Teofimo Lopez won the undisputed Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Vasiliy Lomachenko at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.

Lopez dominated the first seven rounds as he boxed well and kept Lomachenko from the outside. Lopez featured some solid body work and landed some quick combinations that forced Lomachenko to do next to nothing.

Lomachenko came alive in the middle to late rounds and landed some quick shots that edged him closer in the fight. Lopez bit down and had a big final frame that solidified the victory by scores of 119-109, 117-111 and 116–112/

Lopez landed 183 of 659 punches. Lomachenko was 141 of 329.

Lopez is now 16-0. Lomachenko is 14-2.

Said Lopez, “I had to dig deep, man. I’m thankful. I’m grateful. And each and every day, I take that in. I thank God first because I couldn’t do it without him.
 
“I’m a fighter. I gotta dig in deep. I knew he was coming. I didn’t know if they had him up on the scorecards or not, and I love to fight. I can bang, too. I don’t care, man. I’ll take one to give one. That’s what a true champion does. I find a way to win.
 
“You just gotta keep pressuring him, press the gas, stick the jab and don’t really give him that opportunity to set up. Every time he did want to throw, I had something ready for him.”

Barboza Decisions Saucedo

Arnold Barboza Jr. scored the biggest win of his career as he remained undefeated by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Alex Saucedo in a junior welterweight bout.

In round one, Saucedo began to bleed from the nose that was caused by a headbutt.

In round seven, Barboza slipped, but it was correctly ruled a knockdown when officials went to the instant replay.

That was the only blip for Barboza, as he won by scores of 97-92 twice and 96-93.

Barboza landed 218 of 941 punches. Saucedo was 183 of 691.

Barboza, 140 lbs of South El Monte, CA is 25-0. Saucedo, 140 lbs of Oklahoma City is 30-2.

Barboza said, “This was like a championship fight to me. It’s all because of my father {head trainer Arnold Barboza Sr.}, not me. I did this for kids and my father. My dream is to get a house for my kids. I came that much closer today.
 
“I want a championship fight. No more messing around. No more tune-up fights.”

Berlanga stops Bellows in 1st; Keeps KO streak alive

Edgar Berlanga made it 15-for-15 in opening round stoppage as he took out Lanell Bellows in their scheduled eight-round super middleweight bout.

Berlanga cut Bellows with a hard left hook. Bellows was hurt, and Berlanga smelled blood and landed some more heavy shots and the fight was stopped in 79 seconds.

Berlanga, 169 lbs of Brooklyn is 15-0 with all 15 knockouts in the 1st round. Bellows, 169 lbs of Las Vegas is 20-6-3.

Berlanga said, “I saw with the first shot that I cut him open and the look in his eyes, he didn’t want to be in there. From the beginning, once I got in the ring, I looked in his eyes… he didn’t want to be in there. So I had to get him out.”

Vargas Decisions Casteneda

Josue Vargas won a 10-round unanimous decision over Kendo Casteneda in a junior welterweight bout.

In round two, Vargas dropped Casteneda with a straight left. Later in round three, Castenda began to bleed from his nose.

In round six, Casteneda started bleeding from his mouth.

Vargas outlanded Casteneda 226-112

Vargas, 142 lbs of Bronx, NY won by scores 100-89, 99-90 and 98-91 to raise his mark to 18-1. Casteneda, 142 lbs of San Antonio, TX is 17-3.

Vargas said,“He was a tough customer, tougher than I thought he was going to be, but my father told me to stay composed, stay calm. I dropped him, but that doesn’t mean nothing, just stay relaxed because that’s how I got disqualified when I was 18 years old.
 
“I’m very close to fighting these guys, like Zepeda, Pedraza, any of these guys. You name it, I’ll get in there with them.”

Enrique Vivas stopped John Vincent Moralde in a scheduled eight-round featherweight bout.

In the opening seconds, Vivas dropped Moralde with a body shot. Vivas then landed a huge right that drove Moralde back to the ropes. Two hard body shots later sent Mralde down and the fight was stopped at 1:16.

Vivas, 128 lbs of Motebello, CA is 20-1 with 11 knockouts. Moralde, 127 lbs of the Philippines is 23-4.

Quinton Randall won a six-round unanimous decision over Jan Carlos Rivera in a fight featuring undefeated welterweights.

Randall, 147 lbs of Houston, TX won by scores of 59-55 and 58-56 twice and is now 7-0. Vivas, 146 lbs of Puerto Rico is 4-1.

In a battle of undefeated welterweights, 17 year-old Jahi Tucker won a four-round unanimous decision over Charles Garner.

In round two, Garner started bleeding from the nose.

Tucker, 145 lbs of Deer Park, NY won by scores of 40-36 on all cards, and is now 2-0. Garner, 142 lbs of Buffalo, NY is 1-1.

LAS VEGAS (October 13, 2020) —Fighters competing on Saturday’s undercard headlined by the lightweight unification bout featuring WBC Franchise/WBO/WBA champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and IBF kingpin Teofimo Lopez met the media Tuesday for a Zoom press conference. The MGM Grand Las Vegas Conference Center will play host to the closed-door event, and in the 10-round junior welterweight co-feature, former world title challenger Alex Saucedo will take on the unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr. 

In an eight-round super middleweight special feature, Edgar Berlanga (14-0, 14 first-round KOs) will fight the durable Lanell Bellows.The undercard also includes rising junior welterweight Josue Vargas against Kendo Castaneda and 17-year-old Top Rank-signed welterweight phenom Jahi Tucker (1-0, 1 KO).

The entire card will air LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes AND ESPN+ starting at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. The main card (Lomacheko-Lopez, Saucedo-Barboza and Berlanga-Bellows) will begin at 10 p.m ET on ESPN, ESPN Deportes AND ESPN+.

Note: Clay Collard tested positive for COVID-19, so his fight against Quincy LaVallais is off. LaVallais will now fight Quatavious Cash in an eight-round middleweight contest.

