Thanksgiving arrives early when knockout artists top-rated super welterweight contenders Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan and Erislandy “El Oro del Guantanamo” Lara and undefeated No. 1 featherweight contender Miguel “Mikey” Garcia and former World Featherweight Champion Jonathan “Yoni”Barros , look to knock the stuffing out of each other on an explosive card that will take place Saturday, November 10, in the Lafite Ballroom at Wynn Las Vegas.
Both fights will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Martirosyan and Lara will battle in a 12-round World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight title elimination bout with the winner being declared the division’s mandatory challenger. Garcia and Rojas will open the HBO telecast in 10-round featherweight rumble. The undercard will feature undefeated contenders, Las Vegas native Jessie Magdaleno, and Philadelphia fireball Jesse Hart, son of the great middleweight contender Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, in separate super bantamweight and super middleweight bouts, respectively.
These six warriors boast a combined record of 126-4-2 (84 KOs), — a winning percentage of 95% with victory by knockout ratio of 67%.
“This card will be a treat for fight fans who will be able to watch great fight action in the elegant environment of the Wynn Resort,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.
Martirosyan (32-0, 20 KOs), a native of Armenia who fights out of Glendale, Calif., is one of the super welterweight division’s most promising contenders. A member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team, Martirosyan’s amateur resume boasts victories over future world champions Timothy Bradley, Jr., Austin Trout and Andre Berto. Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, Martirosyan captured his first title in 2009, knocking out defending NABA/NABO champion Willie Lee. He successfully defended the title in his next fight, in 2010, a 10-round unanimous decision victory over former IBF junior middleweight champion Kassim Ouma.
He added the NABF title to his trophy case with another 10-round unanimous decision later that same year, at Yankee Stadium, this time over previously undefeated Joe Greene, serving up the Bronx bomber his first loss in 33 professional fights. Martirosyan captured the World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver super welterweight title in 2011, via a seventh-round TKO of Saul Roman. Currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBC, Martirosyan returns to the ring fresh from knocking out Troy Lowery, his sixth knockout victim in his last nine fights.
Lara (17-1-1, 11 KOs), a former international standout and a native of Cuba, is now fighting out of Houston under the tutelage of world-renowned trainer Ronnie Shields. A five-year veteran of the powerhouse Cuban national amateur team which included, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Odlanier Solis, Lara was a gold medalist in the 2005 World Championships, the 2006 Central American Games and the 2007 Pan American Games Qualifier. After turning professional in 2008, Lara was fighting in 10-rounders in only his ninth bout.
The only blemish on his professional ledger, a disputed 12-round majority decision loss, in Atlantic City, to former world champion Paul Williams in 2011, was considered so heinous that New Jersey officials suspended all three judges for their scorecards, an unprecedented move. Since the Williams fight, Lara has scored a first-round knockout of Ronald Hearns and a 10-round unanimous decision over veteran Freddy Hernandez, both this year, en route to becoming the WBC’;s No. 1-rated super welterweight contender.
Garcia (29-0, 25 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., returns to a Las Vegas ring for the first time in four years, having won 13 of his past 14 bouts by knockout. Considered to be one of boxing’s top young prospects, Garcia, 24, had a career-best year in 2011, knocking out previously undefeated contender Matt Remillard in the 10th round in March to capture his NABF and NABO title belts. He followed that with four-round knockout title defense victories of Rafael Guzman and Juan Carlos Martinez in June and October, respectively. Guzman and Martinez had a combined record of 47-14-1 when they fought Garcia.
This year he continued his winning ways, knocking out one-time world title challenger Bernabe Concepcion and former world champion Mauricio Pastrana, in the seventh and second rounds, respectively. Trained by his father Eduardo Garcia and co-managed by his brother Robert Garcia, the former IBF junior lightweight champion, Garcia is currently the World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) No. 1-rated featherweight contender.
Barros (34-3-1, 17 KOs), Mendoza, Argentina, brings his own brand of excitement into the ring. He captured the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight title in 2010, knocking out Irving Berry in the seventh round. Barros successfully defended the title two times, via 12-round decisions over Miguel Roman and Celestino Caballero, before losing the title in a rematch to Caballero the following year. Barros returns to the ring after unsuccessfully challenging Juan Salgado for the International (IBF) junior lightweight title in August.
Magdaleno (11-0, 8 KOs), of Las Vegas, NV., was an accomplished amateur fighter, having won gold medals at the 2009 U.S. National Championships and the 2009 National Golden Gloves Championships en route to a 120-16 record. He enters this fight having won his last three fights by knockout.
Hart (3-0, 3 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA, is the son of Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, a highly-rated middleweight contender in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s who in 2003 was named to the The Ring’s list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. Hart, 22, compiled an amateur record of 85-11, highlighted by a stellar 2011 which included winning the National Golden Gloves at 165 lbs., the USA National Tournament at 178 lbs and going undefeated at the double elimination USA Olympic Trials box-offs.
Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate and Wynn Las Vegas, tickets to this all-action event go on sale Tomorrow! Tuesday, October 16 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets are priced at $125, $75 and $40, plus a $3 service fee, and are inclusive of applicable taxes. Tickets can be purchased by calling (702) 770-7118, through the website wynnlasvegas.com or by visiting the Wynn Ticket Office (Friday-Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. PT / Wednesday-Thursday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. PT) or the Wynn Concierge (Daily: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. PT.)
