GLENDALE, Arizona – Luis Nunez refused to get twisted over his opponent’s claim that he chose the wrong sport.

The unbeaten Dominican prospect is set for a dangerous task versus Jonathan Javier Fierro, a ferocious punching featherweight from Guadalajara, Mexico who claims to boast the superior boxing heritage. Fierro alleged earlier this week that the Dominican Republic is better known for churning out top-tier talent on the baseball field than in a boxing ring.

Nunez didn’t necessarily take exception to the comment, save for the part where his chances of winning are dismissed by his opponent.

“I’m proud that Dominicans have a reputation as great baseball players,” Nunez quipped, going along with the claim. “Since [Fierro] feels we don’t have great boxers, he can take pride in knowing that the Dominican Republic will have a reputation as a great boxing country as well after I beat him Saturday.”

The scheduled ten-round bout opens a Showtime-televised tripleheader from Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Nunez (16-0, 12KOs) is the more proven commodity of the two, though both are coming off knockout wins over previously unbeaten opposition. The 22-year-old is actually facing his third straight unbeaten opponent, dating back to his ten-round win over Jayvon Garnett (10-0 at the time) in his U.S. debut last September in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

In his most recent start, Nunez picked up his first knockout in more than a year with a tenth-round stoppage of Carlos Arrieta (14-0 at the time) this past January 7 in Orlando, Florida. Fierro faced his first unbeaten opponent in his last fight, scoring a second-round knockout of Tampa’s Daniel Bailey (10-0 at the time) this past March 12 in Bellevue, Washington.

Most view the matchup as the most competitive of the televised tripleheader. Nunez is taking a wait-and-see approach to that suggestion, as he believes himself to be the more proven commodity.  

“I know I’m going to win this fight on Saturday night. I’m here to stay,” insists Nunez. “He can say that I don’t have the power to beat him.  He can say whatever he wants. He still has to meet me in the ring and he’ll see for himself what I bring to the ring.”

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