SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 28) – One of boxing’s most popular action fighters, former middleweight world title challenger Fernando Guerrero will look to thrill boxing fans on Monday, Nov. 11 when he squares off against Austin’s Raymond Gatica in the 10-round co-main event of FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes’ Golden Boy Live! (10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. PT) at Cowboys Dancehall in San Antonio, Texas.
“I’m excited to return to the ring and get back in the title picture,” said Guerrero. “The Texas fans were great to me when I fought there against JC Candelo last year and I promise to give them another show to remember on November 11.”
“Fernando Guerrero is a big name in the division and I have a lot of respect for him,” said Gatica. “But, I have every intention of beating him in front of my fellow Texans and making a big statement.”
In the 10-round main event, it’s a meeting of junior welterweight southpaws when Fidel “The Atrisco Kid” Maldonado Jr. and Luis Ramos Jr. meet in the ring.
“Fernando Guerrero is one of my favorite fighters to watch and he brings it every time,” said Mike Battah, President of Battah*Leija Promotions. “He had a great performance in Texas against JC Candelo and the San Antonio fans wanted him again, so we got him. He’s in for a tough test in Raymond Gatica and I think we’re going to be in for a great fight on November 11.”
Also added to the televised portion of the card is an eight-round middleweight bout featuring unbeaten 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha against an opponent to be determined.
Twenty-seven year-old southpaw Fernando Guerrero (25-2, 19 KO’s) has always been a must-see for boxing fans and he doesn’t disappoint. A native of the Dominican Republic who later became synonymous with his adopted hometown of Salisbury, Maryland, Guerrero parlayed a four-fight winning streak from 2011-2012 into a world title shot against current WBO Middleweight Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin in April of 2013. Guerrero fell short of victory that night, but he’s eager to get back in the title race beginning with his Nov. 11 bout against Gatica.
Austin’s Raymond Gatica (13-1, 8 KO’s) is a former Texas State Welterweight Champion who is unbeaten in two fights since moving to the middleweight division in 2013 where the 29-year-old upset Raul Casarez in April. In his most recent bout on June 28, he stopped Juan Reyna in four rounds, making it clear that he’s ready for his FOX national television debut against Guerrero.
Since emerging from the London Olympics, Team USA member Terrell Gausha (11-2, 6 KO’s) has proven to be one of the most promising members of the Class of 2012, showing off speed, savvy and power as he’s scored six post-Olympic wins, four by knockout. Fresh from a recent first-round technical knockout over Bruce Runkle in September, the 26-year-old from Cleveland will attempt to keep the momentum going in Texas.
Maldonado Jr. vs. Ramos Jr. is a 10-round junior welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona and O’Reilly Auto Parts. Cowboys Dancehall doors open at 5:00 p.m. CT and the first fight starts at 6:30 p.m. CT. In the co-main event, Fernando Guerrero squares off against Raymond Gatica in a 10-round middleweight bout. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. PT.
Tickets, priced at $100, $65, $30 and $20, plus applicable taxes, fees and service charges are available for purchase now by phone by calling Leija*Battah Promotions at (210) 979-3302.
USA Boxing’s Claressa Shields Named AIBA’s Youth Female Boxer of the Year
(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – 2012 Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) added another major award to her ever-growing list of accolades over the weekend. The first American woman to win Olympic boxing gold received the Youth Female Boxer of the Year award from the international federation for Olympic-style boxing at a special ceremony in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Shields was one of five athletes honored at the event, which was held in conjunction with the Elite Men’s World Championships. Team USA’s Shakur Stevenson (Newark, N.J.) was recognized for his outstanding year at the award ceremony as well, taking the Junior Male boxer of the year title.
Due to changes to the age divisions, the 18-year-old Olympic champion was forced to box in the youth division in 2013. The new college freshman didn’t allow the new age group to stop halt her success, taking the USA Boxing National Championships youth division middleweight crown in April. Shortly after starting her freshman year at Olivet College in Olivet, Mich., Shields competed in the first-ever Women’s Junior/Youth World Championships in Albena, Bulgaria. She dominated the competition, winning early stoppages in her first three bouts of the World Championship tournament. She won gold with a victory over Elzibieta Wojckik of Poland in the championship bout to take the Women’s Youth Championship title.
“The exciting thing about Claressa is that she represents the future of boxing. She arrived on the international scene just in time to go to the Olympics and now she is already focusing on going for that second gold medal,” said 2012 Olympic Coach and AIBA Women’s Commission member Christy Halbert.
Shields took a short break from her studies to travel to Almaty for the award ceremony where she received a commemorative trophy from AIBA President Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu. Shields thanked all of her international supporters at the special event in Kazakhstan. “My dream has always been to be the best boxer in the world. To receive this award from AIBA means a lot to me and it shows that I am getting there. I would like to thank my coach, AIBA and all the referees and judges, who have always been very fair to me. Thank you very much,” she said.
Despite her tremendous success to this point, Shields has many goals left to accomplish in the boxing ring. She will enter the elite division in 2014 and could have the opportunity to win her first Elite Women’s World Championship next year. In addition, the historic gold medalist has her eyes set on Rio de Janeiro in 2016 where she plans to win a second Olympic championship.
In addition to the two major athlete awards, long-time USA Boxing and AIBA official Ray Silvas (Sugar Land, Texas) received the World Series of Boxing Supervisor of the Year award from AIBA. Silvas was chosen from a group of highly respected supervisors that managed WSB matches last season. “It comes as a surprise. It is a real honor to be selected from such a distinguished group of people and I’m humbled and I accept this award on behalf of my colleagues. Thank you very much,” Silvas said.
Silvas and Shields joined their fellow honorees at the award ceremony in Almaty on Saturday upon the conclusion of the Elite Men’s World Championships. Stevenson was unable to attend the event, but was greatly honored by the major award.
USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).