Two of boxing’s most popular former world champions – Jesus ”El Matador” Chavez and Jhonny Gonzalez – return to the ring on Friday, April 4th, as Golden Boy Promotions presents ‘Solo Boxeo’ on Telefutura from the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California. The former super featherweight and lightweight champion of the world, Chavez will battle San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Daniel Jimenez, while former world bantamweight champion Gonzalez takes on Los Mochis, Mexico’s Edel Ruiz. Both bouts are scheduled for ten rounds..
Tickets, priced at $150, $100 and $50, can be purchased at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa Box Office at (951) 755-5391 or online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.morongo.com. Doors for the event open at 4 p.m. PT, with the first bout beginning at 4:30 p.m. PT and the co-main event and main events taking place from 5-7 p.m. PT.
One of the most inspiring fighters of this era, Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico-born Jesus Chavez (42-4, 29 KO’s) came up the hard way in the fight game, eventually winning the WBC World Super Featherweight crown in 2003 with a victory over Sirimongkol Singwancha. The always exciting “El Matador” added the IBF Lightweight World Title to his resume in 2005 and though he would lose it a year and a half later when he injured his right knee during a fight against Julio Diaz, the 35-year-old warrior is healed and ready to make another run at the title, beginning with his bout against Daniel Jimenez (17-2-1, 10 KO’s). A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, the 27-year-old Jimenez is a tough fight for anyone he steps in the ring with, as evidenced by his big 2006 win over previously unbeaten 2004 Olympian Vicente Escobedo. Since then, Jimenez has won three of four fights and is looking forward to getting his 2008 campaign off to an impressive start against Chavez.
Perhaps the hardest punching lower-weight fighter in the world today, Mexico City’s Jhonny Gonzalez (36-6, 30 KO’s) has specialized in the art of the knockout for years. A former WBO Bantamweight World Champion who made two defenses of his title and owns wins over Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, Ratanachai Sor Vorapin and Fernando Montiel, the 26-year-old Gonzalez is currently on a two-fight winning streak that he hopes to extend on April 4th. In Edel “Cuate” Ruiz (29-19-4, 20 KO’s), Gonzalez will be facing a rugged competitor from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico who is always aggressive in seeking victory.