupe “Lupita” Altagracia Solis Acosta, the Gold Medalist in Flyweights in the XXIII Central American Games, fights skilled and strong 19-year-old Megan de Cler of the Nederlands.

Furthermore, cute 27-year-old Valentina Khalzova of Kazakhstan trades hard against Turkish veteran Elif Guneri in the Middleweight Division.

One more fight completes the high-level 7-bout show today in Phuket.

In attendance during the show were IBA Official Wayne McLachlan of Australia, IBA Exccutive Marta Forcén Celaya of Spain, also Devraj Das of Mumbai, India, Coach Ventura Vazquez of Monterrey, Mexico, among others.

The LIVE action can be watch from the IBA Official YouTube Channel.

The author senior boxing writer Carlos Costa of Panama can be reached at carlos@philboxing.com