CHICAGO, IL - Undefeated light heavyweight prospect Tavoris Cloud arrived at O’Hare Airport from Tallahassee, Florida, on Wednesday night following final preparations for his ESPN2 televised showdown with former world champion Julio Gonzalez this Friday night, August 8th, at The Aragon Ballroom. The Cloud/Gonzalez battle is an IBF Title Eliminator bout for the # 1 light heavyweight ranking.
Said Cloud, as he was being sped to his downtown hotel, “I’m ready to fight and I’m sure that he is also. Neither one of us are dancers or prancers. We’re fighters and the fans will see that on Friday night. Fight fans want to see a great fight, that’s what we’re going to give them.
I’m thrilled to be back in Chicago, it’s my second home and I’ve heard the Aragon will be packed for the fight. Fans here have been terrific to me and I’m planning on putting on a great performance on Friday night.”
Cloud will be a special guest on Thursday night on the “Through The Ropes” national radio show hosted by award winning boxing writer Marc Lichtenfeld airing over the Sports Byline USA Network.
The Cloud/Gonzalez battle headlines HARD EIGHT, which is presented by Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING, along with Chicago-based A-TEAM Management. Advance tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com or 312-559-1212). Doors for this event will open at 6:30pm with the first bell at 7:15pm.
The open to the public weigh in for HARD EIGHT will take place on Thursday, August 7th at 5pm at Beef and Brandy Restaurant, 127 S. State St.. in Downtown Chicago.
The 26 year old Cloud of Tallahassee, Florida, brings an unbeaten record of 18-0 with seventeen knockouts into the battle with Gonzalez. Most recently he destroyed Mike Wood in the first round on March 28, 2008 in front of a packed Aragon Ballroom. In his most explosive outing which took place on August 24, 2007, Cloud, cut badly from a head butt in the fourth.
A native of Guerrero Negro, Mexico, now residing in Huntington Beach, California, the 31 year old Gonzalez sports a record of 41-5 with 25 knockouts. He is coming off a very close split decision loss to former world champion Reggie Johnson on February 23, 2008 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Along with battles with Johnson and Michalczewski, he has also fought world champions Roy Jones Jr., Clinton Woods (twice), Montell Griffin, and Zsolt Erdei.
The co-main event pits Chicago’s “KING” Carlos Molina, 11-4-1 (4KO’s) against Denver’s Donald Camarena, 19-4 (9KO’s) in an eight round welterweight bout.
Featured Undercard Bouts.
Zaid Zavaleta vs. Oscar Leon, eight rounds, lightweights
Cedric Agnew vs. Ali Supreme, six rounds, light heavyweights
Nick Casal vs. Frankie Zepeda, six rounds, junior welterweights
Johnny Suarez vs. Guadalupe Diaz, four rounds, junior middleweights
Theron Johnson vs. William Williams, four rounds, heavyweights