CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (September 18, 2013) — The Lone Star State will play host to an exciting tripleheader featuring two world championship fights and a grudge rematch between former world champions that’s been building for over six years. Two-time World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior lightweight champion ROMAN “Rocky” MARTINEZ will defend his title against undefeated former WBO featherweight champion MIKEY GARCIA; 2012 Fighter of the Year NONITO “Filipino Flash” DONAIRE and former two-division world champion VIC “Raging Bull” DARCHINYAN will be looking to settle each other’s hash in a 10-round featherweight rumble and undefeated No. 1 and No. 2 contenders and one-time U.S. Olympians VANES “The Nightmare” MARTIROSYAN and DEMETRIUS “Boo Boo” ANDRADE will battle it out for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title This boxing extravaganza will take place Saturday, November 9, at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX. All three fights will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Foreman Boys Promotions, PR Best Boxing, Arthur Pelullo’s Banner Promotions, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Tecate, tickets to the Martinez vs. Garcia world championship event will go on sale This Friday! September 20, at 10:00 a.m. CT. Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $60, $40 and $25, plus applicable charges, can be purchased at the American Bank Center Box Office (Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm), all Ticketmaster Outlets (HEB Stores), ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

“This fight is a great opportunity to clear any doubts about my value as a world champion, “Martinez said to Primera Hora. “A win over Garcia will prove that I am a real champion and it will take me to the next level.”

“I’m fighting a defending champion. It won’t be easy but I think I have all the tools to beat Rocky,” said Garcia. “I want to be champion again and Rocky is in my way. I will become champion again.”

“This is a very important fight for me,” said Darchinyan. “It gives me the opportunity to face and defeat an opponent who beat me in the past. This win will be sweet revenge for me.”

“I am ready to go,” said Martirosyan. “The last fight postponement might be a blessing in disguise because it is just making me hungrier and hungrier every day. I just can’t wait to get into the ring and prove how badly I want this. I have been training very hard and have a great game plan with Freddie Roach. A lot of one-on-one with Freddie, combined with great sparring and training along with the likes of Miguel Cotto and George St. Pierre. That has been very inspirational and motivating. Andrade is a great fighter. I hope he is ready to go to war. We are on HBO and I plan on stealing the spotlight that night with a very exciting and entertaining win for the fans.”

“I am looking forward to this fight and have been waiting for this fight ever since I walked into the gym at age 7”, said Andrade. “I always wanted to be champion of the world and on November 9th I will be crowned champion. I wanted to win an Olympic gold medal and since they took that from me, I am going to take this world title. I was a 2008 Olympian and he made it in 2004. It’s great that the fans will get to see two Olympians battle on HBO. I know I will bring home the title.”

“We are proud to present to the fans of Corpus Christi a fistic feats involving some of the greatest boxers in the world,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “There are at least five fights on this card which could be the main event in any arena. This will be the most exciting night ever for boxing fans in Corpus Christi.”

“In all three fights, fans expect big statements to be made in the ring,” said Peter Nelson, director of programming, HBO Sports. “The night presents a fistic hat-trick of exciting match-ups in which the momentum can shift at any time.”

Martinez (27-1-2, 16 KOs), of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, captured his first world title in 2009, knocking out defending champion Nicky Cook in the fourth round of a bout held in Cook’s backyard, Manchester, England. Rocky successfully defended the belt twice — both by knockout — during his 18-month reign before losing it to Ricky Burns in Scotland in a hotly-contested battle that saw the close decision go to Burns. He bagen his second and current world championship tenure last year, winning the vacant WBO junior lightweight crown with a majority decision over Miguel Beltran, Jr. a toe-to-toe brawl that had the crowd on its feet from the opening bell. He has successfully defended his title twice since regaining it, a Draw against Juan Carlos Burgos and a split decision over Diego Magdaleno, last January and April, respectively.

Garcia (32-0, 27 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., a 2010 graduate of California’s Ventura County Police and Sheriff’s Reserve Officer Academy, returns to the ring having won 15 of his past 17 bouts by knockout and has not gone the distance in over three years. He captured the WBO featherweight title in January, dethroning two-time featherweight champion Orlando Salido at Madison Square Garden via an eight-round technical win that had Garcia winning virtually every round against the seasoned veteran. He was forced to vacate the title in his first defense, for not being able to make the 126-pound weight limit. Though drained, he was still able to rise to the occasion and knock out former two-division world champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez in the fourth round last June. Garcia, 25, had a career-best year in 2012, knocking out one-time world title challenger Bernabe Concepcion and former world champion Mauricio Pastrana, in the seventh and second rounds, respectively. He ended his 2012 campaign by knocking out former World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champion Jonathan Barros in the eighth round last November. Garcia is trained by his father Eduardo Garcia and co-managed and trained by his brother, 2012 Trainer of the Year Robert Garcia, the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight champion.

