Thompson Boxing Promotions celebrates eighteen years as a high level promoter with an outstanding card, highlighted by two championship fights.
In the “Path to Glory” main event, undefeated welterweight contender Roberto Arriaza (16-0, 13 KOs) makes the first defense of his WBO Intercontinental Title against Venezuela’s Juan Ruiz (20-1, 12 KOs) on Friday, May 11.
The 10-round championship fight originates from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.
Arriaza, fighting out of Los Angeles by way of Nicaragua, burst onto the national scene on broadcast network Telemundo with a twenty second, first round destruction of Sammy Valentin in March. The spectacular knockout win awarded Arriaza his current championship, and as a result, is boxing with new found confidence.
“I’m ready to take the next step in my career and that’s to challenge for a world title, but first, I have to beat Juan Ruiz,” said Arriaza, who at nearly six feet tall has terrific size for the division. “I know I have what it takes to be great. I’m looking forward to defending my title in a few weeks.”
Arriaza, 28, is currently ranked as the No. 9 challenger by the WBO. Should he be successful against Ruiz, the heavy fisted Nicaraguan could perhaps open the door to a big fight later in the year.
“It’s important to keep dominating these types of fights,” Arriaza said. “Ruiz is no push over. He’s going to come at me with everything he’s got. It’s my job to control the fight and win in a big way.”
Tickets for “Path to Glory” are priced at $40, $75, & $100, and are available for purchase by calling 714-935-0900, or online at ThompsonBoxing.com.
In the 8-round co-feature, Junior NABF featherweight champion Erick Ituarte (19-1-1, 3 KOs) of Santa Ana, Calif. puts his hardware on the line against former world title challenger Carlos Carlson (22-3, 13 KOs) of Mexico.
Ituarte has been on a tear as of late, winning twelve straight – a streak that started nearly four years ago. On paper, the fast-handed Ituarte appears to have the advantage as the natural featherweight. Carlson has boxed mostly at bantamweight and only recently made the move up in weight.
“I’ve seen Carlson fight before so I know what to expect,” Ituarte said. “He likes to load up on the left hook. I’ll take that away, work off my jab, and make sure to keep him in front of me.”
While the 23-year-old Ituarte is riding a wave of confidence heading into his first title defense, Carlson has dropped his last two contents, one of which was a knockout loss to WBC bantamweight champion Shinsuke Yamanaka last year.
The “Path to Glory” undercard is stacked with top-notch prospects.
Leading the charge is junior lightweight Michael Dutchover (8-0, 5 KOs) of Midland, Tex. Dutchover, 20, has advanced boxing skills for his age range and has already sparred with elite talents such as world champion Oscar Valdez. Dutchover will fight an opponent to be named later (6-rounds).
Additionally, unbeaten bantamweight Mario Hernandez (5-0, 2 KOs) of Santa Ana will fight an opponent to be announced at a later date (6-rounds).
Lightweight prospect Ruben Torres (4-0, 4 KOs) of Los Angeles looks to make if five straight knockout wins to start his career. Torres faces Sergio Gonzalez in a bout set for 4-rounds.
All fights will be live streamed on TB Presents: Path to Glory via our Facebook page and ThompsonBoxing.com.
The livestream starts at 8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET with Beto Duran as the blow-by-blow announcer and Steve Kim providing expert, color commentary.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. local time with the first bout at approximately 8:00 p.m. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N. Vineyard Ave. in Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at 909-937-0900.
“Path to Glory” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Everlast.
For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. To follow the conversation on social media, please use #PathtoGlory, #TBPresents, #18Years, and #ThompsonBoxing.