Litzy Vazquez and Stephanie Piñeiro will fight for the WBC and WBA Super Lightweight World Championships vacated by retired future Hall of Famer Katie Taylor on Saturday, Dec. 5 in a BIG TIME BOXING event live on Wynn Records Network at 8 p.m. ET from Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon.
The Irish legend and undisputed champion Taylor vacated all four major titles when she retired in September in a massive farewell event witnessed by more than 80,000 fans at Dublin’s Croke Park. Now Vazquez, the WBA Interim Champion, and Piñeiro, the hometown favorite and WBA’s No. 1 contender, will look to honor Taylor’s legacy and impact on women’s boxing in a Mexico vs. Puerto Rico showdown for the WBA and WBC belts.
The event is promoted by Salita Promotions and Universal Promotions, in association with Wynn Records. The Wynn Records Network broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET and streams worldwide at www.wynnrecordsnetwork.com. Tickets can be purchased at: https://www.ticketera.com/events/detail/night-of-champions-vzaquez-vs-pineiro.
A full undercard will be announced in the coming weeks.
Litzy “La Bomba” Vazquez (9-0, 6 KOs), of Veracruz, Mexico, won the Interim WBA belt when she dethroned defending titlist Edith Soledad Matthysse on July 11 in Puerto Rico in the debut Wynn Records Network event. The undefeated 24-year-old returns to the island looking to upset the local favorite Piñeiro in a battle for two world titles vacated by a fighter she has long admired.
“This fight means a lot to me because it represents all the years of sacrifice, dedication, discipline, and hard work I’ve put into boxing,” Vazquez said. “When I look back, I know every second I’ve given to this sport has been worth it. This is the result of everything I’ve worked for over the years. Now it’s my time to show everybody who ‘La Bomba’ really is.
“Stephanie is a very good southpaw, she’s an Olympian, and she’s a warrior. She had a big fight against Lauren Price and showed that she’s willing to leave everything in the ring. I know this won’t be an easy fight, but I’m ready for a war. She wants those championships just as badly as I do. She wants to make her dream a reality, and I have that same hunger. At the end of the night, may the best woman win.”
“This fight means even more to me because I’m fighting for the championships that once belonged to Katie Taylor. I have so much respect and admiration for Katie. She’s been an inspiration to me for many years. She’s someone I’ve looked up to and someone who has motivated me to chase big dreams of my own. She faced adversity, kept believing in herself, and fought for her dreams, and that’s something I really admire”
Stephanie Piñeiro (10-1, 3 KOs), of Bayamon, is the No. 1 contender in the WBA and is moving down from welterweight, where she has fought since 2022. The only blemish on her record was a hard-fought road decision loss to Lauren Price for the IBF and WBC belts in which she opened cuts surrounding Price’s mouth and right eye. The 36-year-old southpaw owns wins at welterweight over former world title challengers Marie Pier Houle and Anahi Ester Sanchez. Now, Piñeiro will move down to 140 pounds as she looks to make a statement in front of her hometown fans for two belts previously held by one of boxing’s most influential fighters.
“This fight means so much to me. I have the chance to make one of my biggest dreams come true. I’m fighting for two world titles, the WBC and WBA, but being able to do it in my hometown of Bayamón, in front of my family, my friends, and my people, makes it even more special. I’ve worked my whole career for an opportunity like this. I’ve had great wins, I’ve gone through tough moments, and I’ve learned from every experience along the way. I feel like everything I’ve been through has prepared me for December 5.
“I know Litzy is young, strong, and hungry. She’s an undefeated champion, and she’s already shown that she can come to Puerto Rico and win a big fight, but this time she’s fighting me in Bayamón, my hometown. She has power, she’s aggressive, and she comes from Mexico, a country with such a rich boxing tradition. So I know exactly what I’m up against. I respect her as a fighter and as a champion, and that’s why I’m preparing to face the very best Litzy that night. I don’t want an easy fight. If you want to make history, you have to beat the best. I know how important this opportunity is, and I’m not going to let it slip away.
“Fighting for these titles means a lot to me because they once belonged to Katie Taylor, one of the women who helped change the history of women’s boxing. I don’t look at that as pressure, I look at it as motivation. Katie created her own legacy with these belts, and her impact goes far beyond the championships. Now there’s a new chapter being written at 140 pounds, and I have the opportunity to earn my place in that history. I’m not trying to take Katie Taylor’s place. Her place in history is already secured. I’m trying to build my own legacy and make sure that one day, when people talk about the history of these titles, they also talk about Stephanie Piñeiro.”
The undisputed champion Katie Taylor won the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO super lightweight belts in 2023 in a rematch with Chantelle Cameron and defended the titles twice to round out her trilogy with Amanda Serrano. The Irish legend made her final defense in a homecoming retirement fight on Sept. 5 in Dublin, where she laid her belts in the center of the ring in an emotional moment to signify the end of a Hall of Fame career.
“Our fighter-first approach is about creating opportunities like this – giving two world-class women the chance to build their own legacies while carrying forward the legacy of Katie Taylor, one of boxing’s all-time greats,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “Mexico and Puerto Rico share one of boxing’s greatest rivalries, and Litzy Vazquez versus Stephanie Piñeiro brings that tradition to the world championship stage. We’re excited to deliver this showdown live on Wynn Records Network from Puerto Rico, an island with a proud tradition of producing world champions.”
“We’re closing out the year in Puerto Rico with a night that will mark a new chapter in Puerto Rican boxing,” said Javier Bustillo, President of Universal Promotions. “On Saturday, December 5, in Bayamón, we will crown a new unified world champion at 140 pounds in what promises to be a historic night for the sport. We’ve worked tirelessly to take boxing in Puerto Rico to another level, and this event is a reflection of that vision. This is not just a major night for the fans here at home, it’s an opportunity to showcase the incredible talent and passion of Puerto Rican boxing to millions of people around the world through Wynn Records Network. We’re building something bigger than a single event. Through the partnership between Universal Promotions, Salita Promotions and Wynn Records, we’re building a powerful platform to take Puerto Rican fighters to the world stage, give them opportunities to compete at the highest level, and develop the next generation of world champions. December 5 will be another major step in that vision.”
Fans can watch the fights on https://watch.wynnrecordsnetwork.com/, as well across connected TV and mobile devices, including Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, iOS, and Android.
