Unbeaten in his last four fights, Mexico’s Victor Zaleta will get the biggest opportunity of his career on Saturday, November 10 when he faces unbeaten reigning World Champion Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz for his IBF Bantamweight World Championship in a co-featured attraction to the Abner Mares vs. Anselmo Moreno WBC Super Bantamweight World Championship at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles that will be televised live on SHOWTIME®.
“I am so happy to be defending my title in front of a hometown crowd at STAPLES Center,” said Santa Cruz. “I feel like I can really conquer anyone after my fight in September against Eric Morel, so Zaleta had better come prepared.”
“This fight is something I have waited for since I started fighting,” said Zaleta. “I am going to take advantage of this opportunity, become a world champion and make my name known.”
“This fight is the perfect addition to this already stellar card,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Leo Santa Cruz is going to do whatever he can to keep his title and remain undefeated, but I know Zaleta is coming to fight. This is going to be a toe-to-toe battle that fans are not going to want to miss.”
Santa Cruz is coming off of a career-defining win over Morel on September 15 in which the champ handed the rugged Morel his first ever knockout loss. He will bring a record of 21-0-1 with 12 KO’s into the ring on November 10 and is eager to keep his momentum going in front of his hometown fans in Los Angeles. Just 24-years-old, “Terremoto,” who wows fans and foes alike with his extremely high punch volume, went from prospect to champion in 2012 when he won his first world title in June with a dominant decision win over Vusi Malinga. Now with the fifth round stoppage over Morel under his belt, the sky’s the limit for this young Mexican-American phenom.
A professional for nearly six years and hailing from Juarez, Mexico, Victor “Nene” Zaleta (20-2-1, 10 KO’s) is a dangerous threat to anyone who meets him in the ring. A former WBC FECOMBOX and WBC CABOFE champion at 115 pounds, Zaleta’s only loss in his last 16 bouts was a decision defeat against 32-0-2 Omar Andres Narvaez in a 2011 WBO super flyweight title fight. Coming off of four consecutive victories since then, he’s ready for his first world title shot on November 10..
Mares vs. Moreno, a 12-round battle for Mares’ WBC Super Bantamweight World Championship taking place on November 10 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the co-featured attractions, Los Angeles’ own Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz puts his IBF Bantamweight World Championship on the line against Victor “Nene” Zaleta, hard-hitting junior middleweight Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo, of Los Angeles by way of Mexicali, Mexico, makes his highly anticipated return against Raul Casarez in a 12-round bout. The SHOWTIME® CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at (800) 745-3000 and at the STAPLES Center Box Office.