LOS ANGELES (April 12, 2011) � In a battle of the undefeated, World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight champion SEBASTIAN ZBIK will defend his crown against the Son of the Legend, JULIO C�SAR CH�VEZ, JR., the WBC�s No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger, Saturday, June 4, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles � just a few blocks north of the Olympic Auditorium where the legendary Julio C�sar Ch�vez won his first world title. The fight will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark�, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
�The Son Also Rises: Zbik vs. Ch�vez, Jr.� will also feature a tribute to M�xican icon JULIO C�SAR CH�VEZ, who will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame the following week, as well as the Los Angeles boxing debut of Baltimore Ravens safety and undefeated cruiserweight TOMMY ZBIKOWSKI, and the return of WBC female super welterweight champion CHRISTY MARTIN, seeking her landmark 50th career victory.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer promotions, Universum Media Network, TECATE, and STAPLES Center, tickets to Zbik vs. Ch�vez Jr., priced at $250, $150, $100, $75 and $50, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at www.staplescenter.com, via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (800)745-3000, or at the STAPLES Center box office.
“June 4 is indeed historic as Julio C�sar Ch�vez Jr. battles for the middleweight championship,� said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. �Julio’s father — Julio C�sar Ch�vez, soon to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame — won his first world title in Los Angeles at the Olympic Auditorium. This was the real start of his legendary career. Now his son Julio Jr. tries to continue in that same tradition, taking on Sebastian Zbik for the WBC Middleweight Championship in the same city. What a story.”
Ch�vez, an underdog despite his sterling 43-0 record, stopped Mario “Azabache” Martinez in the eighth round of their September 13, 1984 battle to claim the vacant WBC super featherweight title � his first world championship crown.
“I am very happy to get this opportunity to fight for a world title so that I can fulfill my dream of becoming a world champion,� said Ch�vez Jr. �And what better city to do it in than Los Angeles, where my father won his first championship? My father has always considered Los Angeles his second home.”
�It will be a night of firsts for me — my first defense of the WBC middleweight title, my first fight in the U.S. and my first fight on HBO,� said Zbik. �I know Julio will be up for the challenge on June 4 but I will be ready for him. It will be a night of firsts for him too — his first loss.�
“My son has worked very hard to get this opportunity to fight for a world title and I am very happy and proud that he will get his chance. He is ready for this fight and I am confident that he will become a world champion,” said Ch�vez Sr.
“We’re happy to present the HBO debuts of Julio C�sar Ch�vez Jr. and Sebastian Zbik,” said Kery Davis, senior vice president of programming, HBO Sports. “STAPLES Center always provides a great stage and we are looking forward to some fireworks the night of June 4.”
Ch�vez Jr. (42-0-1, 30 KOs), of Culiacan, M�xico, is the son of Mexico�s greatest fighter Julio C�sar Ch�vez. Ch�vez, 25, took up the �family business� in 2003, winning a four-round decision in his professional debut. Eight years later, the reigning WBC Silver middleweight champion and superior gate attraction is poised to make his own mark in the boxing world. He took a major step toward that goal by enlisting legendary trainer Freddie Roach to take him to the next level. Their first fight together was a gigantic success, winning the vacant WBC silver middleweight with a dominant 12-round unanimous decision over top-10 contender John Duddy (29-1, 18 KOs), on last June at the Alamodome in San Antonio. He successfully defended that title on January 29, winning a unanimous decision over Billy Lyell. Since 2009, Ch�vez Jr., won 10-round unanimous decisions over Luciano Cuello and Troy Rowland and stopped Jason LeHoullier in the first round. Making those five victories even more impressive is the fact that Ch�vez�s opponents had a combined record 120-12-1 when he defeated them.
Zbik (30-0, 10 KOs), of Schwerin, Germany, will be making his U.S. debut in his first title defense. The slick middleweight champion is trained by former World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight champion Artur Grigorian, whose eight-year title reign included 18 successful defenses. Zbik captured the WBC interim middleweight title in 2009 by winning a 12-round unanimous decision over Domenico Spada (29-1). He successfully defended the interim title against Emanuele Della Rosa (22-0), Spada (30-2) and Jorge Heiland (16-0) all by 12-round decisions. He was elevated to WBC middleweight champion in January when Martinez vacated the title.
Salido workout quotes
Former Featherweight World Title Challenger Martin Honorio
To Face Undefeated Prospect Luis Cruz In Co-Feature
After Roman Martinez Pulls Out Of Fight With An Injury
PUERTO RICO (April 12, 2011) � Former world champion Orlando “Siri” Salido arrived late Monday evening in Puerto Rico and held a Media Workout on Tuesday at the Wilfredo Gomez Gym in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, where he was welcome by two-time world champion Ivan “Iron Boy” Calderon.
Salido will challenge unbeaten World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion Juan Manuel �Juanma�� Lopez this Saturday, April 16 in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING live on SHOWTIME� (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).
Salido and his team, Jose Santos, Victor Barron and Armando Castro, met the media and worked out for one hour, hitting the mitts, speed bag and shadow boxing. Salido stated that he was almost on weight for the 126-pound clash at Ruben Rodriguez Coliseo in Bayamon, Puerto Rico
In the co-feature, undefeated Luis Cruz will now face former world title challenger Martin Honorio, of Mexico City, Mexico, in a 10-round super featherweight bout after Roman “Rocky” Martinez suffered a back injury while training and was forced to pull out of the fight.
