Ashton ‘H2O’ Sylve entered 2024 with plans to make a splash in the lightweight division.
That quest will have to continue after this weekend’s DAZN headliner.
The 20-year-old from Long Beach, California arrived at an announced weight of 140 pounds for a planned WBC Youth lightweight title fight this Friday versus Brazil’s Estivan Falcao. There was no indication during Thursday’s weigh-in that he was five pounds over the eligible limit to challenge for the belt at stake. Falcao arrived at a trim and fit 134.8 pounds for their scheduled ten-rounder Friday evening from Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida.
The fight headlines the 2024 season premiere.
Sylve (10-0, 9KOs) topped the inaugural MVProspects show last May, in an eight-round decision victory over late replacement opponent Adam Kipenga. He resumed his knockout ways with a fourth-round stoppage of Brazil’s William Silva last August 5 on the Jake Paul-Nate Diaz undercard in Dallas, Texas.
The upcoming main event will see Sylve challenge for his first regional title. It comes versus the well-pedigreed Falcao (13-2, 7KOs), whose older brothers Esquiva and Yamaguchi both medaled for Brazil during the 2012 London Olympics.
DAZN Main undercard, 8:00 p.m. ET
Orestes Velazquez (8-0, 7KOs), Miami via Camaguey, Cuba 139.6 pounds vs. Julian Smith (7-2, 4KOs), Country Club Hills, Illinois, 139.2 pounds—10 rounds, junior welterweight
Benigno Aguilar (11-0, 4KOs), Crescent City, Florida, 136 pounds vs. Corey Marksman (8-0, 6KOs), Orlando, 135 pounds—8 rounds, lightweight
Maricela Cornejo (17-6, 7KOs), Los Angeles, 146.8 pounds vs. Kandi Wyatt (11-5, KOs), Calgary, Canada, 146.4 pounds—8 rounds, welterweight
Preliminary undercard (DAZN/YouTube, 5:00 p.m. ET)
Dainier Pero (5-0, 3KOs), Miami via Camaguey, Cuba, 234.6 pounds vs. Joe Jones (14-9, 10KOs), Jersey City, New Jersey, 216 pounds—6 rounds, heavyweight
Jasmine Artiga (11-0-1, 5KOs), Tampa, 115.2 pounds vs. Nancy Franco (19-18-2, KOs), Guadalajara, Mexico, 115.2 pounds—8 rounds, junior bantamweight
Jorge Carlos (5-0, 5KOs), Olathe, Kansas, 139.6 pounds vs. Quinterius Chappell (3-0, 3KOs), Atlanta, 138.2 pounds—4 rounds, junior welterweight
Alexander Gueche (3-0, 3KOs), Long Beach, California, 115.8 pounds vs. Osmar Rodriguez (5-2, 1KO), San Luis Potosí, Mexico, 114.4 pounds—4 rounds, junior bantamweight
Luis Lebron (19-5-1, 12KOs), Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, 137.6 pounds vs. Giovanni Gutierrez (11 6 1, 6KOs), Tipitapa, Nicaragua, 136.4 pounds—8 rounds, lightweight
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. X (formerly Twitter): @JakeNDaBox