It’s hard to be successful and recognized in the sport of boxing, especially when you come from a small country like Costa Rica were there is a limited boxing audience.

For some reason or another Costa Rican Bryan Vásquez has not received from his countrymen as much support as perhaps his wife, current World Champion Hanna Gabriels has. Yes, Vásquez has not achieved a World Title, but he did the Interim World Title in two occasions, and without taking merit away from Gabriels, the male division has a lot more competition, so to be fair, Bryan Vásquez should have gotten more credit when he did win those belts.

That being said, Vásquez will be facing what might be the toughest fight of his career to this day, when he faces Mexican Raymundo Beltrán.

In a press conference held this past Tuesday in Costa Rica, Hector Hernández, President of Chiquita González Boxing, who currently represents “Tiquito”, commented: “Our team along with Bryan’s promoter Roy Jones Jr., has been looking for the best fights for Bryan, and this offer came to fight Beltran, an animal, a very tough fighter that stands there to fight, who has a good defense, who knows how to cut the ring, someone who won’t be surprised by Bryan’s speed because he has sparred with Manny Pacquiao, and someone who has a very strong left hook and maybe a stronger right; on the other hand we have “Tiquito” who is not afraid of anyone, and who is willing to take the biggest challenges in his career”; he then continued to say “on August 5, Bryan Vásquez will show the world that he has grown and he is back, this is a Bryan no one has seen before, and he will make history”.

Vásquez has fought his last fights in the 130 pound division, but this fight is set in the 135 pound division, which means he is going up against a fighter that is taller and has more reach than him. Vásquez had his last fight one year ago.

Even though “Tiquito” is coming into this fight as an underdog, not everything is against him, Vásquez is younger, and I dare to say a more skillful boxer than Beltrán; intelligence in the ring is very important and even though Beltrán is bigger and stronger, Vásquez is certainly the smarter boxer.

The Beltrán vs. Vásquez fight will take place August 5 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California.

This is “Tiquito’s” third fight in the United States. He is having his training camp in Costa Rica, alongside trainer Pedro González.