‘Contender’ Star Sergio Mora and Former
Olympian headline card
LOS ANGELES, December 17 – Following a phenomenal and record-setting 2007,
Golden Boy Promotions is looking for an even bigger and better 2008
beginning with their January 11th show at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in
Cabazon, California, which features champion of the first season of the hit
reality series ‘The Contender’, Sergio Mora and 2004 U.S. Olympian Vicente
Escobedo in separate bouts.
“After the success of our shows at Morongo in 2007, Golden Boy Promotions is
very excited for what we have in store with them for 2008,” said Oscar de la
Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “We are excited to bring the loyal
boxing fans of the Inland Empire another night of exciting boxing action.”
The main event will feature Los Angeles native Mora against Rito Ruvalcaba
in a 10-round middleweight clash, while Escobedo faces Angel Chacon in the
evening’s co-main event in a 10-round lightweight battle. The fights will be
televised on TeleFutura’s “Solo Boxeo” beginning at 8 pm ET / PT.
“The Morongo is committed to providing world-class entertainment events for
our guests,” said Sean Sullivan, general manager of the Morongo Casino
Resort & Spa. “To launch the New Year with a fight card of this caliber
demonstrates our position as the leading casino resort in California.”
Tickets for the January 11th show, priced at $150, $100 and $50, are on sale
and can be purchased at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa Box Office at (951)
755-5391 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Doors for the live event open at
4 p.m. with the first bout beginning at 4:30 p.m. There are seven scheduled
bouts on the card.
Sergio Mora (19-0-1, 4 KO’s) first made a name for himself on the boxing
scene as a slick boxer with an exciting style who was destined for big
things in the fight game. After his stint on the NBC reality show ‘The
Contender’, the rest of the world learned the talent and personality of ‘The
Latin Snake’, and with two big wins and a draw since he won ‘The Contender’
championship by defeating Peter Manfredo Jr., Mora has shown that he is
ready for prime time once again in 2008. He will face former world title
contender Rito Ruvalcaba (31-8, 27 KO’s), an experienced fighter from
Tijuana, Mexico known for his knockout power.
“We are always excited when our first year champion Sergio Mora fights,”
said Jeff Wald Co-Executive Producer of 'The Contender' and Promoter of
Tournament of Contenders. “This is our first time at Morongo and on
TeleFutura and we want to thank Golden Boy Promotions for partnering with us
once again on what should be a great evening of boxing.” The main event will
be presented in association with Tournament of Contenders.
2004 United States Olympian Vicente Escobedo (15-1, 11 KO’s) has drawn
comparisons to fellow Olympian Oscar de la Hoya for his two-fisted attack in
the ring and his class and accessibility outside of it. Coming off of a win
over Miguel Mungia in October - his sixth win in a row - the rising
Mexican-American star from Woodland, California, plans on keeping his
winning streak going on January 11th against experienced southpaw Angel
Chacon (30-8-2, 15 KO’s), a former world title challenger who hails from
Vega Alta, Puerto Rico.
About Golden Boy Promotions:
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2001 by Oscar de
la Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. In
2007, in its sixth year of promoting, Golden Boy Promotions set a record by
selling over 2.5 million in pay-per-view homes in a single night. Also in
2007, Golden Boy Promotions established the record for pay-per-view sales by
one promotional company in a single year selling events to more than 4
million homes total. Golden Boy Promotions is one of boxing’s most active
and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the United
States on networks such as HBO, HBO Latino, TeleFutura, SHOWTIME and ESPN.
About Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa:
Morongo is the premier gaming resort in California. Located in Cabazon,
California, in the scenic Coachella Valley, Morongo is a prime getaway for
residents of Orange County, Ontario, Palm Springs, Palm Desert and Los
Angeles. Earning the prestigious AAA Four Diamond Award for three
consecutive years, Morongo offers 310 well-appointed rooms and suites, a
150,000 sq. ft. casino floor, nine restaurants and lounges and continuous
world-class entertainment offerings.
