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Felix Parrilla & Kiria Tapia Camp Notes
Undefeated Puerto Rican junior lightweight standout Felix
Parrilla (12-0, 10 KOs) and rising island talent Kiria Tapia
(8-0, 1 KO) are focused, sharp, and ready to deliver as
Salita Promotions returns to Puerto Rico on Thursday, March
19, at Coliseito Pedrin Zorrilla, bringing BIG TIME BOXING
back to the island.
The action-packed fight night is presented in partnership
with Universal Promotions and will stream live on the global
home of boxing, DAZN. The card will also feature the co-main
event showcasing new Salita Promotions signee, in
co-promotion with Universal Promotions, Abisael Cotto (10-0,
8 KOs), who will face Derlyn Hernández (10-5-1, 11 KOs) for
the WBO Global Junior Lightweight Title. Also added to the
card is standout prospect from Flint, Michigan, Garrett Rice
Jr. (2-0), also known as “Baby Gee.” Rounding out the
night’s action is another rising island talent, Angel
Carranza (11-1, 8 KOs), who will take on Ezequiel Palaversic
(9-4-1, 5 KOs) in a compelling matchup.
Felix Parrilla has been fully focused throughout training
camp as he prepares not only for the first headlining fight
of his career, but also the opportunity to capture the WBO
Latino Featherweight Title. The undefeated Puerto Rican
fighting out of New Haven, Connecticut, has sharpened his
skills and conditioning as he gets ready to perform in front
of fans at Coliseito Pedrin Zorrilla. Here’s what Parrilla
had to say as he closes out camp.
Parrilla says his recent knockout victories have added
momentum heading into the fight, though his confidence has
always come from the work he puts in.
“These past performances have boosted my confidence a bit,”
said Parrilla. “But I've always been confident in my god
given talent and the hard work I put it in.”
Returning to fight in Puerto Rico carries special meaning
for the rising featherweight, who says representing the
island and performing for his fans motivates him to deliver
another strong performance.
“It feels great to be able to bring another great
performance to my fans in Puerto Rico,” Parrilla said. “And
it feels great to represent my island — I will keep working
to become Puerto Rico's next world champ.”
Throughout camp, Parrilla says the focus has been on
refining his full arsenal while preparing for a scheduled
ten-round fight.
“I have worked on my whole arsenal this camp,” Parrilla
explained.“Mainly my defense, my punch selection, and my
conditioning being that it is a 10-round fight.”
While his recent fights have ended early, Parrilla says the
knockouts come naturally when he senses his opponent doesn’t
belong in the ring with him.
“I don't look for the knock out but after the first round if
I feel like you don't belong in there with me I will hunt
you down.”
As his name continues to rise in the division, Parrilla says
the growing attention motivates him as he pushes toward
becoming a top contender and making a statement in the
featherweight division.
“It motivates me,” Parrilla added. “This is what I've been
working for since I was 9 years old and there's the best to
come. I'm looking forward to making a big statement where
more people will start seeing and hearing my name — my
performance will speak for itself.”
Kiria Tapia returns to the ring as one of San Juan’s most
beloved hometown fighters. When she last fought on the
island, the arena erupted during her walkout and celebrated
again after her victory — a moment that showed just how
deeply the local fans connect with her. Entering the bout
undefeated at 8-0, Tapia looks to reward that love from the
Puerto Rican crowd with another standout performance.
Tapia says her October victory boosted her confidence while
reminding her there is always room to improve as she
continues to grow with each fight.
“That last victory in October gave me a lot of confidence,”
said Tapia. “But it also reminded me that there’s always
room to improve. Every fight is a learning experience and I
came into this camp focused on fixing the small details and
bringing a better version of myself into the ring.”
Fighting in Puerto Rico carries special meaning for Tapia,
who says representing San Juan and the island’s rich boxing
tradition fuels her every time she steps into the ring.
“For me, it’s a tremendous honor,” expressed Tapia.
“Representing San Juan and Puerto Rico is something I carry
in my heart. Puerto Rico has such a rich boxing history and
it’s an honor to be part of the new generation continuing
that legacy.”
This training camp, Tapia says, has focused on refining her
strategy and becoming a more complete fighter.
“In this training camp we’ve focused a lot on strategy,
patience inside the ring, and continuing to strengthen my
conditioning,” Tapia explained. “I’ve also been working on
sharpening the technical details to become a more complete
fighter.”
As her undefeated record grows, Tapia says expectations only
motivate her to stay disciplined and continue proving
herself.
“Yes, of course the expectations grow when you remain
undefeated. But I see it as motivation rather than pressure.
My focus is to stay disciplined and keep proving myself
inside the ring.”
Tapia says once the bell rings, her preparation takes over —
and she plans to reward the fans with a performance worthy
of Puerto Rico.
“When the bell rings, all the noise disappears and it’s just
my opponent and me. Fans can expect a performance full of
heart, discipline, and hunger for victory.”
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