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Press Release

Former junior lightweight world champion Miguel “El Alacrán” Berchelt, the fighting pride of Cancun, Mexico, has his sights squarely on the lightweight division’s top names. Berchelt will battle Namibian contender Jeremiah Nakathila in the 10-round main event Saturday, March 26 at the Resorts World Events Center located at Resorts World Las Vegas.

Berchelt-Nakathila marks the debut sporting event at Resorts World Las Vegas, which opened June 2021 as the first integrated resort to be built on The Strip in over a decade.

In the 10-round co-feature, top featherweight contenders Jose Enrique “El Ejecutor” Vivas and Eduardo “El Gemelo” Baez will meet in a guaranteed all-action clash with potential world title implications. Berchelt-Nakathila and Vivas-Baez will be televised live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST.

“Miguel Berchelt is motivated to become a two-weight world champion, and he has a formidable test in his lightweight debut against Jeremiah Nakathila,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “It is a great honor to promote the first boxing event at Resorts World Las Vegas, a fantastic new property we hope will host many fight nights in the coming years.”

“As we developed Resorts World Las Vegas, entertainment was always an integral piece of our business strategy, and as part of that, we envisioned having major sporting events take place on our property,” said Scott Sibella, President of Resorts World Las Vegas. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with an industry leader like Top Rank to host this event and look forward to welcoming fans to the first-ever Resorts World Las Vegas fight night experience.”

Berchelt (38-2, 34 KOs) won the WBC world title in January 2017 and defended that belt six times, becoming one of boxing’s longest-reigning world champions. Five of his title defenses came by knockout, including a ninth-round triumph over Miguel Roman and a fourth-round blitzing of former world champion Jason Sosa. Berchelt’s momentum was halted in February 2021, when he lost his world title in a dramatic showdown against Oscar Valdez. Berchelt was knocked out in the 10th round by Valdez and soon looked to regain his championship form in another division.

“I am ready to turn the page and show the fans I have what it takes to become a two-division world champion,” Berchelt said. “The Valdez fight is in the past, and my focus is on Nakathila and a lightweight world title in 2022. ‘El Alacran’ is back, and I can’t wait to come to Resorts World Las Vegas to put on a show.”

Nakathila (22-2, 18 KOs) is a former WBO Africa and WBO Global junior lightweight titlist who is one of Namibia's most decorated fighters. He went undefeated for more than four years, and last June, he made his Las Vegas debut against Shakur Stevenson for the WBO interim junior lightweight world title. Nakathila lost a clear points verdict to the unbeaten phenom, but he returned in fine form last October with a second-round stoppage over Ndodana Ncube. The 32-year-old Nakathila hopes to score the upset and a spot among the lightweight elites.

Nakathila said, “It's an amazing opportunity to fight Berchelt. Given our styles, it will make for a highly entertaining fight. This is my lightweight debut, and I'm looking forward to my first win against a highly rated former champion."

Vivas (21-1, 11 KOs), from Texcoco, Mexico, has won four straight fights and emerged as a contender to watch during the “Bubble” in 2020 with standout performances against Carlos Jackson and John Vincent Moralde. Last May, in one of the year's best toe-to-toe affairs, he recovered from a pair of third-round knockdowns to edge Louie Coria by unanimous decision. Baez (20-2-2, 7 KOs), from Mexicali, Mexico, is a former Mexican junior featherweight champion who is now testing the featherweight waters. Last March, he notched a one-sided decision over the previously undefeated Abimael Ortiz, which came a little more than three months after a near-shutout verdict over Narek Abgaryan. Baez saw his 12-bout unbeaten streak snapped with a razor-thin majority decision loss to Ra'eese Aleem.

Miguel Berchelt-Jeremiah Nakathila Lightweight Bout To Headline March 26 ESPN Show

Miguel Berchelt is set to begin what he hopes will be a second title run and at a new weight.

Boxing Scene has learned that the former WBC junior lightweight titlist will move up in weight for a planned lightweight clash with Jeremiah Nakathila. The bout will headline a March 26 show on an ESPN platform from a venue to be determined, confirming an earlier tweet from ESPN Deportes’ Salvador ‘Chava’ Rodriguez suggesting the fight was in play.

Berchelt (38-2, 34KOs)—who hails from Merida. Mexico—has not fought since a stunningly one-sided knockout loss to Oscar Valdez last February 20 at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. The defeat ended his lengthy WBC junior lightweight title reign, having made six defenses spread out over four years. A 14-month stretch between title fights came from the pandemic, along with Berchelt—a twelve-year pro though still only 30 years old—testing positive for Covid which forced a second delay in his planned clash with Valdez.

