
-Jorge Paez Jr.-
-Photo Credit: Jose Hernandez-
Before Israel Vazquez
(42-4, 32 KOs) and Rafael Marquez (37-4, 33 KOs) renew
boxing’s most exciting rivalry on Saturday night, fight fans
get to catch young, promising, fighters on the under card of
the most highly anticipated rubber match of the year. Some of
the boxers boast ties to the well-regarded, prospect-based
series, ShoBox: The New
Generation (Showtime), which has produced 23
current or former world champions in its six year history.
One of the most exciting
attractions on the under card and the last fight before fans
lay witness to Vazquez-Marquez III, is the six-round super
lightweight battle between Jorge Paez, Jr. (18-1, 10 KOs) of
Mexicali, Mexico and Felipe Campana (4-3-3, 3 KOs) of San
Diego, Calif.
Paez, the son of former world
champion Jorge Paez, Sr., is promoted by San Diego-based
Sycuan Ringside Promotions.
“I’m looking forward to giving
sports fans an exciting fight that will lead up to the great
showdown between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez,” said
Paez, who is coming off a six round unanimous decision win
against Aaron Drake in October 2007.
“I want to show the audience
what I have and look good doing it.”
Another prospect to look out for
comes from the Gary Shaw Productions camp and is a
ShoBox alum
Antonio De Marco (17-1-1, 13 KOs) of San Diego. De Marco’s
opponent for the eight round super lightweight bout has yet to
be finalized.
“I’m not worried about having to
wait for an opponent for this fight,” said De Marco, who has
won his last ten fights. “I’ll be able to adjust to my
opponent’s style once the fight starts.”
Prospect Nick Casal (16-2-1, 12
KOS) of Niagara Falls, N.Y. is going up against the savvy
James Wayka (15-6, 8 KOs) of Mounds View, Minn. in a six round
super lightweight bout.
Casal last fought on
ShoBox against De
Marco in September 2007 in what turned out to be a hard fought
loss for the New York native.
Making his fifth start in six months and sixth appearance at
Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif., DeMarco opened up
a brutal cut at the top of Casal’s nose in the seventh round
and cut his opponent’s lip with punishing combinations
throughout.
Despite suffering a brutal cut and trailing on the scorecards,
Casal never backed down and brought the raucous crowd to its
feet with a courageous effort at the end of the 10th
round. However, Casal absorbed too much punishment and lost
for the second time in three fights.
The last
ShoBox alum to
watch closely is the undefeated and scorching hot Yonnhy Perez
(14-0, 11 KOs) of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., by way of
Cartagena, Columbia. Perez tests his undefeated record
against the experienced Alejandro Becerra (19-5, 9 KOs) of El
Paso, Texas in an eight round bantamweight bout.
In Perez’ last outing, the talented,
undefeated bantamweight improved to 14-0 with 11 knockouts
with a dominant, impressive fourth-round stoppage over comebacking Alexander Fedorov (18-4-1, 10 KOs)
Friday, Oct.
5, 2007 on “ShoBox: The
New Generation.’’
The
five-foot-seven-inch Perez is big for a bantamweight and his
size, strength and punching power were too much for Fedorov.
“There’s still work to be done and I know I can get better,
especially when it comes to cutting off the ring. But I feel
I’m ready to step up and take on any of the top guys in the
division,’’ said Perez, who won all the rounds on the three
judges’ scorecards before the fight was stopped 44 seconds
into the fourth.
“Learning-wise, this was a good
fight for me and it being on television made it even better. I
am very happy, extremely satisfied. The guy was tough, awkward
and moved a lot. But I know I can hit, and if I can hurt an
opponent, I can finish him. So I am not surprised the referee
stopped it when he did.”
A
four-time Colombian national amateur champion, Perez was cut
over the left eye in the third round, but it was not a factor.
“I was never hurt,’’ he said. “The best is yet to come.’’
Israel Vazquez and Rafael
Marquez I and II produced the most exciting, bloody,
give-and-take slugfests of 2007 and inevitably has led to one
of the most highly anticipated rubber matches in history. Now
they battle for the World Boxing Council (WBC) 122-pound
title, The Ring Magazine
122-pound title and super bantamweight supremacy in the third
and final chapter of boxing’s best rivalry in recent memory in
Vazquez-Marquez III “Final Confrontation,” Saturday, March 1,
2008 from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
Vazquez - Marquez III, which headlines an exciting night of
world-class boxing action, will be presented by Gary Shaw
Promotions, in association with Sycuan Ringside Promotions,
Golden Boy Promotions and Romanza Boxing Productions.
Tickets, priced at $300, $150, $75, $50 and $25, are now on
sale and may be purchased at The Home Depot Center Box Office,
open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, at all
TicketMaster retail ticket locations, as well as
and TicketMaster-Charge-by-Phone, by calling 213-480-3232.
The
showdown will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP
BOXING beginning at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).