ATLANTA, GA – Flint boxing prospects Garrett Rice Jr. and Jaquan McElroy remain unbeaten after delivering dominant performances during the Atif Oberlton vs. Carlos Gongora fight card in Atlanta on May 9.
Rice Jr. (4-0) and McElroy (6-0) fought on the undercard of Salita Promotions’ Atlanta debut at Gateway Center Arena.
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Atlanta embraced the night of fights as heavyweight icon Deontay Wilder, Grammy-winning recording artist CeeLo Green, Heiress Harris, who opened the main event singing the National Anthem, rapper Young Mal and rising junior welterweight contender Tito Mercado were among the notable names seated ringside for the event.
Rice Jr. kicked off the night showing Atlanta why he’s a rising prospect in the featherweight division as he soundly defeated Yesner Talavera by unanimous decision.
From the opening bell the difference in speed was glaring as Rice Jr. quickly found his range with lightning fast punches.
Rice Jr.’s defense was also solid as he easily evaded Gongora’s attacks by using slick head and feet movement.
Rice Jr. improved his record to 4-0 and continues to embark on a promising start to his professional career.
Rising junior middleweight McElroy, fighting under Claressa Shields Promotions, earned a unanimous decision victory over Rudy Reveles.
McElroy displayed a difference in boxing skills from the opening bell, easily landing powerful combinations against Reveles throughout the bout.
McElroy improved to 6-0 while Rice Jr. improved to 4-0. The two fighters out of Burston Fieldhouse set the stage with high-level boxing skills, precision and flair before the main card began.
The highlight of the main card belonged to Philadelphia knockout artist co-promoted by Kings Promotions, Atif “Lord Pretty Calvon” Oberlton (16-0, 14 KO’s), who delivered the biggest statement victory of his young career with a fifth-round stoppage of veteran contender Carlos Gongora (22-4, 17 KO’s) in the main event.
Originally scheduled to be headlined by IBF Featherweight World Champion Angelo Leo defending his title against mandatory challenger Ra’eese Aleem, the event underwent a dramatic shakeup less than 24 hours before fight night after Aleem failed to make weight for the championship bout.
Aleem came in 2.8 pounds over the featherweight limit on his initial weigh-in attempt and remained two pounds overweight on the second attempt, ultimately forcing the cancellation of the world title fight.
Oberlton rose to the moment like a future star. The unbeaten light heavyweight southpaw controlled the action from the opening round, breaking Gongora down with sharp body work, physical pressure and heavy left hands before dropping the Ecuadorian veteran in the fourth round.
Gongora’s corner ultimately halted the bout after the fifth round, marking the first stoppage loss of Gongora’s career.
With the victory, Oberlton improved to 16-0 with 14 knockouts, continuing one of boxing’s most impressive knockout streaks while announcing himself as a legitimate force in the light heavyweight division.
Immediately following the win, Oberlton called for a future showdown with unbeaten British star Ben Whittaker — a matchup Oberlton described as “the best future fight in boxing.”
“I feel like once again, I passed another test of people questioning my ability, ” said Oberlton. “Throughout my career I’ve been tested, and this is yet another that I’ve passed with flying colors, while showing that I’m the next future world champion and king of the division.”
“This was a statement night for Salita Promotions and for the city of Atlanta,” said Dmitriy Salita. “The energy inside Gateway Center Arena was incredible from the first fight to the main event. Boxing fans got to see the future of the sport from rising prospects and contenders to champions retaining their belts. Atlanta showed up, the fighters delivered, and Atif Oberlton proved he’s one of the most dangerous young fighters in boxing.”
Brooklyn heavyweight prospect Pryce Taylor (12-0, 8 KO’s) continued his rapid ascent with a dominant TKO victory over Calvin Barnett, improving to 12-0 with 8 knockouts.
After weathering early moments of pressure, Taylor imposed his size, power and physicality before forcing the stoppage in Round 2.
“Thanks everyone for coming out, ” said Taylor. “I had a game plan and it worked. I knew I had to go to the body, most heavyweights aren’t strong to the body, so I just had to chop the tree down and we see what just happened. It was special to have Wilder here supporting me. Most people at his level don’t come out and support so this felt really special. Thanks to my team, Salita Promotions, the fans for coming out and those fans who tuned in on DAZN.”
Puerto Rico’s trailblazing Olympian Ashleyann Lozada (4-0, 1 KO) remained undefeated and retained her WBC Latino Super Bantamweight title with a commanding unanimous decision victory over veteran Debora Anahi Dionicius.
Lozada showcased poise, speed and championship composure throughout the bout, further cementing herself as one of women’s boxing’s rising names.
Atlanta native Casey Dixon (7-0, 5 KO’s) opened the broadcast with an impressive unanimous decision win against local fighter Matthew Nore in front of his hometown fans, setting the tone for an electric night inside the arena.
The undercard featured standout performances from emerging talent across the country:
- Atlanta’s Morgan Griggie (9-1, 6 KO’s) scored an emphatic TKO victory, moving to 9-1 with 6 knockouts.
- Hakim Lopez (16-1, 9 KO’s) secured a hard-fought split decision victory over Ashton Sykes.
- Julio Gomez (8-3-2, 6 KO’s) closed out the undercard portion with a split decision win over Gabriel Triminio
Beyond the action in the ring, the event marked another major expansion moment for Salita Promotions as the company continues its push into emerging boxing markets across the United States.
Following successful events in Detroit, Grand Rapids and Puerto Rico, Atlanta now joins the growing list of cities positioning themselves as major fight destinations under the Salita Promotions banner.