INDIO, CALIF. (Dec. 8, 2017): Argentine knockout artist and former interim WBC Super Lightweight Champion Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse will be the special VIP guest for the Dec. 14 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. The event will be headlined by the 10-round fight between current NABF and NABO Super Bantamweight Champion Diego De La Hoya (20-0, 9 KOs) and tough challenger José “Sugar” Salgado (35-4-2, 28 KOs).
ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will air the fights beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, and the ESPN3 transmission will begin at 8:50 p.m. ET/5:50 p.m. PT. Doors to the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center open at 4:30 p.m. PT.
Matthysse, the 35-year-old power puncher who is one of the best 140-pounders of this era, has defeated some of the very best of that division, including former two-division world champion Lamont “Havoc” Peterson, former WBO Junior Welterweight Champion Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov and former three-division titlist Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto. The native of Chubut, Argentina recently entered welterweight division when he stopped Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor in the fifth round of a bout that was part of the televised undercard of Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr.
Though he is busily preparing to clash against Thai superstar Tewa Kiram in a 12-round battle for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship on Jan. 27, Matthysse will be in attendance for this event to meet fans, sign autographs and take pictures inside the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center before the ESPN transmission begins. The meet-and-greet is open to the public with the purchase of a ticket to the event.
Tickets for the event start at $25 and will be available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
In the night’s co-main event, Carlos “The Solution” Morales (16-2-3, 6 KOs) will face Kosovo’s Dardan Zenunaj (14-3, 11 KOs) in a ten-round clash for the NABF Super Featherweight Championship that Morales lost to current WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Alberto “Explosivo” Machado earlier this year. In the night’s swing bout, 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist Marlen Esparza (3-0) of Houston, Texas will take on Mexico’s Karla Valenzuela (3-16-3, 1 KO) in a six-round super flyweight battle.
Joet Gonzalez (17-0, 9 KOs) will take on Isao Carranza (15-10-1, 8 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico over a scheduled 10 rounds of 126-pound action. Ferdinand Kerobyan (6-0, 3 KOs) will fight Tavorus Teague (4-18-2, 3 KOs) in a schedule four-round clash in the welterweight division. Southern California favorite
San Antonio’s Joshua “The Professor” Franco (12-0, 6 KOs) will participate in a scheduled eight rounds of super flyweight fury against Los Angeles’ Carlos Maldonado (9-1, 7 KOs). Jonathan “Thunder” Navarro (11-0, 6 KOs) will fight Nicaragua’s Nelson Lara (17-8-5, 9 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight fight.
To close off this exciting boxing evening, two fights will take place after the main event. Mexican Olympian Raul “El Cugar” Curiel (1-0) will take on Mexico City’s rugged Israel Villela (6-7, 2 KOs) in a welterweight bout scheduled for six-rounds, and Ryan Caballero (3-0, 1 KO), the younger brother of Coachella, California’s Randy “El Matador” Caballero, will open the boxing evening at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in a six-round welterweight fight against Franco Gutierrez (1-0) of Sonora, Mexico.
De La Hoya vs. Salgado is a 10-round super bantamweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Don Chargin & Paco Presents Boxing.The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy, “Never Stop, Never Settle.” The fights will take place live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Doors open and the first fight begins at 4:30 p.m. PT. ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will transmit the fights beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, and the ESPN3 transmission will begin at 8:50 p.m. ET/5:50 p.m. PT.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and http://www.espn.com/boxing/; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @ESPN, and @ESPNBoxeo; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @OscarDeLaHoya. Follow the conversation using #GBPonESPN.
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