Angel Acosta is confident he can again win a world title belt at 112 pounds. So are Golden Boy and Cotto Promotions. 

Acosta steps back inside the ring Thursday night in a stay-busy fight while awaiting an opportunity to face one of the flyweight world titleholders. He will face Janiel Rivera in a 10-round bout at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California (DAZN, 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT).

At Wednesday’s weigh-in, Acosta weighed in at 112.8 pounds. Rivera weighed 114 pounds.

Thursday marks the first fight for Acosta (22-3, 21 knockouts) since challenging WBO world flyweight titleholder Junto Nakatani on September 10, losing by knockout in the fourth round. He had won his previous two fights. 

Acosta, who is originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico and now trains in Indio, won the vacant WBO world junior flyweight title by knocking out Juan Alejo of Mexico in December 2017. He would make three successful defenses of the WBO title before losing by knockout to Elwin Soto in June 2019. 

Robert Diaz, Golden Boy Promotions’ matchmaker, believes that he has the right mind frame going into the Rivera fight and has excelled in camp with trainer Joel Diaz.

“I’m very excited to see Angel ‘Tito’ Acosta back in the ring,” Diaz told The Ring Wednesday afternoon. “Every time he steps in the ring, he’s looking for a knockout. Always exciting. (He’s) coming off a loss in his last time out. I believe he has found himself training with Joel Diaz now in Indio for his third camp. I see that he’s excited. I see him hungry. He wants to prove something. As always, I expect an explosive outing from him (Thursday night). Hopefully, he gets that win, his hand gets raised, and then we look for a world title (opportunity) once again. 

“He’s always a favorite of mine. He’s always smiling outside the ring. He’s joking. Once that bell rings, that smile switches off right away and he goes in there looking for blood. Looking for a knockout.”

Rivera (18-8-3, 11 KOs), who resides in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, was stopped in his last bout by Saleto Henderson on February 13 of last year. He has lost his last five bouts.  

In the co-feature, featherweight prospect Victor Morales will square off against Alberto Torres of Sacramento, California in a 10-round bout. 

Morales (15-0-1, 8 KOs), who resides in Portland, Oregon, fought to a split-decision draw against Rudy Garcia in his last bout on December 18. The draw against Garcia took place over six months after the 24-year-old stopped Jose Robles Olvera in the third round.

Torres (11-4-3, 4 KOs) lost to unbeaten Hector Valdez by unanimous decision in his last bout on March 20 of last year. He has lost four of his last six bouts. 

Featherweight Rudy Garcia (12-0-1, 2 KOs) of Los Angeles will face gatekeeper Diuhl Olguin in an eight-round bout. Olguin (15-22-5, 10 KOs), who resides in the boxing hotbed of Guadalajara, Mexico, is winless in his last seven bouts.

Welterweight Jimmy Brenes (1-0, 1 KO) of Masaya, Nicaragua will square off against Los Angeles’ Hector Perez (0-0-1) in a four-round bout.

Opening the DAZN telecast will be a six-round bout between Eric Tudor (2-0, 2 KOs) of Hollywood, Florida and Riverside’s Donte Stubbs (6-4, 2 KOs).

Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing

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