For a card that ended with the heated exchange between O’Shaquie Foster and Shakur Stevenson, the Matchroom-DAZN boxing event surprisingly opened on a lighter note, with a young teenager celebrating his 6th pro win while wearing a graduation hat.

Opening the preliminary segment of the show in Houston, 18-year-old Julian Montalvo lived up to his moniker, “El Natural,” when he knocked out Maximum Moya in the 4th round. Still, his 6th straight win failed to silence the debate that followed his in-ring celebration, during which he revealed that he skipped his graduation ceremony for the fight.

“Today was supposed to be my graduation, and you know I had a fight,” Montalvo said. “I had to come handle business. You know, for a moment everybody looked forward to their whole years of being in school, and I couldn’t make it that one time, but just know that’s just the hard work I put into this. Boxing is life, and if that’s not how you think, you can’t be a boxer, man.”

“I’m going to go home. I’m going to have my graduation. No, I’m not even going to have a graduation. I’m just (going to) have (my) diploma emailed. But everything’s cool. This is how much work I put into this, and I’m just proving it to you guys. Like, if you’re willing to do this, you got to go all the way. And for those people who are into boxing and they don’t want to go to school, you can still do it. This is just hard work. Thank you guys for being here and watching me fight.”

That level of commitment has already helped the Las Vegas youngster build momentum early in his career. Montalvo made his professional debut just two years ago, and after Top Rank took him under its wing last year, promoter Bob Arum became increasingly vocal about his potential.

“Julian Montalvo is among the greatest teenage talents I’ve ever seen—a humble young man who has spent the past several years nurturing his prodigious talent at the Top Rank Gym,” Bob Arum reportedly stated. “He has handled numerous world champions, top contenders, and blue-chip prospects with shocking ease. After witnessing several sparring sessions, I knew I was watching someone special. I’m excited for boxing fans to discover ‘El Natural’ and follow his journey to world titles and the pound-for-pound list.”

The win against Moya only strengthened that belief. Even so, some boxing fans viewed Montalvo’s decision to put his graduation ceremony on hold for a fight very differently.

Graduation could wait as young prospect extends undefeated run

For instance, one wrote, “Bro has a backup plan. He won’t make it far in the ring 💀.” That reaction appeared rooted in the belief that fighters become more driven when boxing is their only option.

To some, having a fallback option can reduce that edge. Others, however, disagreed with that view.

“He knew what mattered and shut the show down,” one added. Montalvo’s performance certainly helped support that argument. If he is to become a major name in boxing, then that’s clearly the priority for him. Regarding his education, another user had already made the situation clear: “He graduated; he just didn’t attend graduation.”

So Montalvo completed his schooling; he simply didn’t attend the formal ceremony recognizing his graduation.

A few fans also found humor in the situation. “Graduated from the school of hard knocking,” one wrote. Another added, “Should’ve let him throw the hat in the air after that speech.”

While, like most graduates, Montalvo didn’t throw his hat in celebration, he still walked away with a memorable moment inside the ring while wearing gloves.

The graduation cap inside the ring already said plenty on its own.

Regardless of differing opinions, seeing a fighter continue pursuing education is a positive development that deserves encouragement. As the saying goes, “One shouldn’t put all the eggs in the same basket.” Champion Sebastian Fundora pursuing an engineering degree is proof of that reality.