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Top 10 contenders Oscar Valdez, Jesse Hart, Chris Avalos and Aaron Pryor Jr.n headline the fall season debut of “Friday Night Knockout on truTV,” kicking off the Mexican Independence Day weekend on Friday, September 11, at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
The fight will be televised live on truTV, beginning at 10:00 p.m. EDT. The telecast will open with Hart defending his NABO and USBA super middleweight championship titles against contender Pryor, followed by the featherweight battle between Valdez and Avalos. Both bouts are scheduled for 10 rounds. The live boxing series is presented by truTV and Top Rank, and produced in association with HBO Sports.
These young warriors boast a combined record of 79-11-1 (59 KOs) – an 87 percent winning ratio with 3/4 of their victories coming by way of knockout.
“I am very happy to be fighting on September 11 in Las Vegas,” said Valdez. “I have a difficult opponent that night but the plan is to win and get myself closer to that world title shot I desire.”
“I am excited for the fight. It’s an interesting matchup because not a lot of prospects get matched up with tough opponents these days,” said Avalos. “I am looking forward to not only winning the fight but moving on to another world title shot. The best part about facing undefeated fighters is erasing the zero from their loss column. Valdez is next on my hit parade.”
“This is the battle of fighters’ sons. We will see who is the better fighters’ son inside the ring,” said Hart. “I am predicting it won’t go past four rounds. Pryor is an OK fighter but he is old news, and I believe I am the future of boxing, so he has to go!”
“I am looking forward to fighting Jesse Hart on September 11,” said Pryor. “Hart is a tough opponent, and it’s a great opportunity for me. See you at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, live on truTV.”
“As Mexico’s only fighter to compete in two Olympics, who else but Óscar Valdez will be his country’s star-featured fighter in Las Vegas’ Mexican Independence Day weekend?”, said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank.
“This historic weekend was originally anchored by Julio César Chávez, and the mantle is being passed to Valdez at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas which will be filled with Mexico’s most avid fight fans.
“Valdez will be joined by Jesse Hart. Valdez and Hart have more in common than identical undefeated records. They have carried the promise of stellar amateur careers into the pro ranks becoming fan favorites. They have leapt from exciting prospects into sensational bona fide Top 10 world-rated contenders.
“When you win 14 of 17 bouts by knockout like they each have, any opponent who faces them in the ring knows he will be in harm’s way.”
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets to the Valdez-Avalos / Hart-Pryor event are priced at $100, $85, $65, $45 and $20, tickets will be available for purchase at www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com or through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 and www.ticketmaster.com. Room and ticket packages are also available.
