Yoenis Téllez Aims for Interim Title in Brooklyn Showdown

BROOKLYN, New York — The boxing world will turn its attention to the Barclays Center this weekend as undefeated fighter Lamont Roach defends his title. However, one of the most compelling narratives on the card involves Cuban boxer Yoenis Téllez, who is set to challenge Julian Williams for the interim World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight championship.

Téllez, born June 11, 2000, in Santiago de Cuba, has a notable amateur record of 22 wins and 4 losses. His path to professional boxing began in Russia, where he debuted on June 25, 2020, with a second-round knockout victory over Nikita Borisenkov at the Vegas City Hall in Krasnogorsk. Four months later, he also knocked out Andrey Tomashchuk.

The Cuban’s time in Russia was not without challenges. In an interview with El Nuevo Herald, Téllez revealed that during his stay, he became a father and returned to find his daughter 11 months old.

Seeking greater opportunities, Téllez relocated to the United States to train under Ronnie Shields in Houston, Texas. He made his American debut in November 2022, knocking out Dario Guerrero-Meneses on a card headlined by compatriot David Morrell.

Since his American debut, ‘El Bandolero’ Téllez has maintained an unbeaten record of 9-0, with seven of those victories coming by way of knockout. His last four opponents included Sergio García, Livan Navarro, Joseph Jackson, and Johan González, with only Jackson making it through all 10 rounds. Téllez dominated the fight, winning by identical scores of 100-89.

Now, Téllez is focused on securing the interim WBA title against Williams, aiming to establish himself as a contender against champions like Terence Crawford, Bakhram Murtazaliev, and Sebastian Fundora in the super welterweight division.