Moreu not fazed by Atlantic City’s bright lights

During her long and successful amateur boxing career, Albuquerque’s Sharahya Moreu fought in India, Bulgaria and all over the United States.

So on Thursday, as she walked the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, her long-awaited professional debut just two days away, she was excited but not awed by the prospect of fighting in one of the nation’s boxing capitals.

“I thought I’d be more nervous,” Moreu, 24, said in a phone interview. “I feel very calm.

“I’ve been preparing for a lifetime, in a way, all the years of experience (in the amateurs). It feels like a smooth ride, because I know what to expect, know what I’m supposed to do.”

In September, shortly after her final amateur bout, Moreu signed a contract with Fighters First Management, headed by author and entrepreneur Adrian Clark. Now, she’s scheduled to face Brazil’s Janaisa Morandin in a four-round junior welterweight bout as part of a card in Atlantic City, where Albuquerque ring legends Johnny Tapia and Danny Romero once fought.

Morandin has just one pro boxing match on her résumé, a loss in 2016. But she’s an experienced MMA fighter with a 10-5 record, though she’s lost her last four fights.

The Brazilian fighter has campaigned during her MMA career at 115 and 125 pounds and seemingly would be at a major disadvantage fighting Moreu at Saturday’s contracted weight of 139 pounds. Moreu fought many of her amateur bouts at 152 pounds.

Still, having seen video of some of Morandin’s MMA fights, Moreu and her father and head trainer, Yoruba Moreu, aren’t expecting an easy win.

“We’ve seen her get kicked in the face and get back up,” Yoruba Moreu said. “… So we’re expecting her, even if we put her down, to get back up a few times.”

In making the transiition from amateur to pro, the Moreus have relied heavily on Albuquerque pro Josh “Pitbull” Torres, a longtime friend and advisor. Torres is expected to join them in Atlantic City and be in Sharahya’s corner on Saturday.

“‘Pit’ is like the glue for us right now,” Yoruba Moreu said. “Bringing Pit along has really helped her adjust to the pro game, because I’m an amateur coach adjusting to the pros.

“… There’s not even a head coach or an assistant coach. We just do what’s best for Sharahya.”

One lesson Sharahya has learned, or at least studied thoroughly: this is not the amateurs, where punching volume is so often the key to victory.

“It’s about slowing down a little bit,” she said. “Before (in the amateurs), we had three two-minute rounds. Now we have four. … Now you have to be a little more precise and it’s more of a chess match, because one punch can suffice.

“So it’s definitely slowing down and being more accurate than just throwing just to throw.”

Though she’ll be throwing those punches almost 2,000 milles from home, Moreu won’t be without support in the crowd at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.

“This is like a home fight for us, because we’ve got family coming in from New York and Philly,” Yoruba Moreu said. “… I’m surprised at all the people we have coming down.”

Saturday’s card is being promoted by Thomas LaManna, an active boxer who’s also scheduled to fight the main event against Argentina’s Juan Manuel Witt.

LaManna (35-5-1, 14 KOs) lost by unanimous decision in August 2020 to New Mexico native Brian Mendoza.

Mendoza (22-2, 16 KOs) has gone on to win the WBC interim junior middleweight title with a victory by seventh-round knockout over Sebastian Fundora in Los Angeles on April 8.