Making the first defense of his IBF Bantamweight Title, Randy “El Matador” Caballero (22-0, 13 KOs) will appear on the non-televised undercard prior to the HBO PPV Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez event on Saturday, November 21 as he faces off against England’s Lee “Playboy” Haskins (32-3, 14 KOs) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The 12-round world championship bout will be available to view digitally on HBO Boxing’s YouTube Page, TIDAL.com and GoldenBoyPromotions.com.
“I am excited to be fighting in one of the biggest cards of the year,” said Caballero. “I have been out of the ring for about a year and it has been hard watching all the great shows, but I am ready to come out strong and defend my title. I know Lee is a tough guy, there is a reason why he is my mandatory, but his style will make me shine on fight night. This training camp has been wonderful, my body feels different, and we have been training very hard to make sure I remain the champion. I feel there is more to accomplish, and this is my big opportunity to shine and stand out on Nov. 21.”
“Randy has the charisma, athleticism, fan-friendly fighting style and now a world title to make him one of the future top stars in the sport,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Fans watching Randy’s fight live at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and at home on the preliminary undercard on Nov. 21 are in for a real treat when he makes his first title defense against Lee Haskins, who, like Randy, is one of the top fighters in the bantamweight division right now. This fight will be a clash between two warriors and a great precursor to the guaranteed action in the main event with Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez that night.”
“All my life I have dreamed about boxing in Las Vegas and now my dreams have come true,” said Haskins. “I have great respect for Randy Caballero, and I will be in the best shape of my life with all intentions of bringing the IBF World Bantamweight belt home. You best believe I am as fit as a butcher`s dog. I am counting the days for when I arrive in U.S.A. Let’s get it on!”
The fighting pride of the Coachella Valley in California, Randy “El Matador” Caballero is one of the sport’s most intriguing rising stars and as the IBF World Bantamweight Champion prepares for his Las Vegas debut, he is on the verge of taking his career to the next level in a big way. “El Matador” Caballero has gone from local hero to international standout over the course of a professional career that began in 2010, as his meteoric rise has seen him defeat the likes of Alexis “Beaver” Santiago, Jose Luis “Tapitas” Araiza, Manuel “Suavecito” Roman and Luis “Titi” Maldonado. In 2014, the 25-year-old took his show on the road as he traveled to Kobe, Japan to defeat Kohei Oba via eighth-round technical knockout. The victory earned the 24-year-old Caballero a shot at a world championship, and on October 25, 2014 he packed his bags once again, as he traveled to the Salle des ‘Etoiles in Monte Carlo to defeat England’s Stuart Hall for the vacant IBF World Bantamweight Championship.
British southpaw Lee “Playboy” Haskins has had a big 2015 campaign thus far. The Bristol native regained the EBU Bantamweight Title in February with a decision win over Omar Lamiri and then took the interim IBF Bantamweight crown in June by stopping Ryosuke Iwasa in six rounds. This November, the 31-year-old will attempt to unify the title with the highly touted Caballero and is determined to go back to England with the belt.
