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Canelo vs Scull: Meet Marco Verde – the Olympic silver medallist making his debut
Mexican boxing will welcome a new rising star to the professional ranks this weekend when Marco Verde makes his debut on the Canelo vs Scull undercard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Verde makes his debut in the middleweight division after winning a silver medal at last year's Paris Olympics.
The 23-year-old will debut in a four-round contest against Michel Gavlan Polina under the watchful eye of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s trainer, Eddie Reynoso. Reynoso, it is understood, will take charge of Verde's career management. Radames Hernandez, his longtime coach, will continue to oversee his training and development.
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Marco Verde Tale of the Tape
- Name: Marco Alonso Verde Alvarez
- Age: 23
- Height: 5’ 11”
- Stance: Southpaw
- Amateur record: 43-7 (15 KOs)
History
Leigh Dawney/Queensberry
Born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Marco Verde announced his move to the professional ranks in January of this year amid confusion over the future of boxing as an Olympic sport.
His achievements prior to the 2024 Paris Olympics include winning gold at the Central American and Pan American Games in 2023, an achievement that confirmed his place on the Mexican Olympic team.
Going all the way to the Olympic final in the 71kg category, beating Great Britain’s Lewis Richardson in the semi-final, Verde became a Mexican hero.
As the nation watched, he lost in a competitive fight against Uzbekistan’s Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev to take home a silver medal. This was the first medal, beyond a bronze, that a Mexican boxer had won at the Olympics since Hector Lopez in 1984.
“Ready for this new beginning,” Verde said at his announcement press conference. “Amateur boxing is over, professional boxing is starting. I have always been told that I have what it takes. There were beautiful moments as an amateur in the Central American and Pan American Games. But when I got on the podium in Paris, I felt that that cycle was over.”
A bright future
Eddy Reynoso believes that the sky is the limit for the young prodigy, who will be hoping to become the first Mexican to convert an Olympic medal into a world title since Alfonso Zamora who medalled in 1972 and join the pantheon of Mexican world champions.
“He was already an Olympic medallist,” Reynoso said of Verde. “I have no doubt that if he stays disciplined and does things well, he will become a champion and a boxing star.”
With the weight of expectation on his shoulders, Marco Verde steps into the professional arena for the first time and all eyes will be on Riyadh to see whether Mexico’s Olympic silver medallist can take the first step toward fulfilling his world title dreams—and becoming the country’s next boxing icon.
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