LAS VEGAS - As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, promising world-ranked undefeated junior welterweight Amir "Young Master" Imam (15-0, 13 KOs) will face hard-hitting Fidel "The Atrisco Kid" Maldonado Jr. (19-2, 16 KOs) in a 10-round fight, as part of the undercard on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

The Jan. 17 "Return To Glory" fight card co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions is highlighted by a heavy-duty main-event matchup that has stirred the interest of even the most casual sports fan -- dangerous defending WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane "B. Ware" Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs), of Las Vegas by way of Haiti, against unbeaten mandatory challenger Deontay "The Bronze Bomber" Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) of Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Tickets for the event are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range.  To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.  Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com .

Like the heavyweights in the main event, Albany, New York native, Amir Imam (pronounced "EE-mom") and Fidel Maldonado Jr., of Albuquerque, New Mexico, are not accustomed to putting in a full night's work. Between them they have gone the distance only six times in a combined 37 fights.

"Amir Imam is a great kid and a very exciting fighter, and this is going to be a very exciting fight," said Hall of Fame promoter Don King. "I think Amir is going to be the next Tito Trinidad.  He can both box and punch and he is going to be a bad man.  I want a title for Amir and this fight with Maldonado is en route to that."

"This is by far the biggest fight of my career and I've got to show the world what I've got,'' Imam said. "I know that Maldonado is a southpaw and he comes forward and throws a lot of punches. I plan on boxing the kid for 10 rounds, but if the opportunity for a KO comes then I will go get it.  I'm not letting anyone take this opportunity away from me.  I have worked too hard for it."

"Maldonado had a great amateur background, he's very smart and he's a very good fighter. It's going to be a great fight," said Imam's head trainer Stacey McKinley. "Maldonado's fought a better class of fighters than Amir but never fought a fighter like Amir and most have not.  He's not strong enough for Amir and Amir will walk straight through him. Amir will be Don King's next superstar."

Imam, an amateur standout and silver medalist at the 2011 U.S. Olympic Trials, "doesn't get paid for overtime" in the professional ranks as 11 of his fights ended in rounds one or two.

The 24-year-old has steadily improved as his professional career has progressed and is 2-0 on ShoBox: The New Generation. In what was expected to be his toughest test, Imam knocked out Jeremy "Hollywood" Bryan (17-5, 7 KOs) in the second round of his  ShoBox  debut on April 12, 2013.

Since the Bryan blowout, Imam's taken a big step up in competition, most notably in his last three fights, beginning with a fourth-round stoppage of then-undefeated Jared "The Quiet Storm" Robinson (14-0) on Feb. 21, 2014, in Cleveland on ShoBox; the following May 10 on a unanimous eight-round decision over Yordenis Ugas (15-3, 7 KOs) (it was Imam's first fight to go the distance since his pro debut in November 2011); and most recently, last Dec. 13 when he stopped Santos "El Toro" Benavides (23-6-2, 17 KOs) in the sixth round.

Maldonado Jr., 23, is a tough, hard-nosed, aggressive-minded left-hander who'd won six straight, five by knockout, before his last outing ended in a third round no contest against Fernando "Picapiedra" Silva on Dec. 20, 2014, in Cancun, Mexico.

"I have been training hard since my last fight against Fernando Silva, and have had no time off," said Maldonado Jr. "I am ready to get the job done, and I hope he is ready.  My goal is to show fans that I can put on a great show, step up the competition and get ready for a title match one fight at a time."

The NC stopped some of the momentum Maldonado Jr. had regained in the previous 18 months, since suffering his second pro loss on a disputed 10-round split decision to fellow prospect Michael "The Artist" Perez (21-1-2, 10 KOs) on Aug. 24, 2012, on ShoBox in Indio, Calif. Maldonado Jr. was out-boxed and clearly behind on points early but rallied to floor and hurt Perez badly with the last punch of the hotly contested fight in which Maldonado Jr. felt he was robbed.