Two of Northern California’s most popular and talented young stars will be featured at the Storm House in Salinas, Calif. when Fairfield’s Manuel “Tino” Avila meets Mexico’s Enrique “Cuate” Quevedo in the 10-round main event and Salinas’ own Paul “El Gallo Negro” Mendez puts his IBA Continental Middleweight Title on the line against Texas’ Raul “El Tigre” Casarez in a 10-round brawl, which will both be televised on the hit FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes series Golden Boy Live! on Monday, Feb. 17.
Unbeaten as a professional, Fairfield’s Manuel “Tino” Avila (13-0, 5 KO’s) saw injuries keep him to just two wins over Jamal Parram and Jose Angel Cota in 2013 after a 5-0 campaign in 2012, but with the 21-year-old feeling better than ever, he is determined to show that 2014 will be the biggest year of his career. That quest begins with his matchup against Quevedo.
A veteran of nearly nine years in the professional game, Los Algodones, Baja California, Mexico’s Enrique Quevedo (15-6-1, 9 KO’s) paid his dues while waiting for the big fight he needed to take him to the next level in his career. In October 2013, that fight arrived against hot prospect Christopher Martin and the 30-year-old delivered a career-best performance, nearly shutting out the highly-regarded Martin. On Feb. 17, he gets another shot to make a statement in the tough featherweight division.
Salinas’ Paul “El Gallo Negro” Mendez (14-2-2, 6 KO’s) is a prime example of the power of persistence in the fight game. After starting his career with a 6-2 record, the popular 24-year-old hit a hot streak that hasn’t cooled down yet, as he’s run off an 8-0-2 slate since, which includes a victory over Lester Gonzalez in December of 2012 where he won the IBA Continental Middleweight Title and 2013 wins over Alfredo Contreras, Dashon Johnson and Rahman Yusubov. Now, he returns to the Storm House where he won the IBA title, in hopes of not just beating Casarez, but setting the stage for a big 2014.
Raul Casarez (20-4, 9 KO’s) is an aggressive and crowd-pleasing middleweight prospect from Edinburg, Texas, who always delivers when the bell rings. Casarez is also a former WBO Youth champion and holds a 2012 win over veteran contender JC Candelo. The 27-year-old Casarez is coming off of a tough win over Quinton Whitaker last October and he’s ready for battle when he takes on Mendez next month.
Avila vs. Quevedo, a 10-round featherweight bout, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Don Chargin Productions and Paco Presents and sponsored by Corona and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The Storm House doors open at 4:30 p.m. PT and the first fight starts at 5:00 p.m. PT. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.
Tickets priced at $40, $50, $65 and $125 go on sale at 6:00 p.m. PT on Thursday, Jan. 16 and will be available for purchase by calling Garcia Boxing (831) 261-0532 or (831) 261-3214 or online at www.pacopresentsboxing.com.