Here is what the fighters had to say four days away from the biggest fight card of the fall.

Alex Saucedo

“I feel like my last fight with {Sonny} Fredrickson, it was kind of like my first fight with my new team. We had the Rod Salka fight, but that was a one-round knockout. I don’t think that counts. This last fight with Fredrickson, we were able to see a lot of things that we needed to work on and actually know each other more as a team. It was a good performance, but we learned a lot from that fight that we brought into this camp.”

“I have to show myself and I have to show my fans what I’m really about. {The Hooker fight} brought a lot of things down and getting a big performance, a big win, this Saturday night will put me back up there.”

“Barboza is an undefeated guy. It’s going to be a tough fight, but I gotta go out there and get an impressive win for myself.” 

“I want to fight the champions, but hopefully {the Jose Ramirez fight} does happen if they unify or don’t unify. The fight between me and Ramirez will happen, and if it doesn’t happen now, it’s going to happen some time. We’re both young, we both wanna fight each other, so that fight’s gonna happen either after this fight, or later on, it’s gonna happen.”

Arnold Barboza Jr.

“Of course he’s my toughest opponent yet, but I’ve got everything I need to beat him. I feel like I’m finally gonna get respect in this division.”

“We took a week off {after the Tony Luis win}, and we got right back into it. The weight’s never an issue, but it was way easier. It was a great camp. Conditioning is perfect. I just can’t wait. After this fight, there’s bigger things to come, but I don’t really look in the future. I look at now because if I don’t take of Saucedo, then there are no bigger plans. I don’t care about bigger plans or what people say about bigger plans. I have to take care of business Saturday.”

“I feel like my style and his style will bring out the best in both of us. I feel like we both need each other in some sense. He’s trying to get back to where he was, and I’m trying to get where he was at when he fought for the belt.”

Edgar Berlanga

“I worked hard in the gym and that’s what every fighter should be doing. It’s just putting the hard work in the gym, so that way I know going into the fight, my mind is 100 percent prepared to go those rounds, which will eventually happen. I’ve just been working extremely hard.”

“{Bellows} is going to come right at me. He’s that type of fighter. He’s smaller than me. He’s a smaller guy, so I know he’s going to bring the pressure. He’s going to bring the fight to me. I don’t see him trying to box me because I’m the bigger man. That’d be real stupid of him and a crazy game plan if they try to do that.”

“I’m 23 years old. I’m still developing as a fighter. I know I’m a killer, but I also know there are killers at 168. I just want to get 150 percent prepared for when the time comes. I have the world in my hands right now. I’m a hot young prospect. I have Puerto Rico behind me. I’m knocking everyone out, and I just want to {advance} my career. Eventually, we’re going to step up to those big fights because that’s what I want. I want the big paydays. I want the big fights.”

“I’ve been talking about the Canelo fight for a couple months already. I know it’s going to happen. It’s gotta happen. If I continue to win in beautiful fashion and keep doing what I do best, I know that fight is going to happen. He’s Mexico, I’m Puerto Rico. He has a big country behind him, I have a big country behind me. It’s one of the biggest rivalries in boxing today. {David} Benavidez is another guy that I’m looking forward to stepping in the ring with in the future. It’s boxing. These fights gotta happen. It’s good for the sport. It’s good for the culture.”

“I have to prove myself in order to step in the ring with those guys. I know I gotta prove myself in order to step in the ring with them because they had to pay their dues. They had to fight the best to get to where they’re at. And that goes for me, too. I have to fight the best to get to where they’re at, and eventually, the fight is going to happen.” 

Use the hashtag #LomaLopez to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

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LAS VEGAS (September 23, 2020) —The most anticipated fight of the fall — the Oct. 17 lightweight unification showdown between WBC Franchise/WBA/WBO world champion Vasiliy “Loma” Lomachenko and IBF kingpin Teofimo Lopez from the MGM Grand Las Vegas “Bubble”— now has a two-course televised appetizer befitting the occasion.
 
In the 10-round junior welterweight co-feature, former world title challenger Alex Saucedo will fight unbeaten contender Arnold Barboza Jr.
 
The televised opener will see super middleweight knockout sensation Edgar Berlanga test his perfect record against veteran Lanell Bellows in an eight-rounder. Berlanga (14-0, 14 KOs) has won all 14 of his professional fights by first-round stoppage.
 
Lomachenko-Lopez, Saucedo-Barboza and Berlanga-Bellows will be televised live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
 
“Lomachenko-Lopez promises to be a classic, and the rest of the ESPN-televised card will set the table,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Barboza and Saucedo are players in the deep junior welterweight division, and both men are ferocious competitors. The winner is ready to challenge for a world title. As for Edgar Berlanga, every time he steps in the ring, he impresses me more and more. I haven’t seen a young puncher like him in quite some time.”
 
Saucedo (30-1, 19 KOs), the thunderous slugger from Oklahoma City, has won a pair of fights since falling short to Maurice Hooker in a November 2018 bid for the WBO junior welterweight world title. He is entering his third bout with head trainer Pedro Neme, a union that has paid dividends thus far. Saucedo knocked out Rod Salka in the first round last November and made his “Bubble” debut June 30 with a one-sided decision over Sonny Fredrickson.
 
Barboza (24-0, 10 KOs), from South El Monte, Calif., is a seven-year pro who is ranked in the top 10 by the WBO and WBC at 140 pounds. He graduated from prospect to contender with victories over the likes of Mike Reed, Mike Alvarado and William Silva. He last fought Aug. 29 as the co-feature to the Jose Ramirez-Viktor Postol junior welterweight world title bout and cruised to a one-sided decision over Canadian veteran Tony Luis.
 
“Arnold is a very versatile fighter, so we are preparing for everything,” Saucedo said. “I know it will be hard to steal the show from Lomachenko-Lopez, but I’m coming in to put on a memorable fight for the fans. I feel like people still doubt me from the Maurice Hooker fight, and I can’t wait to show everyone all of my tools.”
 
