By Francisco Salazar
Bantamweight Oscar Negrete may reside in the Los Angeles suburb of Rosemead, but he seems to get a kick out fighting at his second home at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles.
He will fight again there tonight, as he takes on veteran Jose Bustos.
The 10 round bout will air live on Estrella TV, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT. RingTVLive.com will stream the fight, along with amateur fights pitting officers from the L.A.P.D. against those from the N.Y.P.D., beginning at 5:15 p.m. PT.
Tonight will mark his sixth consecutive fight at the Downtown Los Angeles venue. His aggressive boxer-puncher style has created a buzz amongst local boxing fans.
"Things have gone well so far for me, whether I've fought at the Belasco, Indio (Calif.), or in Las Vegas," Negrete told Boxingscene.com over the phone on Wednesday. "I've faced a decent level of opposition thus far in my career. I'm grateful for these opportunities Golden Boy Promotions (his promoter) has put me in."
He faces a veteran fighter in Jose Bustos of Mexico, who has faced the likes of Lamont Roach, Frank De Alba, and Christopher Diaz.
Bustos has won his last three fights in a row.
"I've seen videos of his fights," said Negrete, who is managed by former fighter Cesar Garcia. "He prepares well. He likes to attack, but that's what I like to do as well. He's lost to top prospects, but I have to be at my best against him."
Negrete has made a name for himself as a prospect to watch in Southern California, but he believes he can become a well-known commodity amongst all boxing circles.
He has the right platform with a major promoter and his style is popular amongst boxing fans who have seen him thus far, in person or on television.
Negrete is originally from Colombia. While soccer is a passion in that country, boxers from that country have found modest success in the United States.
"I'm very proud to represent Colombia, my homeland. From the amateurs, when I fought in the United States as a 16-year-old, I dreamed about representing my people in this country. So far, I've done very well and I hope to continue that success."
"I have no problems making 118 pounds. This is the weight I want to fight at when I fight for a world title."
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 (CA) Star newspaper, RingTV, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at santioo89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing
