Rising super-bantamweight contender Shabaz Masoud will headline Matchroom Boxing’s Saturday, November 11th NXTGEN card as he will defend his WBA Intercontinental belt against Jose Sanmartin (34-7-1, 21 KOs) at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle at 2 p.m. ET live on DAZN.
(Photo credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Masoud and Sanmartin were originally set to face each other on the Jack Catterall vs Jorge Linares undercard, but after the weigh-in, Masoud was forced to withdraw from the bout due to illness. Now, three weeks later, the fight between Masoud and Sanmartin is back on, and it’s the main event of the night.
A native of Rochdale, Lancashire, United Kingdom, Shabaz Masoud made the decision to leave Staffordshire University and quit his job at Asda Wolstanton to focus on his dream of becoming a world champion boxer. He made his pro debut back in May 2018 with a third round TKO victory over Stefan Sashev.
Masoud would go on to win his next nine fights. The last time Masoud competed inside of the squared circle was back in November 2022. He entered the ring ready to face his toughest opponent to date, as Jack Bateson came into the contest with a record of 17 wins, 0 losses, and he was the betting favorite.
In the 12th round of the contest, Masoud landed a left-right combination that sent Bateson down to the canvas. Bateson was able to get up and then Masoud proceeded to land a flurry of shots that forced the referee to step in and put a halt to the contest.
Masoud produced a 12th round stoppage and won the WBA Intercontinental belt. Now, the 27-year-old Shabaz Masoud (11-0, 4 KOs) is ready to take the next step in his boxing journey as he’s on the verge of fighting at home in the UK as the headliner against a seasoned veteran.
After suffering his fifth career loss to Emanuel Navarrete back in June 2018, Colombian boxer Jose Sanmartin went on a seven-fight win streak.
Sanmartin was aiming for number eight in a row, but in October 2022 he was stopped by Mauricio Lara in the third round.
Sanmartin would bounce back with a unanimous decision victory over Miguel Martinez, but in his next bout, he would lose by way of unanimous decision to Kevin Gonzalez. Now Jose Sanmartin will attempt to bounce back once again when he faces one of the rising stars in the super-bantamweight division.
Jose Sanmartin is a hard-hitting boxer who is anxious to score the upset. He’s confident in his game plan, and he’s ready to execute the plan, take the victory, and take the WBA Intercontinental belt back to Colombia.
Ranked number six by the WBA, Shabaz “Maverick” Masoud is also feeling confident as he’s ready to take the next step in his boxing journey. Masoud believes that he’s levels above his opponent, and he’s ready to prove it on Saturday night.