Donaire (31-2, 20 KOs), a native of General Santos City, Philippines, now living in Las Vegas, Nev., has been a consensus top-10 pound-for-pound fighter for several years. His 12-year, 30-bout winning streak came to an end in his last fight, losing a decision to undefeated Cuban sensation and WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rogondeaux in a title unification bout last April. Trained by 2012 Trainer of the Year and former world champion Robert Garcia, Donaire is himself the reigning Fighter of the Year. 2012 was a career year for Donaire, winning four world title fights — all televised live on HBO. Highlights included capturing the vacant WBO junior featherweight title in February, winning a gritty split-decision battle over former world champion Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. He unified the title later that summer, via a dominant unanimous decision victory over defending IBF champion Jeffrey Mathebula. Donaire followed that victory with another legacy-making knockout — a ninth-round stoppage of WBC Diamond Belt super bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka in October, ending Nishioka’s eight-year, 16-bout winning streak. Donaire capped the year in December, blasting out Méxican icon Jorge Arce via a third-round knockout. Career highlights for Donaire also include knockout victories of defending IBF / International Boxing Organization (IBO) flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan, in the fifth round, the first loss of Darchinyan’s professional career, former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko, in the fourth round, and defending WBC / WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel in the second round, ending Montiel’s 25-bout winning streak while also claiming his third world title in as many weight divisions. That victory was named the 2011 Knockout of the Year.

Darchinyan (39-5-1, 28 KOs), a native of Armenia whose home base has been Sydney, Australia, is one of the lower division’s most exciting fighters. A member of Armenia’s 2000 Olympic boxing team, he won his first world title in his 22nd professional bout, knocking out undefeated International IBF flyweight champion Irene Pacheco in the 11th round of their 2004 battle, ending Pacheco’s five-year reign. During his own three-year tenure as world champion, Darchinyan successfully defended his title six times – all by stoppage – against the division’s top contenders. After losing the title and his undefeated record to Donaire, in 2007, Darchinyan moved up in weight and claimed the IBF junior bantamweight crown, knocking out defending champion Dimitri Kirilov in the fifth round. He unified the 115 pound world titles in his next fight, knocking out WBC / WBA super flyweight champion Cristian Mijares in the ninth round. The first person to unify three of the titles in that weight division He successfully defended his titles three times during his two-year reign as unified super flyweight champion, including an 11th-round stoppage of Méxican icon Jorge Arce. Darchinyan vacated his titles in mid-2010 to campaign as a bantamweight, defeating former IBF bantamweight champion Yonnhy Perez, Evans Mbamba and Eric Barcelona, while losing competitive decisions to world champions Abner Mares, Joseph Agbeko and Shinsuke Yamanaka. Last September, Darchinyan made his debut as a super bantamweight, winning the NABF title by shellacking previously undefeated prospect Luis Del Valle. Darchinyan returns to the ring fresh from a fourth-round knocked out of Francisco Gallo in May. Darchinyan is currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBO and the WBC, No. 4 by the WBA and No. 5 by the IBF.

Martirosyan (33-0-1, 21 KOs), a native of Armenia who fights out of Glendale, Calif., is one of the super welterweight division’s most promising contenders. A member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team, Martirosyan’s amateur resume boasts victories over future world champions Timothy Bradley, Jr., Austin Trout and Andre Berto. Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, Martirosyan captured his first title in 2009, knocking out defending NABA/NABO champion Willie Lee. He successfully defended the title in his next fight, in 2010, a 10-round unanimous decision victory over former IBF junior middleweight champion Kassim Ouma. He added the NABF title to his trophy case with another 10-round unanimous decision later that same year, at Yankee Stadium, this time over previously undefeated Joe Greene, and captured the World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver super welterweight title in 2011, via a seventh-round TKO of Saul Roman. Currently world-rated No. 1 by the WBO, Martirosyan returns to the ring fresh from knocking out Ryan Davis, his seventh knockout victim in his last 11 fights.

Andrade (19-0, 13 KO), of Providence, RI, has been a mainstay on television since making his professional debut following his stint on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. Co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Star Boxing, Andrade’s aggressive style has attracted and created fans on both coasts of the U.S. One doesn’t have to look any further than his recent record where Andrade has stopped five of his last seven opponents. In his last fight, Andrade pasted one-time world title challenger Freddy Hernandez for 10 rounds, winning every round on all three judges’ card en route to a unanimous decision victory. Andrade is currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBO.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com and www.hbo.com/boxing, Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/hboboxing, and facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing.

