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Efe Ajagba vs. Oscar Rivas & Guido Vianello vs. Stephan
Shaw Heavyweight Doubleheader Jan. 14
The Top Rank on ESPN 2023 slate kicks off with a
high-powered heavyweight doubleheader Saturday, Jan. 14, at
Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
The 10-round main event is a battle of big-punching
Olympians, as Efe “The Silent Roller” Ajagba looks to author
a signature win over Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas. In the 10-round
co-feature, 2016 Italian Olympian Guido “The Gladiator”
Vianello takes a seismic step up in class against fellow
unbeaten Stephan “Big Shot” Shaw.
Ajagba-Rivas and Vianello-Shaw will be broadcast live on
ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+
and includes a 10-round junior lightweight tilt between Adam
“BluNose” Lopez and Abraham “El Super” Nova.
“The heavyweight division is loaded with talent, and we have
two 50/50 matchups that will see a pair of contenders emerge
at Turning Stone,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.
Ajagba (16-1, 13 KOs), a 2016 Nigerian Olympian, quickly
established himself as one of the division’s heaviest
hitters following his pro debut in July 2017. He tallied six
first-round knockouts in his first eight bouts, using his
6’6 frame and sledgehammer right hand to dispose of his
opposition. Last April, Ajagba utilized his right hand to
blast out Brian Howard in a Knockout of the Year contender.
Following an October 2021 decision defeat to Frank Sanchez,
Ajagba had surgery on both his elbows, returning in August
to stop Hungarian veteran Jozsef Darmos in the second round.
“I am injury-free and ready to show the world what I can
accomplish when I am 100 percent,” Ajagba said. “I respect
Oscar Rivas for accepting the challenge. We will give the
fans a great show, but I will be victorious on January
14th.”
Rivas (28-1, 19 KOs) is a 2008 Colombian Olympian who moved
to Montreal in 2009 to start his professional career. He
notched his signature professional victory at Turning Stone
in January 2019, knocking out former world title challenger
Bryant Jennings in the 12th round. His only blemish came six
months later when he traveled to England and dropped a
unanimous decision to Dillian Whyte after knocking Whyte
down in the ninth round. Since the Whyte defeat, Rivas has
fought twice, knocking out Sylvera Louis in three rounds and
outlasting Ryan Rozicki by unanimous decision in an
all-Canadian showdown while winning the WBC Bridgerweight
title. After multiple prospective bouts fell through, Rivas
will enter the Ajagba match coming off a nearly 15-month
layoff.
Rivas said, “I'm extremely happy to be back in the ring in
Verona where I had a lot of success not too long ago. I'm
proud of my WBC Bridgerweight title and will be defending it
soon, but this opportunity Top Rank gave us at heavyweight
was too good to pass up. I also have a lot of respect for
Ajagba, and while I agree with him that it will be
spectacular for the fans, my skills and my experience will
be the difference.”
Vianello (10-0-1, 9 KOs), the fighting pride of Rome, turned
pro with great fanfare in December 2018 and won his first
seven bouts by stoppage in three rounds or less. His
momentum stalled following a 2020 draw against Kingsley Ibeh
and an injury-plagued 2021 that saw him fight once. Vianello
came back in July and knocked out Rafael Rios in four
rounds. Three months later, he returned home to Rome and had
thrilled the local fans with a dominating eight-round
decision over Jay McFarlane.
Vianello said, “Stephan Shaw is a good, undefeated fighter,
but I fight better when presented with top opposition. I
look forward to fighting on ESPN as part of a great
heavyweight doubleheader.”
Shaw (18-0, 13 KOs), from St. Louis, Missouri, is one of
America’s most talented big men, a 6’4, 235-pound
boxer-puncher who has knocked out three of his last four
foes. He made his Top Rank debut in January, becoming only
the third man to knock out Philadelphia’s iron-chinned Joey
Dawejko. Shaw tallied three knockdowns in just 2:35 to wipe
out Bernardo Marquez in July and then preserved his date
against Vianello with an eight-round shutout over Rydell
Booker on Nov. 22 in New York City. Shaw will receive his
nationally televised big break a decade removed from winning
U.S. National and National PAL gold medals as an amateur.
“I’m excited. This is my time to shine. This is my moment,”
Shaw said. “I’m ready to go out and there and have some fun.
I won’t be under the radar after beating Guido. He’s a good
boxer, but I am superior. I will prove that on January
14th.”
Nova (21-1, 15 KOs), born in Puerto Rico and raised in
Albany, New York, is returning to the junior lightweight
ranks after briefly testing the featherweight waters. Last
January at Turning Stone, Nova knocked out late replacement
William Encarnacion in the eighth round. That knockout led
to an ESPN-televised co-feature in June against southpaw
Cuban dynamo Robeisy Ramirez at Hulu Theater at Madison
Square Garden. After four competitive rounds, Ramirez
knocked Nova out with a left hand in the fifth. Nova returns
to the friendly Turning Stone confines against Lopez (16-3,
6 KOs), a native of Glendale, California, who is making his
junior lightweight debut. Lopez last fought in May against
Encarnacion, surviving knockdowns in the first and third
rounds to eke out an eight-round unanimous decision.
In other undercard action:
Junior featherweight Floyd “Cashflow” Diaz (8-0, 3 KOs), the
19-year phenom who went 5-0 with three stoppages in 2022,
will fight in his first scheduled eight-rounder.
Rising junior lightweight Haven Brady Jr. (8-0, 4 KOs), who
won four fights in 2022, makes his 2023 debut in an
eight-rounder against an opponent to be named.
Junior welterweight prospect Bryce Mills (10-1, 4 KOs), the
local favorite from Liverpool, New York, aims to increase
his winning streak to five against Margarito Hernandez
(3-3-1) in a six-rounder.
Cleveland-born light heavyweight Dante Benjamin Jr. (4-0, 2
KOs) fights in his first scheduled six-rounder against
fellow unbeaten Emmanueal Austin (6-0, 6 KOs).
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