As one of the first fighters to put Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on the boxing map, longtime contender and Coachella-valley product Antonio “Toño” Diaz has set a standard of excellence many boxers have tried to reach. On Friday, August 12, in the main event of TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate,” Diaz will fight in the Indio, Calif. venue he helped build, for the first time in nearly 10 years when he takes on Ernesto Zepeda in a ten-round junior middleweight bout.
The bout will be Diaz’ 17th at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and his first since a 2001 technical knockout over Orlando Hollis on October 12. He is unbeaten in the venue at 16-0 and looks to make it 17-0 on August 12.
Diaz vs. Zepeda is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, DeWalt Tools and AT&T. Doors open at 6:00pm PT on fight night and the first bell rings at 7:30pm PT. The TeleFutura broadcast begins at 11:30pm ET / PT (10:30pm CT).
Fans at home can also be part of the action by participating in Cinturón Tecate and voting for the fighter in the main event who displayed the most character in the ring by sending a text message to 55333. Voting will be open through the end of the weekend.
Tickets, priced at $25, $35 and $45 are on sale now and available for purchase at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
An all-action fighter who has never disappointed fight fans with his memorable performances in the ring, 35-year-old Antonio Diaz (45-6-1, 27 KO’s) has always stepped up to fight the best. A veteran of 16 years in the pro game, Diaz has defeated the likes of Cory “The Next Generation” Spinks, Emanuel “Outlaw” Augustus, Ivan Robinson and Micky “Irish” Ward. Winner of four of his last five bouts since returning from a three-year layoff in 2008, with his only loss coming against current WBC Welterweight World Champion “Vicious” Victor Ortiz, Diaz is eager to return to the ring where he first made his mark in 1995.
A 15-year veteran who, like Diaz, came up the hard way in the ring, Ernesto Zepeda (39-14-4, 32 KO’s) also resembles his opponent in that he never backs down from a challenge. A 34-year-old native of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico who has taken on the likes of Steve Forbes, Matthew Hatton, Demetrius Hopkins and Diaz’ brother, former World Champion Julio Diaz, Zepeda is training for an all out battle on August 12 and he knows “Toño” will give him one on fight night.
