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Ring City USA Announces Stacked Undercard
For March 18 Event
In Puerto Rico
Ring City USA, the new sports media startup that debuted its
Thursday night boxing series in November 2020, announced a
stacked undercard today for its March 18 event, the next
fight night of the boxing outfit’s three-event residency in
Puerto Rico. The three-fight main card will begin at 9 p.m.
ET/6 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Network in the United States and
Puerto Rico, and on Twitch for fans outside of the U.S, live
from Albergue Olimpico (Olympic Center) in Salinas.
The six-fight event is headlined by another chapter in the
iconic Puerto Rico vs. Mexico ring rivalry as Alberto
Machado (22-2, 18 KOs) of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, battles
Angel ‘Tashiro’ Fierro (17-1-1, 13 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico,
in a ten-round lightweight bout. Machado was previously
slated to fight undefeated prospect Hector Tanajara who was
forced to withdraw due to illness.
In the evening’s co-main event from Puerto Rico, Jose
‘Chiquro’ Martinez, (21-1-2, 14 KOs), of Las Marias, Puerto
Rico, clashes with three-time world title challenger Israel
‘Jiga’ Gonzalez (26-4, 11 KOs) of Los Cabos, Mexico, in a
ten-round bantamweight bout.
The 28-year-old Martinez looks to stay in the win column
following a second-round knockout of Yeison Vargas in
February 2020 in San Juan, P.R. His last four victories have
come by knockout.
Following a hard-fought twelve-round decision loss to
pound-for-pound great Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez in
October 2020, the 24-year-old Gonzalez defeated Samuel
Gutierrez just two months later in December 2020 in San
Lucas, Mexico. Martinez has also challenged world champions
Khalid Yafai and Jerwin Ancajas for their title belts in the
last three years.
A six-round light heavyweight fight will round out the main
card on NBC Sports Network featuring Irish’ Joe Ward, (2-1,
2 KOs), of Moate, Ireland, who will look to avenge his pro
debut setback against Marco ‘El Muneco’ Delgado, (7-1, 5
KOs), of Turlock, Calif.
Fighting at Madison Square Garden on October 5, 2019, Ward
suffered a severe knee injury in the second round which
delivered Delgado a technical knockout victory. Ward has
bounced back with two first round knockouts taking place in
December 2020 in Mexico. Since the victory over Ward,
Delgado has continued his winning ways with a six-round
decision over previously undefeated Burley Brooks in
December 2020 in Arlington, Texas.
Headlining the Twitch undercard broadcast, which begins at
6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT, three-time world title challenger
Maricela ‘La Diva’ Cornejo, (13-4, 5 KOs), of Los Angeles,
Calif. faces off against Alma Ibarra (7-1, 4 KOs) of
Monterrey, Mexico.
In the last three years, Cornejo has twice come up short
against unified Super Middleweight World Champion Franchon
Dezurn-Crews in her quest to win a world championship.
Sandwiched between the two world title fights, Cornejo was
victorious in a tremendous performance against veteran Erin
Toughill on January 27, 2019 in front of her legion of
hometown fans in Los Angeles.
A winner of her first seven fights, Ibarra looks to return
to the win column following a hard-fought ten-round decision
loss to undefeated WBA Interim Junior Middleweight Champion
Raquel Miller on November 23, 2019.
In an eight-round flyweight battle, former world champion
and knockout artist Angel ‘Tito’ Acosta, (21-2, 21 KOs), of
San Juan, Puerto Rico, battles Gilberto Mendoza (17-9-3, 8
KOs) of Modesto, Calif.
The 30-year-old Acosta made three successful defenses of his
world title before losing to Elwin Soto in June 2019. In his
last fight in October 2019, Acosta stopped Raymond Tabugon
in the fifth round. The upset-minded Mendoza hits the ring
following a hard-fought decision loss to top undefeated
Mexican prospect Sergio Rios Jimenez.
Rounding out the card in a six-round junior lightweight
battle, top undefeated prospect Edwin ‘The Chin’ Valentin
(9-0, 8 KOs) will fight in his hometown of Salinas when he
faces veteran Hector Marengo (7-14-4, 4 KOs) of Arecibo,
Puerto Rico.
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