Prior to their title fight, Berchelt took a lightweight fight as means to stay busy in a June 2020 knockout win over Eleazar Valenzuela. Berchelt weighed 135 pounds for the ESPN-televised non-title fight from Mexico City, his heaviest weight since 2014.

It will now potentially serve as his new home, as will be the case versus an opponent who also moves up in weight.

Nakathila (22-2, 18KOs) has spent the majority of his eight-plus year career at junior lightweight, where he also challenged for an interim version of the WBO title. The 32-year old Namibian came up well short, dropping a one-sided, twelve-round decision to Shakur Stevenson last June. Stevenson—a silver medalist for the U.S. during the 2016 Rio Olympics and former WBO featherweight titlist—went on to dominate Jamel Herring in a tenth-round stoppage to win the full version of the WBO junior lightweight title last October 23 in Atlanta.

One week prior, Nakathila returned to the win column with a second-round knockout of Zimbabwe’s Ndodana Ncube last October 16 in his hometown of Windhoek, Namibia.

The bout with Berchelt will mark just the third career fight outside of South Africa for Nakathila, along with his second in the U.S. His lone other road trip resulted in his first career defeat, a November 2016 twelve-round decision to then-unbeaten Evgeny Chuprakov in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Berchelt-Nakathila is part of an active spring schedule for Top Rank and ESPN. The card follows a March 19 show loaded with rising talent, with Brooklyn-bred super middleweight Edgar Berlanga (18-0, 16KOs) facing Toronto’s Steve Rolls (21-1, 12KOs) in the main event at Madison Square Garden Hulu Theater in New York City. Blue chip prospects Xander Zayas and 2020 Olympic Silver medalist Keyshawn Davis also appear in separate bouts.

Press Release | Confirmed for Resorts World Las Vegas on March 26

Former junior lightweight world champion Miguel “El Alacrán” Berchelt, the fighting pride of Cancun, Mexico, has his sights squarely on the lightweight division’s top names. Berchelt will battle Namibian contender Jeremiah Nakathila in the 10-round main event Saturday, March 26 at the Resorts World Events Center located at Resorts World Las Vegas.

Berchelt-Nakathila marks the debut sporting event at Resorts World Las Vegas, which opened June 2021 as the first integrated resort to be built on The Strip in over a decade.

In the 10-round co-feature, top featherweight contenders Jose Enrique “El Ejecutor” Vivas and Eduardo “El Gemelo” Baez will meet in a guaranteed all-action clash with potential world title implications. Berchelt-Nakathila and Vivas-Baez will be televised live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST.

“Miguel Berchelt is motivated to become a two-weight world champion, and he has a formidable test in his lightweight debut against Jeremiah Nakathila,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “It is a great honor to promote the first boxing event at Resorts World Las Vegas, a fantastic new property we hope will host many fight nights in the coming years.”

“As we developed Resorts World Las Vegas, entertainment was always an integral piece of our business strategy, and as part of that, we envisioned having major sporting events take place on our property,” said Scott Sibella, President of Resorts World Las Vegas. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with an industry leader like Top Rank to host this event and look forward to welcoming fans to the first-ever Resorts World Las Vegas fight night experience.”

Berchelt (38-2, 34 KOs) won the WBC world title in January 2017 and defended that belt six times, becoming one of boxing’s longest-reigning world champions. Five of his title defenses came by knockout, including a ninth-round triumph over Miguel Roman and a fourth-round blitzing of former world champion Jason Sosa. Berchelt’s momentum was halted in February 2021, when he lost his world title in a dramatic showdown against Oscar Valdez. Berchelt was knocked out in the 10th round by Valdez and soon looked to regain his championship form in another division.

“I am ready to turn the page and show the fans I have what it takes to become a two-division world champion,” Berchelt said. “The Valdez fight is in the past, and my focus is on Nakathila and a lightweight world title in 2022. ‘El Alacran’ is back, and I can’t wait to come to Resorts World Las Vegas to put on a show.”

