LOS ANGELES – The hours at the gyms have been long, the training intense, but for the warriors of Mexico and The Philippines, the payoff will be worth it if they can win a majority of the seven scheduled bouts on August 11th – not just for themselves, but for their countries as well, as they compete in the 2007 Boxing World Cup at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California.
Five undercard bouts are scheduled for a night of unforgettable boxing as Mexico defends the World Cup against The Philippines. In addition to two exciting World Championship co-main events, two IBF World Title Elimination bouts are scheduled.
A shot at the IBF’s Junior Bantamweight Title will be up for grabs when Gerson Guerrero (33-7, 25 KO’s) of Mexico City takes on Mandaue City’s Z Gorres (26-2-1, 14 KO’s) in a 12 round battle. Also in World Cup action will be unbeaten rising star AJ Banal (13-0-1, 10 KO’s) of Ermita, who faces Eric Ortiz (26-6-1, 17 KO’s) of Mexico City in a six round junior bantamweight contest.
An IBF Junior Flyweight Title shot will be on the line when Mexico City’s Gerardo Verde (15-4, 11 KO’s) battles Cebu veteran Bert Batawang (50-6, 34 KO’s) in a 12 round matchup.
An eight round junior bantamweight clash between Mexico City’s Jose Angel Beranza (30-9-2, 25 KO’s) and Davao City’s Diosdado Gabi (29-3-1, 21 KO’s) will also play out in the battle for the Cup, while opening the card is Juarez junior featherweight Miguel Roman (21-0, 15 KO’s) risking his unbeaten record in a six rounder against Libac veteran Michael Domingo (31-14-2, 12 KO’s).
The 2007 Boxing World Cup main event features WBO Junior Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon (31-1, 28 KO’s) of Chihuahua, Mexico putting his title on the line against number one contender Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista (23-0, 17 KO’s) of Cebu City, Philippines. The co-featured championship bout will be just as explosive, as power-punching Jhonny Gonzalez (34-5, 29 KO’s) of Mexico City defends his WBO Bantamweight Crown against former World Champion Gerry Penalosa (51-6-2, 34 KO’s) of Manila.
The country with the most victories at the second Boxing World Cup, which was created by Golden Boy Promotions in 2005, will be awarded a specially designed trophy made by IceLink - one of the leading jewelry manufacturers and designers in the world.
The best of seven series of bouts is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, in association with ALA Boxing, SGG Sports Promotions, ARCO Arena, and international matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz. HBO Boxing After Dark will televise the two co-featured world championship fights live beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET with a tape delayed airing on the West Coast at 10:00 p.m. PT.
Tickets for the 2007 Boxing World Cup, priced at $275, $150, $85, $60 and $40, are on sale now. The quickest and most convenient way to purchase tickets is by calling Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone or by visiting the Web site at www.ticketmaster.com. The Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone number is (916) 649-TIXS. Tickets are also available at the ARCO Arena Box Office and Sacramento-area Ticketmaster outlets.
