Boxing Prospect Daniel Jacobs Headlines ESPN Show June 26

On Friday, June 26th, fight fans at the Desert Diamond Casino in Tucson, Arizona will get a first-hand look at the brightest young stars in the boxing universe.

Undefeated middleweight Daniel “The Golden Child” Jacobs, rising junior middleweight star Erislandy Lara and 2008 United States Olympic Bronze Medalist Deontay Wilder step into the ring in separate featured bouts on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights”.

In the main event, knockout specialist Jacobs makes his fourth appearance of 2009 when he battles fellow New Yorker George Walton in a middleweight bout scheduled for 10 rounds.

“The fans at the Desert Diamond Casino are some of the best in the world – they’re enthusiastic and knowledgeable and we know we always have to bring our best fights and fighters to them,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions.

“Daniel Jacobs is one of the top prospects in the sport, but he’s in tough against George Walton and this fight will truly gauge where Jacobs is in the division. Lara and Wilder are two other bright stars in their respective divisions and with those three guys all on the same card, you won’t want to miss this show!”

Jacobs vs. Walton, a 10-round middleweight bout that headlines an explosive night of world-class professional boxing, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and Quaker State. The ESPN “Friday Night Fights”livetelecast beginning at 10pm ET / 7pm PT will be broadcast on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN360.com .

Tickets, priced at $25 to $120 in advance, are on sale now and are available by calling 1-800-745-3000 or by visiting the Desert Diamond Casino Box Office. Tickets may also be obtained online at www.ticketmaster.com .

Former amateur star Daniel “The Golden Child” Jacobs (16-0, 14 KO’s) entered the pro ranks with a host of accolades and he has continued to draw rave reviews while compiling a perfect record since turning pro in December of 2007.

The pride of Brooklyn who is blessed with a mix of speed, power and savvy, Jacobs has passed each of his tests with flying colors, including his most recent one, an amazing two-fight stretch where he defeated veterans Jose Varela and Michael Walker within just eight days of each other.

Hard-nosed middleweight George “Blaze” Walton (20-3, 12 KO’s) first came to the attention of the boxing world as a star of the documentary film On the Ropes.

Since then, the Harlem native has fought his way through the boxing minefield, beating fighters such as Carl Daniels and Adrian Lopez along the way. In his last bout, on January 23rd, Walton handed Jose Angel Rodriguez his first professional loss and he’s looking to do the same to Jacobs on June 26th.

Seen by many observers as the most talented prospect to emerge from Cuba since Joel Casamayor, 26-year-old southpaw Erislandy Lara (6-0, 4 KO’s) has been on the fast track since turning pro in July of 2008.

After compiling an amateur record of 350-17, Lara has gone unbeaten in six professional bouts, including a fourth round stoppage of 37-fight veteran Edwin Vazquez just a few weeks ago on May 22nd.

Lara is wise beyond his years in the ring and when you combine in his physical gifts with his amateur pedigree, you have one of the most dangerous prospects in the world. Lara will see action in an eight-round junior middleweight fight.

The only medal winner from the 2008 United States Olympic Boxing team, Bronze Medalist Deontay Wilder (5-0, 5 KO’s) has been terrorizing opponents in the professional game since returning from Beijing.

After entering the punch for pay ranks in November of 2008 with a two round stoppage of Ethan Cox, Wilder has made even shorter work of his foes, with four straight first-round knockout wins. He looks for win number six on June 26th in a four-round contest.

Opponents for Lara and Wilder along with a full slate of undercard bouts will be announced shortly.