Cruz (17-0, 14 KOs), of Philadelphia by way of Las Piedras, P.R., is ranked No. 11 by the IBF at 130 pounds and has won six in a row by knockout, including a TKO 2 over Wilfredo Acuna in his most recent start last Dec. 4, and 11 of his last 12 inside the distance. Cruz has gone the route only three times since turning professional in March 2007. The furthest he�s gone is 10 rounds.
A former world title challenger at 126 pounds, Honorio (29-5-1, 15 KOs) owns wins over previously undefeated prospect John Molina, junior featherweight contender Rogers Mtagwa, and former world champs Steven Luevano and Cristobal Cruz. Honorio challenged Robert Guerrero for the IBF featherweight world title in November, 2007, losing via a devastating one-punch knockout at 0:56 of the first round. Honorio has lost just once since moving up to 130 pounds.
Salido (34-11-2, 1 ND, 22 KOs), 30, of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, is more dangerous than his record would indicate. In his last start, he scored a knockdown and went the distance against power-punching WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa on Sept. 11, 2010. The points loss came one start after he registered two knockdowns en route to winning a decision and the then-vacant IBF title over Cristobal Cruz.
The exciting, hard-hitting Lopez (30-0, 27 KOs), of San Juan, P.R., is a two-division world champion who�ll be making his third WBO title defense. The talented southpaw is coming off an excellent eighth-round TKO over Mexico�s boxing legend and future Hall of Famer, Rafael Marquez, in a tense give-and-take slugfest last Nov. 6 on SHOWTIME. Lopez, 27, has knocked out 90 percent of his opponents.
Below is what Salido had to say at Tuesday�s workout:
ON FIGHTING IN PUERTO RICO:
“I have everything to gain and nothing to lose, all the pressure is on him. He is the champion. He�s fighting at home and everyone expects him to win. Let�s see if he can deliver. I did not come all this way to lay down for him”
ON JUANMA LOPEZ:
“I do believe that he is the best featherweight in the world and a great champion, but he also likes to fight and that will be to my advantage. We both have power and will test each other all night”
ON FIGHTING FOR A WORLD TITLE AGAIN:
“This is a great opportunity for me. I worked very hard for nearly two and half months and just feel great. My confidence is sky high for this fight. I know this could be my last chance and I want to take advantage of it”
ON WHAT KIND OF FIGHT HE EXPECTS
“I know it will be a war and that it will be tough for both us. I know Juanma comes with everything in the first few rounds and I will have to be smart and stay focused at all times. I believe that the longer the fight goes it will be to my advantage. I know that he is not the same fighter in the end that he is in the beginning”
ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GAMBOA AND LOPEZ:
“From fighting Gamboa and from what I seen of Lopez, I believe that Lopez is the more well-rounded boxer. Gamboa still fights like an amateur at times and he is very fast, but Juanma looks like he has more power. I guess I find out more on Saturday night”
ON THIS CAMP AND THE ONE FOR GAMBOA:
“I did not have a very good camp for the Gamboa fight because I went to Mexico City to train and I just never got comfortable. This time I trained in Nogales and Ciudad Obregon and feel a lot better about my preparation. That’s what I did for the Cristobal Cruz fight when I won the title and that’s what I should have done for the Gamboa fight”
Gus Johnson will call the action from ringside with Al Bernstein providing color commentary, Antonio Tarver serving as expert analyst and Jim Gray serving as ringside reporter. David Dinkins Jr. is the executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports� with Chuck McKean producing and Bob Dunphy directing.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports Programming, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://www.sho.com/sports.
HBO Zone to present replay of two action-packed fights this Saturday night: Morales vs. Maidana & Guerrero vs. Katsidis
It’s a special edition of HBO’s World Championship Boxing� when the HBO Zone channel airs the HBO Sports replay of ERIK MORALES VS. MARCOS MAIDANA AND ROBERT GUERRERO VS. MICHAEL KATSIDIS, this SATURDAY, APRIL 16 at 12 midnight (ET/PT). The HBO Sports broadcast team of Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman, who were ringside for the live event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, will call all the action.
In a night where ring skill and experience went up against youth and power, Morales and Maidana met April 9th in a sensational performance that has the boxing community labeling it an early “fight of the year” candidate. The highly-anticipated Guerrero-Katsidis lightweight match-up was the evening’s co-feature and lived up to its advance billing. Both fights were carried live on the HBO Pay-Per-View� telecast.
HBO On Demand availability: April 18-May 16
As previously announced, HBO Latino will air the exclusive Spanish language replay of these fights (plus James Kirkland vs. Nobuhiro Ishida) on Friday, April 15 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT and replay its tripleheader of action on Saturday, April 16 immediately following the live HBO World Championship Boxing telecast from the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, CT, as Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz collide in the evening’s headline bout (9:45 p.m. ET/ 6:45 p.m.PT). Super lightweight title-holder Amir Khan meets challenger Paul McCloskey in the opening bout of the WCB doubleheader.
� WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.