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Garcia-Rivera Title Fight Revives Ethnic Rivalry
WORCESTER, Mass.- World Boxing Association super welterweight champion
Alejandro "Terra" Garcia defends his title against former world champion
and local favorite Jose Antonio Rivera, reviving the legendary
Mexican-Puerto Rican rivalry in boxing at the DCU Center in Worcester on
May 6.
Garcia-Rivera shapes up as the latest edition of memorable brawls
featuring Mexican versus Puerto Rican fighters including classics like
Oscar De La
Hoya-Tito Trinidad, Salvador Sanchez-Wilfredo Gomez, Julio Cesar
Chavez-Juan LaPorte, and Carlos Palomino-Wilfred Benetiz.
"I'm more than willing to renew the Puerto Rican-Mexican rivalry that's
been so popular in boxing," said Rivera, who was born in Philadelphia
but later lived with relatives and visited Puerto Rico. "It goes back a
long way and I'm excited to be part of it against Garcia, who is a true
Mexican warrior that I'm fighting for his championship."
A wrist injury that required surgery prevented Rivera from fighting
Fernando Vargas in a high-profile fight in 1997, which very well could
have been an ethnic showdown of interest in Mexico, Puerto Rico and the
United States.
Rivera (37-4-1, 24 KOs) lost his World Boxing Association welterweight
title to Luis Collazo in a very close split decision at the DCU Center
on April 2.
Elbow surgery cancelled Jose's first title shot at 154 pounds against
WBO title-holder Daniel Santos on Aug. 28 in Cleveland.
Garcia (25-1, 23 KOs) is a feared knockout artist from Tijuana, Mexico,
whose only loss came Dec.13, 2003, when he dropped his guard against
Travis Simms.
Garcia stopped 1996 Olympic bronze medal winner Rhoshii "The Mongoose"
Wells (TKO 9) in a rematch May 21 to capture the WBA interim super
welterweight
title at the United Center in Chicago. In his last outing on Aug. 13,
also at the United Center, "Terra" won a unanimous 12-round decision
against Italian champion Luca "Bergamo Bomber" Messi, and he was soon
thereafter declared the outright WBA super welterweight champion after a
rematch with Simms never materialized.
Tickets priced at $35, $50, $100 and $250 are on sale at the DCU Center
Box Office, all area Ticketmaster locations, online at ticketmaster.com,
or charge by phone at (617) 931-2000 or (617) 228-6000. All tickets are
subject to a $.50 facility fee.
The Garcia vs. Rivera main event on the Dynamite at the DCU card,
promoted by Don King, will be broadcast live on SHOWTIME Championship
Boxing at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
