LOS ANGELES (Jan. 12, 2012) – In what was already set to be an exciting showcase of the top young talent, on the Jan. 20 edition of ShoBox: The New Generation, Tom Brown, Goossen Tutor Promotions matchmaker, has added a special 8-round super featherweight attraction between two undefeated prospects Guy Robb and Joel Diaz Jr. after Brandon Gonzales pulled out of his fight against Caleb Truax due to a leg injury. The fight, which will be held at the Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nev. and broadcast on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), is headlined by a World Championship bout between World Boxing Association (WBA) super bantamweight world champion Rico Ramos (20-0, 11 KOs), who takes on WBA interim champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux (8-0, 6 KOs).
Robb (7-0, 3 KOs), a 22-year-old out of Sacramento, Calif., didn’t step into a boxing gym until the age of 17. Short of two years into training, he competed in an amateur tournament and went home with a bronze medal and a No. 4 national ranking in his weight class. His short-lived amateur career lasted only 25 fights before turning pro in October of 2010 where he scored an impressive first-round KO in his debut. Now, after fighting six times in 2011, he will arrive on ShoBox with a chance to shine on a nationally televised fight card.
His opponent will also be looking to extend his undefeated streak on his first TV appearance. Diaz Jr. (6-0, 5 KOs), an aggressive, 19-year-old power-punching southpaw had a much more storied amateur career than Robb, fighting to a record of 85-10 before knocking out Rene Torres with a left hook in the second round of his pro debut in July of 2010. In his second pro fight, Diaz would be taken the distance for the first – and only – time in his short career, winning a 4-round UD over Hugo Ramos. In 2011, he fought four times, finishing all of his opponents with fan-pleasing first-round KOs. In his most recent victory in November of 2011, Diaz fought a battle-tested veteran of 59 fights in Manuel Sarabia.
With both fighters supremely confident with aggressive styles, they will become each other’s toughest test to date.
Opening the ShoBox telecast, undefeated Matthew Villanueva (6-0-1, 6 KOs) of Burbank, Calif. will fight Mike Ruiz (8-1-1, 3 KOs) of Fresno, Calif. in an 8-round junior bantamweight bout that is sure to open the broadcast in typical ShoBox high-octane fashion.
“I want to thank The Palms for being the host of this very intriguing World Championship bout. The winner immediately jumps to the top of the class,” said promoter Dan Goossen. “Although Rigondeaux has a better knockout percentage then Ramos, Rico is known for one-punch knockout power, and I don’t believe anyone at this weight can take it, including Rigondeaux.
“As for the other televised bouts, both will be exciting, aggressive fights and each of the fighters have their work cut out for them in their matchups.”
In a non-televised undercard bout, Javier Molina (9-1, 4 KOs), a 2008 U.S. Olympian will try to get back in the win column in a 6-round welterweight bout. There will also be two other 4-round bouts featuring heavyweights and jr. middleweights.
Doors for the event open at 5:30 p.m. with the first bout at 6:00 p.m. and the televised portion of the card beginning at 8:00 p.m. (all times PT). Tickets for the event are priced at $54 and $29 and are available at ticketmaster.com and at the Palms box office.
DANIEL PONCE DE LEON VS. OMAR ESTRELLA HEADLINES 2012 TELEVISA’S “SABADOS DE CORONA”SEASON OPENER ON JANUARY 21
LOS ANGELES, January 12 – Former World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon heads back home to Mexico to begin his 2012 campaign for a second divisional title when he meets countryman Omar Estrella in a 12 round bout for the vacant WBC USNBC Featherweight title on Saturday, January 21 at The Boxing Warehouse in Ensenada B.C., Mexico.
In the evening’s co-main event, bantamweight phenom Leo Santa Cruz will put his unbeaten record and WBC Youth Bantamweight title on the line in a 10 round fight against veteran Alejandro Hernandez.
The doubleheader is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Box Latino and sponsored by Corona. The Televisa broadcast will air on Canal 5 and begins at 10:30 p.m. CT. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. PT and the first fight begins at 5:30 p.m. PT.
Tickets, priced at 80 pesos and 200 pesos are on sale now and available for purchase at all Farmacia Del Sol locations in Ensenada B.C., Mexico.
The fights will also be available in the United States as AT&T* is exclusively delivering the series across threes screens (TV, Online and Mobile) to AT&T U-verse members. The U-verse broadcasts will air live at 9:30p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT on AT&T U-verse TV, U-verse Online at www.att.net/boxeo and, for subscribers to U-verse Live TV mobile application, on qualifying mobile phones.**
Cuauhtemoc’s Daniel Ponce de Leon (41-4, 34 KO’s) reigned as the WBO Junior Featherweight World Champion for nearly three years, making six successfully defenses while developing from a wild-swinging brawler to one of the top fighters in the world, still keeping his crushing knockout power intact. The winner of seven of his last nine fights and unbeaten in 14 fights in his native Mexico, the hard-hitting southpaw is about to embark on a title run at featherweight which begins in Ensanada with his bout against Omar Estrella.
