PABLO CESAR CANO vs. Juan Carlos Abreu ANNOUNCED AS THE NEW MAIN EVENT FOR FRIDAY, FEB. 27 FIGHT NIGHT AT FANTASY SPRINGS RESORT CASINO & LIVE ON FOX SPORTS 1 & FOX DEPORTES
PLUS! Former WORLD champion & FOX SPORTS 1 COMMENTATOR
Paulie malignaggi to host fan meet-And-greet
Tickets Still Available at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino!
LOS ANGELES (Feb. 16) – Former World Champion Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano (28-4-1, 21 KOs) of Tlalnepantla, Mexico and the hard-punching Juan Carlos “Merengue” Abreu (18-1, 17 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic will face off in an explosive welterweight 10-round showdown as the main event of the Feb. 27 Golden Boy Live! fight card at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and broadcast live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes. Former World Champion and FOX Sports 1 commentator Paulie Malignaggi will host a special fan meet-and-greet at the Special Events Center at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino at 5:15 p.m. before going on air. Fans with tickets to the Golden Boy Live! fight night will have a chance to meet and interact with the champion as well as other celebrity guests in attendance, including Golden Boy Promotions President and Founder Oscar De La Hoya.
The Golden Boy Live! co-main event features Diego De La Hoya (8-0, 6 KOs) fighting against Manuel “Suavecito” Roman (17-3-3, 6 KOs) in an eight-round super bantamweight bout. The imposing Chinese heavyweight sensation, Taishan (2-0, 2 KOs) makes his second appearance at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino looking to continue his winning streak in his first bout in 2015 when he faces Roy McCary (3-2, 3 KOs) in the opening four-round televised bout. Also, newcomer Nick Arce (1-0, 1 KOs) will fight in his second professional match against Lyonell Kelly (1-4-1) of Los Angeles in a four-round lightweight swing bout hoping to make airtime.
Two-time Brazilian Olympic team member Everton Lopes will make his professional debut in a six-round super lightweight fight and local favorite Neeco “The Rooster” Macias (7-0, 3 KOs) will be featured in a six-round super welterweight bout, both against fighters yet to be announced. Undefeated Columbian prospect Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete (7-0, 3 KOs) will make his third appearance at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino as he takes on Hemet, Calif.’s Fernando Fuentes (5-3, 1 KO) in a six-round bantamweight contest. In the night’s opener, Alex Rivera (1-0) of Coachella, Calif. squares off with San Diego’s Matt “El Matador” KcKinney (1-0-1) in a four-round heavyweight contest.
As previously announced Randy “El Matador” Caballero suffered an ankle injury during training camp and had to withdraw from his scheduled IBF Bantamweight World Title defense against Alberto Guevara. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Tickets for the event, priced at $25, $35, and $45, are on sale now at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com. Tickets previously purchased for the Randy Caballero vs. Alberto Guevara fight must be exchanged in person at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office or by calling (800) 827-2946.
Coming off a first round technical knockout win against Tijuana’s Jorge “Pantera” Silva on Feb. 7, former WBA Interim Super Lightweight Champion Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano is ready to continue his winning streak and give fans an explosive night of boxing when he faces Juan Carlos Abreu on Feb. 27. A stellar contender out of Tlalnepantla, Cano is one of Mexico’s best hopes for future world title honors. An experienced battler who has taken on tough fighters like Sugar Shane Mosley, Erik “El Terrible” Morales, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and Johan “El Terrible” Perez, Cano is ready to go the distance in 2015 and become a world champion again.
A professional since 2011, Juan Carlos “Merengue” Abreu, of the Dominican Republichas quickly risen up the boxing chain winning the IBF youth junior lightweight title early in his career. At just 27 years old, the hard punching fighter has gotten a reputation as a knockout artist winning all but one of his bouts via knockout. Most recently, Abreu fought and quickly won fights against Basilio Silva and Ruddy Acasio winning both bouts via knockout before the fourth round. This former champion is looking to move up the ranks to boxing’s elite when he faces former World Champion Pablo Cesar Cano on Feb. 27.
Seven-foot-tall heavyweight Taishan, has garnered a lot of attention for being one of the most imposing fighters in his division. His two professional bouts thus far have proven that there’s substance behind the hype as he’s knocked out both Alex Rozman and Tommy Washington Jr., getting fight fans even more excited for the 26-year-old Beijing native’s first fight of 2015 on February 27.
A member of the Westside Boxing Club in Los Angeles, 18-year-old lightweight Nick Arce is a former amateur standout who entered the pro boxing world in style in November of 2014 with a fourth round knockout of Adalbert Valenzuela. Now he will attempt to make it two straight as he competes in one of the sport’s most competitive weight classes.
A gritty competitor who hopes that his first professional win over Francisco Javier in January was the sign of good things to come for his career, Lyonell Kelly will step through the ropes once more on February 27 to face the unbeaten Nick Arce. At 23, Kelly has a bright future ahead of him if he can upset Arce and string some wins together.
A two-time Olympian for his home country of Brazil, Everton Lopes won 240 bouts as an amateur, earning gold at the 2013 Pan American Games as well. On February 27, the talented 26-year-old southpaw will make his professional debut in a super lightweight bout against an opponent to be named, and he will have a nation behind him now and in the future as he pursues a world title.
Popular southpaw Neeco “The Rooster” Macias knows how to attract a crowd and the 23-year-old super welterweight will look to add to his win total and fan base when he takes on an opponent to be determined in a six-round fight. A professional since 2013, Macias is coached by his father Al and this family affair has resulted in seven consecutive victories without a loss, including an October 2014 stoppage over Roberto Crespo at Fantasy Springs.
Undefeated bantamweight star, Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete, will make his third appearance at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino looking to continue his undefeated status. A professional since 2013, the newcomer already has seven wins to his name, quickly climbing the ranks and becoming a feared fighter. Most recently, Negrete faced Salvador Perez in a four-round bantamweight bout. Negrete knocked down the Fresno based fighter in the second round for a technical knockout win.
A talented prospect who is fearless in his willingness to take on all comers, Fernando Fuentes has faced four unbeaten foes as a professional thus far, and that pattern will continue on Feb. 27 when he takes on Oscar Negrete. Fresh off of a sixth round technical knockout of Erick Aguirre last October, the 20-year-old wants nothing more than to get 2015 off to a winning start.
An amateur standout who once competed for the Mexico City Guerreros in the World Series of Boxing, Coachella’s Alex Rivera made quite an impression in his first professional bout in July of 2013, knocking out C.J. Leveque in the first round. Now back in the ring and looking to make a run at the big time, Rivera is hungry for a victory on Feb. 27.
Coached by respected former NABF champion Danny Perez, Escondido’s Matt “El Matador” McKinney is a former San Diego State University student who hopes to make some noise in the heavyweight division. Standing at 6’5”, McKinney is unbeaten in two professional bouts, most recently decisioning Tamas Long in a December 2014 bout.
