CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Nov. 29, 2018) – Arnold Barboza Jr. is hungry for a 140-pound world title shot. The Los Angeles native, who has fought all but one of his 19 professional bouts in California, will head to Texas intent on staking his claim as one of the division’s top contenders.

Barboza will face Manuel Lopez on Friday, Dec. 14 in a 10-rounder for the NABF junior super lightweight title at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Barboza-Lopez will be the co-feature to the previously announced rematch featuring WBO champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and No. 1 contender Jesse “Hollywood” Hart.

Ramirez-Hart 2 and Barboza-Lopez will stream live at 10 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. The entire undercard will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zapari Boxing Promotions, tickets to the Ramirez-Hart 2 world championship event are on sale now. Priced at $100, $65, $45, and $30, tickets may be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, at the American Bank Center Box Office, Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

“I have heard that a world title shot is in my future, but I never take a fight for granted,” Barboza said. “I have trained really hard this fight. Lopez is a tough guy who I know from the amateurs. I am excited to have the opportunity to showcase my skills on a big platform. I never want an easy fight. This is a step-up fight, and I am ready to show the fans what I am made of.”

Barboza (19-0, 7 KOs), a native of Los Angeles, is 2-0 in 2018, including a hard-fought 10-round unanimous decision against Mike Reed on March 10 in Carson, Calif. Lopez (14-2-1, 7 KOs), a native of Denver, is entering this fight on a six-bout unbeaten streak dating back to a competitive 2015 decision loss to then-undefeated Kevin Watts.

The undercard stream will feature:

Mikaela Mayer (8-0, 4 KOs), the 2016 Olympian and one of the brightest stars in female boxing, will defend the NABF super featherweight title in an eight-rounder against Calixta Silgado (17-10-3, 12 KOs).

Big-punching Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer Jr. (18-1-1, 10 KOs) will take on Daniel Lozano (15-5, 11 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the vacant WBC Continental Americas bantamweight title. Greer, who has won seven of his past eight bouts by knockout, is coming off a third-round TKO against Giovanni Delgado on Sept. 28 in Oakland, Calif.

Gabriel Flores Jr. (10-0, 5 KOs), the 18-year-old fighting sensation from Stockton, Calif., will make his sixth ring appearance of 2018 against Edward Kakembo (10-5, 3 KOs) in a six-round lightweight bout.

Top junior lightweight contender Jamel Herring (18-2, 10 KOs) will continue his march toward a world title shot when he faces former junior featherweight world title challenger Adeilson Dos Santos (19-5, 15 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

Top prospect Ruben Vega (11-0, 5 KOs), from Mazatlán, Mexico, will clash with Oscar Mojica (11-5, 1 KO) in a six-round super flyweight battle.

In a six-rounder at super bantamweight, Jesus Arechiga (6-0, 6 KOs) will look to keep his knockout streak alive against David Martino (6-5, 4 KO).

Roberto Duran Jr. (1-0, 1 KO), son of the all-time great, will see action against Leonardo Pena (0-2) in a four-rounder at welterweight.

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

Use the hashtag #RamirezHart2 to join the conversation on social media.

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About ESPN+
ESPN+, which surpassed one million paying subscribers in just five months, is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports), domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie and more), exclusive Top Rank boxing, UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App, the leading sports app and the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans. The ESPN App is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation, delivering a rich, personalized experience that curates all of ESPN’s content around each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Nov. 13, 2018) – It was one of the best fights of 2017. WBO super middleweight world champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez had Jesse “Hollywood” Hart down and nearly out in the second round, only for Hart to come back with a furious late-rounds rally. Ramirez ultimately prevailed via unanimous decision that September evening in Tucson, Ariz., but Hart, the Philadelphia native with the legendary last name, had rematch on his mind immediately after the decision was rendered.

His wish has finally come true.

Ramirez will make the fifth defense of his world title against Hart, Friday, Dec. 14 at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Ramirez-Hart 2 and a soon-to-be announced co-feature will stream live and exclusively at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the United States— 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. The entire undercard will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zapari Boxing Promotions, tickets to the Ramirez-Hart 2 world championship event will go on sale Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 10 a.m. CST. Priced at $100, $65, $45, and $30, tickets may be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, at the American Bank Center Box Office, Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

“This will be a good fight. I feel better prepared than the first time and even more convinced that I will finish him,” Ramirez said. “I’ve always said that I wanted to be the king of the division. I’ve been waiting for unification fights, and I’m still patient. I’m at my best, and against Hart, I want to show why I’m the best.”

“I’m very grateful and humbled for this opportunity,” Hart said. “I just want to go out there and perform to the best of my ability. I have nothing derogatory to say about Gilberto Ramirez. At this point, I just want to go out there and perform.”

Ramirez (38-0, 25 KOs), the first Mexican-born super middleweight champion, will be defending the title he won from Arthur Abraham via shutout decision on April 9, 2016. A hand injury put Ramirez on the shelf until April 22, 2017, but he didn’t miss a beat, dominating Max Bursak en route to a unanimous decision victory. In his most recent outing, June 30 in Oklahoma City, Ramirez used his boxing skills to win a unanimous decision against Alexis Angulo. Ramirez, from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, is a nine-year pro who is no stranger to Corpus Christi. He headlined a show at the American Bank Center on Feb. 3, knocking out the previously unbeaten Habib Ahmed in the sixth round to retain his title.

Hart (25-1, 21 KOs), the WBO No. 1 contender, is a former amateur standout, winning the 2011 National Golden Gloves and U.S. National championships at 165 pounds. A 2012 U.S. Olympic alternate, Hart turned pro in 2012 and won his first 22 bouts prior to challenging Ramirez. Hart last fought as the ESPN co-feature Aug. 18 in Atlantic City, battering Mike Gavronski en route to a third-round stoppage. After more than a year of calling out Ramirez for a return match, Hart has his shot at redemption. A proud native of Philadelphia, Hart is the son of Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, a feared middleweight contender in the 1970s who never received a world title shot. With Eugene Hart in his corner as head trainer, Jesse Hart will seek to bring a world title home to the City of Brotherly Love.

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

Use the hashtag #RamirezHart2 to join the conversation on social media.

Click HERE to apply for fight credentials.

To subscribe to ESPN+, visit www.plus.espn.com.

About ESPN+
ESPN+, which surpassed one million paying subscribers in just five months, is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports), domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie and more), exclusive Top Rank boxing, UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App, the leading sports app and the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans. The ESPN App is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation, delivering a rich, personalized experience that curates all of ESPN’s content around each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.