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Joshua Pagan Makes His Second
Hometown Title Defense June 14
Following the recent announcement of Puerto Rico’s Jonathan
“Bomba” Gonzalez headlining in Grand Rapids, Salita
Promotions has unveiled the latest additions to its
high-stakes night of championship boxing set for June 14 at
GLC Live at 20 Monroe.
The co-main event will feature undefeated hometown champion,
Joshua “JJ” Pagan (15-0, 5 KO’s) for his 2nd defense of his
WBO NABO Lightweight Championship belt, now against Mexico’s
Rodolfo Bustamante Salazar (22-1-1, 12 KO’s), alongside a
stacked lineup featuring
USBA Heavyweight Champion Brandon Moore (19-1, 10 KOs), and
Michigan standouts including Flint heavyweight Sardius
Simmons (7-0, 3 KOs), Detroit knockout artist Lance “Boogie”
Smith (6-0, 5 KOs), Ann Arbor’s Jasmine Hampton (2-0, 2
KOs), and Flint rising prospect Jacquan McElroy (6-0, 2
KOs).
The June 14 event marks Salita Promotions’ second return to
GLC Live at 20 Monroe and its third Michigan fight card of
the year, further solidifying promoter Dmitriy Salita’s
growing commitment to delivering meaningful, high-level
boxing events across the state. Known for consistently
matching undefeated prospects and hometown favorites against
credible, dangerous opposition, Salita continues to position
Michigan as one of boxing’s emerging hotbeds for real
fights, real stakes, and world-class talent.
“June 14th will be a star-studded fight card featuring some
of boxing’s very best contenders and prospects, all matched
in competitive fights as they climb toward world title
opportunities”, said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita
Promotions.
Pagan became a divisional "boogeyman" last October when he
entered as an underdog and stopped the feared Maliek
Montgomery in the ninth round of a blood-and-guts thriller.
Now he welcomes Rodolfo Bustamante Salazar, a ten-year
professional from Culiacán, Sinaloa and a familiar face on
ESPN Knockout throughout Latin America, who makes his first
trip outside of Mexico for the biggest fight of his career.
Salazar is tall and rangy with a boxer's pedigree, but has
shown a vulnerability to pressure that Pagan will look to
exploit early and often. A decade of professional experience
is nothing to dismiss, but Salazar has never faced an
environment like this.
"Coming home in February to defend my belt in front of my
city meant everything to me. Fighting in front of my people,
that's what I work for. Coming back here for my second title
defense, in the same building, just tells me we're doing
something right," said Pagan, who has earned a reputation as
one of the division's "boogeyman." "I don't really think
about labels too much. I just know what I'm capable of.
People look at me and don't see a threat until it's too late
and honestly, I'm fine with that."
Heavyweight powerhouse Brandon Moore (19-1, 10 KOs) returns
to the ring for his third USBA Heavyweight Title defense,
riding the momentum of a career-defining performance on
September 19, 2025, at Detroit's historic Fox Theatre, where
he got a statement win over previously unbeaten hometown
favorite DeAndre Savage — dropping him in the early rounds
before cruising to a disciplined unanimous decision that
silenced the crowd. Currently ranked by both the WBO and
WBC, Moore has now defeated three consecutive undefeated
fighters, establishing himself as the most dangerous big man
in the Midwest. He now sets his sights on Gerald Washington
(27-7-1 14 KO’s), a seasoned veteran who has shared the ring
with Deontay Wilder, who he fought for the WBC World title,
Jarrell Miller, and other elite heavyweights. Washington
brings the kind of credibility that turns a win into a
statement, and that is exactly what Moore is coming for.
Flint's Sardius Simmons (7-0, 3 KOs), two-time National
Golden Gloves Champion, returns to the ring following a
dominating performance resulting in a unanimous decision in
February on the Claressa Shields undercard at Little Caesars
Arena as he looks to take another step toward contention
against Walter Burns (8-4, 6 KOs). Burns carries a 75%
knockout rate and enough experience to make this a credible
test, but Simmons has the pedigree, the skill, to overcome
any challenges Burns may bring.
Detroit's Lance "Boogie" Smith (6-0, 5 KOs) squares off
against the unbeaten Jovanis Rodriguez (2-0-2, 1 KO) of
Tacoma, WA. Also coming off a statement win on the Claressa
Shields undercard by TKO – marking his fifth consecutive
stoppage — Smith enters the ring with one thing on his mind:
making Rodriguez number six. A product of the legendary
Superbad Gym under Tony and LJ Harrison, his 83% finish rate
and razor-sharp "Detroit Style" have made him one of the
most exciting welterweights in the region, and Rodriguez,
durable and unbeaten, gives him just enough resistance to
make another stoppage mean something.
Also on the card, four undefeated prospects look to keep
their records clean in Grand Rapids. Ann Arbor's Jasmine
Hampton (2-0, 2 KOs) of Superbad Gym has yet to let an
opponent see the final bell. The blue chip prospect is a 15x
National Champion, and two time Junior Olympic National
Champion. Rounding out the group is Flint's Jacquan McElroy
(6-0, 2 KOs) — a product of Burston Field House, home gym of
Claressa Shields, and a signed fighter under Claressa
Promotions Promotions — carrying the weight of a legendary
boxing city on his back.
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