Isaac Lucero wants to be loved. By the fans, that is.
Lucero (17-0, 13 KOs) has been picked to be a part of the PBC on Prime Video non pay-per-view stream Saturday when
Isaac Cruz and Lamont Roach Jr. headline a show in San Antonio, Texas.
The opponent for Lucero in the 10-round junior middleweight matchup is fellow countryman Roberto Valenzuela Jr. (31-5, 29 KOs).
"La Bestia" Lucero is a 27-year-old power puncher with plenty of pivotal players behind him. He's promoted by Sampson Lewkowicz and coached by Bob Santos in Las Vegas.
Backed by PBC, Lucero can quickly rocket to become a rising star if his performances are like the one he had
last time out in May when sensationally stopping previously-unbeaten Omar Valenzuela inside two rounds.
"What excited me the most is the opportunity that I have to win this fight and continue moving forward and moving up the rankings," Lucero said during a recent media workout.
"I'm very proud to have this opportunity to represent Mexico. I want to do my best to make those fans proud, be as great as people believe I can be. I'm going to make sure that I work hard and stay dedicated to my craft to prove those people right."
Lucero and Valenzuela were originally set to square off October 25 on the Sebastian Fundora-Keith Thurman undercard, which was scrapped
after Fundora's training camp injury. When the fight was first announced, Lucero said he would be ready for war against Valenzuela, and that he's going to make fans fall in love with style.
"Valenzuela Jr. is a tough veteran who's faced some of the division's best and he's coming into the ring on a winning streak, but this is my time and I'm gonna show why on December 6," said Lucero. "I'm very grateful to my team for this opportunity and will be ready to showcase my skills, put on a great show when the bell rings."
The largely unknown Lucero realizes he still has a lot of work to do to ingratiate himself with the fans, and throw his name in the hat to be a
fresh contender for Mexican boxing.
Lucero made his pro debut in Los Angeles in 2019 but moved back to Mexico to build his record. After 15 fights, Lucero returned to Las Vegas this spring for his showcase opportunity against Valenzuela on the Caleb Plant-Jose Armando Resendiz undercard at the Mandalay Bay.
Lucero comes from a lineage of fighters. His father, Isaias Lucero Sr., was a national light heavyweight champion for Mexico.
Now, the second-generation fighter wants to make a name for himself in arguably boxing's most stacked division.
"Being Mexican has taught me that anything is possible if you work hard enough for it,” said Lucero. "The list of Mexican world champions is long. I'm proud of that history and of course want to add my name to that legacy.
"I'm going to keep chasing my dream and doing it for my family. They're my biggest motivation every day in the gym.
Manouk Akopyan is The Ring's lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan.