Golden Boy Promotions’ boxing card on Saturday June 20th, 2026, at FrontWave Arena in Oceanside, California headlined by Oscar “El Pupilo” Collazo versus Neider Valdez and co-headlined by Yair “Manotas” Gallardo versus Buneet Bisla was an entertaining continuation of the historic boxing collaboration and rivalry between Mexicans and Puerto Ricans. Golden Boy promoter and former Chicano boxer Oscar Del La Hoya described the Puerto Rican Collazo as a boxer who belongs on the list of the top three pound-for-pound boxers. He then expressed a desire to reignite the Puerto Rico and Mexican rivalry that he, Julio Cesar Chavez, Tito Trinidad, and Miguel Cotto have been a part of by creating fights with Collazo versus other top Mexican boxers.

Collazo easily and expectedly defeated his Mexican opponent Neider Valdez with a second-round knockout. Neider’s inability to make weight kept him from challenging Collazo for his WBA and WBO minimum weight titles. Valdez accepted the fight on a few days’ notice because Collazo’s original opponent Philippine Joey Canoy could not secure a work visa to box in California.

Yair “Manotas” Gallardo versus Buneet Bisla

Yair “Manotas” Gallardo, like Collazo, is copromoted by Mexican American De La Hoya and Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto. From Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico he’s been in Puerto Rico training with Collazo. That training seems to be productive as evidenced by Gallardo’s unanimous decision victory over Canadian Buneet Bisla. Gallardo had a relentless approach but could not knock out his tough opponent in the ten-round match. Following his victory, Gallardo praised Collazo for the inspiration to succeed and become a world champion and expressed gratitude for the people of Puerto Rico who have been supportive.

With Collazo unexpectedly fighting at flyweight, De La Hoya expressed interest in having his fighter box the Mexican American WBC and WBO flyweight champion Ricardo Sandoval. At the post-fights press conference, Collazo told reporters he’s open to that fight and would prefer to have it in Puerto Rico. He said, “I’ve already fought in LA a couple of times. I’ve been in California about six times. So, it doesn’t bother me. But in Puerto Rico, its’s the biggest fight Puerto Rico can have: a unification fight.” He followed by reiterating that he wants the biggest fight his promoters can make. And on representing Puerto Rico, he said it was important to represent the Puerto Rican boxers who have fought before him and to be represented by two great boxers of the rivalry De La Hoya and Cotto.

The Golden Boy Promotions team should be applauded for finding a replacement for Joey Canoy just days before the card and keep the scheduled fights because local Cayden Griffiths was able to earn experience and a victory over Alan Crisosto of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and brothers Daniel Garcia and Lorenzo Garcia fighting out of Denver, Colorado both won via first-round knockouts. I learned from reporter Gayle Falkenthal that the Garcia’s grandmother makes their beautiful serape-inspired trunks.