David Navarro is prepared to carry on the family tradition.

The first step in the pro journey of the 20-year old featherweight from East L.A. begins Wednesday evening, as Navarro faces France’s Nathan Benichou (2-1, 2KOs) just prior to a Showtime-televised tripleheader from Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.

“I am very excited to start my pro career on Wednesday night,” notes Navarro, a 15-time national amateur titlist and the nephew of 2000 U.S. Olympian and former title challenger Jose Navarro. “I just want to show everyone who I am, and what I can do.  I will have a lot of family and friends who will be watching and rooting for me back home.”

Highlights of the bout will be shown during the telecast, which is headlined by a 10-round clash between unbeaten junior middleweights Charles Conwell and Wendy Toussaint.

Conwell—a 2016 U.S. Olympian—and Navarro are managed by Split-T Management’s Tim VanNewhouse, who plans to keep the rookie featherweight active in his first year as a pro.

“This is a big night for David and Team Navarro,” VanNewhouse told krikya360.com. “He’s been afforded a unique opportunity to showcase his abilities in front of the Showtime brass and its many viewers.

“We have high expectations of David at Split-T and I’m excited to be working alongside Showtime for David’s debut and future bouts to come.”

Navarro abandoned his dream of landing a spot on the 2020 U.S. Olympic team due to compete in Tokyo next summer, in favor of a pro career one year ahead of his peers. The established former amateur standout advanced to the finals of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials—a journey which included a win over top-ranked Duke Ragan, now a pro—before losing a decision to Brooklyn’s Bruce Carrington, the current Olympic hopeful.

There still remained hope for Navarro to qualify for the time, before the ongoing coronavirus pandemic postponed the quadrennial classic by a full year. It proved too long a wait for Navarro to delay the start to his pro career, joining his older brother and current unbeaten junior welterweight prospect Jonathan Navarro (17-0, 9KOs) in the pro ranks.

“I am so prepared for this because of seeing my brother go through his career,” reveals Navarro, whose cousins Steven and Chantel remain among the best U.S. amateur prospect. “I have defeated some of the best amateur fighters in the world, and that gives me the confidence to have a great career, and that begins [Wednesday evening].”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox