Two unbeaten bridgerweights set to clash for the WBC Youth World title

The WBC Youth Bridgerweight World title comes to Zagreb for an historic night in Croatia

On September 19, 2026, the city of Zagreb, Croatia, will become the epicenter of international boxing as it hosts the WBC Youth World Championship bout in the Bridgerweight division, presented by Ivko Boxing Promotion.

This historic event will take place at the iconic Zagrebački Velesajam, starting at 8pm local time, featuring a fight card designed to mark a landmark moment for the region.

The main event will feature two of the division’s most promising prospects, led by rising local talent Lovro Pavčec (9-0, 7 KOs) , who aims to achieve world glory in front of his home crowd, against a dangerous Venezuelan with a perfect record and KO ratio, Javier Contreras (12-0, 12 KOs).

20-year-old Pavčec enters this fight backed by an outstanding amateur background and a seamless transition into the pros, defined by power, discipline, and the passionate backing of Croatian fans.

In the opposite corner stands Contreras, a high-calibre foe with explosive, proven power, equally hungry for glory.

Pavčec has taken the traditional route so far, kicking off his paid career with a series of four-rounders before graduating to six, then eight, then he fought in a scheduled 10-round contest in his last in February, but was only required to use three of them after his opponent, with a respectable 8-1 record, decided to retire before the fourth session. Lovro has completed 25 rounds over his nine bouts.

23-years-old, Contreras kicked off his pro campaign with a trio of first-round knockouts, all within 100 seconds.

In 2025 he took on three fighters with winning records and knocked all of them out in the first round. Over his 12 pro bouts, he has only done 16 rounds.

Javier Contreras has never fought an unbeaten opponent before, and Lovro Pavčec has never come against a fighter with a 100% KO ratio yet.

Both contenders enter at the peak of their physical development, ready to leave everything in the ring for the iconic green and gold Youth World Title belt.

The Bridgerweight division, created by the WBC to provide a fair and safe competitive environment for fighters positioned between cruiserweight and heavyweight, continues to pave the way for the new generation of champions. The WBC Youth title represents the ultimate honor for rising prospects and a direct springboard toward major global fight cards.