JESSIE Cris Rosales is eager to end his slump by scoring a huge upset over promising unbeaten prospect Xavier Martinez on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019 (PHL time), at the Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Rosales has had an unsuccessful campaign in the US thus far, losing both of his previous fights.
“I’m raring to go,” a fired-up Rosales told SunStar Cebu. “I’m very desperate for a win. I don’t feel any pressure at all. I just want to do my best. It’s killed or be killed.”
The 27-year-old Rosales, who fights out of Cebu, made his US debut on Jan. 18, 2019, losing to former amateur standout and newly-crowned World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson in New York. He returned to action six months later and dropped a close split decision to Tyler McCreary in Maryland.
Rosales knows what he has to do to beat Martinez, who’s being groomed to become a star.
“I need a knockout. That’s my goal. Like what I did to (Ibrahim) Balla in Australia,” he said.
Rosales has all the inspiration in the world to beat Martinez. He’s fighting for his sick father, who suffered from a stroke and badly needs medical attention.
Rosales is 22-3-1 with 10 knockouts, while the 22-year-old Martinez is 14-0 with 10 knockouts.
Two other Filipino fighters - Elias Joaquino and Recky Dulay - are seeing action in the same event.
Joaquino (12-4-2, 6 KOs) locks horns with unbeaten American prospect Dylan Price (9-0, 6 KOs) in an eight-rounder, while Dulay (11-6, 8 KOs) trades leathers with undefeated hard-hitter Cris Reyes (8-0, 7 KOs) in also an eight-round fight. EKA