Lightweight contender Justin Pauldo has come a long way since missing weight and frittering away a fight with Rolando “Rolly” Romero.
Pauldo fights Juan Carlos Burgos on June 7 on a ProBox TV telecast taking place at Boeing Center in Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas.
The 30-year-old Pauldo, 18-2 (9 KOs), has seen his share of both triumph and adversity in the ring. In January 2021, he was set to face Romero, only to miss weight by five pounds. Anthony Yigit took his place and was stopped by Romero.
But Pauldo recovered in due time, signing with Fighters First Management and riding a hot hand before losing a close fight to Miguel Madueno in February 2024. He returned to defeat former titleholder Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in February 2025.
“I feel like I am a battle-tested, seasoned fighter,” Pauldo told BoxingScene. “I’ve had ups and downs, but through it all, I prevail, and I've kept my focus. I think when I get that big call, I will be more than ready.”
Pauldo trains in Houston with Ronnie Shields. He entered his last fight as an underdog but knocked out Rakhimov in the eighth round, reigniting his career. Pauldo’s manager, Jolene Mizzone, has compared him to the fighters of the 1980s, with a will to win at the highest level and unfazed by defeat.
“It was a great way to come back against a good name and a guy who had won the world title before,” Pauldo said. “So it was a very exciting opportunity for me to go out and just get to display what I can do. I got to step out and show the world that I am one of the top fighters in the division.”
Pauldo, whose moniker is “The Million Dollar Man,” recalled his thought process leading into the fight: “From the time I took the fight, I knew I could beat the guy, and from the second the bell rang, I could tell I knew I was on a different level. I knew what I came to do that night.”
The 37-year-old Burgos, 36-8-3 (22 KOs), is a former title challenger and a crafty veteran. He has 321 professional rounds under his belt, compared to 97 for Pauldo. Burgos has lost decisions to Devin Haney, Keyshawn Davis, Andy Cruz and Mikey Garcia over the years – but has yet to be stopped. Pauldo didn’t say it was his intention to become the first to make that happen, but he isn’t the type to say much at all. Even after a career-best performance, Pauldo was reserved and matter-of-fact.
“He's a good Mexican fighter,” Pauldo said. “He's been in there with a lot of guys and has a lot of experience.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.