On June 26, 2009, the hottest prospects in boxing converge on Desert Diamond Casino’s Diamond Center to determine who makes the step up and who gets left behind. World-class fighters and former amateur world champions make up the latest Golden Boy Promotions/Desert Diamond Casino fight card; this fight night marks the 23rd event in the partnership and will be televised on ESPN. Doors open at 6:00 PM with the first fight beginning at 6:30 PM. Tickets range from $25 to $120 in advance and are on sale now. They can be purchased at any Ticketmaster location, by calling 1-800-745-3000, by contacting the Desert Diamond Casino Box Office, or by visiting www.desertdiamondcasino.com..
The main event of the evening features Brooklyn, New York’s Daniel Jacobs (16-0, 14 KOs), a prized prospect that is on the verge of becoming a legitimate contender. He recently won a wide decision over Michael Walker on the undercard of the Pacquiao/Hatton mega-fight. Jacobs faces fellow New Yorker George “Blaze” Walton (20-3, 12 KOs) who is a former Golden Gloves champion and famous for his role in the 1999 Academy Award-nominated documentary On the Ropes.
Fighting as part of the co-main event is Guantanamo’s Erislandy Lara (6-0, 4 KOs). Lara is a former amateur world champion and, prior to defecting from Cuba, was favored to take home the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics. Lara will take on New York’s Jose “Silver Boy” Rodriguez (13-1-1, 2 KOs).
Two heavyweight bouts are scheduled for the evening, featuring the United States’ only boxing medalist in the 2008 Olympics, Deontay Wilder (5-0, 5 KOs), in the four-round fight and Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell (11-0-1, 7 KOs), a former All-American linebacker at Michigan State, in the eight-round fight. Both of their opponents have yet to be named.
Returning to the Diamond Center is Jermell Charlo (7-0, 3 KOs) and Hylon Williams (9-0, 3 KOs), both fighting out of Houston, Texas. Charlo is featured in the junior middleweight fight while Williams will compete as a junior lightweight. Their opponents are not yet determined.
Treena Parvello, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise, said, “June 26th is shaping up to be one of our best fight nights yet! ESPN is coming to town to catch the action, and with two up-and-coming stars like Jacobs and Lara leading the night, Desert Diamond Casino will be the place to be!”
Desert Diamond Casino on Pima Mine Road, Desert Diamond Casino♦Hotel on Nogales Highway, and the Golden Ha:san in Why, Arizona, are enterprises of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Further information can be found at www.desertdiamondcasino.com or by calling 866-DDC-WINS.