This Saturday, junior middleweight prospect “Notorious” Frank Galarza (14-0-2, 9 KO’s) is back in action, as he takes on the tough Jonathan Batista (14-3, 7 KO’s), in the main event of a stacked card at Resorts World Casino, in Jamaica, NY.
The undercard will feature the ring returns of junior middleweight Alantez Fox and junior featherweight Danny Aquino as well. Once adversaries, Galarza and Fox are now fighting under the same promotional umbrella of DiBella Entertainment and New Legend Boxing, along with Aquino.
Fighting out of Brooklyn, NY, Galarza, a New York Golden Gloves champion, quickly became a fan favorite on the local club show circuit with his aggressive, brawling style, starting with a vicious 20-second TKO victory in his September 2010 pro debut. Three of his last four wins have been over undefeated prospects, in which Galarza has picked up the New York State and WBC Latino junior middleweight titles.
This year, he gained national television exposure by twice appearing on Showtime’s popular “ShoBox” series, scoring a highlight reel second-round knockout over the 14-0 John Thompson in January and a dominant eight-round unanimous decision over the 8-0 Canadian Sebastien Bouchard in May. Against the battle-tested Dominican Batista, Galarza will be competing in his first 10-round contest.
“I’m winding down the final preparations of training camp now and I’m just ready to go on Saturday,” said an enthusiastic Galarza. “My opponent, Jonathan Batista, is a durable guy, he’s fought some tough guys like Kermit Cintron and John Thompson. I’m looking to get my 15th victory and I’m excited to be fighting in my first 10-round bout. This will be my sixth time fighting at Resorts, in Queens, which has become a home base for me. It’s always a pleasure to fight locally and give my fans what they want to see.”
At 6’5″, Fox (12-0-1, 4 KO’s) is a tall, slick boxer with exceptional physical tools that include a 79-inch reach. With 10 years of amateur experience, building a 165-35 record, Fox, from Forestville, MD, made his pro debut in 2010. Trained by his father Troy Fox, Alantez has impressive wins over the highly regarded Julius Kennedy and Zain Shah, both via unanimous decision.
Following an extended absence from the ring, the 22-year-old Fox is ready to take the division by storm as he climbs up the rankings. His first hurdle will be Jonathan Garcia in a six-round junior middleweight contest.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back in the ring. It’s been over a year now and I’m determined to show everyone what I can do and hopefully impress the fans and everyone at Resorts on Saturday,” said Fox. “I never stopped training, even though I’ve been out of the ring for so long, but come fight night, I’ll be 110 percent ready. I never sleep on my opponents, and I know he’s a tough guy. I’m just ready to get back on track and fight on a steady schedule to build myself into a contender and title contention.”
Both Galarza and Fox won their first seven fights before facing off against one another at Resorts, back on September 22, 2012. With the vacant New York State junior middleweight title at stake, Galarza and Fox waged a fast-paced exhilarating war for eight rounds. Galarza had early success with his overhand right, but Fox then established a distance using his long jab to dictate the action. Landing his powerful left hook, Fox evened up the fight on the scorecards, leading to a draw verdict. Since then, Galarza has won another seven fights with a draw, while Fox has picked up five straight victories.
“Fox is a helluva fighter, a true talent,” complimented Galarza. “Our fight was one for the record books, probably the best fight they’ve ever had at Resorts. We were two undefeated fighters putting it all on the line. We’ve both definitely improved since then and it benefits us both greatly to be a part of DiBella Entertainment and New Legend Boxing. I believe they will move us very well. When the time is right and we’re both at a higher level, I can envision us having a rematch, but on a much larger scale with bigger stakes.”
“It was a tough fight against Galarza,” reminisced Fox, “but I remember winning, even though they called it a draw. The fight should actually have been televised, it was that good. We’re both under the same promotional banner now because they recognized my talent. I’m sure that with DiBella Entertainment and New Legend Boxing, we’ll get pushed in the right direction with meaningful fights down the road and I’m extremely happy and grateful for the opportunity. If the rematch against Galarza comes, it should be on a big stage for the right money and I look forward to it happening some day.”
Also appearing on Saturday’s undercard in a six-round junior featherweight bout will be Mexican Danny Aquino, of Meriden, Conn., fighting for the first time in 18 months. A strong and relentless fighter, Aquino turned pro in 2009, after a stellar amateur career that saw him compile a 95-12 record. Having recently signed an exclusive co-promotional contract with DiBella Entertainment and New Legend Boxing, Aquino (15-2, 10 KO’s) is eager to prove that he is an elite fighter.
“It’s a pleasure working with Frank Galarza, Alantez Fox and Danny Aquino, and co-promoting with New Legend Boxing,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “We wish all three of our fighters success on Saturday and we hope for a great night for New Legend Boxing. The big winners will be the fans in attendance. We’re looking for another explosive knockout from the ‘Notorious’ Galarza!”
“We are excited to have Galarza, Fox and Aquino on the same card,” said Felipe Gomez, of New Legend Boxing. “It was exactly two years ago at the same venue that Galarza and Fox went to war with each other in the ring resulting in a draw. Now, they will meet again on same card but against different opponents. We are proud to be working in conjunction with DiBella Entertainment by adding these fine and talented boxers to our stable of fighters.”