“This fight, and fighting on such a significant card, means the world to me,” Barboza said. “It’s time to put the 140-pound division on notice. I respect Saucedo, but he’s in my way as I strive to earn a world title opportunity.”
 
Berlanga has combined flash with unique power to earn headlines despite not having seen the second round as a pro. The record for consecutive first-round knockouts to begin a career is 21, held by the late Ali Raymi. Berlanga made his “Bubble” debut on July 21 and stopped Eric Moon in 62 seconds, which equaled the fifth-shortest outing of his career. Bellows (20-5-3, 13 KOs) has never been stopped as a pro and has made his bones testing young prospects. He is coming off a fourth-round stoppage over Malcolm Jones, who entered the fight with a 15-1 record.
 
“I’m dedicating this fight to my family and Puerto Rico. I want to continue to shine like a bright star and carry the flag on my back,” Berlanga said. “Bellows has never been stopped, but I intend to be the first man to stop him. He’s a strong fighter, and I hope to get some rounds in. I want to show that I’m a versatile boxer and not just a puncher. One thing I will guarantee is another explosive performance.”
 
Use the hashtag #LomaLopez to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

Former world title challenger Alex Saucedo won a 10-round unanimous decision over Sonny Fredrickson in a junior welterweight bout at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Saucedo outlanded Fredrickson 318-172 and was much more active and landing the more telling blows throughout the contest.

Saucedo, 140.8 lbs of Oklahoma City, OK won by scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92 and is now 30-1. Fredrickson, 140.9 lbs of Toledo, OH is 21-3.

“We worked on a lot of things in the gym. It was important for me to get the rounds in, and Sonny was a tough opponent,” Saucedo said. “I am ready to take over the 140-pound division. Whatever opportunity comes my way, I will take advantage of it. Most importantly, I got rid of the ring rust and went 10 hard rounds.”

Josue Vargas won a 10-round unanimous decision over Salvador Briceno in a junior welterweight bout.

In round six, Vargas was cut over the left eye from an accidental headbutt. Vargas outlanded Briceno 187-77.

Vargas, 140.5 lbs of Bronx, NY won by scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91 and is now 17-1. Briceno, 138.2 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 17-6.

John Bauza remained undefeated by pounding out a eight-round unanimous decision over Larry Fyers in a junior welterweight bout.

Bauza, 139.3 lbs of Catano, PR won by scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73 and is now 14-0. Fryers, 138.9 lbs of Clones, IRL is 11-3.

Fighting for the 2nd time in two weeks, Isiah Jones won a six-round majority decision over previously undefeated Donte Stubbs in a middleweight bout.

Jones, 158.3 lbs of Detroit won by scores of 59-55, 58-56 and 57-57 ans is now 9-2. Stubbs, 160.2 lbs of Riverside, CA is 6-1.

•     Alex Saucedo 140.8 lbs vs. Sonny Fredrickson 140.9 lbs
(Junior Welterweight — 10 Rounds)
 
    •     Josue Vargas 140.5 lbs vs. Salvador Briceno 138.2 lbs 
(Junior Welterweight — 10 Rounds)

• John Bauza 139.3 lbs vs. Larry Fryers 138.9 lbs 
(Junior Welterweight  — 8 Rounds)

• Donte Stubbs 160.2 lbs vs. Isiah Jones 159.3 lbs 
(Middleweight — 6 Rounds)

LAS VEGAS (June 24, 2020) —Jose Pedraza and Mikkel LesPierre will give it another shot. The junior welterweights will face off in the 10-round main event Thursday, July 2 from the MGM Grand Conference Center—Grand Ballroom. Pedraza-LesPierre was originally scheduled for June 18, but the bout was postponed after LesPierre’s manager tested positive for COVID-19.

Week 4 of the Top Rank on ESPN summer series begins Tuesday, June 30 at the MGM Grand, when top junior welterweight contender Alex Saucedo faces Sonny Fredrickson in a 10-round showdown.

The Pedraza-LesPierre and Saucedo-Fredrickson cards will air on ESPN and ESPN Deportes beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. 

“Mikkel and Jose deserve this opportunity, and I commend both camps for agreeing to reschedule this fight on short notice,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Alex Saucedo is destined to be a world champion, but he has an incredibly tall task in Sonny Fredrickson. We have another great week in store at MGM Grand.”

June 30
MGM Grand Conference Center – Grand Ballroom

Main Event
Alex Saucedo (29-1, 19 KOs) vs. Sonny Fredrickson (21-2, 14 KOs)
10 Rounds, Junior Welterweight

Saucedo has fought only once — a first-round knockout over Rod Salka — since he was knocked out by Maurice Hooker in November 2018 in a bid for the WBO junior welterweight world title. The Oklahoma City product is entering his second fight with head trainer Pedro Neme and will move closer to a second world title opportunity with a victory over the 6-foot-1 Fredrickson. From Toledo, Ohio, Fredrickson is a former U.S. amateur standout who is hoping to re-establish his momentum following a majority decision defeat to Samuel Teah last November.

“I have gotten a lot of quality sparring during the last few months, and I believe that’s going to show on June 30,” Saucedo said. “We have done 130 rounds in this camp sparring three times a week. We were able to get some taller guys to prepare for what Sonny brings to the table. I’ve worked on the things I need to win this fight. I’m still the same aggressive fighter, but we put a lot more movement in there. I’ve gone back to basics.”

Undercard

Junior welterweight prospect Josue “The Prodigy” Vargas (16-1, 9 KOs) will seek to increase his winning streak to 11 when he faces the battle-hardened Salvador Briceno (17-5, 11 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Vargas fought four times in 2019, including a win over Noel Murphy that earned him the IBF North American junior welterweight strap. Briceno is 4-2 in his last six fights, including competitive showings in decision losses to unbeaten prospects Gabriel Flores Jr. and Yomar Alamo.

