ANAHEIM
– The Son of the Legend, Julio César Chávez, Jr. and The Contender alumnus Alfonso Gomez will collide Saturday, December 4, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., in a 12-round middleweight championship rumble.
Chávez Jr (41-0-1, 30 KOs), of Culiacan, México, is the son of Mexico’s greatest fighter Julio César Chávez. Chávez, 24, took up the “family business” in 2003, winning a four-round decision in his professional debut. Seven years later, the reigning WBC Silver middleweight champion and superior gate attraction is poised to make his own mark in the boxing world. He took a major step toward that goal by enlisting legendary trainer Freddie Roach to take him to the next level.
Their first fight together was a gigantic success, winning the vacant WBC silver middleweight with a dominant 12-round unanimous decision over top-10 contender John Duddy (29-1, 18 KOs), on June 26 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Since 2009, Chávez, the WBC’s No. 1 middleweight contender, won 10-round unanimous decisions over Luciano Cuello and Troy Rowland and stopped Jason LeHoullier in the first round. Making those four victories even more impressive is the fact that Chávez’s opponents had a combined record 98-4-1 when he defeated them.
Gomez (22-4-2, 11 KOs), of Guadalajara, México, first gained international notoriety when he was featured in the reality series The Contender during the series’ debut season on NBC, 2004-2005. Gomez won three of the four bouts he fought on The Contender, tagging unanimous decision losses on future world title challenger Peter Manfredo Jr, Ahmed Kaddour and Jesse Brinkley, a trio that boasted a combined record of 64-3 when he defeated them.
Gomez, 29, enters this fight riding a four-bout winning streak, three by knockout. His last two victories are arguably his career-best, stopping two-time world champion Jose Luis Castillo in the fifth round in March and winning a technical decision against Jesus Soto-Karass last year. Known for retiring two-division world champion Arturo Gatti via a seventh-round knockout in 2007, Gomez hasn’t lost a fight since 2008 when he unsuccessfully challenged then-undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Miguel Cotto. Gomez is currently world-rated No. 3 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF), and No. 5 by the WBC.
“This event at the Honda Center is really going to be spectacular. Julio César Chávez Jr. vs. Alfonso Gomez is one of the most anticipated fights,” said Bob Arum. “Each of the other fights on his card would stand by itself as a main event. We’re calling this ‘In Harm’s Way’ which is an excellent title because every fight on this card has a chance of going either way.”
· In addition to Chavez vs. Gomez: Tijuana resident Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto will put his WBC lightweight title on the line against fellow Mexican Urbano Antillon in what should be a sensational matchup. Rising Chicano lightweight Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios will also see action on the stacked card.
Southern California Knockout Artists Look to Keep Streaks Going in Indio at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino
A hot card just got hotter, as Southern California prospects Frankie Gomez and Gabino Saenz have been added to the Friday, October 15 boxing event at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California. In the co-main event, which will be televised on TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate,” East Los Angeles’ Gomez will take on an opponent to be named in a six round junior welterweight bout.
One of the most highly sought after prospects in recent history, East Los Angeles’ Frankie Gomez (6-0, 6 KO’s) has lived up to all expectations thus far in his young career, as he has knocked out every opponent that has dared to step into the ring with him. Yet despite his success, the 18-year-old prodigy remains humble, opting to let his fists do the talking when the bell rings. In off-TV action, Indio’s own Saenz will look for his second professional win in a four round junior featherweight bout against an opponent to be determined.
The main event features unbeaten Salinas star Eloy Perez in a battle with Rialto standout Dominic Salcido in a ten round NABO junior lightweight title contest. Also featured that night will be Paramount’s rising featherweight star, Charles Huerta and Coachella’s Randy Caballero, as well as undefeated Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell and 2008 Olympic Bronze Medalist Deontay Wilder.
Perez vs. Salcido, a 10-round NABO Junior Lightweight Championship fight which headlines a night of world-class professional boxing, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate with the main event being presented in association with Thompson Boxing Promotions. Doors open at 6:00pm PT, the first bell rings at 7:00pm PT and the TeleFutura broadcast begins at 8:30pm .