Chinese Olympic hero Zou Shiming made a successful pro debut with a four round unanimous decision over Eleazar Valenzuela at the Venetian Hotel in Macau, China.

The two time Olympic gold medal winner had fun in the ring as he jumped in and out and landed some solid shits. He smiled for most of the bout as he won in an entertaining fashion which thrilled the more than 10,000 fans in attendance to view the historical contest. Shiming had his best flurry in round three where he landed a couple of combinations that moved the 18 year old Valenzuela back.

Shiming made a reported $300,000 for the debut fight and he won via shutout fashion by 40-36 scores on all cards.

Valenzuela is now 2-2-1.

Juan Francisco Estrada scored a twelve round split decision over Brian Viloria to wrestle the WBA and WBO Flyweight titles.

Viloria boxed great early as he mixed up his punches and countered beautifully and seemed like he was heading to another title defense. Despite taking some solid combinations, Estrada continued to stalk and pressure Viloria and that strategy took effect in the late rounds as his punches started to move and cut up Viloria. Estrada rocked Viloria in round eleven and had him in serious trouble on a couple of occasions in round twelve but despite that Viloria showed a champions heart by fighting to the final bell. Those flurries were the difference as he won by scores of 115-113 for Viloria, 116-111 Estrada and 117-111 for Estrada

Estrada, 112, lbs of Sinora, MX is now 23-2. Viloria, 111 1/4 lbs of Hawaii is now 32-4.

Roman Martinez retained the WBO Super Featherweight title with a twelve round split decision over Diego Magdaleno.

It was a good fight with some decent action. Magdaleno boxed well over the first three rounds as he moved with some slickness from his southpaw stance. In round four, Martinez landed a perfect right hand that sent Magdaleno to the canvas. That got Martinez into the fight as he started to be effective with the right hand and take control of the rounds. Magdaleno fought well and landed some good body shots but it was Martinez effective punches down the stretch that even opened a cut over the left eye of Magdaleno. The two battled hard in an exciting twelfth round but it was Martinez who had built up an advantage on two of the three judges scorecards.

Martinez, 130 lbs of Vega Baja, PR won by scores of 115-112 and 114-113 while Magdaleno took a card at 116-111.

Martinez is now 27-1-2. Magdaeleno, 130 lbs of Las Vegas is 23-1.

In a ten round war, Yasutaka Ishimoto scored a ten round majority decision upset over former WBO Super Featherweight champion Wilfredo Vasquez Jr.

The fight was a back and forth brawl with Vasquez getting cut and eventually knocked down from a straight hand in round eight. Vasquez gave as good as he received but the knockdown proved to be the difference as one card read even at 95-95 while Ishimoto took two cards by scores of 96-93 and 95-94.

Ishimoto, 121.8 lbs of Tokyo, JAP is now 22-6. Vasquez Jr. 122 lbs of Bayamon, PR is now 22-3-1.

Dodie Boy Penalosa scored a third round stoppage over Nimithra Sithsaithong in a scheduled six round Featherweight bout

Penalosa scored knockdowns in rounds one and two from sweeping left hands. Penalosa ended things in round three when after a furious exchange, Penalosa landed a perfect right to the body that sent Sithsaithong down for third and final time and the was stopped at 2:54 of round three.

Penalosa, 123.4 lbs of Cebu, Philippines is now 11-0 with 11 knockouts. Sithsaithong, 122,4 lbs of Bangkok, Thailand is now 4-5

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Zou Shiming 111 – Eleazar Valenzuela 111.6
Brian Viloria 111.2 – Juan Francisco Estrada 112
Roman Martinez 130 – Diego Magdaleno 130
Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. 122 – Yasutaka Ishimoto 121.8
Paul Fleming 129.4 – Ryeusei Yoshida 129.2

TODAY’S QUOTABLES

BRIAN VILORIA:

“Things came easy for me early in my career which is why I lost my titles. I’ve learned from those experiences. I know at this stage of my career I have to put my full capacity into my training. When your opponent brings his ‘A Game’ you’d better be ready. I have also developed an appreciation of my current reign as world champion that I did not have before. I enjoy being the best in my division.

“I don’t see this as an easy fight. Estrada has the ability to be a champion. He’s very good. My edge over him in this fight will be my experience and the patience that comes from it.

“I never thought I’d be the last of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team still fighting but now that I am I think it’s very cool. I’m representing my teammates – my Olympic homies.

