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Two
World Championship Fights Headline Hopkins vs. Wright
LOS ANGELES (June 19, 2007)…The undercard of Hopkins vs. Wright "Coming
to Fight" will showcase two exciting World Championship bouts featuring
the United States debut of two of boxing's most exciting rising stars.
Veteran featherweight star and former WBC Super Bantamweight Champion
Oscar "Chololo" Larios will have the opportunity to add another title to
his extensive resume. However, he will have to get past the undefeated
Venezuelan Jorge Linares as they battle for the vacant WBC Interim
Featherweight Championship in a bout that will mark the U.S. debut for
the young, powerful Linares. The other explosive bout set to hit the
airwaves that night includes the American debut of undefeated WBO
Interim World Lightweight Champion Michael Katsidis, of Australia, when
he takes on the aggressive Filipino Czar Amonsot. Both bouts make up the
featured televised undercard for Hopkins vs. Wright to be held Saturday,
July 21st from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and will be
broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View.
A no-nonsense warrior who proudly lives up to the legacy established by
the great Mexican Champions of the past, Guadalajara's Larios (59-5-1,
37 KO's) has been at or near the top for much of his 13-year pro career.
A longtime Super Bantamweight World Champion who defended his WBC crown
nine times before losing it in his rubber match with Israel Vazquez in
2005, Larios flirted with the 130-pound weight class in a hard fought
loss to Manny Pacquiao last year before deciding the best weight class
for his second world title run would be the featherweight division.
Winner of three in a row since the Pacquiao fight, the 30-year-old
Larios is ready to show that he still has what it takes to beat a young,
hungry fighter like Jorge Linares.
"This fight is very important to me because if I lose, it could be the
end of my boxing career," said Larios. "I am ready to fight until the
end to win this fight and another World Championship belt. As the fight
was originally scheduled for May, I am in excellent shape and ready to
put it all on the line."
Despite being a native of Barinas, Venezuela , the highly touted Linares
(23-0, 14 KO's) has made his name in the boxing world while fighting in
Japan where he rapidly became a fan favorite for his exciting style and
stellar skill set. A former WBA Fedelatin and Fedecentro Champion, the
21-year-old Linares has won his last two fights by knockout and is
currently ranked No. 1 in the world by the WBA, No. 2 by the WBC, No. 7
by the WBO and No. 9 by the IBF.
His U.S. debut against Larios will be his toughest test to date. Linares
stated, "This is my opportunity to show the American fight fans my
strength and ability in the ring. Las Vegas is a great place for my
debut as so many great champions have fought on boxing's main stage. I
want to win this title for Venezuela like my countryman, the great
Antonio Esparragoza did."
WBO Interim World Lightweight Champion Katsidis (22-0, 20 KO's) is one
of boxing's most exciting young fighters. A stellar amateur who compiled
a record of 75-6 and represented his native Australia in the 2000 Sydney
Olympics, he has zoomed to the top after turning pro in 2001. A
hard-hitting knockout artist who has won 13-in-a-row within the
distance, the 26-year-old Queensland native won the interim title in
February with a fifth round stoppage of Graham Earl in an early Fight of
the Year candidate. On July 21st, he hopes to add to his resume with a
win over the tough Amonsot.
Amonsot (18-2-1 10 KO's) wants to achieve fame, fortune and capture a
world championship…all in his U.S. debut. In his last bout against
Korean Da Waoon Jung, he won by split decision and is hungry for a
decisive victory in this international showdown in July. The skillful
southpaw and WBO Asia/Pacific Lightweight Champion is ready to challenge
Katsidis for the crown.
Hopkins vs. Wright "Coming to Fight" is for Hopkins' Ring Magazine Light
Heavyweight belt and will take place Saturday, July 21 st at Mandalay
Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. "Coming to Fight" is promoted by
Golden Boy Promotions in association with Winky Promotions, and
sponsored by Southwest Airlines, Tecate Beer and Rockstar Energy Drink.
HBO Pay-Per-View will televise the fight live at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT. |
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