Box Azteca has been a staple of boxing for decades. It has highlighted and showcased countless Mexican fights and fighters. It has now moved into the Lone Star State, thanks to the father and son combination of Rudy Juarez, the founder of Juarez Promotions and the father of 140-pound world title contender Omar "El Relampago" Juarez, and Juarez's youngest son, undefeated 154-pound prospect and US National Amateur champ 18-year-old, Sebastian "El Trueno" Juarez who moved to 2-0 (1). On Saturday, the 28th of October, "El Trueno" dominated Francisco Javier Castillo in the main event of the first-ever Juarez Promotions card. The event was held at the Harlingen Event Center. The venue was packed with energetic RGV fight fans, and the night was filled with the best young talent in the RGV, a region that has become one of boxing's top hot spots in recent years.
Juarez Promotions and Box Azteca have agreed to a unique contract that brings fight fans at least four of these cards per year. The first time the world-renowned Box Azteca has aired a Texas-based card. It now will do so regularly, thanks to the Juarez men. The first card of 2024 will be on February 24, followed by one in July. The first professional show put on by Juarez Promotions was a ringing success. Juarez commented, "As soon as we finished the show on October 28th, by Monday, we started working on the next one...We already have our sponsors and fighters lined up on our card... We're getting calls from all over, people from California who want to be on our card." The promoter went on and explained his big plans. "We're changing boxing in the RGV and South Texas! All these kids are going to be televised, with Spanish commentators! Having Spanish commentators gives it the classic Mexican feel and makes it more exciting. It has the Mexican boxing feel. The boxing scene is changing." Team Juarez is taking massive steps in doing so, and that TV deal with Box Azteca is a huge step. It will give the fighters exposure and a massive audience. It will also allow Box Azteca, the famous Mexican program, to plant its claws in the RGV and have the ability to showcase these elite prospects. It's a win-win proposal for the promoter and network. A chance Juarez said he had to take. "They did an interview with Sebastian, and after that finished up, I had to ask them if they were interested in televising my card. I figured, what did I have to lose? The worst they could say is no." It turns out they did not say no! They were thrilled with the idea. The details and finances were hammered out, and a deal was reached. The young RGV upstarts had massive exposure, and the RGV was on the boxing map!
Juarez is revolutionizing the boxing scene in the boxing-crazed RGV, and by the end of 2024, for his final show of that year, he wants to bring a card to one of the large arenas in the Valley, either the Payne Arena or the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg. Things are moving fast for Juarez Promotions, as Juarez explained, "10-years ago, I was just a boxing dad and a boxing coach, now I have my ranch gym, a ton of fighters, and I am a promoter. I did it because I love boxing. I want to grow in boxing."
It started with humble beginnings, just two friends and two coaches who loved boxing and happened to "click". "Rolo" Michael Garza of "Rolo Productions" and Juarez met through the amateur program in South Texas, and they immediately clicked. The pair worked together putting on hugely successful amateur shows in the Valley, drawing over 1,000 fans for these shows. Juarez told Garza they should do professional shows and that he was going to get his promoter license. Juarez did just that, and a few months later, the pair had a stable of young fighters to put on the professional card, a TV contract for multiple fights with a world-renowned network, and a massively successful show that the sponsors are lining up for. The Team of Juarez and Garza has amassed a very deep stable of talented, undefeated prospects. In addition to Sebastian Juarez, they work with prospects such as Moses Garcia, Jose Infante, Bryan Rodriguez, and Manny Hernandez. It's been a quick rise to the top for the elder Juarez and Garza.
As for the youngest Juarez son, things are going equally as well! He moved his record to 2-0 (1) and picked up an impressive unanimous decision victory in the main event of the October 28 card. He's building up a huge following of his own and has been around the spotlight since his early teens with his brother, Omar. Sebastian is not at all overwhelmed by the moment or the spotlight. He remains laser-focused on his rise to the top. The 18-year-old has handled himself like a veteran, answering questions, doing interviews, and taking care of business inside the ring like he has been doing it for years, not like he turned pro a few months ago. "He was made for this." the proud father exclaimed. "Now it's just get him the right fights and the right opposition, get him a rugged guy or a lefty, matching him tough. With the right management, we can get him to where we want to go."