Efe "The Silent Roller" Ajagba (16-1, 13 KOs) faces against Stephan "Big Shot" Shaw (18-0, 13 KOs) in the 10-round main event. Due to an eye injury, Oscar Rivas was forced to withdraw from the fight against Ajagba.
Ajagba, 28, suffered his only career loss in October last year against fellow heavyweight prospect Frank Sanchez, after which he underwent surgery on both elbows and returned to the ring in August 2022.
Shaw had a successful 2022, going 3-0 with two knockouts, including a convincing eight-round victory over Rydell Booker in November. One of the hardest punchers in the heavyweight category, Ajagba most recently defeated Jozsef Darmos in the second round in August.
Guido "The Gladiator" Vianello (10-0-1, 9 KOs) will compete against the upset-minded Jonnie Rice (15-6-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round bout instead of facing Shaw in the co-feature.
Italian Olympian Vianello from Rome has won three fights since a draw with Kingsley Ibeh in 2020. Ajagba and Shaw are two of the heavyweight contenders Rice has faced. After suffering back-to-back defeats in 2020, Rice revitalized his career by defeating then-unbeaten prodigy Michael Coffie in the fifth round in July 2021. On January 1st, he did it again, defeating Coffie by unanimous decision after 10 rounds.
Watch Intense Faceoff At Press Conference, Ajagba Tells Shaw He's Talking too Much, Shaw Promises KO Watch Intense Faceoff
Main card: Begins at 10pm ET
▪️Efe Ajagba vs. Stephan Shaw, 10 rounds, heavyweight ▪️Guido Vianello vs. Jonnie Rice, 10 rounds, heavyweight
Undercard:
▪️Abraham Nova vs. Adam Lopez, 8 rounds, junior lightweight ▪️Haven Brady Jr. vs. Ruben Cervera, 8 rounds, junior lightweight ▪️Floyd Diaz vs. Edwin Rodriguez, 8 rounds, junior featherweight ▪️Bryce Mills vs. Margarito Hernandez, 6 rounds, junior welterweight ▪️Dante Benjamin Jr. vs. Emmanueal Austin, 6 rounds, light heavyweight ▪️Bruce Carrington vs. Juan Antonio Lopez, 6 rounds, featherweight