“Zou is quick-handed and has great foot movement. He does not have that pop yet. Freddie [Roach] is teaching him to sit on is punches. He’s got a good chin. He can take a punch.”

JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA

“I can go toe-to-toe with Viloria. It’s an easier style for me to fight against. My youth could be an advantage. I’ll be fresher. I’ll have to box more to avoid Viloria’s explosiveness. Juan Manuel Márquez’s victory over Manny Pacquiao has inspired me and all of México. It made me so happy.”

DIEGO MAGDALENO:

“Martinez only has an ‘A Plan.’ He looks to land that big right hand. He loads up and presses it. I will win and make this fight easy by outboxing him and outthinking him. I have scouted him in-person, attending his fights and watching loads of tape. My style has matured. Las Vegas needs someone like me to represent the city.”

ELEAZAR VALENZUELA:

“I never heard of Zou Shiming before taking this fight against him. I only had nine amateur fights. The biggest purse I’ve fought for so far is $400. I’m here to win. The crowd makes no difference to me. I’m not fighting the crowd. I’m fighting Zou. Will he be shocked when he is hit by a professional fighter for the first time? He’ll be shocked when he’s hit by this professional fighter.”

*******************************************

Shiming, who trained with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif., will make his pro debut against Eleazar Valenzuela (2-1-2, 1 KO), of Gusave, Sinaloa, México, in a four-round flyweight bout . One of the most popular Olympic athletes in the People’s Republic of China, Shiming is the world’s greatest amateur light flyweight, capturing gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games. In the 2005, 2007, and 2011 World Amateur Championships, Shiming also brought home gold medals, making him his nation’s first boxing gold medalist in the World Amateur Championships and the Olympics. He became his nation’s first Olympic medalist in boxing when he earned bronze in 2004. Known for his extraordinary speed and superb footwork, thanks to years of martial-arts training, many of Shiming’s opponents complain that they cannot keep up with him, much less see his punches coming. He has stated that his heroes are Muhammad Ali and Jackie Chan.

Martinez (26-1-2, 16 KOs), from Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, captured his first world title in 2009, knocking out defending champion Nicky Cook out in the fourth round in front of Cook’s countrymen in Manchester, England. Martinez successfully defended the title twice — both by knockout — during his one-year reign before losing it via a 12-round decision to Ricky Burns. He regained the title last September, winning a gritty split decision over top-rated contender Miguel Beltran, Jr. Martinez retained his title on January 19, surviving a challenge from Juan Burgos, which was judged Draw.

Magdaleno (23-0, 9 KOs), of Las Vegas, Nev., enters this fight having won six of his last eight fights by way of knockout. He captured the vacant NABF super featherweight title in 2011 by knocking out Marcos Leonardo in the fifth round and successfully defended that title five times during his title reign, which lasted through 2012, against top contenders who had a combined record of 137-31-5 when he fought them, en route to his No. 1 contender position.

Viloria (32-3, 19 KOs), a native Filipino who hails from of Waipahu, HI, is a two-division, three time world champion. The former U.S. Olympian captured his first world title, the World Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight crown, in 2005, knocking out defending champion Eric Ortiz in the first round. He held the title for nearly one year before losing it Omar Nino. He earned his second world title in 2009, knocking out International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior flyweight champion Ulises Solis in the 11th round. After losing that title to Carlos Tamara the following year Viloria moved up to the flyweight division. He captured the WBO world title in 2011, upending defending champion Julio Miranda via a unanimous decision. After two successful defenses of his crown — both by knockout — Viloria unified the flyweight titles last November 17, knocking out WBA champion Hernan Marquez in the 10th round. Viloria enters this fight riding a three-year winning streak.

Estrada (22-2, 17 KOs), of Hermosillo, México, returns to the ring for his second straight world title shot. A natural flyweight, Estrada dropped down to challenge undefeated WBA light flyweight champion Roman Gonzalez last November 17, losing a unanimous decision. Now back at his natural fighting shape, Estrada will be looking to bring the flyweight world championship belts back to México.

LOCAL MACAU INFORMATION

Presented by Top Rank and Sands China Ltd., remaining tickets to ZOU SHIMING “Fists of Gold” are on sale at all Sands China box offices*.

