Golden Boy Promotions Lines Up Three Boxing Cards This Weekend

Golden Boy Promotions is proud to present an action packed weekend of world class professional boxing made up of exciting cards beginning on Friday, April 24.

Three explosive events, in two different countries and on three different television networks, will be featured in what promises to be a series of pivotal matchups including world title bouts and exhibitions of some of boxing’s finest up and coming talent.

Kicking off the weekend will be “ESPN’s Friday Night Fights” hitting Chicago’s UIC Pavilion on Friday, April 24t. El Paso’s Antonio Escalante, 18-2 (12), will be taking on Gary “Kid” Stark Jr., 22-2, (8), from Staten Island, NY in the featherweight matchup headlining the evening.

The co-main event will feature former Two-Time National Golden Gloves Champion and hard hitting middleweight prospect Daniel “Golden Child” Jacobs,14-0 (13), taking on Jose Varela, 22-5 (15), of Chinandega, Nicaragua.

Also on the card is 2008 U.S. Olympian Deontay, “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, 3-0 (3), who was the only United States Boxing Medalist of the 2008 Beijing Games and looking to improve upon his unbeaten record against Joseph Rabotte, 3-5 (1), of Long Beach, CA and a handful of rising young Chicago natives.

Doors open at 7:30pm with the first bell at 8:15pm CT and the “ESPN Friday Night Fights”live broadcast beginning at 10:30pm ET / 7:30pm PT on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN360.com.

Tickets are still available for purchase through Ticketmaster (Online: www.ticketmaster.com, Phone: 312-559-1212) and through the 8 Count Productions office at 312-226-5800. The electrifying card is being presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions.

Up next on this big boxing weekend, HBO Plus’ “Next Boxing Generation” is pleased to present the return of Former WBO Junior Featherweight Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon, 35-2 (31), to the series.

De Leon will feature in an exciting 12 round matchup for the vacant NABF Featherweight Championship against featherweight prospect Marlon “Rata” Aguilar, 19-6-1 (14), at the Coliseo Miguel Canto on the island of Cozumel in Quintana Roo, Mexico.

The co-feature of this card sees unbeaten super flyweight Jose Salgado, 16-0 (14), put his perfect record on the line against Darwin Zamora, 14-1-1 (12), of Matagalpa, Nicaragua in a 10 round WBC Youth Championship bout.

Golden Boy’s rising stars Pablo Cesar Cano, 15-0-1 (12), of Tlaneplanta, Mexico, Charles Huerta, 9-0 (5), of Paramount, CA, Luis Enrique Grajeda, 5-0 (4), of Chihuahua, Mexico, Marco Antonio Periban, 3-0 (2), of Mexico City and will also be in action.

This night of world-class professional boxing, which is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, in association with Marquez Boxing Promotions, Producciones Deportivas de Ricardo Maldonado Jr., sponsored by Tecate and the Cozumel Board of Tourism will air live on the HBO Plus service in Latin America beginning at 9:00pm local time. The doors open at 6:45pm and the first bout begins at 7:00pm local time.

Tickets priced at 400 and 100 pesos, are on sale now and can be purchased at Lugar Mini super at15 avenida sur between Adolfo Rosado Salas and 3 sur or by calling 52 987 8722167. Tickets can also be purchased at Lugar Palacio Municipial, located at 13 avenida sur and Rafael E. Melgar or by calling 52 9878007421.

Also on April 25 and rounding out the action packed weekend, WBO Bantamweight Champion, Gerry Penalosa, 54-6-2 (36), will move up one weight division and challenge WBO Junior Featherweight Champion Juan Manuel Lopez, 24-0 (22), for his crown at the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

Penalosa, a two-time world champion, will look to capture his third title this weekend. The HBO broadcast, which also features Lamont Peterson, 26-0 (12), of Washington D.C. taking on Willy Blain, 20-0 (3), of France, is slated for 10:00pm ET / PT. The event is promoted by Top Rank and PR Best Boxing in association with Golden Boy Promotions.