Boxing Prospect Joel Iriarte Shows True Grit In Latest Performance on Paul-Chavez Jr Card

Originally posted on Fights Around The World
By Abraham Gonzalez | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 9:09 PM ET

Golden Boy Promotions may have their next world champion, and his name is Joel Iriarte.

The 22-year-old welterweight prospect Iriarte (8-0, 7 KOs) from Woodland Hills, CA, has been on a tear since debuting in March 2024. After tearing through his first five opponents in 2024 by stoppage, Iriarte continued that streak this year when he fought in February and April. Given his aggressive approach, Golden Boy decided to put him on the Jake Paul vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. card last Saturday night in Anaheim.

Going into fight week, Iriarte was fully prepared to take on Yusuph “Mr. Mwanza” Metu (11-2, 8 KOs), but two days before the fight, Metu had to pull out due to apparent visa issues. His last-minute replacement ended up being the Ford tough Kevin Johnson (12-7, 8 KOs), who had never been stopped throughout his pro career.

On fight night, Iriarte showed that he was more than a fighter who had been a pro for a little over a year. Iriarte was forced to think and adapt throughout the fight after finding out pretty quickly that he wasn’t going to stop Johnson. If you had to nitpick at his performance, he could have used his jab more to set up his shots, but being that this was his first real test, Iriarte gets a pass for the slight hiccup for now. It’s definitely something that he has to work on in the gym when he gets ready for his next fight.

When speaking to Iriarte about his thoughts on the fight, he agreed that abandoning the jab early in the fight was something he shouldn’t have done. “Everything is a learning experience, and I’m glad to have gotten those rounds,” Iriarte told FightsATW. “He was a very, very tough guy. We are just going to get better from here.

“We had prepared for a different opponent, and he pulled out, so we got Kevin Johnson instead. Yeah, we had to go in there, adapt, and do what we do. I did get a lot more rounds in, and that let me analyze more and take my time.”

Now that the Johnson fight is in the rearview, does he feel like it’s time for the next level of opponents? “Being able to get competition that is better and better is something that I have always wanted to do. I do want to go back, regroup with my team, and see where we go from there.”

Iriarte is a humble young man who is known for putting in a tremendous amount of hard work in the gym, which has resulted in seven stoppages out of his eight fights. Golden Boy clearly sees something in him, and the fans do as well, as they show up early to see his fights.

So, when should we expect Iriarte back in the ring? “Maybe September,” Iriarte told FightsATW. The only significant card in September is Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford on September 13, so let’s see if Golden Boy can land him on what looks to be the biggest event of the year.

This article first appeared on Fights Around The World and was syndicated with permission.

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