Home Boxing News Luis “KO King” Rosa vs Luis “Barcelo” Hinojosa on June 30th

Luis “KO King” Rosa vs Luis “Barcelo” Hinojosa on June 30th

Photo Credit: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

Undefeated world-rated junior featherweight prospect Luis “KO King” Rosa Jr. takes on former world title challenger Luis “Barcelo” Hinojosa in the eight-round main event Thursday night, June 30, in Premier Ballroom at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

The 25-year-old Rosa (22-0, 10 KOs), born in Puerto Rico and fighting out of New Haven (CT), is a rising star in the junior featherweight division, world rated at No. 10 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and No. 12 by the World Boxing Council (WBC). He is a recent graduate of Gateway College in New Haven with an associates degree in business.

Hinojosa is a former Dominican Republic and World Boxing Association (WBA) Fedelatin bantamweight champion who was stopped in the 11th round by Yonfrez Parejo in their 2014 interim WBA bantamweight title fight.

Rosa doesn’t feel any added pressure in terms of risking his ranking and undefeated record against a veteran such as Hinojosa. “I’m hungrier knowing I’m so close to a major fight,” Rosa said. “I’m working even harder, I’m right there, knocking on the door for a world title fight. I think that will take a little more than a year. I know it’s hard to get a world title fight. I’m willing to fight any of the top 122-pounders. I’m ready to take them on, but I still take it one fight at a time. Eventually, they’ll (world champions) will have to fight me, and then I’ll take their belts.”

In the eight-round co-feature event, Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) junior featherweight champion Jennifer “The Bolivian Queen” Salinas (18-3, 4 KOs), now fighting out of Providence (RI), faces off in a non-title fight against Hungarian challenger Gina Chamie (14-6, 6 KOs), a three-time world title challenger.

Unbeaten Irish junior welterweight prospect Noel Murphy (6-0, 2 KOs) faces Albanian invader Afrim Mema (5-3-1, 2 KOs), who fights out of Detroit, in a six-round bout.

Also fighting on the undercard is the newest DBE signee Mykey Williams (1-0, 1 KO), the 18-year-old three-time Ringside World amateur champion from East Hartford, in a four-round welterweight fight against an opponent to be determined.

Also scheduled to be in action are New Haven’s highly decorated Foster brothers, light heavyweight Charles (10-0, 5 KOs) and junior lightweight William III (2-0, 1 KO), in six and four-round matchups, respectively, versus TBAs. Both brothers were National amateur standouts.

Worcester, MA featherweight Irvin Gonzalez, another decorated New England amateur who qualified for the 2016 USA Olympic Boxing Team Trials, will make his professional debut in qa four-round fight against TBA.

Tickets for the June 30th card are on sale and priced at $125, $75 and $45, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com and www.foxwoods.com or by visiting the Foxwoods’ Box Office. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. ET, first bout at 7:00 p.m. ET.