Former U.S. amateur superstar Javier Martinez, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will make his professional debut against an opponent to be named in a six-rounder at middleweight. Martinez won the U.S. Olympic Trials at 165 pounds and was ranked number one in the nation at that weight, but after being named an alternate for the Olympic squad, he turned pro with Top Rank and noted manager Tim VanNewhouse.

Junior welterweight rising star John “El Terrible” Bauza (13-0, 5 KOs) will return from a nearly one-year layoff against the Irish-born, New York-based Larry Fryers (11-2, 4 KOs) in an eight-rounder. 

Unbeaten Cleveland native Fred Wilson Jr. (6-0-2, 2 KOs) will face Rance Ward (4-1-1, 2 KOs) in a six-rounder at junior middleweight.

In a six-round junior welterweight bout, Adrian Valdovinos (5-0-1, 4 KOs) will fight Gerardo Alvarez (2-2-2, 0 KOs).

July 2
MGM Grand Conference Center – Grand Ballroom

Main Event
Jose Pedraza (26-3, 13 KOs) vs. Mikkel LesPierre (22-1-1, 10 KOs)
10 rounds, Junior Welterweight

Pedraza, who won world titles at junior lightweight and lightweight, is taking another run at the super lightweight division following last September’s decision loss to Jose “Chon” Zepeda. His opponent LesPierre challenged Maurice Hooker for a world title last year, dropping a unanimous decision. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brooklyn resident received deliveries and assisted doctors and nurses at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in Manhattan.

“I didn’t want to wait around for this fight, so I’m glad we got the deal done,” Pedraza said. “My march toward a junior welterweight world title continues July 2 in Las Vegas.”

“I want to thank Top Rank and DiBella Entertainment for making this fight happen through the trials and tribulations,” LesPierre said. “I’m honored to be the main event on July 2, and I am ready to showcase my talent to the world and prove my world championship caliber.”

Undercard

Robeisy Ramirez (3-1, 3 KOs) is out for revenge. The two-time Olympic gold medalist from Cuba will fight Adan Gonzales (5-2-2, 2 KOs) in a six-rounder at featherweight. It was Gonzales who shocked the boxing world last August when he spoiled Ramirez’s pro debut with a four-round split decision victory. Ramirez has scored three knockout wins since then, including June 9 at MGM Grand. Gonzales has not fought since the Ramirez fight.

Top junior lightweight contender Albert Bell (16-0, 5 KOs), from Toledo Ohio, will face Filipino puncher Mark Bernaldez (20-3, 14 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout. Bell graduated from prospect to contender last June on the Tyson Fury-Tom Schwarz undercard, defeating Andy Vences (22-0-1 at the time) over 10 rounds. He returned in October and shut out Frank De Alba. 

Featherweight prospect Carlos Jackson (16-0, 11 KOs), who has knocked out five of his last six opponents, will face Jose Enrique Vivas (18-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-rounder. 

Elvis Rodriguez (6-0-1, 6 KOs), the southpaw sensation from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, will seek to register his fifth consecutive knockout in a six-round junior welterweight tilt against Daniel Murray (5-3, 0 KOs). The only blemish on Rodriguez’s record came in this third pro fight, a technical draw following an accidental clash of heads.

Featherweight prospect Luis Melendez (8-1, 6 KOs) will fight an opponent to be named in an eight-round bout. 

CARSON, Calif. (Oct. 8, 2019) — The 115-pound fighting pride of the Philippines, Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas, will make the eighth defense of his IBF junior bantamweight world title against Mexican contender Jonathan Rodriguez Saturday, November 2 at Dignity Health Sports Park. Ancajas-Rodriguez will serve as the co-feature to Miguel Berchelt’s WBC super featherweight title defense versus Jason Sosa, and both fights will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (Spanish) starting at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.
 
The undercard will see the return of Oklahoma City’s Alex “El Cholo” Saucedo, who is looking to rebound from his first career defeat against Rod Salka in an eight-round super lightweight bout. Saucedo-Salka and the rest of the undercard will stream live on ESPN+, the leading multi-sport streaming service, beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
 
“I am looking forward to this fight because Rodriguez brings the Mexican style to his fights, and Mexican and Filipinos make the best fights,” Ancajas said. “I want to thank Top Rank, Senator Manny Pacquiao and my manager, Joven Jimenez, for their continued support. It is going to be a war, and to my Filipino fans, I look forward to putting on a show for you in Carson.”

“I plan on taking full advantage of this opportunity,” Rodriguez said. “Ancajas is a great champion, but my time is now. It is time for a new face at 115 pounds.”
 
Ancajas (31-1-1, 21 KOs) is one of boxing’s longest-reigning and most active champions, as only two current world champions (Deontay Wilder and Wanheng Menayothin) have more title defenses. The dynamic southpaw won the title in September 2016 and defended his belt three times apiece in 2017 and 2018. He last fought May 4 in Stockton, California, knocking out Ryuichi Funai in six rounds. This will be Ancajas’ fourth consecutive bout in California, but the first time he’s showcased his skills in Southern California. Rodriguez (21-1, 15 KOs) is a dangerous foe who has won five in a row since a split decision defeat spoiled his unbeaten record. He is coming off a career-best win June 7 in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, when he knocked out former two-time world title challenger Felipe Orucuta in the 10^th round.
 
Saucedo (28-1, 18 KOs), who turned 25 years old in June, burst onto the world stage in 2018. He overcame cuts and a swollen face to knock out Lenny Zappavigna in front of his hometown fans at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in a Fight of the Year contender. He returned to the Chesapeake Energy Arena last November and was knocked out in seven rounds by Maurice Hooker in a failed bid for the WBO junior welterweight world title. Saucedo regrouped and enlisted the services of a new trainer, Pedro Neme. Saucedo and Neme have been working together for the past four months and have focused on refining his defensive skills. Salka (24-5, 4 KOs) has not fought since an April 2018 knockout loss to former world champion Francisco Vargas, but before the Vargas defeat, he had won five in a row.
 