24-year old Tijuana native Omar “Dinamita” Estrella (15-3-2, 10 KO’s) will have local fans in his corner on January 21, and with an opportunity to crash into the world rankings on the table, expect him to deliver the performance of his career. The current Mexican Pacific Coast featherweight champion, Estrella has won eight of his last nine fights and four in a row, but no victory would be bigger than if he can take down Ponce De Leon and take home WBC USNBC belt.
A fighter whose name showed up on many “Top Prospect” lists at the end of 2011, Huetamo Michoacan, Méxiconative Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz (18-0-1, 10 KO’s) now wants to make his move on the bantamweight elite in 2012. He went 4-0 in 2011 and the 23-year-old Santa Cruz delivered statement after statement, using his blistering body attack to finish Stephane Jamoye and Jorge Romero, while adding two more knockout wins over Jose Lopez and Everth Briceno, keeping his WBC Youth title belt untouched.
Alejandro “Payasito” Hernandez (24-8-2, 13 KO’s) has won three regional titles over the course of his decade long career, yet he is only 25 and approaching his prime as his January fight with Santa Cruz draws close. The winner of two of his last three fights, Hernandez, who challenged for the WBO Flyweight World Title in 2008, is eager to rise to the top at 118 pounds and that quest begins in Ensenada against Santa Cruz.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
VICTOR ORTIZ VS. ANDRE BERTO II SUPPORTING HAITI EARTHQUAKE RELIEF EFFORTS
New York, NY – (1/12/2012) – Today marks the two-year anniversary of the massive earthquake that hit Haiti, leaving the country devastated and in shambles, but for former two-time welterweight champion Andre Berto, who will be squaring off against former World Boxing Council (WBC) “Vicious” Victor Ortiz on February 11 in a rematch of one of the best fights of 2011, it still seems like just yesterday.
After the earthquake hit, Berto, who tragically lost multiple family members, cancelled his then upcoming title fight against “Sugar” Shane Mosley and traveled to Haiti to help in the relief effort. Berto spent weeks in Haiti before returning back to the States and resuming his professional career.
In commemoration of the two year anniversary of the 2010 Haitian earthquake, Andre Berto, Victor Ortiz, Golden Boy Promotions and DiBella Entertainment are teaming up to continue in assisting the relief effort in Haiti by offering a 10% discount on all tickets for Ortiz vs. Berto II from Thursday, January 12 at 10:00 p.m. PT until Thursday, January 19 at 10:00 p.m. PT for customers purchasing through Ticketmaster who use the code HAITI2 and donating 10% of all ticket sales generated by the code to Haiti Relief.
“It makes me smile from ear to ear to see the growing progress in Haiti and knowing that I am a part of it. Every day that I train makes it all worth it because I know it will give me a platform through my fights to continue to bring awareness to Haiti. I don’t want to be one of those people who just ‘talk.’ I want to be one of the people that actually steps up and does something, and that’s what I am going to continue to do,” said Berto.
“Andre made a commitment to Haiti immediately after the earthquake and he has put his heart, time and energy behind his promises. We at DiBella Entertainment are proud of him and his efforts,” said Lou DiBella, Berto’s promoter.
“Two years ago, the world watched in horror as Haiti was devastated by a natural disaster of unimaginable proportion,” said President of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar de la Hoya. “We have not forgotten and are pleased to be able to do our part to help the people of Haiti to continue to recover.”
Berto’s efforts have continued since the earthquake, including most recently when Berto made a large donation to the charitable organization, Generosity Water, that enabled two water wells to be built providing drinking water for thousands of Haitians.
Below are links to videos of the two wells that were built thanks to Berto’s donation.
Well #1: https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1239060212/ffeae0952f8feaf947f7753feb18d5e1
Well #2: https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1239079164/8c471d11c9614414a7c8d1fa83f35ce1
Following his return from Haiti, Berto defended his WBC title twice, including an impressive eighth-round TKO over former champion Carlos Quintana, before taking on Victor Ortiz on April 12, at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods. In one of the best fights of 2011, Berto lost his WBC Championship to Ortiz, in a bout where both fighters twice tasted the canvas, with each going down in the memorable sixth round.
Like his home country, however, when faced with adversity, Berto has bounced back. In September, Berto reclaimed a piece of the Welterweight crown with an impressive fifth round TKO stoppage over IBF Champion, Jan Zaveck. Now Berto and Ortiz are set to square off again in the first major boxing event of 2012.
“Ortiz vs. Berto II: Repeat or Revenge” is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and DiBella Entertainment. Tickets, priced at $300, $150, $100 and $50, are now on sale and are available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) per person when using the HAITI2 discount code. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.