Sultan unfazed by underdog tag vs KO artist Caraballo

Carlos Caraballo has knocked out all of his opponents while Jonas Sultan has never been stopped.

Whose record will remain intact will be known when they tangle on Saturday, October 30 (Sunday, October 31, Philippine time) at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Touted as the next Puerto Rican superstar, Caraballo has been listed as a huge favorite to beat Sultan in their 10-round bantamweight clash.

Betting sites have given the 25-year-old Caraballo (14-0, 14 knockouts) an 83.68% chance of winning as against the 29-year-old Sultan’s 19.42%.

But the odds do not worry Sultan (17-5, 11 knockouts) a bit.

The pride of Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte, wants another crack at a world title and Caraballo presents a window of opportunity

“This fight Saturday night, I will show my best fight ever. This is going to {be a great fight} between me and Caraballo. May the best man win, and maybe I’ll be the best man,” Sultan said during the final press conference of the card promoted by Top Rank and ESPN.

According to Sultan, trainer Joven Jimenez has prepared him thoroughly while International Boxing Federation super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas, his former tormentor, has been of tremendous help.

“Jerwin Ancajas is my friend and a sparring partner for this fight. He gave me confidence and motivated me to win this fight. He gave me a lot of techniques, and let’s get ready to rumble for this fight.”

“If I beat Caraballo, it would have a big impact on my career. I would be looking for another world title fight,” said Sultan, who challenged and lost to Ancajas in 2018.

For his part, Caraballo said: “There is a lot of talks that I’ll be the next superstar from the island. We’re working hard for that, alongside Miguel Cotto Promotions and H2 Entertainment. Now that I’m signed with Top Rank, we’re going to make this happen.”

Despite his perfect knockout rate, Caraballo refuses to take Sultan lightly.

“Every opponent is difficult. Everyone trains to win. I’m ready to go the 10 rounds, but if the knockout comes, I will go home early.”

Fighting at Madison Square Garden, considered as the Mecca of boxing, inspires Caraballo no end as his previous fights were held in Puerto Rico.

“It’s motivating for me to know that big names in Puerto Rican boxing like Miguel Cotto and Felix Trinidad and other great champions have performed here. I’m ready to put on a great performance and be the next fighter to come out of Puerto Rico.”

Sultan, who looked ripped during the photoshoot, was accompanied by Jimenez, promoter Brendan Gibbons, manager Junnie Navarro, and Ancajas. – Rappler.com