Mexican bantamweight phenomenon Ivan Morales looks to secure his twenty-sixth victory without a loss on Friday, July 25 when he faces off against countryman Sergio “Finito” Frias in the co-main event of FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes’ Golden Boy Live! fight night at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.
On hand for all the action will be the legendary Erik “El Terrible” Morales who will cheer on his brother Ivan and meet and greet fans as the evening’s special VIP guest.
In the main event, unbeaten junior welterweight Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez will be pushed to the limit by veteran contender Vernon Paris and opening up the televised portion of the card will be an eight-round middleweight bout between 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha and Oklahoma’s Ronnie Warrior Jr.
Twenty-two-year-old Tijuana native Ivan “Nino Maravilla” Morales (25-0, 14 KOs) is a top Mexican prospect that hopes to add to his nation’s rich boxing history by becoming a world champion in the coming years. While he’s still young, his efforts thus far have shown him to be a mature fighter with a seemingly endless list of positive attributes. Coming off of a 10-round win over 40-fight veteran Jose Alfredo Tirado in April, Morales heads to Southern California this week to square off against Frias and showcase his skills.
Sergio “Finito” Frias (15-3-2, 8 KOs) is a four-year professional who is unbeaten in his last three fights. A rugged brawler who knows how to mix it up in the ring, the 23-year-old Guadalajara native is ready for a big night in which he makes his Golden Boy Live! and United States debut against one of the top talents in the bantamweight division.
2012 United States Olympian Terrell Gausha (10-0, 5 KOs) has been one of the most impressive members of the class of 2012 thus far. He’s already scored wins over George Sosa, Charles Whittaker and James Winchester in 2014. With Johnny Manziel and LeBron James making recent headlines in Gausha’s hometown of Cleveland, the 26-year-old wants to be the next big name in the sports-rich city. This week, he meets Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Ronnie “The Natural” Warrior Jr. (15-8-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-round fight. Winner of two straight, the 37-year-old Warrior Jr. has some gas in the tank to beat a hot prospect like Gausha.
Looking to bounce back from the first loss of his career to Eddie Gomez in January, Orlando’s Daquan Arnett (11-1, 7 KOs) is set for an eight-round junior middleweight matchup against Gary, Indiana’s Angel Hernandez (16-16-1, 13 KOs). Before the Gomez bout, the 21-year-old Arnett defeated three prospects in a row and he’s aiming for a big win on July 25 against Hernandez, a veteran armed with experience and knockout power.
Three hot prospects will put their perfect professional records on the line this week as well, with Racine, WI featherweight Mario Barrios (4-0, 1 KO) facing Salvador Perez (2-4-2, 1 KO) of Campeche, Mexico, Buenos Aires junior welterweight Damian Sosa (7-0, 6 KOs) will make his professional U.S. debut against Ryan Picou (1-3) of Los Angeles in a six-round junior welterweight bout and and North Hollywood native Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (9-0, 8 KOs) will face Demetrius Walker (7-5-1, 4 KOs) of Kansas City.
A respected amateur standout who competed in the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials, Fort Myers, Florida’s Bryant Perrella (5-0, 4 KOs) has stopped four of his five professional opponents thus far, most recently halting previously unbeaten Benito Tovar in a single round in May. On Friday, he will seek his third victory of 2014 against 26-year-old Philadelphian Christian Steele (4-8-2, 1 KO), who is unbeaten in two of his last three.
In middleweight action, popular Palmdale, Calif. resident Neeco Macias (5-0, 1 KO) looks to make it six straight in a four-round bout against Inglewood’s Robert Hill (1-5) and in the four-round super middleweight opener, Nashville, Tenn. native Caleb Plant (3-0, 1 KO) faces Los Angeles’ Ryan True (1-1-1, 1 KO).
