LOS ANGELES, March 8 – local middleweight prospect Raul “El Tigre” Casarez looks to keep his 10-fight winning streak going against longtime contender J.C. Candelo on March 17 in the eight-round main event of TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” live from the Pharr Convention Center in Pharr, Texas.
In the co-feature, scheduled for 10 rounds in the junior welterweight division, unbeaten Norwalk, California product Carlos Molina faces off against Santo Domingo’s Agino Perez.
Casarez vs. Candelo and Molina vs. Perez headline a night of world-class professional boxing presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Don Chargin Productions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate. Doors open at 6:30pm, the first bell rings at 7:30pm and the TeleFutura broadcast begins at 11:00 pm ET / PT (10:00pm CT).
Tickets, priced at $25, $40, $60 and $80, may be purchased online at http://pharrevents.com/index.php.
After a blistering start to his professional career in 2003 that saw him score four consecutive first round knockouts as a 16-year-old in Mexico, McAllen, Texas’ Raul Casarez (18-2, 9 KO’s) continued to roll through opponents while fighting at home until a 2-2 stint in 2005-06 put him on the sidelines for nearly two years. When he returned to the ring in 2008, he ran off a nine fight unbeaten streak that included eight wins (and one no contest) and capturing the vacant WBO middleweight youth title in 2010. On March 17, the 25-year-old will fight his hardest to extend that streak in front of his hometown fans.
38-year old Juan Carlos “J.C.” Candelo (32-10-4, 21 KO’s) may be giving up a few years to his younger opponent on March 17, but the Texas-based Colombian makes up for that with the kind of experience youth can’t buy. A former top contender at 154 pounds who won the NABF title and went the distance in his lone world title fight against Winky Wright in 2003, Candelo has been on a hot streak winning five in a row, including recent victories over then 30-3-1 Chase Shields and then 9-1 Justin Flanagan. He’ll look to keep that momentum going on the 17th with a win over Casarez.
Plagued by hand injuries, Norwalk, California’s Carlos Molina (15-0-1, 7 KO’s) was sidelined for much of 2011, eventually returning in August of last year with a draw against Juan Montiel in which the ring rust from a nine month layoff was evident. In his final bout of the year, the 26-year-old prospect returned to form with a near shutout victory over then 20-3 Manuel Leyva at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Now ready to get 2012 off to a big start, Molina will meet 28-year-old Dominican Republic native Angino Perez (11-3, 9 KO’s) on March 17. A hard-hitting professional with seven years of experience under his belt, Perez has won nine of his last ten bouts, including four in a row, heading into this evenly-matched battle.
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.