ZOU SHIMING “Fists of Gold” kicks off at 7 pm on April 6 at the CotaiArena. Tickets are on sale now at all Sands China box offices and can be booked online at www.CotaiTicketing.com, or by phone at +853 2882 8818 (Macao) / +852 6333 6660 (HK) / +86 4001 206 618 (mainland China). Tickets are also available at Tom Lee Outlets and through Hong Kong Ticketing (customer service fee applies) at www.HKTicketing.com, or by phone at +852 3128 8288. Tickets are available in six categories: HKD/MOP 2,680 (Silver), 1,080 (A Reserve), 780 (B Reserve), 480 (C Reserve), 280 (D Reserve) and 80 (E Reserve). Packages with round trip Cotai Water Jet ferry tickets between Hong Kong and Macao are also available for HKD/MOP 2,768 (Silver), 1,168 (A Reserve), 868 (B Reserve), 568 (C Reserve) and 368 (D Reserve). For more information about the event, visit www.CotaiTicketing.com.

Entertainment at Sands China Ltd. Properties

Sands China Ltd. has as a clear vision to establish Macao as Asia’s top entertainment destination.

The 15,000-seat CotaiArena™ is the only venue in Asia ranked in Pollstar’s Top 100 Worldwide Arena Venues based on ticket sales. It is the top entertainment destination in southern China, hosting the world’s and the region’s biggest names in music, sports and awards shows. Superstars frequently choose the venue as the starting point of their Asian tours.

The 1800-seat, multi-purpose Venetian Theatre is one of the most luxurious entertainment venues in greater China. Featuring ushers in black-tie, champagne service, gourmet food and beverage items and other unique, premium amenities, it offers an intimate, luxurious and exclusive venue experience. The Venetian Theatre is playing a key role in bringing the best in international and Chinese entertainment to Macao, with a luxury theatre experience like no other in the region.

The 650-seat Sands Macao Hotel theatre regularly features internationally-renowned singers, performers and artists of the highest calibre. From traditional Chinese-costumed dancers to modern performances, and from singing troupes to contemporary bands, everything from Western rock to Cantonese pop is covered.

With an unbeatable diversity, the entertainment offering of Sands China Ltd. is ushering in a new era of entertainment in Macao.

NEW YORK (JANUARY 21, 2013)—On the heels of Saturday night’s controversial WBO Super Featherweight title bout that saw defending champion Roman Martinez receive a gift draw against Juan Carlos Burgos, Burgos promoters Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing are filing a request to the WBO for an immediate rematch.

The bout saw Burgos batter and get the better of Martinez for the duration of the twelve round fight yet only judge Waleska Roldan had the fight scored in favor of Burgos by a tally of 117-111. Somehow judges Tony Paolillo saw the fight for Martinez 116-112 and John Signorile had the fight even at 114-114.

Even before the scores were announced, the HBO broadcast team called into question about the judges as they had 9 combined title assignments with Signorile working his first title bout ever.

HBO Boxing Analyst Max Kellerman went as far to say to “Keep your eye on Paolillo” before the scores were even announced. Kellerman later said he “should not get an assignment on this level…”

The official punch stats showed a 286-193 advantage for Burgos with a 234-164 tally on power punches

HBO also ran a poll where fans sent in their thoughts on who won the fight and an overwhelming 84% of those who participated believed that Burgos should have been awarded the victory and title.

“Juan Carlos won that fight hands down and this week we will file for an immediate rematch”, said Arthur Pelullo, CEO of Banner Promotions.

Continued Pelullo, “The kid worked hard and should be a world champion this morning. We just hope the WBO agrees with what the whole world saw and does the right thing by granting us this rematch”.

Added Alex Camponovo, General Manager of Thompson Boxing, “The draw left Juan Carlos Burgos completely dejected and angry. We all felt the same way as his dream of becoming a champion turned into a New York nightmare. We hope the WBO does not punish a young man who has given everything to his craft since the age of 10 and joined the pros when he was 16 years old. An immediate rematch should be the only solution to a poor ending and I think Martinez’s people and the champion himself know deep down that he did not do enough to retain the belt.”

Below is a sampling of respected boxing media opinions on the fight:

– Mike Rosenthal of Ring Magazine: “This is what bothers me: Juan Carlos Burgos dreams his entire life of winning a major world championship, which so far had eluded him, and then earns that title by dominating the current champion in the ring. Then a bungling judge steals what should’ve been the greatest night of his career. That’s what happened on Saturday, when Burgos clearly outboxed WBO lightweight titleholder Rocky Martinez but had to settle for a draw because of a horrible split decision. The rogue judge was Tony Paolillo, who somehow scored the fight 116-112 (eight rounds to four) for Martinez. The 114-114 score of John Signorile also is baffling. The biggest punches of the fight were the dozens of punishing body shots landed by Burgos. And, according to punch stats, Burgos landed 93 more overall punches and 70 more power punches than Martinez (286-193 and 234-164). That Paolillo and Signorile somehow failed to see that left Burgos (30-1-1, 20 KOs) on the wrong end of yet another injustice in boxing. Shame.”

