LOS ANGELES, January 28 – A hit in his first fight in Puerto Rico last December, unbeaten lightweight prospect Michael “The Artist” Pérez returns to the island on Friday, February 4, to square off against Colorado’s Marcos Herrera in the eight round main event of TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” at the Coliseo Félix Méndez Acevedo in his father’s hometown of Lares..
In the co-featured bout, Juncos, Puerto Rico’s Jayson “La Maravilla” Vélez will face Mexico’s Juan Josè Beltrán in an eight round junior featherweight showdown. Also in action will be Canadian phenom Mikael Zewski, Eddie Gomez of the Bronx, NY, who looks for his third consecutive knockout when he takes on Arecibo’s Ramón Sánchez, as well as debuting Eduardo Alicea.
Pérez vs. Herrera, which headlines a night of world class boxing, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Promociones Miguel Cotto and H2 Entertainment, and is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. The TeleFutura broadcast begins at 11:30pm ET / PT (10:30pm CT). Fans at home can also be part of the action by participating in Cinturón Tecate and voting for the fighter in the main event who displayed the most character in the ring by sending a text message to 55333. Voting will be open through the end of the weekend.
Tickets, priced at $35, $25, and $12, are on sale now by calling 787-792-5000 or by visiting Ticketcenter at www.tcpr.com.
Newark, New Jersey’s Michael “The Artist” Pérez (11-0-1, 5 KO’s) had a big year in the ring in 2010, and with five wins in five fights (including two first round knockouts) against increasingly stiffer competition, the 20-year-old proved that he’s ready for the next level in his career. In his most recent bout, on December 10 in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico, Pérez was pushed hard by fellow prospect José Hernández, but he found a way to win, earning an eight round split decision victory in what many called “Sólo Boxeo Tecate’s” Fight of the Year. On February 4, he plans on taking the judges out of the equation by using his knockout power to earn his first win of the New Year.
22-year old Arvada, Colorado resident Marcos Herrera (6-3-1, 2 KO’s) is approaching his third year as a professional and he has shown the talent that local fight observers believe will keep him in the lightweight mix for many years to come. A fearless competitor who has already shared the ring with the likes of Sharif Bogere, Cortez Bey and Shawn Gallegos, Herrera hopes that his experience will be the edge he needs against Pérez come February 4.
Juncos, Puerto Rico native Jayson “La Maravilla” Vélez (14-0, 11 KO’s) has made quite an impression on local fight fans during his three year professional career, delivering exciting fights and devastating knockouts. Winner of 11 fights in three rounds or less, the 22-year-old Vélez will come in with guns blazing on February 4 against seasoned competitor Juan José Beltràn (24-19-3, 15 KO’s), a 32-year-old veteran from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico who has won four of his last six bouts, with his only defeats coming against former World Champion Eric Morel and 14-0 prospect Luis Cruz.
After an impressive amateur career, highly regarded junior middleweight Mikael Zewski (6-0, 4 KO’s) hasn’t skipped a beat since turning professional in 2010. With his recent wins over Ardrick Butler (W4) and Leonardo Rojas (TKO2), the 21-year-old from Trois-Rivieres, Canada appears to be getting better and better with each fight, a trend he expects to continue on February 4 in a six round bout against Joseph de los Santos (4-7-3 2 KO’s) from Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
A two-time Junior Olympic national champion as well as a New York Golden Gloves titlist, 18-year-old Eddie Gómez (2-0, 2 KO’s) is the latest fighter from the Big Apple to make noise in the boxing world. Gómez has won both his fights via first round knockout turning professional last November and is eager to see if he can make it three in a row. He will face Arecibo, Puerto Rico’s Ramón Sánchez (2-8-1), a six-year pro who will try to take the youngster into deep water, in a four round junior middleweight bout.
Also featured on February 4 will be the long-awaited professional debut of Cleveland junior middleweight Eduardo Alicea . Owner of multiple national championships during a stellar 143-16 amateur career that also saw him ranked number one in the United States as a Junior Olympian in 2007, the 20-year-old has been preparing for this moment for years and is ready to give a performance to remember in a four round bout against Ramel Brown (0-2) of Raton, New Mexico.
