Joshua Kevin Anton hopes for a breakout performance against Vladimir Hernandez on ProBoxTV, July 18

Power-punching, undefeated Joshua Kevin Anton is hoping he’ll get more of a challenge this time, when he steps up to defend his WBC Continental Americas junior middleweight strap against highly capable gatekeeper Vladimir “24K” Hernandez in the co-featured bout, live on ProBoxTV (7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST), on Saturday, July 18, from the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, California.

Southpaws Anton, 13-0 (12 KOs), of Palmdale, California, and Hernandez, 17-7 (7 KOs), of Stockton, California via Durango, Mexico, will collide in support of the night’s 10-round junior welterweight main event, featuring WBC No. 12-ranked Bryan “Nino Maravilla” Flores taking on Jonathan “Thunder” Navarro, 28-1-1 (16 KOs), of Las Vegas via Juarez, Mexico.

In the 10-round chief supporting bout, reigning champion Adelaida “La Cobra” Ruiz, 18-1-1 (8 KOs), of Los Angeles, will face interim champion Ginny Fuchs, 4-0 (1 KO), of Houston in a 10-round battle for the WBC women’s junior bantamweight title.

Last time out, Anton thought he was taking a major step up in a high-profile showdown against formerly highly ranked contender Kudratillo Abdukakhorov… Things didn’t work out that way.

Fighting in front of a packed house of energized Guatemalan fans (Anton is half-Guatemalan) in the co-main event of Lester Martinez’s title-winning victory over Immanuwel Aleem in San Bernardino last March, Anton fought just one round before Abdukakhorov indicated to officials his head hurt, prompting an immediate doctor’s stoppage.

“I was in shock. I didn't know what happened. I thought the fight was still going. And I remember my corner told me they stopped it. I'm like, ‘what are you talking about?’ It was such a mind-blowing experience that night.”

Anton admits the abbreviated fight was frustrating, but it’s not the first time a fight has fallen apart for the 27-year-old.

“If I'm being honest with you, I really did prepare very hard for that fight. I knew what the stakes were and I really wanted to go out there and perform in front of the huge crowd of my people. I've had some really tough times as a pro. I've had a lot of bomb-outs, a lot of matches not going through, sometimes right before the fight. Things don’t always go the way you hoped.”

Shaking off the disappointment, Anton says he’s happy to be making his fourth appearance on ProBoxTV and looks forward to this tough test against Hernandez. 

Better than his record, “24K” Hernandez has made a career from taking the undefeated records of hopeful prospects. If you don’t have it, gatekeeper Hernandez will expose it quickly.

“I've seen a few fights from him,” admits Anton. “He's an aggressive fighter. He likes to come forward, because he’s an all-action type of fighter. He did pull off quite a few upsets. He's a good fighter. That's why we're focusing on more technical stuff and on doing what we need to do to be smart about our game plan.”

Anton says that he’s happy to be fighting consistently on ProBoxTV and hopes a top-15 ranking will come with an impressive victory over Hernandez.

“It's a great feeling. I’ve really got to go out there and show what I can do. I feel like my time is now and I have to just go out there and perform. It's just a matter of time.”

In the 10-round welterweight chief supporting bout, Ruben “El Pollito” Aguillar, 24-0-1 (21 KOs) of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, takes on Tre'Sean “Trigger” Wiggins, 17-5-4 (10 KOs) of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Future Stars action to begin the evening features, Anthony “2 Quick” Cuba, 12-1-2 (5 KOs) of Los Angeles battling Misael 'Pichon' Cabrera, 18-3-1 (12 KOs) of Sonora, Mexico, in a junior welterweight eight-rounder; and Charles “LOLO” Harris, 12-1 (7 KOs) of Rialto, California, returning to action in another eight-round 140lbs bout against Jason “El Gallo” Limon, 11-2-1 (2 KOs), of San Antonio.

More exciting fights will be announced shortly. Tickets for this event are available through thundertix.com.

The event is presented by Garry Jonas (Pro Box Promotions) and Robert Garcia.