Mayerlin Rivas, the World Boxing Association (WBA) super bantamweight champion, will make her debut in the United States to defend her crown this Saturday against Erika Cruz, a strong challenger, at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California.
The fight will be part of the Matchroom Boxing event and will have two female warriors in dispute for the 122-pound belt on a big stage in the western United States.
Rivas is the champion of the pioneer organization and will make her debut in the big U.S. market at the age of 35. The Venezuelan will be making the third defense of the title she won in 2020 by defeating Laura Ledezma and defended with a win over Karina Fernandez in 2022 and a technical draw against Nazarena Romero in June of last year.
Cruz is a fighter known for her great battles and former featherweight champion who will move down a weight class with the firm intention of returning to win a WBA belt. The 33-year-old Mexican is coming off a victory over Melissa Parker in her most recent bout in September, which was preceded by a fight against Amanda Serrano in April, which was one of the best fights of the year despite her defeat.
This week, she will be hosting several promotional activities in California, including a public workout, press conference and weigh-in ceremony. Rivas has a record of 17 wins, 4 losses, 3 draws and 11 knockouts, while Cruz has 16 wins, 3 losses and 3 knockouts.
