Showtime confirms junior bantamweight tournament date
Riding the success of their Super Six Classic tournament, which features six super-middleweight prospects, BoxingScene.com reports that Showtime has confirmed the opening date for a second tournament with prospective junior bantamweights.
Promoter Gary Shaw, as well as sources from both sides, have confirmed that WBC Emeritus junior bantamweight champion, Vic Darchinyan (35-2, 27 KOs), will take on Abner Mares (20-0, 13 KOs) on December 11 in Leon, Gunajuato, Mexico. While the venue has yet to be formalized, Showtime will be televising the fight.
In a co-feature, Showtime will televise Yonnhy Perez (20-0, 14 KOs), who will defend his IBF bantamweight title in a rematch against Joseph Agbeko (27-2, 22 KOs). Last October, Perez outpointed Agbeko in a twelve round decision.
The winners of both fights will square off in the first half of 2011. Originally the double feature was scheduled for December 18, but has been pushed forward a week.
Darchinyan is rated No.1 in the junior bantamweight division by Ring Magazine. Not only does he hold the WBA title, but he also holds the WBC and IBO junior bantamweight titles as well. His opponent, Mares, fought his stiffest competition to date in an earlier bout with Yonnhy Perez, in which the two fought to a draw. If Mares manages a win over the more seasoned Darchinyan, a Mares-Perez rematch would be a huge bantamweight draw.
On the December 11 bout with Darchinyan and on the subject of a possible rematch with Perez, Mares said, "If we win I honestly think we’re going to blow up, beating a well known fighter like Darchinyan, and if we get the rematch with Yonnhy and beating him as well [we'll blow up] even more.” Mares continued, “I see myself beating those two fighters and becoming world champion at bantamweight and having two different world titles, and eventually moving up to super bantamweight."
Despite being the younger fight, Darchinyan will be the favourite going into the bout.
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