GLENDALE, Arizona -- Jonathan Javier Fierro believes his opponent picked the wrong sport to prove his superiority.

The 18-year-old knockout artist from Guadalajara, Mexico enters with supreme confidence ahead of his scheduled ten-round featherweight clash with fellow unbeaten prospect Luis Nunez (16-0, 12KOs). The two easily stole the show at Thursday’s final pre-fight press conference at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, where they will open a Showtime-televised tripleheader this Saturday.

Nunez—a gifted boxer-puncher from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic—has insisted Fierro is unaware of what he is walking into this weekend. The teenaged Mexican prodigy claimed that his talent and his heritage will be far too much for Dominican to handle, unless he brings a bat into the ring.

“Dominicans are known for baseball. not boxing. Mexico is known for boxing,” Fierro insisted Thursday afternoon. “Nunez is going to find out what I mean. I’m here to represent Mexico.

“You will see firsthand what it’s like to face a Mexican fighter.”

The bout was announced late in the promotion but appears to be the most competitive on paper. Nunez fights for the third straight time both in the U.S. and versus an unbeaten opponent. The previous two came on Shobox, having outpointed Jayvon Garrett (10-0 at the time) last September in Broken Arrown, Oklahoma, followed by a tenth-round stoppage of Carlos Arrieta this past January in Orlando, Florida.

Fierro (13-0, 12KOs) also fights for the third straight time in the U.S. after having fought exclusively in Mexico. The unbeaten southpaw turned pro in 2019 shortly after his 16th birthday, spending his first eleven fights in his home country before crossing the border. His U.S. debut came in a first-round knockout on the undercard of a David Benavidez homecoming last November 13 in Phoenix, before scoring a second-round knockout of unbeaten Daniel Bailey (10-0 at the time) this past March in Bellevue, Washington.

Fierro is once again paired up with Phoenix’s Benavidez (25-0, 22KOs), a former two-time WBC super middleweight titlist who faces Montreal’s David Lemieux (43-4, 36KOs) in the main event with an interim title at stake. The plan by Fierro is to prime the crowd to where the main event has to live up to his standards, while taking away everything that Nunez has accomplished to date.

“I believe that Luis Nunez holds the key for me to advance in my career,” noted Fierro. “Luis is a good fighter, an undefeated fighter. But these are the opportunities I have to take advantage of. He holds the key, it’s my job to take that key, unlock the door and storm through it.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox