A rapid rise up the welterweight division will be at stake as two top contenders — former Olympian Sadam “World Kid” Ali (24-1, 14 KOs) and former Interim WBA World Super Lightweight Champion Johan “El Terrible” Perez (22-3-4, 15 KOs) – will slug it out over 10 rounds for the vacant NABA Welterweight title in the main event of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN on July 29 from Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona.
Ali, a 28-year-old representative of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team who holds impressive wins over Francisco “Chia” Santana and Luis Carlos “El Potro” Abregu, is coming off back-to-back victories after falling short in his first attempt at a world title last year.
“A win in this fight puts me right back in position to compete for a world championship,” Ali, who fights out of Brooklyn, New York, said. “I can’t wait to get back in the ring and demonstrate the speed and power that has led me to be a top contender in the welterweight division.”
Perez, a 33-year-old from Caracas, Venezuela who has held the interim WBA World Super Lightweight Championship and regional titles in the welterweight division, has defeated a number of top fighters including contender Yoshihiro “El Maestrito” Kamegai andformer world champions Steve “2POUND” Forbes and dealt Paul “The Pittsburgh Kid” Spadafora the first and only defeat of his career.
“The time has come for me to re-establish my name in the welterweight division, and that’s exactly what I’m planning to do on July 29,” Perez said. “Whether it’s by knockout or decision, when the fights comes to an end, I know I will have my hand raised in victory.”
“When we launched Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN, I promised that we would showcase competitive fights every time out,” Golden Boy Promotions CEO and Chairman Oscar De La Hoya said. “We have delivered on each and every card, and the July 29 main event between two hungry contenders in Ali and Perez will give fans exactly what they have come to expect from this series.”
A contender and numerous prospects are also scheduled to appear on the card.
Super welterweight contender Patrick Teixeira (26-1, 22 KOs) from Santa Catarina, Brazil, returns from his first defeat as a professional against a soon-to-be-determined opponent in a eight-round affair.
Looking to make TV, undefeated super bantamweight Pablo “The Shark” Rubio, Jr. (9-0, 3 KOs) from Los Angeles, California will be featured in a six-round fight against a soon-to-be-named opponent. Additionally, local Phoenix favorite Eben Vargas (5-0, 3 KOs) will take on an opponent to be named later in a six-round welterweight fight.
Super welterweight Daquan Arnett (15-1, 9 KOs) from Winter Park Florida is scheduled for an eight-round fight against Tijuana, Mex.’s Jorge “Pantera” Silva (21-13-2, 17 KOs). Opening up the card, Miguel Angel “Miguelito” Gonzalez (20-2, 17 KOs) of Los Mochis, Mex. will be participating in a six-round super featherweight affair against a soon-to-be-named opponent.
Tickets for the show will go on sale Saturday, June 10 and range from $45.00-$125.00 (includes convenience fee). Tickets are available for purchase at the Casino Del Sol gift shop and online at casinodelsol.com.
Ali vs. Perez, a 10-round fight for the vacant NABA welterweight title set for July 29, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Showdown Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, Born BOLD and Hennessy “Never Stop, Never Settle.” ESPN Deportes and ESPN2 will air the fights at midnight ET/ 9 p.m. PST. ESPN3 live stream of the undercard fights will begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. EST/4:30 p.m. PST
The “Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr.” PPV card is loaded with exciting knockout artists, with eight of the main card fighters having a combined record of 272-18-2 with 194 knockouts, highlighted by the Alvarez-Chavez, Jr. cumulative record of 98-3-2 with 66 stoppages.
