Welterweight Niklaus Fraz has resurrected his professional fighting career after just three bouts, proving that records are merely a snapshot of the past.
Fraz is currently scheduled to compete on Wednesday Night Fights against Arizona’s Alfredo Escarcega Jr. in the 10-round main event on Probox TV.
Fraz (12-2, 8 KOs), 28, of Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, is riding an impressive three-fight win streak — he beat former unbeaten prospect Brian Ceballo, beat fellow unbeaten prospect Jahi Tucker and stopped Luke Santamaria — but words don't do his journey justice.
In October 2020, Fraz was stopped in the first round by Janelson Figueroa Bocachica. It was his second loss and seemed to relegate him to gatekeeper status, testing up-and-coming fighters before moving on to title fights. But just over two years after that first-round loss, Fraz returned to his hometown of Puerto Rico, defeating New York City's Ceballo (16-1, 8 KOs) by majority decision.
Ceballo, who was previously signed to 360 Promotions, had been on hiatus and only returned to action at middleweight in 2022 after defeating Larry Gomez in 2020. Despite the lengthy hiatus, Fraz held on to win against Ceballo at a catchweight of 150 pounds.
While some may argue that Ceballo's inactivity played a role, Fraz again won by majority decision nine months later in July over the 21-year-old Tucker (11-1-1, 5 KOs) from Deer Park, New York. Tucker, a welterweight, was riding high on his victory over Nikolos Sekniashvili, but Fraz again defied the odds.
In March, Fraz returned to Probox TV to face Santamaria (14-4-1, 7 KOs), a 26-year-old from Garden Grove, California. In what was billed as a 50-50 bout, Fraz dominated, stopping Santamaria in the sixth round.
Following the win, Sampson Boxing announced that they had signed Fraz. Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz commented, “Maybe the loss was to his advantage. He was overconfident and that caused him harm. Now he takes no for an arrogant approach and is putting in the work necessary to become a champion. I'm excited to be a part of his team and will work hard to help him achieve his boxing dreams.”
Escarcega (15-1-1, 7 KOs) is looking to end Fraz's winning streak. Escarcega's only loss came against deaf boxer Julian Smith, who recently defeated unbeaten Orestes Velasquez, and he's scheduled to fight welterweight Shohjahon Ergashev on July 27. Escarcega is coming off a unanimous decision win over Bryan Mora Munoz in Mexico. Like Fraz, Escarcega is looking to redefine his career as he transitions from prospect to challenger, and this fight will be pivotal in determining his future.