“I am excited to finally be back in the ring,” Saucedo said. “I enjoyed my time off, but the time was right to come back. I have a new team and can’t wait to show everyone the new Alex Saucedo. On November 2, I will steal the show.”
 
In other undercard bouts:

• Southern California native and 2008 U.S. Olympian Javier Molina (20-2, 8 KOs) hopes to extend his winning streak to four versus Hiroki Okada (19-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight bout. Okada fought Ray Beltran in an ESPN-televised Fight of the Year candidate in February, losing via ninth-round knockout.
   
  “I’m pumped to be fighting an opponent like Hiroki Okada,” Molina said. “We know he’s a tough fighter, but these are the types of fights we are looking for. A win over him will get me one step closer to a world title shot, and that’s what we are aiming for. He’s coming off a loss to Beltran, so we know he’s hungry to get back in the win column. We are going to be ready for anything he brings to the table.”

• 2016 Australian Olympian Daniel Lewis (4-0, 3 KOs) will make his United States debut against Alexis Gaytan (6-4, 2 KOs) in a super welterweight bout scheduled for eight rounds.
   
• Armenian welterweight knockout sensation Gor Yeritsyan (11-0, 10 KOs) will face fellow unbeaten Damien Lopez (9-0-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-rounder. The Freddie Roach-trained Yeritsyan has won four straight bouts via knockout.
   
• Dominican knockout artist Elvis Rodriguez (4-0-1, 4 KOs) will make his fifth ring appearance of 2019 against Chilean veteran Luis Norambuena (4-4-1, 0 KOs) in a six-rounder at super lightweight.
   
• Raymond Muratalla (8-0, 6 KOs) will fight Arnulfo Becerra (7-2, 5 KOs) in a six-rounder at lightweight.
   
• Ruben Rodriguez (9-0, 3 KOs), from Indio, California, will see action in a six-round super lightweight bout versus an opponent to be named. 

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions and Peltz Boxing, tickets for this world championship event are priced at $125, $85, $65 and $30 (not including applicable fees). Tickets can be purchased by visiting AXS.com, charge by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and in person at the Dignity Health Sports Park Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). 

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.
 
Use the hashtags #BercheltSosa and #AncajasRodriguez to join the conversation on social media.
 
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By Bart Barry-

Friday night in Oklahoma, Saturday morning east of there, undefeated Dallas junior welterweight Maurice Hooker successfully defended his WBO title by stopping Mexican-Oklahoman Alex Saucedo in the seventh round of a wonderfully violent contest on ESPN. If it’s tempting to write each man’s stature was improved by the contest it is also inaccurate. Hooker took the left side of Saucedo’s face, with righthands, then Saucedo’s fighting spirit in a masterful assault

He also collected a large purse, acquiesced to the event’s promoter, comporting himself nobly as the b-side, then beat the a-side’s ass. That’s a blueprint for how to thrive in this, our newly re-balkanized and suddenly wealthy sport. Hooker got $1.2 million to defend an obscure 140-pound title round midnight on a Friday, which is way more than he’d’ve made a couple years ago. His copromoters may not have had a cashout in mind when they let Top Rank win the purse bid, but they also may not have expected what happened either. Top Rank sure didn’t.

“Cost-of-doing-business,” one imagines Bob Arum and others to’ve said while creating Saturday’s contract; “we’ll pay-up for Saucedo’s title then control the division, whatever happens.”

Now DAZN’s Eddie Hearn, the solvent one among Hooker’s copromoters, has an admired titlist and a committed platform and a dumptruck of cash with which to build an enticing mate for whoever wins WBSS’ super lightweight tourney. Enviable.

Top Rank, meanwhile, has a chastened contender in Saucedo, a man who has reached his ceiling quite a bit lower than planned. Saucedo appeared like no one Friday night so much as his 17-year-old self, the offensively minded kid who tasted punches aplenty in El Paso’s Sun Bowl when for the first time in his four-prizefight career he happened on an opponent he couldn’t hurt quickly. Perhaps historians someday will regard Maurice Hooker as the best counterpuncher in a generation and Friday will become retroactively sensible – Alex had nothing to be ashamed of getting boiled and iced by an alltime great – but that is not probable. An explanation that ages better might be: Hooker exploited Saucedo’s evidently nonevident defense and hit him more than any chin might withstand.

Saucedo’s chin was Friday’s antagonist, as he took a remarkable number of blows from a man who knows how – a defensive style henceforth known as The Abel. Previously misnamed “Mexican Style” by a Kazakh, misnamed because Salvador Sanchez and Juan Manuel Marquez wouldn’t recognize it, The Abel is where you eliminate a fighter’s head movement, beseech him attack an opponent like a heavybag, and leave every defensive responsibility to his chin.

Each defensive style has its susceptibilities, of course. The Philly Shell, for instance, can be solved by a great jab; The Lock leaves a man open to uppercuts. The Abel is unique in that it relies not so much on what an opponent does but who an opponent is. The Abel requires sympathetic matchmaking to prevail. An example of a scenario wherein The Abel worked exquisitely well was putting a career welterweight in a match with a career middleweight (putting that same middleweight in with a career junior middleweight or middleweight, of course, was less advisable). The Abel is practiced in bars and prison yards round the world but named after its vocalest proponent, Abel Sanchez, a man who sits beside Andre Berto atop the HBO-made Boxing Personalities list.

Years ago, when the flaws in Alex Saucedo’s craft became apparent, a hunt began for a trainer who could cut, sand and lacquer them away. Saucedo was young enough to reform. If Sanchez isn’t exactly the wrong man for that job he’s a workable imitation of the man who was. Rather than fix Saucedo’s defective instrumentation Sanchez plugged Saucedo in, jiltknobbed the amp and told him to wail away.

What resulted was not so much offense-as-defense but offense-or-unconsciousness. Saucedo had no transition Friday; while Hooker was many things Saucedo was binary – either hitting or being hit. Hooker might’ve won 12-0 with his jab alone but couldn’t help himself, took chances, and properly deleted the official scorekeepers’ roles.

