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Arnold Barboza Jr. vs. Danielito Zorrilla, Keyshawn Davis
& Richard Torrez Jr. Headline ESPN Tripleheader At Pechanga
On July 15
Southern California 140-pound standout Arnold Barboza Jr.
wanted the main event spotlight. He’ll get his opportunity
to shine when he takes on Puerto Rican contender Danielito
“El Zorro” Zorrilla in a 10-round junior welterweight
showdown Friday, July 15, at the Pechanga Summit at Pechanga
Resort Casino in Temecula, California.
Tokyo 2020 U.S. Olympic silver medalists Keyshawn Davis and
Richard Torrez Jr. will return on the card, with Davis
battling Jair “Kaiser” Valtierra in the eight-round
lightweight co-feature. Torrez will open the televised
broadcast in a six-round heavyweight special attraction
versus Roberto Zavala Jr.
Barboza-Zorrilla, Davis-Valtierra and Torrez-Zavala will be
broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 9 p.m.
ET/6 p.m. PT.
Barboza (26-0, 10 KOs), from South El Monte, California, is
a nine-year pro who is closing in on a world title shot
following a series of headline-grabbing victories. In April
2019, he knocked out former world champion Mike Alvarado in
three rounds, a resounding Los Angeles homecoming that
solidified him as a top contender. Barboza has won five
bouts since, securing one-sided verdicts over Ricky Sismundo,
William Silva, Tony Luis, Alex Saucedo, and Antonio Moran.
He comes back following an 11-month layoff, the
second-longest of his career. Ranked No. 8 by the WBO and
No. 11 by the WBC, Barboza hopes a dominating win over his
unbeaten foe will earn him that long-awaited title
opportunity.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. This fight will
put the other fighters at 140 pounds on notice. We’re going
to take full advantage of it,” Barboza said. “Zorrilla is
undefeated, ranked, and coming off a great win. We’re going
to make a statement on July 15. I want a world title shot
soon, and I’m going to keep pushing forward and fighting
whoever they put in front of me.”
Zorrilla (16-0, 12 KOs) is a native of a Toa Baja, Puerto
Rico, who had more than 100 victories before turning pro
with a second-round knockout in November 2016. The
28-year-old, ranked No. 10 by the WBO at 140 pounds, has
diced through his opposition in the paid ranks with 11
knockouts in three rounds or less. He went 2-0 in 2021,
edging past Ruslan Madiyev in March and knocking out former
interim world champion Pablo Cesar Cano in two rounds in
September. A renaissance man who has an associate degree in
banking and cuts hair out of his home-based barbershop,
Zorrilla can cut past the line of contenders with a victory
over Barboza.
“I am extremely grateful for this opportunity, and I want to
thank Miguel Cotto Promotions and Top Rank,” Zorrilla said.
“We have been waiting for an opportunity of this magnitude.
Arnold Barboza Jr. is a quality opponent, and I’ve always
wanted an at-bat against a top contender. I am working very
hard, and I will be at 100 percent on July 15 to continue my
journey to a junior welterweight world championship.”
Davis (5-0, 4 KOs), the fighting prodigy from Norfolk,
Virginia, has been on a whirlwind ride to stardom over the
past year-plus. In February 2021, he turned pro on a Canelo
Alvarez undercard in Miami, fought on another Canelo card at
AT&T Stadium in Texas, earned his Olympic silver medal,
signed a multi-year promotional contract with Top Rank, and
made his Top Rank debut in December with a second-round
knockout at Madison Square Garden. He fought April 30 on the
Oscar Valdez-Shakur Stevenson card at MGM Grand Garden
Arena, knocking out Mexican veteran Esteban Sanchez in six
rounds. Valtierra (16-1, 8 KOs), from Leon, Mexico, is a
four-year pro who previously held the WBC Latino lightweight
title. Last August, he suffered an upset knockout loss to
Alberto Ruiz Ibarra. Three months later, Valtierra got back
on the winning track with a convincing 10-round decision
over Argentina’s Javier Jose Clavero.
“Every time I fight, I try to give the fans something to
remember, and I’m excited to make my Southern California
debut. I will put on a show for everyone watching on ESPN,
that much I can guarantee,” Davis said. “We know Valtierra
is coming to fight, and I’ll be ready to match whatever he
brings.”
Torrez (1-0, 1 KO), from Tulare, California, is a
22-year-old southpaw who became the first U.S. Olympic super
heavyweight medalist since 1988. He made his pro debut on
March 4 in Fresno, California, knocking out Allen Melson in
the second round. Torrez sustained a cut along his right
eyebrow in the first round, which delayed his second outing
by a couple of months. Zavala (2-1-1, 2 KOs), from Del Rio,
Texas, has never fought outside Texas. He has never been
stopped in the paid ranks and is coming off a four-round
draw against the 2-0 Rudy Silvas. The 34-year-old has never
weighed under 255 pounds as a pro and should have a
significant size advantage over Torrez, who tipped the
scales at 228¼ pounds for his debut.
Torrez said, “Ever since that cut in my pro debut, I’ve been
counting down the days until my next fight. I’m thankful to
be fighting on ESPN and back in my home state. If you don’t
know why you should watch me, you will soon.”
Undercard action, streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+,
includes SoCal lightweight sensation Raymond “Danger”
Muratalla in an eight-rounder against an opponent to be
named. Muratalla (14-0, 12 KOs), a 25-year-old from Fontana,
California, has knocked out nine consecutive opponents. He
last fought April 30 on the Valdez-Stevenson card in Las
Vegas, knocking out the usually durable Jeremy Hill in three
rounds.
The undercard will also see heavyweight contender Stephan
Shaw (16-0, 12 KOs) in an eight-rounder, and Las Vegas-born
junior featherweight prospect Floyd “Cashflow” Diaz (4-0, 1
KO) in a six-rounder against Pedro Salome (3-0-1, 1 KO).
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