LOS ANGELES, May 24 – A full undercard of action is expected on Saturday, June 8 when a roster of top local talent and international contenders step into the ring at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. to lead up to the highly anticipated SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader headlined by the WBA Intercontinental Welterweight title bout between Marcos “El Chino” Maidana and “The Riverside Rocky” Josesito Lopez.
A clash between welterweight contenders and a showdown of heavyweight power hitters will be on tap for SHOWTIME EXTREME® viewers when unbeaten Japanese standout Yoshihiro Kamegai faces Venezuela’s former World Champion Johan Perez in a ten-round bout. Also on SHOWTIME EXTREME, undefeated heavyweight prospect Gerald Washington meets Sherman “Tank” Williams in an eight round battle. With time permitting, 2012 United States Olympian Joseph Diaz Jr. will see action on SHOWTIME EXTREME® against an opponent to be determined. Also in action on the undercard will be some of California’s top pugilists including Luis Ramos, Ronny Rios, Jamie Kavanagh, Manuel Avila and Edgar Valero.
Maidana vs. Lopez, a 12-round fight for Maidana’s WBA Intercontinental Championship, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona. The tripleheader will take place on Saturday, June 8 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. and will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Maidana vs. Lopez is presented in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions. Also featured will be a 12-round super welterweight showdown between all-action warrior Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo and top rated super welterweight contender Erislandy Lara and a 12-round fight between veteran Demetrius Hopkins and unbeaten phenom Jermell Charlo for Hopkins’ USBA Junior Middleweight Championship and Charlo’s WBC Continental Americas Super Welterweight Championship. Preliminary fights will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
Tickets priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges are available at AXS.com or by phone at 1-888-9-AXS-TIX (1-888-929-7849), as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 1-877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, please call 1-877-234-8425.
After engaging in a hard fought draw against Jorge Silva in Sacramento last October that impressed stateside fight fans, Sapporo, Japan’s Yoshihiro Kamegai (22-0-1, 19 KO’s) will return to the United States to battle Venezuelan Johan Perez. A punishing puncher with both hands, Kamegai most recently knocked out Jose Alberto Leal in two rounds on February 2. With 19 of his 22 wins coming by way of knockouts, it’s a safe bet that he’ll look to end his fight on June 8 early as well.
A former WBA Interim Super Lightweight World Champion from Caracas, Venezuela, Johan “El Terrible” Perez (16-1-1, 12 KO’s) bounced back from the lone loss of his career against Pablo Cesar Cano last July with a gritty 10 round win over former World Champion Steve Forbes on January 12. With his sites set on a title shot at 147 pounds, he hopes to make his case with a big win over Kamegai.
With the search for boxing’s next great American heavyweight always ongoing, fans may not need to look any further than Los Angeles, home to highly touted prospect Gerald Washington (7-0, 5 KO’s). Squaring off again Williams in his toughest test to date , the United States Navy veteran and former USC football player Washington hopes to keep his perfect record intact on June 8.
In a fight that will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME time permitting, 2012 United States Olympian Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr. (4-0, 2 KO’s) of South El Monte, California will face an opponent to be named in a four or six-round junior featherweight contest. Diaz, who impressed fans and boxing insiders for years as an amateur, turned pro in December of last year and has shown no growing pains while transitioning to the pro game. Fresh off of a third round technical knockout win over Eric Gotay on May 3, Diaz is ready for battle once again.
Unbeaten in 20 pro bouts, 23-year-old Ronny Rios (20-0, 9 KO’s) has been steadily climbing up the world ratings, most recently defeating former World Champion Rico Ramos for the NABF featherweight title. On June 8, Santa Ana’s Rios collides with Sonora, Mexico southpaw Leonilo “Veneno” Miranda (32-5, 30 KO’s) in a 10-round junior lightweight bout.
A native of Dublin, Ireland, Jamie “The Nuisance” Kavanagh (13-0-1, 5 KO’s) has become a popular attraction in his adopted hometown of Hollywood, California. He will risk his undefeated record on June 8 against Tijuana veteran Sergio “Sirenito” Perez (27-14, 18 KO’s) in an eight-round lightweight match.
Also in action will be Fairfield, California’s Manuel “Tino” Avila (11-0, 4 KO’s) facing off against St. Louis’ Jamal Parram (6-7-1, 4 KO’s) an eight-round junior featherweight contest and Edgar Valero (2-0, 2 KO’s) of Los Angeles who will meet fellow Angelino David Reyes (2-3-1) in a four-round bantamweight bout.
