Featherweight John Laria is scheduled to arrive in Florida on Friday. Before the first fight in the United States With Alexander Meñe on 1 November.
Laryea, 24, from Ghana, will face Mejia at Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida, as he looks to announce himself to the American market.
Ahead of the bout, Lawrence trainer Carl Lokko believed Laryea 13-0-1 (11 KO) had what it took to make a statement against 33-year-old Mejia 19-9 (8 KO) from Nicaragua.
“This is a big platform for him to tell great stories. about himself in the United States,” Lokko told BoxingScene. “It means a lot to him and all of us. And we can’t wait to show off what we’ve got.”
Lokko, head trainer of Bronx Boxing Club in Accra, is one of the most experienced trainers in Ghana. Having coached former lightweight titleholder Richard Commey, Lokko has been with Laryea since he turned professional six years ago.
Thanks to his technical ability, Laria went 14 fights unbeaten. And winning the semi-finals, Laryea will fight for the first time this year after a turbulent 2023 that saw him beat Solomon Martey, Gabriel Odoi Laryea and Isaac Dowuona.
According to Lokko, being gone for a long time wouldn’t have any effect. On Laryea’s return to the ring
“Training is going well and he is ready to take the opportunity that comes his way,” Lokko said. “Laryea is in good shape and we are wrapping up our training in Orlando.”
Mejia, on the other hand, is entering the fight with five losses in a row. This year, he suffered decision losses to Max Ornelas and Pedro Marquez Medina in April and June.
When asked how well Team Laryea knows Mejia, Lokko responded, “We always make sure that we are technically prepared to face any opponent in the ring. We watch how he fights. And we will prepare for them.”
Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist specializing in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column called “From The Ringside” in his home country of Ghana for many years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, on LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and by email at bernardneequaye@gmail.com–
