Promoter Tom Loeffler has represented some of the best fighters in the sport.

Shane Mosley, Oba Carr, Kevin Kelley, Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, Cecilia Braekhus and Gennady Golovkin, just to name a few, all found success with Loeffler in their corner.

Loeffler hopes the prospects he currently represents will pan out and succeed in the sport, particularly Cain Sandoval, a junior welterweight prospect who can box and punch.

Sandoval will face once-beaten Wesley Ferrer Thursday night at The Hulu Theatre inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. The eight-round bout will precede the main event bout between junior middleweights Callum Walsh and Ismael Villarreal.

Both fights will stream live on UFC Fight Pass (8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT).

Cain Sandoval (left) and Tom Loeffler – Photo courtesy of 360 Promotions

Sandoval (10-0, 10 knockouts), who resides in Sacramento, California, last fought on July 22, dropping gatekeeper Jose Marruffo once en route to a knockout victory in round six. In his previous fight on April 14, Sandoval knocked out Jose Angulo, who represented Ecuador at the 2012 Olympic Games.

The 21-year-old signed a promotional deal with Tom Loeffler earlier this year. Sandoval has improved his skill set, not having to rely on his knockout power to win fights. Loeffler is confident the boxer-puncher style of Sandoval can make for success in a competitive lightweight division and win over more fans.

“Cain is a very exciting fighter with all knockouts,” Loeffler told The Ring Wednesday morning. “He’s being featured on the biggest stage now at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden against tough Wesley Ferrer from (nearby) Brooklyn.”

Ferrer (17-1-1, 8 KOs) will be a significant step up in opposition for Sandoval. In his last bout on August 13 of last year, Ferrer defeated former fringe contender Jayson Velez by majority decision. The 31-year-old also has a win over once-beaten Larry Fryers and has won his last five bouts since suffering his only defeat at the hands of Steven Ortiz in September 2018.

An impressive victory over Ferrer would validate Sandoval’s place amongst top lightweight prospects that could make the transition to contender in 2024. Loeffler believes Sandoval can continue developing to reach the goals set for the unbeaten lightweight.

“(Thursday night) is a great opportunity for Cain to be in the spotlight,” said Loeffler. “But he knows he has to perform on this stage in order to keep building his career. We have great expectations for Cain and this fight is a big step for him to prove he can fulfill those expectations.”

In the main event of the night, Callum Walsh (8-0, 7 KOs) will face Ismael Villarreal (13-1, 9 KOs) in a 10-round junior middleweight bout.

Walsh is originally from Cork, Ireland and now resides in Hollywood, California, and Villarreal resides in The Bronx. Loeffler believes their fan bases will continue to bring about a strong walk-up crowd for tomorrow night.

“Ticket sales (are) going very well. You never know what to expect with bringing an up-and-coming fighter like Callum Walsh to a new arena like Madison Square Garden, but with all the publicity he has generated, he has received support from The Garden and UFC.”

The 22-year-old Walsh did take in a Knicks game on Monday night, where he was introduced to the crowd, sat courtside, and took in on photo opportunities with fans.

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]

Follow @FSalazarBoxing

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