There was a moment in round 2, however, when it appeared injustice might be served and Saucedo’s binary commitment to offense might be rewarded another night. He dropped Hooker early with a partially missed cross, and you wondered if The Abel mightn’t be in for a title run at 140 pounds like its run at 160. As Hooker is a career junior welterweight, though, those hopes got canceled a minute later when Hooker thrashed Saucedo through the round’s final minute.

There was another moment, or actually 2 1/2 minutes of them, in round 6, when Hooker retreated to the ropes and let Saucedo punch him like a heavybag. As it happened it looked so intentional on Hooker’s part to make the cynical among us wonder how very much cash might’ve been in Hooker’s cashout package. Or maybe Saucedo’s attack was that devastate fatiguing? No and no. Rather, it turns out, Hooker was metering the dissipation of Saucedo’s power like the battery icon a couple inches northeast of where you read these words. Once Hooker sensed Saucedo’s punches were diminished to breakeven Hooker went for it, knowing he could land 10 flush for every one of Saucedo’s. He was right, too. Hooker beat down a hardpunching, granitechinned Mexican in his adopted hometown and stopped him seven rounds in, gloriously.

Saucedo will return; he’s young and fights charismatic enough to fill a Margarito-sized hole in Top Rank’s roster. But Hooker is the real story and a welcome addition to our beloved sport’s rapidly and radically changing ecosystem.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

ESPN (Midnight ET)

• Maurice Hooker 140 lbs vs. Alex Saucedo 139.4 lbs
(Hooker’s WBO Junior Welterweight world title – 12 Rounds)

ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET)

• Egidijus Kavaliauskas 146.6 lbs vs. Roberto Arriaza 146.8 lbs
(Kavaliauskas’ NABF and Arriaza’s WBO Inter-Continental Welterweight titles – 10 Rounds)

• Cletus Seldin 141.4 lbs vs. Nelson Lara 142.4 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 10 Rounds)

•Jonathan Guzman 122.6 lbs vs. Roberto Castaneda 122.8 lbs
(Super Bantamweight – 10 Rounds)

Albert Bell 132.4 lbs vs. Carlos Padilla 132.4 lbs
(Lightweight – 8 Rounds)

Trevor McCumby 172.6 lbs vs. Felipe Romero 172.4 lbs
(Light Heavyweight – 8 Rounds)

Tyler Howard 161 lbs vs. Isiah Seldon 160.8 lbs
(Middleweight – 8 Rounds)

Aaron Morales 117.4 lbs vs. Francisco Lapizco 118.2 lbs
(Bantamweight – 6 Rounds)

Rasheen Brown 120.6 lbs vs. Sebastian Baltazar 120.6 lbs
(Super Bantamweight – 4 Rounds)

Paul Kroll 149.6 lbs vs. Travis Conley 147.4 lbs
(Super Welterweight – 4 Rounds)

• John Rincon 135 lbs vs. Emanuel Williams (Will Weigh-In Later)
(Lightweight- 4 Rounds)
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Roc Nation Sports and Matchroom Boxing USA, tickets for this world championship event are on sale now. Priced at $250, $150, $75, $50, and $35, tickets may be purchased at the Chesapeake Energy Arena box office, online at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 14, 2018) – The WBO junior welterweight champion and native of Dallas, Texas, Maurice Hooker, is in hostile territory.

The hometown kid, Alex Saucedo, is hoping to become only the second Oklahoma City product (following Sean O’Grady, who is also co-promoting this event) to taste world championship glory.

Saucedo and Hooker faced off for the first time at Wednesday’s press conference, a precursor to the in-ring hostilities that will occur Friday evening at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, home of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

Saucedo (28-0, 18 KOs) and Hooker (24-0-3, 16 KOs) sparred many rounds years ago in Dallas, but both acknowledged those sessions would have little bearing on Friday’s outcome. They both promised an action fight, a fitting installment for this “border war.”

Hooker-Saucedo will headline a special one-fight telecast on ESPN at midnight ET. In the co-feature, which headlines the ESPN+ stream (6:30 p.m ET), undefeated welterweight puncher Egidijus Kavaliauskas (20-0, 16 KOs) will fight Roberto Arriaza (17-0, 13 KOs) in a showdown with potential world title implications.

Maurice Hooker

On being the road fighter

“l’ll fight anywhere. Outside your house, in front of your house, in the ring, on the sidewalk. I don’t care where I fight as long as I fight. I’m a fighter. I love to fight. I can outbox him. I can fight you on the inside. Come Friday, we’re going to see a good fight.”

On sparring with Alex

“We both were young back then. We got better. I got better. He’s better. I just got a little more better than him. It’s going to be a good fight come Friday. I’m here in Oklahoma. I don’t care where I fight. It’s on.”

Alex Saucedo

“I grew up just around the corner I always had the dream to bring championship fights back to Oklahoma, and now its here. I’m not going to let this opportunity go. I’m ready. We prepared ourselves in Big Bear for a very good fight. Like I’ve said, I’m ready for anything Maurice brings that night. I’m going to take that belt from him.”

On his June victory against Lenny Zappavigna

“It was a very tough fight. Everyone enjoyed it. I’m glad we’re here at this fight now. That fight got me to this point. Like I said, I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Egidijus Kavaliauskas

“Every fight for me is a step toward my dream. My dream is to become a world champion, so every fight for me, I’m bringing 100 percent of me because it’s a step. A big step. This fight is the same.”

“Big respect to Roberto. He’s a very good fighter. He and I have a similar style, so I know it will be a great fight.”

Roberto Arriaza

“I think this is a great opportunity. This is the opportunity of my life. I want to thank everyone involved for giving me this opportunity. I’ve been working hard for this.”

“I know he’s a great fighter. I have a lot of respect for him. Like always, I have a lot of faith, and in the name of God, I’m going to be victorious once again.”

