Asiku-Gonzalez, Salgado-Jimenez in world title bouts;

 Former Miami Hurricane running back Hill,

Las Vegan Griffin in prelims on card celebrating

Mexican Independence Day

Two world championship bouts and a third title fight featuring a Las Vegan highlights the nationally and internationally televised professional boxing card “Viva en Las Vegas” Wednesday, Sept. 15, at the Las Vegas Hilton. 

Jackson Asiku of Australia defends his International Boxing Organization featherweight world championship against former World Boxing Organization bantamweight champ Jhonny Gonzalez of Mexico in one 12-round bout while former World Boxing Association super featherweight king Juan Carlos Salgado of Mexico and Tyrone Harris of Lansing, Mich., clash for the vacant IBO super featherweight crown in the second 12-round fight. 

The 10-round semi-main event features Miguel Roman of Mexico facing Cuauhtemoc Vargas of Mexico City for the vacant IBO Intercontinental featherweight championship. 

Also on the card is former University of Miami running back Quadtrine Hill in a four-round heavyweight bout.  

Las Vegan Renell Griffin is on the card as well in a four-round lightweight bout.  

The card, promoted by Roy Englebrecht Promotions in association with Promociones del Pueblo, starts at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15, with doors to the Las Vegas Hilton Theater opening at 6. 

Tickets, priced at $25, $40, $50 and $75, are available at the Las Vegas Hilton box office and through www.lvhilton.com  and www.vegas.com    

The Las Vegas Hilton box office is open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily and can be reached at 800-222-5361, 702-732-5755 or 702-732-5111 during those hours. 

The card, which will be televised nationally and internationally, is in celebration of Mexican Independence Day. 

The 31-year-old Asiku, from Adelaide, Australia, has a record of 26-3 with 14 knockouts and is making his first defense of the IBO featherweight championship he won Nov. 11 when he knocked out Heriberto Ruiz in the eighth round. 

Asiku, who represented Uganda at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, has won 15 straight dating back to 2004. 

The 28-year-old Gonzalez, from Mexico City, is one of the hardest-hitting featherweights in the world with a record of 45-7 with 39 knockouts.   

He was the WBO bantamweight champion during 2005-2007.  He won the title by stopping Ratanachai Singwancha and successfully defended by beating Mark Johnson, Fernando Montiel and Irene Pacheco.  Gonzalez challenged Israel Vazquez for the World Boxing Council super bantamweight championship during 2006. 

The 25-year-old Salgado, also from Mexico City, has a record of 22-1-1 with 16 knockouts.  He won the WBA super featherweight championship Oct. 10 with a first-round technical knockout of Jorge Linares.   

The 29-year-old Harris, a left-hander, has a record of 24-6 with 16 knockouts.  Among his opponents is former World Boxing Council lightweight champion Stevie Johnston.

As an amateur Harris was the national Golden Gloves featherweight champion during 2000. 

The 24-year-old Roman, from Ciudad Juarez, has a record of 30-7 with 22 knockouts. 

The 25-year-old Vargas has a record of 15-4-1 with 10 knockouts. 

Hill, from Sunrise, Fla., has a record of 1-0 with one knockout.  The 6-foot-2-inch, 230-pound Hill, the son of former Los Angeles Ram and Miami Dolphin running back Eddie Hill, played for the Hurricanes during the 2002-2005 seasons. 

He faces Yohan Banks of Redwood City, Calif., who has a record of 3-4-3 with one knockout. 

Griffin, who has a record of 6-2-1 with two knockouts, faces Khadaphi Proctor of Hesperia Calif., who has a mark of 5-5-1 with no knockouts. 

Corona Extra is the official sponsor for this world championship card.

9-05-2010