Primed and ready, knockout specialist Steven Villalobos is anticipating big things for himself when he steps back into the ring.
The super welterweight will look to remain undefeated when he faces Jose Leon in a scheduled 5-round semi-main event at Battle at the Boat 116 on Saturday, June 9 at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash.
“Fans should expect a star to be born,” the 26-year-old Villalobos said. “I’m making a statement and I will be victorious.”
Highlighting the six-bout card will be a 10-round main event between undefeated fighters Giovanni Cabrera-Mioletti (11-0-0, 3 KOs) and Elijah Pierce (8-0-0, 7 KOs).
Tickets are available through the EQC box office and all Ticketmaster Outlets. Preliminary bouts will start at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Villalobos enters the bout with a stellar 7-0-1 record with six of his victories coming by knockout.
His most recent KO came in his last fight on March 25 when he needed just 2 minutes, 48 seconds to hand Luciano Hernandez Garcia his first career setback. It marked the sixth time a Villalobos contest failed to get out of the first round.
Villalobos’ lone non-victory came in his Battle at the Boat debut on Nov. 18, 2017 when he fought to a split draw against Eduardo Torres. One judge scored the 5-round bout 49-45 in favor of Villalobos, while another had Torres as the 48-46 winner. The third judge scored the bout a 47-47 draw.
Villalobos and Leon (6-2-1, 5 KOs) have somewhat of a history together despite never fighting. The two were scheduled to meet in Idaho on May 24 but the fight was cancelled after a dispute regarding the weight couldn’t be resolved.
“Training has been going great. Camp has been perfect,” said Villalobos, who was named the best fighter at the Las Vegas Golden Gloves Regional tournament in 2016 after defeating a three-time national Golden Gloves champion. “I’m full of energy and ready to go for the opponent that is going to be in front of me. I’m on weight. I’ve been ready since the last time he dropped out.”
Residing in Burlington, Wash., Villalobos trains out of the Renton-based Tenochtitlan Boxing Gym.
“I’ve always had like three or four trainers so I wanted all their styles,” Villalobos said, “defense, footwork and to be an aggressive, but smart fighter and that’s what I get with (trainer) Paco (Reyes) in Renton.”
Tenochtitlan Boxing Gym could have a big night on June 9 as Villalobos is one of three of its fighters appearing on the card.
The gym will also have Cris Reyes (2-0-0, KO) taking on a debuting Bryce Gonzales and Jorge Linares (3-1-0, 3 KOs) facing Antonio Neal (4-8, 3 KOs). Both bouts are in the 139-pound weight division.
Battle at the Boat 116 will feature the VIP experience with 3rd Row Seats being discounted to $75 per ticket. All fans seated in in the VIP section (rows 1-3) will have an exclusive access point and a dedicated server to help create a true VIP experience.
Battle at the Boat 116 is brought to you by Brian Halquist Productions. For more information, please visit www.halquistproductions.com and the Battle at the Boat Facebook page.