In 2010, top lightweight prospect Michael “The Artist” Perez made his debut in Puerto Rico with a win over Jose Hernandez in a memorable battle. Three more wins later, the unbeaten Perez is now a local favorite and ready to notch his fourth professional victory on the island when he battles Michigan’s Tyrone Harris in the 10 round main event of TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” at the Coliseo Rafael G. Amalbert in Juncos, Puerto Rico.
In the co-main event, the WBO Latino Junior Featherweight and WBC Fecarbox Super Bantamweight titles will be on the line when undefeated local hero Jayson Velez takes on Mexico’s Jonathan Arias.
This exciting doubleheader headlines a night of world-class professional boxing presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Promociones Miguel Cotto and H2 Entertainment, and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. Doors open at 6:00pm ET, first fight begins at 7:00pm ET and 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 $12, $25 and $35 are on sale now and available for purchase online at Ticketcenter.com.
Unbeaten as a professional, 21-year-old Newark, New Jersey native Michael Perez (14-0-1, 8 KO’s), whose family is originally from Lares, Puerto Rico, has become a local favorite with Puerto Rican fight fans who couldn’t be happier with the arrival of a young man many believe will be a future world champion. With three straight wins thus far in 2011, including knockout wins over Marcos Herrera, Ira Terry and Miguel Rodriguez, Perez has stepped up his competition this year, and he plans on continuing his march to the top on October 14.
Michigan southpaw Tyrone Harris (24-8, 16 KO’s) is a seasoned competitor who has traded blows with the likes of Stevie Johnston, Urbano Antillon and Josesito Lopez, and at 30 years old, the former USBA lightweight champion still has plenty of fire left to take on the top guns in the 135-pound weight class. Eagerly accepting this fight with Perez, Harris is looking to teach the young gun some new tricks.
23-year-old Juncos, Puerto Rico product Jayson Velez (16-0, 12 KO’s) is a fast moving, hard-hitting competitor who has captivated the island with his enormous potential. Already the WBC USNBC super bantamweight and WBO Latino super bantamweight champion, Velez has his sights set on even bigger game in the future, but to keep moving forward, he must first defeat the rugged Jonathan Arias this week.
Mexicali’s Jonathan “Diamante” Arias (16-5, 9 KO’s) had some rough moments in the ring after shooting out to a 15-0 record, but in 2011 he got back in the win column with a second round technical knockout of Mauro Becerra, setting the stage for his showdown with Velez. A gritty battler who is willing to go into deep water to pull out a win, the 27-year-old Arias is going to try to bring Velez to places he hasn’t seen before.
