A host of local fighters including Andrew Cancio (Blythe), Javier Barragan (Indio), Vicente Medellin (Riverside), Josh Robertson (Indio) and Gerardo Juarez (Palm Springs) are set for undercard action this Friday night, March 16, at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. Plus, 2008 Venezuelan Olympian Alfonso Blanco will see action as he takes on fellow unbeaten pugilist Utah’s Eddie Cordova in a six round junior middleweight bout.
In the evening’s main event, which will be aired on SHOWTIME®, Weslaco, Texas’ Omar Figueroa (14-0-1, 11 KO’s) will defend his WBO Inter-Continental Youth Lightweight title against Morelos, Mexico’s Ramon Ayala (22-2-1, 10 KO’s) in a scheduled 10-round bout. Figueroa, fresh off of a ShoBox: The New Generation appearance in January in which he handed Michael Perez his first loss, will be joined under the bright SHOWTIME lights by popular local favorite Randy Caballero (13-0, 7 KO’s) who will battle Tecate, Mexico’s Jose Luis “Tapitas” Araiza (32-5-1, 23 KO’s) in a 10-round fight for the vacant NABO bantamweight title.
When popular junior lightweight prospect Andrew “Chango” Cancio (12-1-2, 11 KO’s) takes to the ring this Friday night, the Blythe, Calif. knockout artist will look to add to his impressive list of early knockout wins in a scheduled eight round fight against Navojoa, Mexico’s Gerardo Zayas (18-18-2, 12 KO’s)
In other action, Indio’s Javier Barragan (1-0, 1 KO) will face Riverside’s Vicente Medellin (0-2) in a four round flyweight fight and, in the night’s opening bout, junior welterweights Josh Robertson of Indio and Gerardo Juarez of Palm Springs both make their professional debuts in a four round match-up.
Twenty-six-year old Venezuelan Alfonso Blanco (7-0, 2 KO’s) has been warmly accepted by fans in his adopted home of Oxnard, Calif. and is looking forward to returning to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino for the first time since his four round win over Ricardo Malfavon last April when he faces 33-year-old Eddie Cordova (4-0-1, 1 KO) of Clearfield, Utah. A late starter in the professional game, Cordova is making up for lost time by staying busy, and after four wins and a draw thus far, he’s in top-notch form heading into the biggest fight of his young career.
This ShoBox doubleheader, which is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, DeWalt Tools and AT&T, will be televised live at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) on SHOWTIME®.
Tickets, priced at $25, $35 and $45, are available for purchase at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com. Doors at Fantasy Springs will open at 6:00 p.m. PT on fight night and the first bell rings at 6:30 p.m. PT.