– Dan Rafäel of espn.com: 116-112 Burgos. “The 24-year-old Burgos (30-1-1, 20 KOs), however, seemed to carry the better of it. He used a hard, sustained body attack throughout the fight. Of the 234 power shots Burgos landed, 118 were to the body, according to CompuBox statistics. Burgos outlanded Martinez (26-1-2, 16 KOs) in 10 of the 12 rounds”

– Harold Lederman-HBO Judge: 117-111 Burgos. On the broadcast, Lederman was quoted as saying, “Burgos carried this fight. I don’t know how you miss it”

– Doug Fischer of Ring Magazine: I scored 115-113 for Burgos.

-Steve Kim of Maxboxing.com: 116-112 Burgos

-Lem Satterfield of Ring Magazine: 115-113 for Burgos

– Kevin Iole of yahoo.com 115-113 for Burgos

With this much discord, the boxing world deserves redemption for this injustice. Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing eagerly await a response from the World Boxing Organization.

Orlando Salido 126 – Mikey Garcia 125.5
Roman Martinez 129.5 – Juan Carlos Burgos 129

TIJUANA, MEXICO (January 10, 2013)—WBO number-one ranked Jr. Lightweight Juan Carlos “Mini” Burgos (30-1, 20 KO’s) is finishing up a hard training camp preparing for his WBO world title bout on January 19th against Roman “Rocky” Martinez (26-1-1, 16 KO’s) at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City that will be part of a championship tripleheader televised Live on HBO.

Burgos has what he has termed the best training camp of his life as he prepares for his second opportunity for a world championship title.

Burgos believes that his past experience of competing for a title will serve him well.

Back on November 26, 2010, Burgos dropped a hotly contested decision to Hozumi Hasegawa in Japan in his lone attempt at a world title.

“I don’t want to let this opportunity get away from me. I have been in this position before when I faced Hasegawa and I know I could’ve done much better that night. I could have been a life changing victory for me but I let that one get away. Not this time,” said Burgos

Continued Burgos, “I have grown mentally and physically and I am prepared for a fight like this and I know it will be exciting.”

Since that setback, Burgos has wins over two undefeated fighters in Luis Cruz (19-0) and Cesar Vazquez (25-0) as well as former world champion Cristobal Cruz.

“I have to show the whole world what I am capable of, Martinez is the champ so I have to get that belt away from him, it won’t be easy but I know I can do it.”

Burgos wants to win this title in exciting fashion in front of a huge audience on HBO and the knowledgeable boxing crowd inside a sold out Madison Square Garden.

“Not only do I want to get the victory and be a champion but I want to please the crowd and make sure that the fans get their monies worth.”

This fight will be an emotional fight for Burgos as he is dedicating the bout to his uncle and former Light Flyweight champion Victor “El Acorazado” Burgos who won his world title, almost ten years to the day (February 15, 2003), with a scintillating 12th round stoppage over Puerto Rican Alex Sanchez.

Victor Burgos was nearly fatally injured on his final bout against Vic Darchinyan in 2007; he has had a miraculous recovery and currently works for Tijuana’s City Hall.

Juan Carlos and Victor had a chance to chat over the holidays as the former champion shared his experience and motivated the young challenger.

“It was inspiring for me to hear my uncle tell me the story of his first world title victory and how it was nearly 10 years to the date of my fight. He battled it out against Puerto Rican Alex “Nene” Sanchez back in 2003. He finally got that belt after many fights in which he was not that lucky. Now I just want to keep the tradition and make my family proud.”

The LIVE HBO tripleheader fistic action that is set to take place on January 19th will air 9:45 (ET/PT).

TIJUANA, MEXICO (SEPTEMBER 27, 2012)— Juan Carlos Burgos is ready for his mandated challenge against newly crowned WBO Jr. Lightweight champion Roman “Rocky” Martinez.

Burgos of Tijuana, Mexico is promoted by Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions.

Burgos, 30-1 with twenty knockouts is now ranked number-one by the WBO and has been informed that Martinez must defend against him next.

Since his one blemish which came in his only world title opportunity against Hozumi Hasegawa, Burgos has won five in a row against top competition such as contenders Frankie Archueta, Gilberto Sanchez Leon; undefeated upstarts in Luis Cruz and Cesar Vazquez as well as former world champion Cristobal Cruz.

“I am ready for Rocky Martinez, he showed his ability on his fight against Beltran Jr., and was the deserving of the title, but I’m ready to challenge him for it,” said Burgos from his native Tijuana, Mexico.