Nakathila (22-2, 18 KOs) is a former WBO Africa and WBO Global junior lightweight titlist who is one of Namibia's most decorated fighters. He went undefeated for more than four years, and last June, he made his Las Vegas debut against Shakur Stevenson for the WBO interim junior lightweight world title. Nakathila lost a clear points verdict to the unbeaten phenom, but he returned in fine form last October with a second-round stoppage over Ndodana Ncube. The 32-year-old Nakathila hopes to score the upset and a spot among the lightweight elites.

Nakathila said, “It's an amazing opportunity to fight Berchelt. Given our styles, it will make for a highly entertaining fight. This is my lightweight debut, and I'm looking forward to my first win against a highly rated former champion."

Vivas (21-1, 11 KOs), from Texcoco, Mexico, has won four straight fights and emerged as a contender to watch during the “Bubble” in 2020 with standout performances against Carlos Jackson and John Vincent Moralde. Last May, in one of the year's best toe-to-toe affairs, he recovered from a pair of third-round knockdowns to edge Louie Coria by unanimous decision. Baez (20-2-2, 7 KOs), from Mexicali, Mexico, is a former Mexican junior featherweight champion who is now testing the featherweight waters. Last March, he notched a one-sided decision over the previously undefeated Abimael Ortiz, which came a little more than three months after a near-shutout verdict over Narek Abgaryan. Baez saw his 12-bout unbeaten streak snapped with a razor-thin majority decision loss to Ra'eese Aleem.

Good to see Berchelt back in action.

Fight Week!!

Undercard Press Release

Boxing’s rising stars are headed to Resorts World Las Vegas. Welterweight U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson and Puerto Rican junior featherweight contender Carlos “Purin” Caraballo will see action on the Miguel Berchelt-Jeremiah Nakathila undercard Saturday, March 26 at the Resorts World Events Center.

Johnson will face an opponent to be named in a six-rounder, while Caraballo hopes to bounce back from his first career defeat against Luis Fernando Saavedra in an eight-rounder.

Berchelt-Nakathila and a 10-round featherweight battle between Jose Enrique Vivas and Eduardo Baez will be televised live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Undercard bouts, including Johnson and Caraballo-Saavedra, will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 6:45 p.m. ET/3:45 p.m. PT.

“There’s plenty of great young talent on the card, including a young man in Tiger Johnson who I believe can one day become a world champion,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “We are thrilled to bring world-class boxing to Resorts World Las Vegas.”

Johnson (2-0, 1 KO) had a sterling 188-17 amateur record, culminating in his run to the quarterfinal round at the Tokyo Olympics. He had an eye-opening professional debut last November in Las Vegas, knocking out Antonius Grable in four rounds. Johnson returned in January with a shutout decision over the previously unbeaten Xavier Madrid.

Caraballo (14-1, 14 KOs), from Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, won his first 14 fights by stoppage and was never extended past the sixth round. That changed last October when he went the 10-round distance against Jonas Sultan. He knocked down Sultan once and survived four knockdowns to lose a narrow decision in one of the best fights of 2021. Caraballo now has a stiff challenge in Saavedra (9-6, 3 KOs), a Mexican pressure fighter with a deceiving record. Saavedra has won two straight fights against previously unbeaten fighters, including last June’s six-round domination over Robert “Biggie” Rodriguez (9-0-1 at the time) on a Top Rank card.

In other undercard action streaming live on ESPN+:

Josue “The Prodigy” Vargas (19-2, 9 KOs) will fight an opponent to be named in an eight-round junior welterweight tilt. Vargas was one of the division’s rising contenders until a stunning first-round KO loss to Jose “Chon” Zepeda last October in New York City.

Featherweight Haven Brady Jr. (5-0, 3 KOs), the one-time U.S. amateur star, aims to notch his second victory of 2022 against Chilean veteran Jose Argel (8-2, 2 KOs). Argel has never been knocked out as a pro and has gone six or more rounds six times in his career.

Light heavyweight prospect Dante Benjamin Jr. (1-0, 1 KO), fresh off a first-round knockout in his professional debut, will face fellow unbeaten Kevin Johnson (2-0, 1 KO).

Arturo Cardenas (2-0, 2 KOs), a junior featherweight knockout artist who trains out of the world-famous Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Riverside, California, will fight Mexican upstart Juan Hernandez Martinez (2-0) in a four-rounder.

Adrian Serrano, a 17-year-old lightweight from Salinas, California, will make his pro debut in a four-rounder against Estevan Partida (0-1).

