One for the road.

Mexican warrior Carlos Cuadras could never be accused of ducking a challenge.

In a highly productive career, he's beaten Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (TD 8) for the WBC junior bantamweight title in May 2014, notched six title defenses and took modern day legend Roman Gonzalez (UD 12) to the limit back in September 2016.

He later gave the fourth member of The Four Kings, Juan Francisco Estrada all he could handle during a pair of close-run encounters, losing a narrow 12-round decision before falling short in an 11-round shootout for WBC honours three years later.

The grizzled veteran has even shared a ring with hugely-talented unified champion Jesse Rodriguez and put The Ring's No. 6 pound-for-pound boxer through his paces, en route to a a wide points loss in February 2022.

Since then, the 37-year-old warhorse has won five fights which included edging a 12-round split decision beyond compatriot Pedro Guevara for the WBC interim title. However, an Achilles injury meant he never reaped the rewards and sat out 13 months.

As the WBC's top-rated junior bantamweight contender, No. 3 by The Ring, he hoped for something significant when given the opportunity to face fast-rising Tomoya Tsuboi (2-0, 1 KO) on the Tenshin Nasukawa-Takuma Inoue undercard come November 24.

"Well, I feel very happy returning to Japan to fight, and facing Tomoya Tsuboi is a great challenge for me," Cuadras told The Ring. "I think I'm a great test for Tomoya."

Cuadras (44-5-1, 28 KOs) has trained with Jay "Panda" Najar's team in Jiquipilco, Mexico and recognizes that despite Tsuboi's limited professional record, the 29-year-old represents a tough assignment.

"The Japanese are very disciplined, and with just a few fights, they have become world champions, of course, Naoya Inoue," he said. "But I think I have the strength to become a world champion again. I'm training very hard."

He believes the fight's result will have huge implications at this stage of his career.

"Well honestly, if he were to beat me, he'd be ready to go for a world championship - but I don't think that's going to happen," he said.

"I want to end my career with a world title, this is a good test for me and that's my biggest motivation, my family and knowing I can be a world champion again, leave a legacy in boxing."

Tsuboi was a former amateur standout, who collected gold at the 2021 World Championships. His attempts to reach the Paris Olympics last summer proved unsuccessful, falling at the final hurdle in qualifying.

The 29-year-old made his professional debut amid plenty of fanfare, needing two rounds to stop Boonrueang Phayom in March before taking a considerable step-up and beating Van Thao Tran in a 10-round points win three months later.

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at elraincoat@live.co.uk and you can follow him on X@AnsonWainwr1ght