Gonzalez-Espinoza Presser

By Felipe Leon

Tijuana’s Box Latino is offering a triple threat as the main dish of their “Sangre y Patria (Blood and Country” this Saturday night at the Tijuana Municipal Auditorium. In the main event, Mexico City’s Oscar “Finito” Gonzalez (27-1, 20KOs) faces the hard hitting late sub Gerardo “Locomotora” Espinoza (28-12, 26KOs) for the vacant WBC International super bantamweight title while popular local junior flyweight Javier “Cobra” Mendoza (15-2-1, 12KOs) defends his WBC Continental Americas strap against Armando “Chiquita” Gonzalez (20-7, 4KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico. In a special attraction, undefeated super flyweight Ivan “Niño Maravilla” Morales (15-0, 10KOs) will match up against the experienced Ricardo “Rocky” Armenta (15-13-1, 7KOs) in an eight rounder. Ivan is the younger brother of Erik “Terrible” Morales and former WBO 115 lbs. champ Diego “Pelucho” Morales.

The fight card will be televised live by Televisa in Mexico as part of their weekly boxing series “Sabados de Corona”.

“We are at the right moment to re-establish Tijuana as our base of operations,” Erik Morales, President of Box Latino, stated yesterday at a press conference held at the world famous Caliente Racetrack in the heart of the city. “We have a contract for seven dates with Televisa and other dates in co-promotion with Golden Boy Promotions.”

Also at the press conference was Juan Carlos Pelayo, executive director of the Tijuana Boxing Commission, “it is our job to facilitate in the best way possible for any of our local promoters to bring their events to Tijuana so that the city can return as one of the most important boxing plazas of not only Mexico but of the world,” he stated.

Ivan Morales also had the opportunity to speak in front of the amassed media and he mentioned that he is ready for a title shot in 2013 after a successful 2012.

“I think I still have this year to gain some experience and in 2013 I think I would be ready for a world title,” he stated. “For now I have to prove that we got more than ready for the fight on Saturday.”

February 10th, 2012

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