LAS VEGAS, NEV. (July 11, 2008) – Fasten your seatbelts! The undercard for “The Battle!” — the pay-per-view extravaganza headlined by the world championship fight between welterweight superpowers Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito — promises to be as explosive as the main event! Promoted by Top Rank, “The Battle!” takes place Saturday, July 26 at the MGM Grand Resort & Casino and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT..
GIOVANNI SEGURA and CESAR CANCHILA, the World Boxing Association’s No. 1 and No. 2-rated contenders, respectively, will battle 12-rounds for the WBA interim light flyweight title. Segura (19-0-1, 15 KOs), a native of Mexico, now hailing from Bell Gardens, Calif., has won seven of his last eight bouts by knockout, including a fifth-round stoppage of Jesus Martinez for the NABF title last year. It was the first of three knockout victories for Segura in 2007 made even more impressive by the fact that his three 2007 opponents (including Daniel Reyes and Willy Valdez) had a combined record of 78-10-4 (57 KOs). Making his U.S. debut, Canchila (26-1, 21 KOs), from Colombia, is riding a four-year, 18-bout winning streak with only two of those fights going the distance. Even more impressive is his current streak of 10 straight knockout victories dating back to 2006, including a 12th-round TKO of Miguel Tellez for the World Boxing Organization Latino / WBA Latin American titles.
Undefeated contender MIKE ALVARADO faces his toughest test when steps up to fight former world champion CESAR BAZAN in a 10-round super lightweight bout. Alvarado (21-0, 14 KOs), from Denver, reeled off seven straight knockout victories beginning with his pro debut in 2004. He has stepped up his competition in recent fights successfully meeting each challenge. In his last three bouts, Alvarado has stopped former world title challenger Michael Clark in the first round, won a 10-round decision over Jesus Rodriguez and knocked out Michel Rosales in the seventh round of his most recent bout in May. Together, Clark, Rodriguez and Rosales had a combined record of 69-7 (36 KOs). Bazan (48-10-1, 31 KOs), from Mexico, captured the World Boxing Council lightweight title in 1998, dethroning another Denver native, Stevie Johnston, via a split decision. He successfully defended the title twice before losing it the following year in a rematch to Johnston, again by split decision. Bazan returns to the ring fresh from a 10-round victory over Juan Rivera in May.
The pay-per-view broadcast will open with a 10-round super bantamweight rumble between top-rated contender BERNABE CONCEPCION and ADAM CARRERA. Concepcion (25-1-1, 14 KOs), promoted by Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions, is the reigning NABF super bantamweight champion. A native of the Philippines, Concepcion is riding a three-year, 18-bout unbeaten streak. Included in his impressive streak are NABF title victories over Gabriel Elizondo in 2007 and Juan Ruiz and Torrence Daniels this year. Those victories have helped propel Concepcion into the Top-10, where he is currently world rated No. 5 by the WBC and No. 8 by the WBO. Pacquiao, boxing’s No. 1 pound for pound fighter and the first Asian fighter to win four sanctioned world titles in as many different divisions, is scheduled to be ringside rooting for his protégé. Carrera (19-3, 8 KOs), from Cathedral City, Calif., is a former NABF and WBC FECARBOX super bantamweight champion. His professional resume boasts victories over Julio Gamboa and Juan Ruiz.
Remaining tickets, priced at $700, $500, $300, $200 and $100, can be purchased at the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office and at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, Macy’s West at the Fashion Show Mall, and Ritmo Latino.) Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000 or MGM Grand at (800) 929-1111. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com
The Cotto vs. Margarito pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Cotto vs. Margarito fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.