Date: Saturday March 26, 2022
Location: Resorts World Events Center - Las Vegas, NV
TV: ESPN+. ESPN, Sky Sports (UK)

Start Times
ESPN+: 6:45 pm ET | 3:45 pm PT | 10:45 pm GMT (Preliminary Card)
ESPN: 10 pm ET | 7 pm PT
Sky Sports: 2 am BST

Promoted by: Top Rank Inc. & Zanfer Boxing

Main Card

10 Round Lightweight Bout
Miguel Berchelt vs. Jeremiah Nakathila

Vacant WBC USNBC Featherweight Championship
Jose Enrique Durantes Vivas vs. Eduardo Baez

Undercard

8 Round Junior Featherweight Bout
Carlos Caraballo vs. Luis Fernando Saavedra

6 Round Welterweight Bout
Tiger Johnson vs. Sebastian Gabriel Chaves

8 Round Junior Welterweight Bout
Josue Vargas vs. Nicolas Pablo Demario

6 Round Featherweight Bout
Haven Brady Jr vs. Jose Argel

4 Round Light Heavyweight Bout
Dante Benjamin vs. Kevin Johnson

4 Round Junior Featherweight Bout
Arturo Cardenas vs. Juan Hernandez Martinez

4 Round Lightweight Bout
Adrian Serrano vs. Estevan Partida

Prelims start soon.

Berchelt blamed his last loss to weight.

Good start to Vivas-Baez. Almost a case of spot the jab.

Cholo_cws wrote: ↑26 Mar 2022, 22:15 Good start to Vivas-Baez. Almost a case of spot the jab.

Did you score it ?
I just woke up - the comms seemed to think that was a robbery...

Berchelt looks done !

No legs, no balance, getting beat up...

wow, that's some fall for berchelt

Wow!!

Berchelt.. what happened to you man??

Well done to Naka.

Very disapointed by Berchelt here.

Stevenson whitewashed Naka, I was expecting Berch to atleast make a fight of it or even win. Bench needs to find a exit strategy from the sport of boxing after that type of showing.

Who picked Naka by Stoppage?

Come and claim ur badge!

What a win for Nakathila, night and day from the showing he put in against Stevenson, dominated a finished looking Berchelt from start to finish, worked the jab , measured Berchelt up for the right hand and tagged him clean comfortably, dropped Berchelt with a standard jab in the 3rd and took him apart, Berchelt looked totally spent, nothing about him, no legs or punch resistance, took a big right at end of 6th which sent his gumshield flying, good call for pull him out after round, he was on a hiding to nothing, Nakathila looked pretty good

Berchelt: I'm Going To Rise From TKO Loss To Nakathila; Will Come Back Stronger Than Ever

Miguel Berchelt believes he could’ve continued Saturday night in his loss to Jeremiah Nakathila.

Luckily for the former WBC super featherweight champion, a Nevada State Athletic Commission doctor and referee Russell Mora saved the courageous Berchelt from himself. Nakathila battered Berchelt, who was almost a 6-1 favorite, with right hands for most of what amounted to a one-sided beatdown that ESPN televised as its main event from Resorts World Las Vegas.

Namibia’s Nakathila knocked Berchelt to the canvas with a combination in the third round. He continued to hammer him with right hands that wobbled Berchelt numerous times, including one flush shot that knocked Berchelt’s mouthpiece out late in the sixth round.

Berchelt never really seemed to have his legs under him after suffering the aforementioned knockdown. He suffered his second straight loss inside the distance 13 months after Oscar Valdez viciously knocked him out in the 10th round of their 130-pound championship match in February 2021 at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.

Mexico’s Berchelt (38-3, 34 KOs) had hoped to reinvent himself as a lightweight contender against Nakathila (23-2, 19 KOs), who produced by far the most noteworthy win of his career. Moving up from the 130-pound division to the lightweight limit did little to help Berchelt perform better than he did the night Valdez dominated him.

“I’m a little bit surprised,” Berchelt said of the stoppage. “I thought I was in a condition to continue, but the referee decided to stop the fight. He’s the ultimate authority. I have to respect that, but I wanted to continue.”

The 30-year-old Berchelt’s surprising upset defeat to Nakathila seemingly ended his respectable run as a championship-caliber boxer. The Cancun native indicated, however, that he isn’t ready to retire.

“I’m going to get up,” said Berchelt, who was down 60-53 on all three scorecards when their fight was stopped. “I’m going to rise from this. The great champions are not the ones who fall. The great champions are those who rise, and I will go home, spend time with my family, visit with them, get some rest, and I am going to come back stronger than ever.”