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Callum Walsh gets new opponent, will face Wesley Tucker on March 16

Hall-of-fame trainer Freddie Roach gloves up his latest pupil, Irish up-and-comer Callum Walsh. (Photo: 360 Promotions)
Fighters Network
09
Mar

Callum Walsh will face a new opponent on March 16.

The unbeaten junior middleweight will square off against Wesley Tucker at the Agganis Arena on the campus of Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. The 10-round bout will stream live on UFC Fight Pass (10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT).

Tucker replaces Leonardo Di Stefano Ruiz of Spain after Ruiz reportedly suffered a broken finger during sparring.

“While we’re understandably concerned for Leonard De Stefano Ruiz’s injury and wish him a full recovery, Callum Walsh is now facing an even more-experienced fighter in Wesley Tucker on Thursday, March 16 in front of a huge Irish crowd in Boston,” said Tom Loeffler, President of 360 Promotions. 



Walsh (5-0, 4 knockouts), who is originally from Cork, Ireland and now lives and trains in Hollywood, California, was a stellar amateur, winning several prestigious titles before turning pro in December 2021. He is currently trained by Freddie Roach.

In his last bout on November 3, Walsh dropped Delen Parsley multiple times before the fight was stopped in the third round. In his previous fight on August 4, Walsh fought to a one-sided decision over gatekeeper Benjamin Whitaker.

The 22-year-old southpaw is very popular in Ireland and has even won the backing of UFC President Dana White.

Tucker (15-4, 9 KOs), who resides in Toledo, Ohio, was stopped by hard-hitting Ivan Golub in his last bout on October 13. The 35-year-old has lost four of his last five bouts, with the other defeats coming at the hands of Enver Halili, Alexander Besputin, and, most recently, Jose Antonio Abreu.

In other action, Andrew Cancio (21-5-2, 16 KOs) of Blythe, California, who held a WBA secondary title at 130 pounds, will face Boston’s Jonathan de Pina (11-1, 4 KOs) in an eight round lightweight bout. 

Danny O’Connor (30-3, 11 KOs) of nearby Framingham will return from a five-year hiatus to square off against Luis Garcia (13-1-1, 9 KOs) of Richmond, California in an eight round junior middleweight bout. 

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 at [email protected]

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