When former world bantamweight champion Luis “Pantera” Nery (28-0, 22 KOs) faces ex-champ McJoe Arroyo (18-2, 8 KOs) on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, he will experience two “firsts.”

1. For the first time, he will fight in the United States
2. For the first time, he will face a Puerto Rican opponent

Nery has been a worthy representative of Mexican boxing having had nine international fights, defeating six opponents from the Philippines, two from Japan, and one Venezuela. He will now enter the classic Latin American boxing rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile, Arroyo has faced four Mexicans, defeating all of them.

The long list of classics includes Julio Cesar Chavez vs. “Macho” Camacho, Chavez vs. “Chapo” Rosario, Wilfredo Gomez vs. Salvador Sanchez, Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito, Felix Trinidad vs. “Yory Boy” Campas, Orlando Salido vs. Juan Manuel Lopez, Giovani Segura vs. Ivan Calderon, and many more.

Will Luis Nery vs. McJoe Arroyo be joining that elite list?