The lion will roar loudly on August 19 at the historic Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles when Vyacheslav “Lion Heart-Chigonsky” Shabranskyy (16-0, 13 KOs) makes his return to the ring to take on Laredo, Texas fighter Oscar “El Monstruo” Riojas (10-5-1, 3 KOs) for an eight-round light heavyweight bout as the new main event for LA Fight Club.
“Vyacheslav Shabranskyy’s alias is ‘Lion Heart-Chigonsky’ for good reason – he is a fearless warrior whose inner strength matches his physical strength and skill,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Slava, as we call him, is a future star of the sport headed toward a world championship, and I’ve been pleased with his continued ascent as he rises to the challenge every time he steps in that ring. I’m proud to call him a Golden Boy fighter.”
Also just added to the Aug. 19 card, San Diego, Calif.’s Genaro “El Conde” Gamez (2-0, 2 KOs) will make the third appearance of his professional career in a four-round lightweight bout against local fighter Tyshawn Sherman (0-2) of Adelanto, Calif. while stable mate Oscar Duarte (6-0-1, 3 KOs) of Parral, Mexico will engage in an six-round lightweight fight against Omar Garcia (5-3, 1 KO) of Monterrey, Mexico. Additionally, Golden Boy Promotions fighter David Mijares (2-0, 1 KO) of Santa Monica, Calif. who will take on Jorrell Sparenberg (0-1) from Houston, Texas in a four-round super lightweight bout.
As previously announced, the August 19 card will feature undefeated super featherweight prospect Ivan “Striker” Delgado (9-0-1, 2 KOs) taking on the tough Alejandro Ochoa (7-11-2, 1 KO) of Santa Ana, Calif. in an eight-round co-main event. Also on the card, rising star Alexis Rocha (3-0, 2 KOs) also of Santa Ana, Calif. will face Israel “Isra” Villela (4-2, 1 KO) in a four-round welterweight bout hoping to make airtime on Estrella TV.
A Los Angles transplant by way of Ukraine, Vyacheslav “Lion Heart-Chigonsky” Shabranskyy was last seen in the ring defeating Chicagoan Derrick Findley in the co-main event for the exciting Soto-Karass vs. Kamegai card at LA FIGHT CLUB on April 15. One of the most exciting fighters to emerge from the West Coast fight scene in recent years, Shabranskyy is thrilling fans in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles with his strength, power and skill. He stayed active in 2015, fighting and defeating all four opponents he faced that year. He ended 2015 on a high note with a victory over “El Monstro” Yunieski Gonzalez last December, earning himself a spot on the pound-for-pound list in the light heavyweight division. On August 19, Shabranskyy will look to shine in the first headlining fight of his career with yet another win over Oscar Riojas.
Oscar “El Monstruo” Riojas is ready to prove that he is still a worthy prospect in the boxing world. Hailing from Nuevo Leon, Monterrey Mexico, Riojas is coming off a draw against Jesus Angel Nerio (13-5-1, 6 KOs), a match up that was fought to the nail for the vacant WBC FECOMBOX super middleweight title. Riojas, undeterred by two previous losses, demonstrated his agility in the ring, however was not enough to get the victory. His last victory via unanimous decision against Josue Castaneda Perez was a controversial one, with Perez head-butting him twice throughout the fight. His next scheduled fight against Vyacheslav Shabranskyy is an opportunity for him to solidify his presence in the boxing world, and vindicate himself as a worthy prospect.
After leaving behind a highly decorated amateur career, including being ranked as the number one lightweight in the United States, Genaro “El Conde” Gamez has quickly become of boxing’s top prospects. A 2014 USA Boxing National Champion, San Diego’s Gamez is currently coached by renowned former world champion Robert Garcia. Genaro turned professional earlier this year when he was signed by Golden Boy Promotions in February and since then as impressed with two wins by way of knockout over Archie Weah and Juan Bryand. Gamez is sure to do the same to Tyshawn Sherman in their scheduled four-round lightweight bout on August 19 when he makes his second appearance at LA FIGHT CLUB.
Tyshawn Sherman (0-2-0) is planning to turn around his professional boxing career, empowered by his difficult past match ups. Having nothing to lose in his next upcoming bout, his last fights have been a ground breaking to develop his boxing skills. The Altadena native trains in his father’s gym, and is fighting for another chance to be taken seriously by boxing aficionados.
Oscar Duarte of Parral, Mexico is eager to become a big name in the sport of boxing. In his U.S. debut, Duarte defeated Alejandro Salinas in August 2015, landing himself a promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions. Currently co-managed by Latin star Gabriel Soto and Guillermo Roacha, Duarte fought earlier this year at LA FIGHT CLUB in February defeating Archie Weah via unanimous decision. He was last seen in the ring on the ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate Vargas vs. Salido undercard at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. where he defeated Luis Lizarraga, Jr. by unanimous decision. On August 19, Duarte will make his third appearance at LA FIGHT CLUB when he aims to defeat Omar Garcia.
Omar “Mr. Power” Garcia (5-3-0, 1 KO) is not one to be intimidated in the ring. Born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, he has fought throughout his home state, and has a goal to break more ground here in the US. Having jumped into the ring with fighters such as Luis Olivares (12-0-0, 8 KOs) and Geronimo Hernandez (16-29-4, 7 KOs), he is not the type of fighter to shy away from a difficult fight. Jumping into the ring after a loss via unanimous decision, he will be put on a performance that will dazzle the crowd in his next upcoming bout.
Some fighters are made in the gym. The 20-year old David Mijares was seemingly born into the sport. As Mijares’ father worked with legendary musician Bob Dylan, his pregnant mother visited the boxing gym and her water broke. David wasn’t delivered in the gym, but as he grew up, it was his second home and he would even put on gloves and do drills as a toddler. By the age of 12, he began competing, going on to compile a 57-12 record as an amateur.
Among his accomplishments were three National PAL Championships, a 2015 Golden Gloves title, and a Bronze medal in the 2015 USA National Championships. Even more impressively, he did it all while excelling in his studies and even playing the Euphonium for the nationally-ranked orchestra at Santa Monica High School. Mijares made his professional debut with a spectacular win on the Canelo-Khan undercard on May 7 defeating Omar Reyes via unanimous decision. He second professional career appearance on June 11 defeating Cory Vom Baur with a technical knockout on the undercard of the Charity Vision Fight Night event headlined by Oscar De La Hoya and Mario Lopez. On August 19, Mijares will fight before a hometown crowd for the first time professionally when he steps into the ring at LA FIGHT CLUB.
