Top bantamweight prospect Leo Santa Cruz will look to extend his six-fight knockout streak on Saturday, July 30, when he defends his interim WBC Youth championship for the first time against Nicaragua’s Everth Briceño in the 12 round main event of Televisa’s “Sabados De Corona,” live from the Mazatlan International Center in Mazatlan, Sinaloa Mexico.
In the co-main event, scheduled for 12 rounds, Mexicali’s Manuel Jimenez faces Guasave’s Mario Rodriguez in an all-Mexico showdown for the vacant NABF minimumweight title.
This championship doubleheader headlines a scheduled 10 bout card presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Box Latino and sponsored by Corona. The Televisa broadcast begins at 10:30pm CT/9:30 PM MT. Doors open at 5:00pm and the first fight is at 6:00pm.
The fights will also be available in the United States as AT&T* is exclusively delivering the series across three screens (TV, Online and Mobile) to AT&T U-verse members. The U-verse broadcasts will air live at 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT on AT&T U-verse® TV, U-verse Online at www.att.net/boxeo and, for subscribers to the U-verse Live TV mobile application, on qualifying mobile phones.**
Unbeaten in 17 professional fights, 22-year-old Los Angeles native, Leo “Terremoto”Santa Cruz (16-0-1, 8 KO’s) is on the fast track to the top of the bantamweight division and he will look to display his rapidly developing array of skills against the veteran Briceño on July 30. In March, Santa Cruz won the interim WBC Youth title with a sixth round body shot knockout of Stephane Jamoye. In his next fight on June 3, it took him just five rounds to dispatch former World Champion Jose “Carita” Lopez.
A native of Chinandega, Nicaragua, Everth Briceño (33-6, 28 KO’s) is a two-time world title challenger who has been in with top competitors such as Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel and Omar “El Huracan” Narvaez over the course of his career. Following his recent win over Darwin Zamora in May, he has put himself back in a title picture that he hopes to make more clear with an upset against Santa Cruz.
Talented Mexicali, Baja California Norte prospect Manuel “Meny” Jimenez (16-1, 11 KO’s) has been on an accelerated pace since his professional debut in 2008, and with recent wins over 16-2 Armando Vazquez and 23-2 Yader Escobar, he is more than ready for his important bout for the NABF minimumweight title.
Win, lose, or draw, Guasave, Sinaloa Mexico’s Mario “Dragoncito” Rodriguez (10-6-4, 7 KO’s) always comes to fight and that attitude has made him a fan favorite in his home country. A hard-hitting competitor with an exciting style, Rodriguez challenged Donnie Nietes for the WBO title last August, falling short of victory via decision. A draw with 14-0 Pedro Guevara followed in May of this year, but he expects to be back in the win column and strap the NABF belt around his waist on July 30.
