Collazo’s first title defense will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Oscar Collazo wearing the WBO world minimumweight title around his waist. | Photo from Collazo’s Facebook page
CEBU CITY, Philippines —- Reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) world minimumweight champion Oscar Collazo of Puerto Rico chose to fight Filipino prospect Garen “Hellboy” Diagan in his first voluntary title defense on August 26, 2023.
Collazo’s first title defense will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
This will be Collazo’s first defense after he snatched the world title from Cebu-based and erstwhile world champion Melvin Jerusalem of ZIP Sanman Boxing Team and his first time since 2021 to fight in his home country.
Collazo shocked Jerusalem last May 27 in the latter’s first mandatory title defense in Indio, California after he won via a seventh round stoppage.
Jerusalem was unable to continue fighting after the seventh round which was ruled as a knockout victory, ending his five-month reign as a world champion.
Collazo, one of Golden Boy Promotions’ top boxers, improved his unbeaten record to seven wins with five knockouts.
Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Diagan of General Santos City isn’t new in fighting abroad. He already fought in Thailand, South Africa, and Vietnam.
He has a record of 10 wins with five knockouts and three defeats.
Diagan is best remembered to knockout the heavily-favored April Jay Abne of ARQ Boxing Stable in their fight last December 2022 in Cebu City. He stunned Abne by knocking the latter out in the first round.
However, in their rematch, Abne avenged his loss with a fifth round knockout.
Still, Diagan bounced back from the defeat and won his last two bouts against South African Simpiwe Konkco in South Africa last October 2022. He also went on beating Vietnamese Huu Toan Le in Ho Chi Minh City last March.
In addition, Diagan is also a world-rated boxer in the four major boxing governing bodies. He is No. 3 in the WBC minimumweight, NO. 5 in the WBA and IBF, and No. 9 in the WBO.
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