Fight fans in the Coachella Valley are going to get a special treat on Friday, September 23 when former United States Olympians Vicente Escobedo (2004 games) and Rocky Juarez (2000 games) square off in a true cross roads fight. Both are no strangers to high stakes competition, but when the bell rings at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California, it may be the biggest fight in the careers of both men as they each look to start another run at a world championship with a win in the main event of TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate.”
The 10 round junior lightweight bout is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. Doors open at 6:00pm PT on fight night and the first bell rings at 7:30pm PT. The TeleFutura broadcast begins at 11:30pm ET / PT (10:30pm CT).
The winner of two of his last three bouts, with the only loss being a hard-fought decision defeat at the hands of Multi-Division World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero last November, Vicente “Chente” Escobedo (23-3, 14 KO’s) got back to his winning ways in March with an impressive win over Walter Estrada. The owner of victories over Dominic Salcido and former World Champions Carlos Hernandez and Kevin Kelley, the 29-year-old Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. resident came close to winning a world title in 2009, but lost a split decision to Michael Katsidis “The Great.” He promises that the next time he gets a shot at the belt he won’t leave the ring without it around his waist, but first he must turn back the hungry Juarez on September 23.
During the last decade, 2000 Olympic Silver medalist Rocky Juarez (28-8-1, 20 KO’s) has stepped into the ring against the likes of current and former World Champions Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez, Jorge “La Hiena” Barrios, Humberto “Zorrita” Soto, Chris “The Dragon” John (twice) and Jorge “El Nino De Oro” Linares, earning him respect from fans and the media as one of the best fighters in the game yet to win a world championship. The 31-year-old from Houston will never be content with that status, and he hopes that a win over Escobedo in September will be the catalyst for another title run in 2012.
