Rivera Faces WBA 154lb Champion Alejandro “Terra” Garcia On May 6

Former world champion and local favorite Jose Antonio Rivera gets a second chance to win a world championship match in his adopted hometown when he challenges World Boxing Association super welterweight champion Alejandro “Terra” Garcia at the DCU Center on Saturday, May 6. The entire card has been dubbed Dynamite at the DCU by promoter Don King. The Garcia vs. Rivera main event will be broadcast live on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Rivera (37-4-1, 24 KOs) lost his World Boxing Association welterweight title to Luis Collazo in a very close split decision at the DCU Center on April 2. Elbow surgery cancelled Jose’s first title shot at 154 pounds against WBO title-holder Daniel Santos on Aug. 28 in Cleveland. Fully healed, Rivera is ready to vie for another world championship.

“Not many people, never mind boxers, get a second chance like this,” Rivera said about his special opportunity. “Last time I lost a split decision to (Luis) Collazo. There are no excuses. Collazo came into my hometown and won a split decision, but he didn’t fight a 100-percent Jose Rivera. I pride myself on being in top condition so I am stronger in the later rounds,
but I didn’t have any energy left in that fight.”

Rivera’s original fight plan was defend his WBA welterweight title against Ricardo Mayorga on April 17, 2004, at Madison Square Garden before moving up to super welterweight. That fight, however, was cancelled after Mayorga came in over six pounds beyond the 147-pound limit. Rivera was left with no options other than to stay at welterweight and defend his WBA title against Collazo, a short-notice replacement who stepped in for No.1-ranked mandatory
challenger Thomas Damgaard, who had fallen ill. Rivera now feels very comfortable and strong after moving up one weight class.

“Going into this fight some may look at me as a small guy, a welterweight moving up to super welterweight,” said El Gallo. “But come May 6 I’ll be 154 pounds with 5-pecent body fat. I’m glad that (first title fight in Worcester) is over and I’m looking forward to a new chapter in my career. I have big plans in 2006, starting with me winning the WBA super welterweight
title. Garcia is a big puncher who comes in and overwhelms his opponents. He can knock guys out in the first or last round. He is very strong, but I’ll be physically and mentally ready for him May 6.”

Garcia (25-1, 23 KOs) is a knockout artist from Tijuana, Mexico, whose lone loss came against Travis Simms when he dropped his guard. Garcia was landing solid punches against Simms when they clinched in the center of the ring in round five at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Dec. 13, 2003. It appeared that referee Samuel Viruet was going to break the two fighters and Garcia dropped his hands. At the last moment, Viruet decided a break was unnecessary and Simms took advantage of the situation by landing a sweeping left hook that left the defenseless Garcia out cold on the mat.

Garcia rebounded with an impressive knockout of Jonathan Corn in the fifth round on Sept. 4, 2004, which set the stage for a rematch between Garcia and Rhoshii “The Mongoose” Wells, whom Garcia stopped in the 10th round during of a spirited contest in 2003.

Garcia stopped Wells again (TKO 9) to win the WBA interim super welterweight title at the United Center in Chicago on May 21. In Garcia’s last appearance on Aug 13, also at the United Center, he won a unanimous 12-round decision against Italian champion Luca “Bergamo Bomber” Messi and was soon thereafter declared the outright WBA super welterweight champion after a rematch with Simms never materialized.

The full undercard will be announced soon.

Tickets priced at $35, $50, $100 and $250 are on sale at the DCU Center Box Office, all area Ticketmaster locations, online at ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at (617) 931-2000 or (617) 228-6000. All tickets are subject to a $.50 facility fee.