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Ramos vs. Rigondeaux Lands
In Vegas Jan. 20
Goossen Tutor Promotions will kick off 2012 with a World
Championship bout headlining on the popular SHOWTIME series,
ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, Jan. 20. The special
edition of ShoBox features World Boxing Association (WBA)
super bantamweight champion Rico Ramos defending his title
for the first time against the WBA interim champion
Guillermo Rigondeaux, matching two world champions and two
of the sport's rising stars. The bout was originally
scheduled for New Year's Eve, but was postponed after a
fighter in the co-main event withdrew due to an injury. The
championship event will be held at the Pearl at Palms Casino
Resort in Las Vegas, Nev. and broadcast on SHOWTIME at 11
p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
Ramos (20-0, 11 KOs), of Whittier, Calif., just outside of
Los Angeles, won the WBA super bantamweight title with a
seventh-round knockout over defending champion Akifumi
Shimoda this past July in Atlantic City. The slick and
speedy 24-year-old holds victories over former world title
challengers Alejandro Valdez and Heriberto Ruiz, but will be
facing his toughest opponent to date in Rigondeaux.
The 31-year-old Rigondeaux (8-0, 6 KOs), of Miami, Fla., by
way of Cuba, is one of the sport's fastest rising prospects.
An amateur boxing legend in Cuba, Rigondeaux was the 2000
and 2004 Olympic Games Gold Medalist in the bantamweight
division. The hard-hitting southpaw defected from Cuba in
2009 and won the interim WBA super bantamweight championship
in only his seventh professional fight. He is coming off a
first-round knockout over previously undefeated Willie Casey
in a March bout in Ireland.
The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort is Las Vegas' premier
concert theater boasting seats for up to 2,500 ticket
holders. "We are thrilled to partner with Goossen Tutor and
SHOWTIME to bring another exciting night of boxing to the
Pearl," said Palms President Joseph A. Magliarditi. "The
list of athletes on the card is impressive; we are looking
forward to a great event."
Also appearing on the televised portion of the card is
rising middleweight prospect Brandon Gonzales (15-0-1, 10
KOs), of Sacramento, Calif., who will be facing the tough,
undefeated 29-year-old, Caleb Truax (18-0-1, 10 KOs) of
Osseo, Minn. Gonzales, the 27-year-old stablemate of Andre
Ward and protégé of 'Trainer of the Year' candidate, Virgil
Hunter, defeated Ossie Duran in a hard-fought 8-round
decision this past October in Atlantic City, NJ. This will
be the middleweight fighter's second bout under the Goossen
Tutor-Antonio Leonard banner.
Opening the ShoBox telecast, undefeated Matthew Villanueva
(6-0-1, 6 KOs) of Burbank, Calif. will fight Mike Ruiz
(8-1-1, 3 KOs) of Fresno, Calif. in an 8-round junior
bantamweight bout.
"I want to thank Palms for being the host of this very
intriguing championship bout. The winner immediately jumps
to the top of the class," said promoter Dan Goossen.
"Although Rigondeaux has a better knockout percentage then
Ramos, Rico is known for one-punch knockout power, and I
don't believe anyone at this weight can take it." "As for
Gonzalez and Villanueva, both are exciting, aggressive
fighters and each have their work cut out for them in their
matchups."
Doors for the event open at 5:30 p.m. with the first bout at
6:00 p.m. and the televised portion of the card beginning at
8:00 p.m. (all times PT). Tickets for the event are priced
at $50 and $25 and are available at ticketmaster.com and at
The Palms box office starting Friday, Dec. 30 at noon PT.
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