A pair of unbeaten prospects in the Salita Promotions stable will kick off their 2023 campaigns as middleweight Da’Velle Smith and super lightweight Joshua Pagan enter the ring in separate four-round attractions this Saturday, February 25 from Motor City Casino in Detroit.
Both fighters will be competing in their home state of Michigan, as Dearborn’s Smith and Grand Rapids’ Pagan will take on fighters to be announced shortly. The pair join another Salita Promotions stablemate competing on the card, as rising middleweight Joseph Hicks Jr. faces fellow unbeaten Bilal Quintyne in a six-round attraction.
“Da’Velle and Joshua and are two of the best U.S. prospects out there,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “Both are born and raised in the rich culture of Michigan and Detroit boxing. I am excited about their upcoming fights and the world class potential that both of them have.”.
The 22-year-old Smith (4-0, 3 KOs) made his pro debut in September 2021, winning the WBC’s inaugural Big Belt Championship by knocking out Ricky Evans in the first round. Smith would follow that triumph with a pair of knockouts in November 2021 and May 2022, before most recently winning a unanimous decision over Devontae McDonald last August.
“I can’t wait to put on a show for my hometown fans,” said Smith. “My training camp went great. My plan is to keep climbing up the ranks towards a middleweight world title. I’m ready to show the world who Da’Velle Smith is.”
Pagan (4-0, 2 KOs) won the 2021 U.S. Amateur Welterweight National Championship with a unanimous decision over Keon Davis. The 23-year-old followed that up by turning pro in January 2022, scoring KO’s in his first two outings. Most recently, Pagan won a six-round unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Jeremiah Lewis Watts in October 2022.
“Training camp has gone really great and making the weight has been getting easier and easier,” said Pagan. “I’ve also had really good sparring for this fight and everything is on point for Saturday night. You can expect to see me at my very best when I get in the ring. Each and every fight, I strive to perform better than my previous outing, and this fight will be no different.”
