Former WBO junior featherweight champion Agapito "El Ciclón" Sanchez will take on top contender and most recent IBF title challenger Artyom Simonyan. This will be the co-feature of a Banner Promotions event featuring an IBF title eliminator bout between junior middleweights Teddy Reid and the “Kassim Ouma victim” Verno Phillips, as announced earlier today. The bout will be televised live on May 24 on this year’s first special edition of ESPN2's Tuesday Night Fights. The fights will take place in Spokane, Washington in the Northern Quest Casino. Artyom Simonyan's USBA junior featherweight title will be up for grabs. Sanchez is coming off a very impressive TKO stoppage victory over the rugged Ivan Alvarez who had defeated former world champion Junior Jones, gone the distance with the WBC junior featherweight champion Oscar Larios as well as losing a split decision to the crafty veteran David Santos.

The native from the Dominican Republic is determined to position himself for a title shot pending a victorious outcome on May 24. Sanchez had been in the driver’s seat before and was the next leading contender in the IBF rankings, however, a bad career move saw him fighting at two weight classes above his normal weight. Thus, suffering a very tough defeat to the much bigger Carlos Navarro. Agapito is quoted as saying, “There are no shortcuts to get to the top, I am still very motivated and determined to become a two-time world champion. By staying active and fighting at junior featherweight I know I can reposition myself at the top."

In Artyom Simonyan’s last fight challenged the reigning IBF junior featherweight champion Israel Vasquez. Although he came up way short against Vasquez, Simonyan, at a very young 14-1-1, 7 KOs is showing a lot of heart by getting back in the ring to face a very, tough opponent in Agapito Sanchez (34-11-3 17 KO’s). So, it’s imperative to give that man his props.

According to the IBF rankings, the Armenian native Simonyan is ranked number nine. He will tell you that he is ready to get back in the mix for a title shot. There is a lot at stake in this explosive match up in the junior featherweight division. Respect, recognition, and notoriety are all up for grabs.

Edwin Gonzalez can be reached at prpapa427@aol.com

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