The biggest fight of 2014 deserves the biggest fight week action, and Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions are pleased to announce that on Thursday, September 11, just two days before “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” Golden Boy Live! on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes will present an unprecedented lineup of six televised fights, including two world championship bouts.
In the previously announced main event at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, unbeaten heavyweights Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz and Lateef “Power” Kayode will meet to face off for the vacant WBA Heavyweight World Title. Plus, the WBA Interim Featherweight World Title will be on the line in the co-main event between Buenos Aires’ Jesus “El Jinete” Cuellar and Puerto Rico’s Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez. Both bouts are scheduled for 12 rounds of action. Also stepping into the ring in separate televised bouts on this star-studded card will be Jermall Charlo, Julian “J Rock” Williams, Errol Spence Jr. and Josesito “The Riverside Rocky” Lopez.
Making his second consecutive appearance in Las Vegas, Buenos Aires southpaw Jesus Cuellar (24-1, 18 KOs) is an experienced veteran of the fight game at just 27-years-old. With 24 victories and only one defeat, Cuellar is looking forward to make an even bigger name for himself by beating slugger Juan Manuel Lopez. A winner of seven straight, Cuellar won the interim WBA title in August of 2013 with a victory over unbeaten Claudio Marrero. After his win over Rico Ramos in May, he will now attempt to defend his belt for a third time on September 11.
Winner of three of his last five bouts, a stretch that includes a March knockout over Daniel Ponce De Leon, 31-year-old southpaw Juan Manuel Lopez (34-4, 31 KOs) will attempt to make history again by taking a world title back home to Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Already a two-division world titleholder who has thrilled fans for years, the exciting knockout artist believes he has another great fight in him heading into his bout against Cuellar.
Many believe Houston’s Jermall Charlo (18-0, 14 KOs) should have been a world champion by now, but when IBF Junior Middleweight World Champion Carlos Molina was forced out of their March bout due to legal issues, the 24-year-old Charlo was forced to go back to the drawing board. A little over two weeks after his cancelled title fight, Charlo was back in the ring, stopping Hector Munoz in just two rounds and he expects another stellar performance on September 11.
The best prospect to emerge from Philadelphia since Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia, Julian Williams (16-0-1, 10 KOs) wants to follow in Garcia’s footsteps and put a championship belt around his waist sooner rather than later. A knockout victor in his last three bouts over tough competition like Orlando Lora, Freddy Hernandez and Michael Medina, the 24-year-old junior middleweight will undoubtedly be bringing the thunder to Las Vegas next week when he takes on Eliezer Gonzalez (14-0, 9 Kos) of San Juan Puerto Rico in an eight round bout.
2012 U.S. Olympian Errol Spence Jr. (13-0, 10 KOs) has been making a steady climb up the 147-pound ladder since becoming a professional and after a shutout win over rugged veteran Ronald Cruz in June, the 24-year-old from Desoto, Texas native has proven that he’s ready to take another step toward the top. Spence Jr. will face Noe Bolanos (26-10-1, 16 KOs) of Obregon, Mexico in an eight-round welterweight bout.
A noted fan favorite for his exciting style and ability to triumph against the odds, 30-year-old Josesito Lopez (32-6, 19 KOs) has won two fights straight since a courageous effort against Marcos Maidana in June of 2013, defeating Mike Arnaoutis and Aaron Martinez. On September 11, Lopez is back in action, and he is expected to open the Golden Boy Live! show in style.
The first heavyweight to win four Michigan Golden Gloves titles and only the sixth in history to win the National Golden Gloves and USA Boxing National Championship in the same year, 25-year-old Jordan Shimmell (16-0, 13 KOs) is making big moves as a professional in the cruiserweight division, with 2014 wins over Damon Reed, Damon McCreary and Epifanio Mendoza setting up his first business fight in to Las Vegas. He will face Joell Godfrey (17-11-1, 6 Kos) of Fayetteville, North Carolinain an eight-round bout.
Fresh from an impressive victory over Lenwood Dozier in August, Orocovis’ Prichard “Digget” Colon (11-0, 10 KOs) may have gone the distance for the first time as a professional, but the 21-year-old wants to make a statement that his punching power is as potent as ever in an eight-round junior middleweight bout against an opponent to be named.
In opening bouts Los Angeles’ Oscar Negrete (6-0, 1 KO) will take on Gabriel Braxton (1-4) of Richmond, Virginia in a four round featherweight fight and Ft. Myers’ Bryant Perrella (6-0, 5 KOs) will compete against an opponent to be named in a six round welterweight fight.
Ortiz vs. Kayode, a 12-round bout for the vacant WBA Heavyweight World Title, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, in association with Greg Cohen Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts and the Mexican Tourism Board – Mexico: Live it to Believe It!. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.
