Lightweight Justin Pauldo (17-1, 8 KOs) collides with Miguel Madueno in this week’s main-event on ProBox TV’s Wednesday Night Fights in Plant City, Florida.
The Houston based 29-year-old defeated Uruguay’s Eduardo Estela over the 10-round distance on his ProBox debut last August. Pauldo went on to knockout Jerry Perez in November, and this Wednesday he tops the bill from the Sunshine State.
“I’m very excited to get the main-event slot,” Pauldo said. “I’m looking forward to it, I had two good fights already, on the co-main. But at the end of the day it is just another fight.”
Mexico’s Madueno stands in Pauldo’s way. The 25-year-old, now based in Orange, California, is coming off a unanimous-decision loss to Steve Claggett last November. Nicknamed “Explosivo”, his record stands at 30-2 (28 KOs).
“You never really know what is going to happen until the fight starts,” Pauldo continued. “Styles make fights, you know. I got the skills, I know that. I’m very confident, I’m very confident with how I have prepared, I’m very confident with my team. This is the right time. I feel like I’m on the right path, the sky’s the limit. This is my time, I feel like I’m at my best.”
Pauldo returns to his native Florida having moved his family to Texas to train with Ronnie Shields.
“I’m originally from Orlando, Florida but now I live in Houston, Texas.” Pauldo explained. “I had a chance to train with the legendary Ronnie Shields, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to enhance my career. It’s been great being around Ronnie, and I get the chance to be around a lot of great fighters. [There are] a lot of champions and young guys coming up around the gym working. We’ve got a great stable. Ronnie is very knowledgeable and we go over a lot of stuff.
“He’s one of those coaches that are always focused on the basics and the fundamentals.
“I’ve been with Ronnie for a minute, over seven years now. I came down here with my family, I have a six-year-old son now as well. It has been great, it hasn’t always been, we’ve had ups and downs.
I had a two-and-a-half year layoff. I was with PBC at that point. Things happened and I ended up not fighting for two years. I have had mishaps in my career, I missed weight for the Rolly Romero fight. It was my fault, I shouldn’t have missed weight. I could have been more professional, there were some things leading into that fight, too.
“But a professional should always do his job and be professional. So after that I was out for over two years. But I got a great team with Jolene Mizzone and Adrian Clark, we came up together.
“Now ProBox came along with this great deal, I want a shot at the title in 2024. 135 [pounds] is a stacked division, there is little margin for error. You get pushed to the side, but it is just business as I understand it.”
Pauldo works alongside some of the most exciting fighters on the planet as he works away with Shields to achieve his goal.
“I’m working a lot with David Morrell,” Pauldo added. “He’s actually quite a bit younger than me. He’s already a world champion, it is great to learn from him. You have to keep improving and learning everyday. The gym has that culture. I’m just constantly evolving. There are so many good fighters I train with.
“Years back, probably four or five years ago I got to do some with [Guillermo] Rigondeaux. I was trying to use my size, but he was moving around me. It was such a great experience, just to see all the little tricks he has. It was a great moment.”