“I want to thank the WBO for giving me this opportunity which I had a chance for before,” reminisced Burgos who fought and lost a title bout against Hozumi Hasegawa in Nagoya, Japan. “I won’t let this one get away from me, I want to fulfill my destiny with the WBO belt around my waist, I just need to know the date so I can prepare to go to war with Martinez”

“Juan Carlos is a young warrior that has been waiting for his shot at the title. We are confident he will make the best of it but it will not be an easy task against a good fighter like Rocky Martinez. It should be a great fight for the fans and we are proud to have gotten Burgos back where he belongs”, Said Alex Camponovo General Manager and Matchmaker of Thompson Boxing

“Juan Carlos has shown that he is more than ready for this opportunity”, said Artie Pelullo CEO of Banner Promotions

“He has defeated the best at 130 pounds and we are very confident that he will defeat Martinez in what should be a fabulous fight. This will be another classic fight between Puerto Rican and Mexican fighters”

Martinez, 26-1-1 with sixteen knockouts won the title with a twelve round split decision victory over Miguel Beltran Jr. on September 15th on the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. – Sergio Martinez Pay Per View card.

LAS VEGAS – And in an instant, Martinez-Chavez went from Pacquiao-De La Hoya to Chavez-Taylor.

Not since Manny Pacquiao retired Oscar De La Hoya had a small southpaw looked so profoundly dominant against a larger titlist as Sergio Martinez looked against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for 11 rounds. And not since Chavez Sr. came back to stop Meldrick Taylor in the final seconds of a fight he was losing lopsidedly had such a profound change of fortunes been brought to a world champion the way Chavez brought it to Martinez in the 12th.

Saturday night, in a match at Thomas & Mack Arena that disappointed all expectations of suspense for 33 minutes before becoming an unforgettable thing in its final three, Argentine middleweight champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KOs) rose from the canvas in the final round to survive and decision Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1-1, 32 KOs) by unanimous scores of 117-110, 118-109 and 118-109. The 15rounds.com ringside scorecard concurred, marking 117-110 for Martinez – while marking the final round 10-7 for Chavez.

“We are two professionals,” Martinez said afterwards. “And we comported ourselves as professionals.”

The fight began the way all prognosticators believed it would. Martinez’s class was too much for Chavez in the first round and each of its successors. What little sense of geometry Chavez showed in the opening round, extending Martinez’s circles to the perimeter somewhat, was gone by the third.

“I began slowly,” Chavez said in the ring after the judges’ cards were read. “But I will not do that in the rematch.”

In fact, not till the sixth round did Chavez land anything consequential. Though Chavez was the much larger man, Martinez was the far more balletic, polished, athletic and accurate, hitting Chavez with nifty left uppercut leads and other inventive combinations. Chavez, sporting a knee brace and suffering abrasions and swelling round both eyes, was not dissuaded, however.

“This confirms me in boxing,” said Martinez, to an outnumbered but surprisingly vocal Argentinean group of fans. “Long live Argentina!”

More fatigued than he knew as the bell for the 12th rang, Martinez walked into a short Chavez left hook that wobbled and shocked him in the final two minutes. Martinez’s eyes bulged and he collapsed in the ropes. A pair of rights and lefts from Chavez then tossed him limply to the canvas. But Martinez rose, ran, held, slipped, and ultimately punched his way to the final bell, as suddenly enchanted Mexican fans rabidly urged their man on.

“Of course,” Martinez said when asked if he would grant Chavez a rematch.

“Long live Mexico!” cried Chavez at the end of his postfight interview.

ROMAN MARTINEZ VS. MIGUEL BELTRAN JR.
In an attempt at prophecy, or at least wishful thinking, Saturday’s excellent Top Rank co-main event featured a hard-pressing Mexican slugger named “Junior” against a foreigner named Martinez. Unfortunately for the emotional Mexican crowd, the Mexican did not prevail.

Fighting for a vacant WBO super featherweight title, Puerto Rican Roman Martinez (26-1-1, 16 KOs) sneaked past Mexican Miguel Beltran Jr. (27-2-0-1, 17 KOs), besting him by split-decision scores of 116-111, 113-114 and 113-114. The fight would have been a majority draw, were it not for a penalty assessed to Beltran in the championship rounds.

Each round of Martinez-Beltran featured punches both well leveraged and well landed by both fighters, but in each of the opening six rounds, regardless of what Martinez did, Beltran appeared to do a little more. In the sixth, Beltran landed the match’s most-devastating punch, a right cross that snapped Martinez’s head back between his own shoulder blades.

