Joe Ward set for revenge mission in Puerto Rico tonight

Moate's Joe Ward has an opportunity to jump-start his professional boxing career in Puerto Rico tonight.

The talented 27-year-old is about to renew his rivalry with Marco Delgado, the opponent he was boxing when he dislocated his knee in a freak accident during his professional debut in October 2019.

Their rematch takes place tonight in Salinas, Puerto Rico, but with the time difference it's expected to be the early hours of Friday morning in Ireland when Ward steps into the ring.

All of the night's action from Puerto Rico, including Ward-Delgado, will be available to view live and for free in Europe on the Twitch app and at: twitch.tv/ringcityusa

To see Ward's fight, tune in at 1am Irish time, as his bout is expected to get underway sometime between 1am and 2am. (UPDATE: It emerged at 12.30am that the start time for Ward's fight has been pushed back until a little later).

Ward departed for Mexico last month and, following a two-week quarantine there, he flew to the US where he has been in training for this fight.

Last weekend, he told the Westmeath Independent his training camp had gone well. He was looking forward to the fight and to getting "revenge" after Delgado was controversially declared the winner of their 2019 bout in New York on a second round TKO.

The knee injury occurred while he was backing away from Delgado, and the random nature of it resulted in an unsuccessful appeal by Ward's management to have the outcome of the fight declared a 'no-contest'.

Following knee surgery in New York after the fight, Ward gradually recovered and was preparing to return to the ring in Boston this time last year until the onset of the pandemic forced that bout's cancellation.

He eventually did lace up the gloves again in Mexico in December, winning two fights by first round knockout against low-calibre opposition.

Delgado represents a step up in level, and will not be a soft touch. Although not as technically gifted as Ward, the 29-year-old from California is strong and has more professional boxing experience under his belt.

He has won seven of his eight fights to date, including a surprise points victory over previously undefeated Texan prospect Burley Brooks last December.

Tonight's fight is scheduled for six rounds. It could be an important showcase for Ward in the US, where it's due to be televised on the NBC Sports Network.

Ward weighed in at 173.8lbs, while Delgado was an almost identical 173.6lbs.

The fight is on the undercard of a bill topped by Puerto Rico's former world super featherweight champion Alberto Machado, who faces Mexico's Angel Fierro.