Tecate, cerveza con carácter, is the largest beer brand to sponsor boxing matches in the U.S. Part of its commitment to make boxing accessible to consumers is the title sponsorship of “Sólo Boxeo Tecate,” which creates an opportunity for local fans to witness some of the most exhilarating fights by today’s up-and-coming prospects. Additionally, Tecate has been a primary supporter of Golden Boy Promotions’ marquee events since 2007, and has launched a variety of initiatives to ensure consumers are part of the boxing experience, including boxer autograph signing sessions, commemorative cans, PPV mail-in rebate offers, and most recently the launch of a mobile museum “Tecate Museo de Boxeo,” which showcases decades of the most memorable moments in the sport.
Lucas Matthysse Is Crowned This Week’s Boxer Con Carácter
NEW YORK (January 27, 2011 ) – Boxing fans who watched last Friday night’s TeleFutura broadcast of “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” sat in the judge’s seat and selected Argentine knockout artist Lucas Matthysse as the boxer with the most character in the ring. Not only did Matthysse score an impressive TKO during his fight against former World Champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley, but he also received an equally impressive 80 percent of all votes cast via text message by fans across the United States
Launched by Tecate, cerveza con carácter, the “Cinturón Tecate” award gives viewers the chance to recognize the strength, courage and determination of up-and-coming fighters featured on “Sólo Boxeo Tecate.” The boxer who receives the most text votes is eligible for the main award, which includes gym equipment and donation to a charity of choice. As part of the promotion, adult fans who participate receive free ring tones and screen savers for their cell phones.
The next voting opportunity will be on January 28, when “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” travels to San Diego, Calif. to bring viewers a showdown between heralded junior featherweight prospect Charles Huerta (16-1-0, 8 KO’s) and undefeated Raul Hirales Jr. (11-0-1, 7 KO’s), a standout amateur who competed for Mexico in the World Junior Championships and the Pan American Games.
Fans at home will have the opportunity to cast unlimited votes to help determine the boxer with the most character by texting their choice to 55333 through the end of the weekend. To be part of the action tune in on Friday, January 28, at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT (10:30 p.m. CT) on TeleFutura.
For more information on “Cinturón Tecate,” results or to speak with a brand executive about the program, please contact FORMULATIN at (212) 219-0321.
World Championship Boxing in Cartagena next Saturday
Miami, FL: World Championship boxing returns to the beautiful city of Cartagena, Colombia next Saturday, February 5, 2011 at the Bernardo Caraballo Coliseum in a card billed “Operacion Rescate”. In the main event WBO interim Jr. Flyweight Champion Jesus “El Cuchilla” Geles will face WBO Jr. Flyweight Champion Ramon “Principe” Garcia in clash schedule for 12 rounds that will define the WBO Jr. Flyweight Champion. Geles who is a local idol in Cartagena, Colombia brings a record of 11-1-1-5 KO’s and Garcia of La Paz, BC, Mexico has credentials of 15-1-1-8 KO’s.
The best Colombian prospect, former Olympian, WBA #4 WBO #10 unbeaten Darley Perez (18-0-15 KO’s) of San Pedro de Uraba, Colombia will face Johnny “El Demoledor” Antequera (12-6-10 KO’s) of Caracas, Venezuela in a bout schedule for 10 rounds in the lightweight division. Also former Olympian and teammate Jonathan “Momo” Romero (14-0-10 KO’s) of Cali, Colombia ranked #15 WBO will face his toughest test in his young career against former NABF Champion Mario “Huracan” Macias (22-6-10 KO’s) of Mexico City, Mexico in a battle for the WBO Latino Jr. Featherweight title schedule for 12 rounds.
There will be 7 bouts in total, doors will open at 6:00 PM with the first bell at 7:00 PM. Ticket prices are 50,000 pesos Ringside and 20,000 G.A. and are already on sale at all William Chams stores in Cartagena or by calling 664-2228. The event will be televised live in TV Azteca (Mexico), Azteca America (US and Latin America) and Telecaribe (Colombia). The show is being presented by Tuto Zabala, Jr, All Star Boxing, Inc in association with Billy Chams, Cuadrilatero and Fernando Beltran, Zanfer and sponsored by World Boxing Organization, COLDEPORTES Colombia, IDERBOL, SERVINC Colombia and Tecate Beer.