LOS ANGELES, January 26, 2006 – They have battled and defeated the best boxing has to offer; they have fought for world championships, for the roar of the crowd and for a place in boxing history. On Saturday, March 25, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Mexican warriors Jesus Chavez and Marco Antonio Barrera will face each other in “The Ultimate Challenge” for just one reason. For pride. Chavez vs. Barrera, a 12-round IBF lightweight world championship fight, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and will be aired live March 25 on HBO’s World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:30 p.m. EST / 6:30 p.m. PST..
Chavez has a golden opportunity to defend his crown and further establish himself as one of boxing’s premier champions. For Barrera, the IBF and WBC super featherweight king, this fight is a chance to make history as he attempts to become the first Mexican born fighter in boxing history to win world titles in four different weight classes. The stakes have never been higher for both fighters.
Standing in the way of Barrera’s dream is Parral, Mexico native Jesus Chavez (43-3, 30 KOs), who has plenty of dreams of his own to fulfill. A longtime resident of Austin, Texas, the 33-year-old ‘El Matador’ has earned a reputation as one of the game’s toughest warriors. Formerly a standout at 130 pounds, where he battled some of the best in the division, Chavez jumped to lightweight in 2005 and earned his first world championship title last September when he fought Leavander Johnson at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in a fight that ended tragically.
Mexico City’s Marco Antonio Barrera (61-4, 42 KOs) is without question one of the greatest Mexican fighters of all-time. A 16-year veteran of the sport who turned pro when he was just 15, Barrera has left his mark in every division in which he has set foot – from super flyweight to super featherweight – earning world titles in three weight classes and beating a who’s who of boxing along the way. Still in his prime at 32, Barrera now chases after a fourth divisional crown in his quest to make boxing history.
Tickets for Chavez-Barrera, “The Ultimate Challenge”, are priced at $450, $350, $250, $150 and $75, not including applicable service charges and taxes, tickets go on sale on Saturday at any MGM box office outlets. Tickets also will be sold at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (Tower Records/WOW!, Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, Robinsons-May stores and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
For more information on Golden Boy Promotions, please visit our website at www.goldenboypromotions.com