Ryan Kielczweski ready for ESPN Co-feature

When Ryan Kielczweski steps into the ring on Friday night, the highly regarded undefeated prospect will be entering familiar territory. For Kielczweski (19-0, 4KO's), the WBA #11-rated junior lightweight in the world, who will be taking on the once-beaten Ramsey Luna (12-1, 4KO's) in the eight-round super featherweight co-feature, he will be returning to platform on which he scored his most impressive victory to date just a little under one year ago.

On a hot and muggy night in New Hampshire last July, the talented Kielczweski took on  DBE Puerto Rican knockout artist Miguel Soto (11-0, 11KO's) in that evening's ESPN Friday Night Fights' eight-round co-feature. It was huge step-up and the first national TV exposure for the former amateur standout hailing from nearby Quincy, Mass., who happened to be celebrating his 24th birthday that night. Fighting in front of a strong contingent of hometown fans that had made the short trip over to Salem, NH, Kielczweski scored the victory in impressive and absolutely devastating fashion.

Kielczweski got off to a blistering start, throwing quick and hard combinations to both the body and head of the hard-charging and heavy-handed Puerto Rican. Round after round, Kielczweski continuously tagged Soto with hard shots, but to his credit, Soto kept coming forward. By the fourth round, Soto's right eye had become grotesquely swollen and Kielczweski's punch output kicked into another gear.

In the fifth round, just before the bell sounded to end the frame, Kielczweski landed as perfect a counter left hook as you will ever see, dropping Soto face-first on the canvas, out cold. The knockout was so devastating that it was chosen as that day's #5 play on ESPN's "Top-10 Plays of the Day". Kielczweski had officially put his name on the map and clearly cemented himself as one of the top up-and-coming 130lb. fighters in the world.

Fast forward one year and two additional victories later, and Kielczweski, known as the "Polish Prince", is looking for yet another stellar performance as he continues to climb the ranks of the 130lb. division when he takes on the dangerous Luna. 

"Everything has been great with this camp and I am just really looking forward to getting in there and doing my thing on Friday night," said Kielczweski.  "The win last year definitely had a huge impact on my career and my life. People from all over the country got to finally see who I was and what I am capable of doing."