Bob Arum

“It’s great to be back in Oklahoma City. It’s our second time here this year. {Sean O’Grady} is the pride of Oklahoma City. I never promoted Sean here, but he won the title from Hilmer Kenty of the Kronk group in Atlantic City, the {WBA} lightweight championship.”

Sean O’Grady

“I’ve kept my eye on Alex Saucedo since he was about 12 years old. And I can tell you right now, the kid can fight. He grew up in the amateurs. He was a great little fighter, even as a young man. At 12, 13, 14 years old, he was a great little fighter.”

“I like Maurice Hooker. He too has a great background in the sport of boxing. This is going to be a terrific matchup.”

ESPN, Midnight ET

Maurice Hooker (champion) vs. Alex Saucedo (challenger), 12 rounds, WBO junior welterweight world title

ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET

Egidijus Kavaliauskas vs. Roberto Arriaza, 10 rounds, Kavaliauskas’ NABF welterweight title

Cletus Seldin vs. Nelson Lara, 10 rounds, super lightweight

Jonathan Guzman vs. Roberto Castaneda, 10 rounds, super bantamweight

Albert Bell vs. Carlos Padilla, 8 rounds, lightweight

Trevor McCumby vs. Felipe Romero, 8 rounds, light heavyweight

Tyler Howard vs. Isiah Seldon, 8 rounds, middleweight

Aaron Morales vs. Francisco Lapizco, 6 rounds, bantamweight

Rasheen Brown vs. Sebastian Baltazar, 4 rounds, super bantamweight

Paul Kroll vs. Travis Conley, 4 rounds, super welterweight

John Rincon vs. Emanuel Williams, 4 rounds, lightweight

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Roc Nation Sports and Matchroom Boxing USA, tickets for this world championship event are on sale now. Priced at $250, $150, $75, $50, and $35, tickets may be purchased at the Chesapeake Energy Arena box office, online at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Use the hashtag #Hooker Saucedo to join the conversation on social media.

OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 12, 2018) – The “Red River Rivalry” — the pugilistic version — has kicked off. WBO junior welterweight champion Maurice Hooker, from Dallas, Texas, will defend his world title Friday evening against Oklahoma City native Alex Saucedo at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, home of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

This will be the first title defense for Hooker (24-0-3, 16 KOs), who won the belt June 9 when he traveled to Manchester, England, and defeated Terry Flanagan via split decision.

Saucedo (28-0, 18 KOs) earned his first world title shot with a sensational, bloody seventh-round TKO against Lenny Zappavigna on June 30 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The undercard, including the welterweight showdown between Egidijus “The Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas and Roberto Arriaza, will stream live at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ — the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Hooker and Saucedo worked out Monday at the Azteca Boxing Club. This is what they had to say.

Maurice Hooker

“This is his first time in a world title fight, so he’s nervous. It’s his first big fight at home. A championship. I know he’s nervous.”

“I’ll tell you this. Don’t blink, because I’m coming.”

“I’m feeling good, feeling confident in myself. I’m ready to fight.”

Alex Saucedo

“Maurice Hooker is a champion for a reason. He’s a great fighter with a good reach and power in both of his hands. We have a tough fight on our hands, but we will be ready for anything that he brings to the table.”

“I’m going to show boxing fans the real me on Nov. 16. He can say what he wants about me getting hit a lot, but I don’t have any draws on my record. He says I’ve been hit a lot, but if you have three draws on your record, that means you’re not that hard to hit.”

“I am a different fighter than Terry Flanagan, who he won the title from. As always, I’m going to give it my all in the ring. I just want to beat him up and become the new WBO junior welterweight champion of the world.”
“Hooker’s fight with Flanagan. All I have to say is I’m a different fighter than Flanagan. On Friday, he will see the type of fighter I am.”

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Roc Nation Sports and Matchroom Boxing USA, tickets for this world championship event are on sale now. Priced at $250, $150, $75, $50, and $35, tickets may be purchased at the Chesapeake Energy Arena box office, online at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. (Nov. 8, 2018) — Alex “El Cholo” Saucedo grew up in Oklahoma City, a short bike ride from the Chesapeake Energy Arena. It was called the Ford Center back then, but Saucedo always dreamed of headlining a world title fight in his hometown.

Saucedo will get that chance on Friday, Nov. 16 when he challenges WBO junior welterweight champion Maurice Hooker at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. This special one-fight Top Rank on ESPN broadcast begins at midnight ET.

The undercard, including the welterweight showdown between Egidijus “The Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas and Roberto Arriaza, will stream live at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ — the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Roc Nation Sports and Matchroom Boxing USA, tickets for this world championship event are on sale now. Priced at $250, $150, $75, $50, and $35, tickets may be purchased at the Chesapeake Energy Arena box office, online at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

“Winning a world title in front of my fans will mean the world to me,” Saucedo said. “That’s something I have been dreaming of since I started boxing, and now that the opportunity is here, I’m going to train hard and become a champion.”

Saucedo (28-0, 18 KOs) last fought June 30 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena against Lenny Zappavigna, a Fight of the Year contender that ended with a bloody Saucedo stopping an even bloodier Zappavigna in the seventh round. Saucedo-Zappavigna served as the co-feature to Gilbert “Zurdo” Ramirez’s super middleweight title defense against Alexis Angulo that evening. Now, Saucedo will top the bill in his beloved OKC.

“My last fight in Oklahoma City was a war. I believe I learned a lot in that fight,” Saucedo said. “{Trainer Abel Sanchez and I} went back to look at the tape. We learned that I need to use a lot more movements. We saw a lot of things that I need to work on, and we have done so. I have been training very hard. We will be ready for Nov. 16.”

Hooker (24-0-3, 16 KOs), from Dallas, Texas, is a newly minted world champion. On June 9, he punched his passport to Manchester, England, and upended the hometown hero, Terry Flanagan, via split decision to win the title. Hooker will look to defend his title for the first time in the fistic version of the “Red River Rivalry.”

“I believe Maurice Hooker is a smart and strong fighter,” Saucedo said. “I have to be smart in the ring. I have to go in there with everything that I know.”

