According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the much rumored four man Bantamweight tournament will begin December 11 in Leon, Mexico and will feature first round fights between Vic Darchinyan taking on Abner Mares and a rematch between Yonnhy Perez and Joseph Agbeko.
Gary Shaw, who promotes Darchinyan and Perez, said the tournament, which has been in the works for a couple of months, was finalized during an afternoon conference call.
“It’s a very exciting night of fights for a great year-ending card on Showtime,” Shaw said. “Time to see who the real 118-pound champion will be.”
“I think it’s a great opportunity for these guys,” said Frank Espinoza, who manages Mares and Perez. “I think what Showtime is doing for the bantamweight division is great. You have four top boxers in the division. The winner of the tournament will be a superstar in the making. There’s a lot of good stuff in this tournament and I am looking forward to this.
“I know Abner and Yonnhy are also looking forward to the tournament. We are happy that everyone involved, Gary Shaw, [Mares promoter] Golden Boy, [Agbeko promoter] Don King and Ken Hershman from Showtime made this happen. We’re really excited.”
