Rafael Rivera: record, next fight and profile →
José Santa Cruz believes that his son, WBA featherweight world champion Leo Santa Cruz, will have his best year as a boxer. Santa Cruz will return on February 16 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles against Rafael Rivera. He wants his son to have one or two big fights before invading the division of 130 pounds.
Featherweight challenger Miguel Flores suffered an ankle injury in training and was forced to drop out of his match against WBA Featherweight World Champion Leo "El Terremoto'' Santa Cruz that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes Saturday, February 16 from Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles.
168 pound contender Maricela Cornejo (12-2) opened up the televised action against Samantha Pill (3-1) with a third round knockout victory. Cornejo was the far busier fighter and landed several shots in the second round with very little return fire from Pill.
Joet Gonzalez has quietly put together an unbeaten record while fighting in co-featured televised bouts and in preliminary action on fight cards in Las Vegas. Gonzalez has patiently waited for his opportunity to not only fight in a main event, but to make a statement to the featherweight division. The unbeaten Gonzalez could have fought a journeyman fighter to pad his record, but he, along with his promotional and management team, signed off on fighting a fringe contender who has only lost once as a pro.
This Friday night from the Novo at LA Live, Joet Gonzalez gets his first chance to headline a televised card as he faces Rafael Rivera on Friday night as the main event on ESPN. "I've been fighting for Joet to get on a stage like this for awhile, he's been on a lot of different cards but he's never been the featured performer on television,"said Frank Espinoza
Rising featherweight contender Joet Gonzalez (19-0, 11 KOs) will battle for the vacant NABO 126-pound title against Rafael 'Big Bang' Rivera (25-1-2, 16 KOs) in the 10-round main event of the July 13 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at The Novo by Microsoft at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. Doors to the event open at 3:00 p.m. PT, and the first fight begins at 4:00 p.m. PT. ESPN and ESPN Deportes will air the fights beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT.
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas - In a WBC featherweight eliminator, Joseph Diaz Jr. (25-0, 13 KOs) won a twelve round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Rafael Rivera (25-1-2, 16 KOs). The scores were 119-1109, 119-109 and 120-108.
Joseph 'JoJo' Diaz does not matter who he faces Saturday night. It could be Jorge Lara or Rafael Rivera. Or Josh Warrington, but Diaz is over calling out someone who allegedly does not want to step inside the ring with him. Diaz wants to score an impressive performance that will earn him an opportunity to fight for a world title belt.
Undefeated Featherweight Rafael "Big Bang" Rivera (25-0-2, 16 KOs) will step in to fight 2012 U.S. Olympian Joseph "JoJo" Diaz, Jr. (24-0, 13 KOs) in a 12-round WBC Title Eliminator as the co-main event to the Canelo-Golovkin superfight Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
LAS VEGAS – Just a few hours after Jorge Lara made his grand arrival at MGM Grand on Tuesday, the featherweight contender exited his fight against Joseph Diaz Jr.