Cesar Mateo Tapia is prepared to take on one of the top fighters in the middleweight category.
Tapia is set to battle undefeated middleweight Keever Gonzalez on Wednesday night at Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia. The 10-round fight will precede the main event featuring junior middleweight contenders Nikita Tsi and Danilo Creti.
Both fights are part of the No Limit Boxing Promotions card and will be broadcast live on Kayo Sports (7pm AEST).
During the weigh-in on Tuesday, Tapia weighed in at 159.31 pounds while Gonzalez came in at 158.29 pounds. The question remains whether Tapia can claim a WBO regional title and secure a spot in the top 15 of the WBO rankings.
Tapia (16-0, 10 KOs) hails from Tijuana, Mexico but currently resides in Narrabeen, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. He is trained by Rick Caronongan and Jesse Thompson in St Petersburg, Florida. The 26-year-old is promoted by No Limit Boxing, the same promotion company behind former world junior middleweight champion Tim Tse, and believes he belongs among the top fighters in the 160-pound weight class.
“I’m thrilled to be back in Australia on such a significant domestic platform,” Tapia shared with The Ring on Sunday. “After spending 15 months in America and ongoing training, I believe I have evolved as a fighter during this period. Coaches Rick and Jesse have helped me elevate my game to the next level.
“No Limit Promotions has displayed its prominence in the boxing world with their excellent work with Tim Tzu. This is the perfect place for me in my career, and the timing feels right. It just feels like the perfect fit, and I am eager to showcase my skills to the Sydney crowd and make a mark on the global stage as the next world champion from Australia.”
No Limit Boxing also represents junior featherweight contender Sam Goodman and former world junior lightweight title contender Liam Wilson.
In his recent fight on October 18, Tapia defeated Eric Robles after the fifth round. This victory came a year after he triumphed over Abdoulaye Mayweather, who was undefeated at the time, by unanimous decision.
Ryan Rickey manages Tapia.
Gonzalez (20-0, 17 KOs), originally from El Callao, Venezuela and now living in Willemstad, Curaçao, secured a unanimous decision victory over Ramon López Mejia in his last bout on October 28th.
While his last two fights took place on the island of Curacao, the 29-year-old has also competed in Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexico.
Francisco A. Salazar has contributed to The Ring since October 2013 and has been covering boxing in Southern California and internationally since 2000. Francisco also reports on boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. You can reach him at: [email protected]