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtag #HookerSaucedo to join the conversation on social media.

New York, November 8, 2018

Star Boxing’s CLETUS “THE HEBREW HAMMER” SELDIN (Long Island, NY 21-1 17KOs) will be making his much anticipated return to the ring on November 16th against NELSON LARA (Nicaragua 17-10 9KOs) live on ESPN+ at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. New York’s hard-hitting warrior has his sights set on bringing his East Coast power out West to give the people of Oklahoma an unforgettable night of action.

“The Hebrew Hammer” has garnered a significant reputation in the boxing world for his devastating knockout power. With a knockout percentage of 74%, very few have been able to go toe-to-toe with Seldin and withstand his strength. Seldin’s violent punching power was evident in his fight against Mexican heavy-hitter, Roberto Ortiz on November 11th of last year at the Nassau Coliseum. Televised on HBO, the New York native put on a performance for the ages, relentlessly landing heavy shots that put Ortiz on the canvas multiple times. Seldin would go on to secure the win in the third round after the fight was stopped by the referee, giving him the TKO victory.

The impressive performance was the first of back to back HBO fights that saw Cletus Seldin become one of only three fighters in boxing history to appear on the network in consecutive months. That accomplishment has Seldin forever joining only hall of fame world champions Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. with such distinction. Seldin didn’t fare so well in the second HBO fight, losing a decision to Yves Ulysse Jr, and as result of an elbow injury suffered in that fight, had to have Tommy John surgery which has led to his 10 month layoff.

The Hebrew Hammer’s passion for the sweet science has seen him fight through the surgery an rehabilitation and the Hammer promises that he will be in the best shape of his career. Seldin is hungry to get back to the top world ranking he once held.

Seldin will have to do it against Nicaraguan veteran, Nelson Lara. As boxing fans know, Lara is never an easy fight. He is a crafty veteran with a bag of tricks that makes it difficult for fighters to land flush shots. The Nicaraguan-born fighter promises he will do whatever he can to make it a tough night for Seldin and has stated Seldin “picked the wrong guy to make a comeback against”.

ESPN +:
Watch the electric night of fights, LIVE through ESPN +. Head over to www.ESPN.com and create, or login into an already existing account. Click the ESPN+ button on the top right corner of the screen (be sure that your window is wide enough for the button to show). Follow the instructions to subscribe to the service.

TICKETS:
Tickets are currently on sale and are priced at $250, $150, $75, $50, and $35. Tickets may be purchased at the Chesapeake Energy Arena box office, online at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 23, 2018) — NABF welterweight champion Egidijus “The Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas is closing in on a world title opportunity. WBO Intercontinental champion Roberto Arriaza, a knockout artist from Nicaragua, is standing in his way. Kavaliauskas and Arriaza will square off on Friday, Nov. 16 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City as the co-feature to the previously announced Maurice Hooker-Alex Saucedo WBO junior welterweight title fight.

Hooker-Saucedo will be televised on ESPN at midnight ET, while Kavaliauskas-Arriaza and the rest of the undercard will stream live at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ — the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

“I am happy to be on this card and to move one step closer to my ultimate goal, which is a world title shot.” Kavaliauskas said. “Arriaza is a dangerous opponent, and I never overlook anyone. This is going to be an action-packed fight, and I am confident that I will be victorious.”

Kavaliauskas (20-0, 16 KOs) turned pro in 2013 following a decorated amateur career that included roughly 300 fights and Olympic berths in 2012 and 2008 for his native Lithuania. He turned heads early in his pro career, winning 11 of his first 12 fights by knockout. Kavaliauskas turned the corner to world title contention in September 2017 with a seventh-round TKO against Mahonri Montes to win the NABF welterweight title

He has defended the belt twice in 2018, knocking out former world champion David Avanesyan in the sixth round and grinding out a unanimous decision versus Juan Carlos Abreu on July 7 in Fresno, Calif.

Arriaza (17-0, 13 KOs), a 28-year-old native of Masaya, Nicaragua, is 2-0 in 2018, including a 20-second knockout against Sammy Valentin. The Valentin win earned Arriaza the WBO Intercontinental title, and an upset win over Kavaliauskas would put him in line for a world title opportunity.

The rest of the undercard is as followed:

Super lightweight contender Cletus Seldin (21-1, 17 KOs) looks to rebound from his first career defeat against Nelson Lara (17-10-4, 9 KOs).

Lightweight prospect Albert Bell (12-0, 4 KOs) will make his Top Rank debut against Carlos Padilla (16-8-1, 10 KOs) in an eight-round fight.

The big-punching Trevor McCumby (24-0, 19 KOs) will fight Felipe Romero (20-15-1, 14 KOs) in an eight-rounder at light heavyweight.

Tyler Howard (15-0, 10 KOs), who is coming off a second-round TKO win on July 14 in New Orleans, will take on Isiah Seldon (12-1-1, 4 KOs) in an eight-round middleweight showdown. Seldon is the son of former heavyweight world champion Bruce Seldon.

Oklahoma-born heavyweight knockout artist Trey Lippe Morrison (15-0, 15 KOs) will fight an opponent to be determined in a six-rounder. Lippe Morrison last fought June 30 in Oklahoma City, knocking out Byron Polley in the third round of a crowd-pleasing bout.

Oklahoma City native and bantamweight prospect Aaron Morales (4-0, 3 KOs) will fight an opponent to be determined.

Philadelphia’s Rasheen Brown will make his pro debut against Sebastian Baltazar (1-2, 0 KOs) in a four-round super bantamweight bout.

John Rincon, from Corpus, Christi, Texas, will make his pro debut in a four-rounder at lightweight.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Roc Nation Sports and Matchroom Boxing USA, tickets for this world championship event are on sale now. Priced at $250, $150, $75, $50, and $35, tickets may be purchased at the Chesapeake Energy Arena box office, online at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtag #HookerSaucedo to join the conversation on social media.