Czar Amonsot has fought only one of his 18 professional bouts in the United States, a victory over Christian Favela at The Orleans in February.
But Amonsot, 19, is hardly fazed by the bright lights of the world’s boxing capital. Once the bell rings, he said, nothing else matters but the opponent.
“I block everything else out,” said Amonsot, who will put his No. 7 world ranking on the line tonight in the main event at The Orleans when he fights Jose Reyes in a 10-round lightweight bout. The seven-fight card will begin at 7 p.m.
A left-hander from the Philippines, Amonsot is 16-1-1 with 10 knockouts, and he has incredible power in either hand, said his trainer, Tony Martin.
“If you doubt that, we’ll give you the opportunity to get in there and feel it for yourself and see if you have an opinion,” Martin said, chuckling.
Amonsot is a counter-puncher who Martin thinks can become a world champion.
And Martin makes no apologies for the lack of recognizable names on Amonsot’s resume. He said many of Amonsot’s opponents might not be household names in the United States but clearly are world-class fighters.
He went 10 grueling rounds to defeat Decho Bankluagym on March 18 in his last fight, a typical bout for Amonsot.
“Some of these Thai fighters are among the best in the world, but Americans don’t see them and so they don’t have a reputation here,” Martin said. “There are a lot of very good fighters around this weight and they’re all over the world, not just (in Las Vegas).
“He’s faced a more than appropriate level of competition for his age and experience, believe me.”
Amonsot, who has a regional title, hopes to be in position for a world title shot by the middle of next year.
To do that, he knows he must defeat Reyes (18-2, seven knockouts), who will pressure him from the opening bell.
“If he comes like that, I’m happy, because I know there will be openings, but it doesn’t matter to me how he fights,” Amonsot said. “I know I’ll be able to deal with whatever he has. I have to keep winning. That’s the important thing.”
