Boxing News Boxing News
Tonight, Golden Boy Promotions in conjunction with Desert Diamond Casino is giving Southern Arizona boxing fans another taste of elite boxing. The scheduled six bout fight card includes the NABO Bantamweight Championship bout where former Olympian Abner Mares takes on fellow Mexican, Isidro Garcia. As an added bonus, former world champion Roberto Duran will be on hand as a special guest.
The NABO Bantamweight Title fight main event pits Abner Mares (13-0 8 KOs) against Isidro “El Chino” Garcia (24-3-2 8 KOs). Mares, a 2004 Olympian for Team Mexico was quickly signed by Golden Boy Promotions following his international spotlight. With no title bouts to his name, this will be the highly-touted Mares first attempt to rise into the elite class of the bantamweight division. He has chosen a stiff test as he takes on the more experienced Garcia, who to date has already competed in ten title fights, including the infamous 1999 last minute battle against Jose Lopez for the WBO Flyweight belt.
Headlining the co-main event is Mexico’s Antonio Escalante (15-2 9 KOs). A former Golden Gloves Champion as an amateur, Escalante has proven himself as a professional fighter with his multiple title wins and his recent defeat of Paulino Villalobos at the Diamond Center on July 27th. Escalante will go ten rounds in the featherweight division against Colombia’s Feider Viloria (20-1-1 14 KOs). As WBO Latino’s number two rank in the jr. lightweight class, Viloria is making his first showing inside the U.S.
The undercard features Nestor Rocha (17-0 5 KOs) out of California in an 6-round jr. featherweight bout against Puerto Rico’s Jonas Hernandez (6-1 2 KOs). Returning to Desert Diamond Casino is Scotland’s Craig McEwan (6-0 5 KOs), New York’s Darrel Madison (5-1 3 KOs) and Nogales rising star, Adan Leal (6-0 5 KOs). Leal will face Julio Perez (4-6 3 KOs) and Madison will go up against Corey Winfield (2-1 2 KOs). McEwan’s opponent is Maryland native, Nick Collins (4-2 4 KOs).
Weights…
BLUE CORNER RED CORNER
TV MAIN EVENT – NABO BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP – 12 ROUNDS
Abner MARES 117 1/2 vs. Isidro GARCIA 118
Guadalajara, MEX Guerrero, MEX
13-0 (8 KO’s) 24-3-2 (8 KO’s)
TV CO-MAIN EVENT – FEATHERWEIGHTS – 10 ROUNDS
Antonio ESCALANTE 124 vs. Feider VILORIA 123 1/4
Ciudad Juarez, MEX Uraba, COL
15-2 (9 KO’s) 20-1-1 (14 KO’s)
JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS – 8 ROUNDS
Nestor ROCHA 120 vs. Jonas HERNANDEZ 123
Montebello, CA Puerto Rico
(5 KO’s) 6-1 (2 KO’s)
SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 6 ROUNDS
Craig McEWAN 164 vs. Nick COLLINS 162
Edinburgh, SCO Bel Air, MD
6-0 (5 KO’s) 4-2 (4 KO’s)
WELTERWEIGHTS – 6 ROUNDS
Adan LEAL 154 vs. Julio PEREZ 154
Nogales, MEX Mission, TX
5-0 (4 KO’s) 4-6 (3 KO’s)
HEAVYWEIGHTS – 4 ROUNDS
Darrel MADISON 242 vs. Corey WINFIELD 272
Islip, NY Salem, NC
5-1 (3 KO’s) 2-1 (2 KO’s)
Doors open at 4:00 PM with the first bout starting at approximately 4:30 PM. Select fights will be televised on TeleFutura starting at 5:00 PM. Tickets are on sale now and range from $30 to $100 in advance. They can be purchased at any Ticketmaster location, by calling 520-321-1000, by contacting the Desert Diamond Casino Box Office, or by visiting www.desertdiamondcasino.com.
