By Francisco Salazar
Welterweight Juan Jose Velasco has had the benefit of fighting near or around his hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Saturday night will be a total opposite for him.
Traveling thousands of miles from home, Velasco will likely be facing a hostile crowd, one that will be jeering him as opposed to the cheering he has received in previous fights.
Velasco will face Fernando Marin in a 10 round bout at the Arena Jalisco in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
Velasco (14-0, 8 KOs), who is managed by Sampson Lewkowicz, has built an unbeaten record fighting and defeating modest opposition.
In his last bout on November 26, the 29-year-old Velasco stopped Carlos Daniel Aquino in the fifth round. Along the way, Velasco has won a few regional title belts at 147 and 154 pounds.
Marin (13-1-3, 9 KOs) lost his first fight as a pro in his last bout on October 21. The fighter from Calvillo, Aguascalientes, Mexico was stopped in the sixth round by Mauricio Pintor, the nephew of former world champion Guadalupe 'Lupe' Pintor.
Other bouts that will pit fighters from Argentina against those Mexico will also take place on the card.
20-year-old Jose Romero (12-0, 5 KOs) of Cordoba, Argentina will square off against Bernardo Gomez Uribe (18-6, 11 KOs) in an eight round junior lightweight bout. Gomez Uribe resides in Guadalajara.
Lightweight Jairo Llanes (9-1-1, 8 KOs) will face Emmanuel Valenzuela (4-6, 2 KOs) in a six round bout.
All three bouts will air on RingTV.com, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.
In an all-Mexico heavyweight clash, Filiberto Tovar (5-0 1 NC, 2 KOs) will face Lawrence Elizondo (8-1, 3 KOs) in an eight round bout.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for Boxingscene.com since September of 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (Calif.) Star newspaper, RingTV, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing
