ONTARIO, CA (June 9, 2010) Advance tickets are now on sale as TKO Boxing Promotions presents ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California on Friday, July 2nd. Starting at $29, tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com. phone 800-745-3000) or the Citizens Business Bank Arena Box Office (909-244-5600). A five dollar discount is available for students, military, police and fire personnel in addition to seniors for tickets purchased in advance with ID at the box office. (One ticket per ID..)
Headlining ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights is a welterweight showdown between perennial contenders Demetrius “The Gladiator” Hopkins and “Mighty” Mike Arnaoutis.
Long a fixture at the top of the junior welterweight rankings, the 29 year old Hopkins made his debut at welterweight with a terrific performance against veteran Jesse Feliciano on March 25th at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles.
Controlling the action from the outset with an outstanding jab and piston like power shots from both hands, the Philadelphia native won all ten rounds, improving his record to 29-1-1 with 11 knockouts and earning the WBC USNBC Welterweight Title.
It was the first bout for Hopkins since losing a very hard fought, twelve round split decision to Kendall Holt on December 13, 2008 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for the WBO Junior Welterweight Title.
Born in Athens, Greece, and now fighting out of New York City, slugging southpaw Arnaoutis has been a fan favorite on the East Coast since turning professional nine years ago.
In November 2006, Arnaoutis, 22-5-2 (10KO’s) challenged Columbian Ricardo Torres for the vacant WBO Junior Welterweight World Title in Las Vegas. Although scoring the bouts’ only knockdown and appearing to control the high paced action throughout, Arnaoutis was denied the world title by a split decision from the judges.
The battle was broadcast as the HBO Pay Per View co-main event to the third bout between Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales.
The co-main event at ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights will feature one of boxing’s brightest prospects, junior welterweight sensation Francisco “The Phenom” Contreras. With an unblemished record of 14-0-0 with thirteen stoppages, the 26 year old Dominican has thrilled fight fans across the country with his stunning power in both hands.
Contreras made a smashing network debut with a first round destruction of Juan Castaneda Jr. on February 5th in Santa Ynez, California. The knockout was broadcast on SHOBOX, The New Generation.
The action packed undercard will feature numerous world class prospects and Inland Empire fan favorites including Coachella based super bantamweight Randy Caballero, 3-0-0 (3KO’s), junior welterweight Joseph Elegele, 8-0-0 (6KO’s) of Melbourne, Florida, along with Ventura, California native, flyweight Austroberto Juarez, 9-0-0 (2KO’s), and featherweight Alex Jimenez, 1-0-0, of Perris, California.
Former amateur standouts making their highly anticipated pro debuts on the undercard include welterweight Eric Mendez of Hawaiian Gardens, California and Indio’s Gabino Saenz.
More information on this event will be announced shortly.
The Citizens Business Bank Arena is located at 4000 East Ontario Center Parkway in Ontario, California. Doors on the evening of the event will open at 6pm with the first bell at 7pm.