The seventh round, though, saw Martinez begin to establish a more effective attack, catching Beltran on the way in, with oddly placed punches. But by the middle of the eighth, Beltran again appeared the stronger man. By the end of the 10th, Martinez, game as he was, did not appear to want much more.

The 11th brought a point deduction to Beltran’s tally from overly officious Nevada referee Russell Mora, though, tightening ringside scorecards somewhat. Martinez also flurried in the 12th, appearing to steal that stanza as well. Ultimately, the fight was a close one that might have gone either way and probably should have gone the way of a majority draw.

MATTHEW MACKLIN VS. JOACHIM ALCINE
Matthew Macklin makes his ring entrance to a hybrid song of “Mack the Knife” and “Rocky Road to Dublin,” in a two-part nod to his nickname and heritage. But Saturday, he didn’t have to take his opponent very far down a rocky road before knifing him.

In the penultimate match of the evening’s undercard, Macklin (29-4, 20 KOs) caught Canadian middleweight Joachim Alcine (33-3-1, 19 KOs) with a flush right cross in the opening moments of the fight then marched him down, dropped him a second time and brought the match to an exciting knockout conclusion at 2:36 of round 1.

Despite a record with four losses on it, Macklin again proved that he can rally a crowd and make an exciting, satisfying match whomever he is given for an opponent.

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX VS. ROBERTO MARROQUIN
After a 2010 showing in Cowboys Stadium that brought loud boos from those fans not yawning, Cuban super bantamweight Guillermo Rigondeaux needed two years of exciting knockouts to make fans forget how displeasing his defense-first style can be. Saturday in Thomas & Mack Arena, though, they were reminded once more.

Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KOs) successfully, and rather easily, defended his WBA super bantamweight title against tough if limited Texan Roberto Marroquin (22-2, 15 KOs) by unanimous scores of 118-108, 118-108 and 118-109. And if there is a prizefighter today who fights like Floyd Mayweather as well as Mayweather does, he is Rigondeaux, right down to the cautiousness.

Rigondeaux established a superiority of reflex over Marroquin – a superiority of reflex Rigondeaux enjoys over most every opponent he faces – and then put the match on a form of cruise control that did little to entice fans. Possessed of every punch and step in the boxing lexicon, Rigondeaux does not appear to enjoy physical matches with larger men, and he certainly did not look for one with Marroquin, who appeared a weight class or two larger than Rigondeaux on Saturday.

Twice in the match Marroquin managed to land a pulled left hook that temporarily destabilized the Cuban southpaw’s otherwise flawless footing, but from each of those faux scares, Rigondeaux quickly recovered and returned to mastering Marroquin technically if not combatively.

In round 10, bored by Rigondeaux-Marroquin, the crowd – partisan Mexican though with an Argentinean contingent – began to sing futbol songs at one another till the match was over, despite Rigondeaux’s scoring the match’s one knockdown in its final two minutes.

MIKE LEE VS. PAUL HARNESS
Mike Lee is undoubtedly the best light heavyweight on the Notre Dame campus, but he is decidedly not the best light heavyweight in the world. Further evidence of this came at the midway point of Saturday’s undercard when Lee (11-0, 6 KOs) whacked away at Kansas City opponent Paul Harness (4-4-1, 3 KOs) for four rounds and ultimately prevailed by unanmious scores of 40-36, 40-36 and 40-36.

Questions about Lee’s power – he landed at least four clean right hands in every round without once felling Harness – and his defense, though, remain, and grow, with every showing. Despite leading comfortably in the fourth round, Lee nevertheless was tagged by several knee-buckling shots by Harness.

UNDERCARD
Highly regarded super welterweight John Jackson brought his undefeated record in the Thomas & Mack Center ring for Saturday’s third bout, against Cleveland’s Willie Nelson, and Jackson’s ‘0’ left the ring before Jackson did. In a close fight that might have been scored either way, Nelson (19-1-1, 11
KOs) decisioned Nelson (13-1, 12 KOs) by unanimous scores of 96-94, 96-94 and 98-92.

Before that, in an eight-round super welterweight match, Mexican Michael Medina (26-3-2, 19 KOs) scored a lopsided decision victory over North Carolinian James Winchester (15-5, 5 KOs). All three judges had the match 80-70 for Medina.

The evening began with an eight-round, unanimous-decision victory for California welterweight Wale Omotoso (23-0, 19 KOs) over Puerto Rican Daniel Sostre (11-7-1, 4 KOs).

Opening bell rang on a sparsely populated Thomas & Mack Center at 3:17 PM local time.