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Integrated Sports Media, North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events, delivers the best of two live championship shows, featuring a pair of world title fights, Saturday night, Feb. 27 from Puerto Rico and Mexico.
The action starts at 9 PM/ET live from Reben Rodriquez Coliseum in Baymon, Puerto Rico. Hometown hero Wilfredo “WV2” Vasquez, Jr. battles former WBO Super Flyweight champion “Marvelous” Martin Sonsona for the vacant WBO junior featherweight belt. Unbeaten cruiserweight prospect Carlos Negron (7-0, 6 KOs), 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian, supports in a 6-round bout against an opponent to be determined.
The spotlight will then shift to El Poloforim Benito Juarez in Cancun, Mexico, where former WBA light heavyweight champion Hugo Hernan “Pigu” Garay takes on highly world rated “Hard Hittin’” Chris Henry for the WBA Interim light heavyweight title. Former WBA & WBC super flyweight title-holder Cristian Mijares drops back down to his natural weight class versus TBA.
“We’re excited to provide live coverage of world championship matches like Vasquez-Sonsona and Garay-Henry to boxing fans in North America,” Integrated Sports Media president Doug Jacobs said. “It’s rare to bring the best of Philippine, Puerto Rican, Mexican and American boxing to fans on one live card. Integrated Sports Media is committed to bringing world-class boxing to North American fans and this great show kicks-off our PPV season.”
There’s no love lost between Vasquez (17-0-1, 14 KOs), the proud son of former world champion Wilfredo Vasquez (56-9-2, 41 KOs – WBA bantamweight champ 1987-88, WNA super bantamweight champ 1992-95), and the fighter being billed in the Philippines as the next Manny Pacquaio, 19-year-old Sonsona (14-0-1, 12 KOs).
Vasquez, rated No. 2 by the WBO, and WBO No. 3 ranked Sonsona are fighting for the WBO junior featherweight crown relinquished by Juan Manuel Lopez. Vasquez is the reigning WBO Latino junior featherweight, while Sonsona lost his WBO super flyweight belt on the scales in his last fight – Nov. 21 in a 12-round draw versus Aejandro Hernandez – when he failed to make the contracted weight of 115 pounds.
Garay (32-4, 17 KOs), rated No. 2 by the WBA, defeated Yuri Barashian by decision for the WBA light heavyweight title in 2008, successfully defended against present WBO Interim champion Juergen Braehmer by decision, and the popular Argentinean lost his belt by decision last June to Gabriel Campillo.
WBA No. 6-ranked Henry, fighting out of Houston, is coming off of an explosive win by sixth-round technical knockout of Shaun George last July on ESPN. Henry has been the NABF, NABA, IBA Inter-Continental and USNBC light heavyweight champion during the past four years.
Mexican boxer Mijares, rated No. 5 by the WBA and No. 14 by the IBF, was one of the world’s top pound-for-pound boxers after winning a decision against Alexander Munoz in their 2008 WBC/WBA super flyweight unification match. He unsuccessfully moved up to fight as a bantamweight and has dropped back to super flyweight.
“Asalto Doble” is presented by PR Best Boxing Promotions in Puerto Rico, in association with All Star Boxing and Sampson Boxing LLC, and KO Entertainment in Cancun, Mexico. The unique, double-barrelled broadcast is being distributed in the United States and Canada by Integrated Sports for live viewing at 9 PM/ET – 6 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, TVN, DISH Network, Viewer’s Choice and Shaw PPV for a suggested retail price of only $34.95.
