Ricky Hatton – Juan Urango Plus Castillo – Ngoudjo

Promoters Dennis Hobson/Fight Academy and Banner Promotions, in association with Top Rank, Inc., will present a sensational world championship fight card on Saturday, January 20, 2007, at Paris Las Vegas, located at 3655 Las Vegas Boulevard South in Las Vegas . The main event and co-featured fight will be televised live on HBO’s World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 P.M. ET, 7:00 P.M. PT.

In the 12-round main event, undefeated junior welterweight and welterweight world champion Ricky “Hitman’ Hatton, 41-0 with 30 knockouts, of Manchester, England, will challenge International Boxing Federation jr. welterweight world champion Juan “Iron Twin’ Urango, 17-0-1 with 13 knockouts, of Monteria, Colombia.

Ricky has been the biggest draw at the gate in Great Britain for several years, and has beaten defending world champions in his last three fights. He defeated IBF jr. welterweight world Kostya Tszyu and World Boxing Association super lightweight world champion Carlos Maussa in 2005, and was the consensus “2005 Fighter of the Year.” In his most recent fight in May, 2006, Ricky won the WBA welterweight world title with a victory against defending champion Luis Collazo. Ricky has now vacated the welterweight title to move back to the jr. welterweight division.

Ricky said, “People ask me what motivates me, and topping the bill in Vegas is one of the things that keeps me going. I grew up in the era of Leonard, Hearns and Hagler, and seeing them fight in Vegas got me into boxing. The fact I am fighting in the same city, and topping the bill in a world title fight with my name up in lights on the Las Vegas strip is the stuff that dreams are made of. I am living the dream, and I don’t want it to stop.”

Urango is a four-year pro. A hard-hitting lefthander with an aggressive, exciting style, he won the vacant IBF jr. welterweight world title in his last fight in June, 2006.

The co-featured fight, also scheduled for 12 rounds, will match World Boxing Council No. 1 ranked Jose Luis Castillo, 54-7-1, with 47 knockouts, of Mexicali , B.C., Mexico , against No. 2 ranked Hermann Ngoudjo, 15-0 with 9 knockouts, of Montreal , Que. , Canada . This fight is a final eliminator to determine the WBC’s No. 1 ranked mandatory challenger at 140 pounds.

Castillo is a former two-time World Boxing Council lightweight world champion and had a sensational two-fight series with Diego Corrales in 2005. Both fights were tremendous battles – the first is considered one of the top 10 greatest fights of all time. Ngoudjo, a native of Cameroon , currently holds the North American Boxing Federation super lightweight title and has made four successful title defenses.

An exciting lineup of supporting bouts is planned to complete the event. All bouts are subject to change without notice.

FIGHT NIGHT: Saturday, January 20.
Doors open at 4:30 P.M., first fight at 5:00 P.M. PT.
HBO will begin its live telecast of the co-featured bout at approximately 7:00 P.M. PT,
(10:00 P.M. ET), with the main event to begin approximately 15 minutes after the conclusion of the co-feature.

Tickets go on sale Friday, December 15, at 10:00 A.M.
Ticket prices: $50, $100, $200, $300, $500, plus applicable fees.
Tickets are available at: Paris Las Vegas box office or by calling 877-374-7469, and can also be purchased at the Caesars Palace and Bally’s box office.
Tickets can be purchased online at TicketMaster.com or parislasvegas.com.