A hit in his first fight in Puerto Rico last December, unbeaten lightweight prospect Michael “The Artist” Pérez returns to the island on Friday, February 4, to square off against Colorado’s Marcos Herrera in the eight round main event of TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” at the Coliseo Félix Méndez Acevedo in his father’s hometown of Lares. In the co-featured bout, Juncos, Puerto Rico’s Jayson “La Maravilla” Vélez will face Mexico’s Juan Josè Beltrán in an eight round junior featherweight showdown. Also in action will be Canadian phenom Mikael Zewski, Eddie Gomez of the Bronx, NY, who looks for his third consecutive knockout when he takes on Arecibo’s Ramón Sánchez, as well as debuting Eduardo Alicea.
Pérez vs. Herrera, which headlines a night of world class boxing, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Promociones Miguel Cotto and H2 Entertainment, and is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. The TeleFutura broadcast begins at 11:30pm ET / PT (10:30pm CT). Fans at home can also be part of the action by participating in Cinturón Tecate and voting for the fighter in the main event who displayed the most character in the ring by sending a text message to 55333. Voting will be open through the end of the weekend.
Tickets, priced at $35, $25, and $12, are on sale now by calling 787-792-5000 or by visiting Ticketcenter at www.tcpr.com.
Newark, New Jersey’s Michael “The Artist” Pérez (11-0-1, 5 KO’s) had a big year in the ring in 2010, and with five wins in five fights (including two first round knockouts) against increasingly stiffer competition, the 20-year-old proved that he’s ready for the next level in his career. In his most recent bout, on December 10 in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico, Pérez was pushed hard by fellow prospect José Hernández, but he found a way to win, earning an eight round split decision victory in what many called “Sólo Boxeo Tecate’s” Fight of the Year. On February 4, he plans on taking the judges out of the equation by using his knockout power to earn his first win of the New Year.
22-year old Arvada, Colorado resident Marcos Herrera (6-3-1, 2 KO’s) is approaching his third year as a professional and he has shown the talent that local fight observers believe will keep him in the lightweight mix for many years to come. A fearless competitor who has already shared the ring with the likes of Sharif Bogere, Cortez Bey and Shawn Gallegos, Herrera hopes that his experience will be the edge he needs against Pérez come February 4.
Juncos, Puerto Rico native Jayson “La Maravilla” Vélez (14-0, 11 KO’s) has made quite an impression on local fight fans during his three year professional career, delivering exciting fights and devastating knockouts. Winner of 11 fights in three rounds or less, the 22-year-old Vélez will come in with guns blazing on February 4 against seasoned competitor Juan José Beltràn (24-19-3, 15 KO’s), a 32-year-old veteran from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico who has won four of his last six bouts, with his only defeats coming against former World Champion Eric Morel and 14-0 prospect Luis Cruz.
After an impressive amateur career, highly regarded junior middleweight Mikael Zewski (6-0, 4 KO’s) hasn’t skipped a beat since turning professional in 2010. With his recent wins over Ardrick Butler (W4) and Leonardo Rojas (TKO2), the 21-year-old from Trois-Rivieres, Canada appears to be getting better and better with each fight, a trend he expects to continue on February 4 in a six round bout against Joseph de los Santos (4-7-3 2 KO’s) from Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
A two-time Junior Olympic national champion as well as a New York Golden Gloves titlist, 18-year-old Eddie Gómez (2-0, 2 KO’s) is the latest fighter from the Big Apple to make noise in the boxing world. Gómez has won both his fights via first round knockout turning professional last November and is eager to see if he can make it three in a row. He will face Arecibo, Puerto Rico’s Ramón Sánchez (2-8-1), a six-year pro who will try to take the youngster into deep water, in a four round junior middleweight bout.
Also featured on February 4 will be the long-awaited professional debut of Cleveland junior middleweight Eduardo Alicea . Owner of multiple national championships during a stellar 143-16 amateur career that also saw him ranked number one in the United States as a Junior Olympian in 2007, the 20-year-old has been preparing for this moment for years and is ready to give a performance to remember in a four round bout against Ramel Brown (0-2) of Raton, New Mexico.
