Anthony Olascuaga signs with Matchroom, to face Yuberjen Martinez

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Matchroom Boxing has announced the signing of long-reigning WBO flyweight champ Anthony Olascuaga, with multiple reports alleging that “Princesa’s” promotional debut will pit him against Olympic silver medalist Yuberjen Martinez on their November 14th Diego Pacheco vs Darius Fulghum show. Olascuaga (12-1, 9 KO) first made his name by stepping up on short notice to shoot it out with Kenshiro Teraji in 2023, then following up with a comeback knockout of Giemel Magramo five months later. He’s been on a tear since, taking the WBO belt with a sensational knockout of Riku Kano and following up with wins over the likes of “Bomba” Gonzalez and Hiroto Kyoguchi among his five title defenses. He’s young, he’s capable, and he’s hugely entertaining; all he’s been missing so far is a platform, which this spot on TNT should provide in spades. Colombia’s Martinez (7-0, 7 KO) was as legit an amateur as they come, reaching the 2016 finals before falling to the excellent Hasanboy Dusmatov and picking up two wins at Tokyo 2020 before a hometown robbery loss at the hands of Ryomei Tanaka in the quarterfinals. That said, the 34-year-old hasn’t put together the sort of professional résumé that merits a title shot; his first six wins came over no-hopers in his home country and his latest, which somehow featured a WBO trinket, saw him travel to Panama to beat unheralded can-crusher Angel Bethancourt. Still, he’s got the pedigree, so maybe he’ll make it interesting.

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Anthony Olascuaga will reportedly meet an Olympic silver medalist in his Matchroom debut next month