HAVERHILL – At some point, it has to happen for every professional boxer.
Nicky Tejada knew that the first time he landed a blistering right hand to head as a pro for the first time six years ago in Verona, N.Y.
Through his undefeated (11-0-1) career, he craved it more and more.
Haverhill’s Tejada, now 25, and the countless fans now get their wish.
Saturday night at Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, Tejada sheds his club fighter “prospect” tag and becomes what he had longed for. Saturday night, Nicky Tejada is a main-event attraction.
“It’s a dream, and it’s a long time coming,” said Tejada, who will challenge the toughest opponent he has seen as a pro, Wilson Mascarenhas, for the WBC USA Silver Super Lightweight title. “A lot of people have been waiting for this, not just me. This is what people want to see, the best vs. the best.”
The bout is the headline fight on CES Boxing’s “Summer Heat” card. Mascarenhas, of New Bedford, is the house fighter. He’s the CES guy. And Tejada will have his hands full. It’s a challenge that the former Haverhill High wrestling standout leaped at.
“I was on a run when my promoter (Peter Czymbor of Boston Boxing Promotions) called me,” said Tejada. “And three days later, the fight was on. It’s a big opportunity for me.
“When I first got into the sport, this was the goal of mine, to headline a big card, a high-stakes card, for a title, a 50-50 fight, with something big on the line.”
The time is just so right for Tejada, who last dispatched overmatched journeyman Pablo Ernesto Oliveto in the Round 1 back in May.
Summer was on us. The temperatures were rising, and Tejada just put his nose back to the grindstone after the victory.
“The next day after the fight, I had a feeling something good was coming, so I immediately went back to the gym,” said Tejada, who has relied heavily on his trainer/mentor Ray Hebert in preparation for Mascarenhas. “It’s been our best training camp yet. I love training in the heat. There’s an energy to this camp that’s just different.
“It’s a big opportunity, and we just turned it up a notch.”
The Mascarenhas matchup, at least on paper, promises to be a good one. It is said that styles make fights. These two look made for each other.
“I respect the hell out of him. He’s a good boxer, but come Saturday night, I’m going right after him,” said Tejada.
“We both come forward. We both throw a lot of punches. Those are the kinds of fights that people want to watch.”
As for the stakes being raised and the bright spotlight, Tejada says he’s ready for the pressure that comes with the territory. A win here Saturday night and he slides into the conversation concerning the WBC rankings, meaning more doors could open.
“I’ve wrestled in state and national tournaments for a long time,” he said. “Ever since I was little, I felt I was there to someday be in that spotlight. Saturday night, I’m coming to take this kid’s head off.”