Having lost two years of his career while battling cancer, Anthony Dirrell hopes to make up for some lost time beginning tonight against world ranked Renan St. Juste in the Showtime-televised main event emanating from the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California. The twelve-round bout is sanctioned by the WBC as an eliminator, which means the victor will be put in line to eventually challenge the winner of the upcoming Carl Froch-Andre Ward unification fight.
Shortly after scoring a knockout in December 2006, Dirrell was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Dirrell’s treatment and recovery kept him from training until September of 2008. In the three years since, Dirrell has reeled off eleven consecutive victories, most by stoppage and mostly against modest opposition. In his last bout, Dirrell (23-0, 20 KOs) of Flint, Michigan disposed of Kevin Engel inside of two rounds in July. Dirrell, the WBC #1/WBA #2/IBF #14 ranked super middleweight, weighed in at 167-pounds.
“It’s going to be a big fight,” said Dirrell on Thursday. “I’m ready mentally and physically. I’ve been training hard, working with my brother [Andre] and the team, Team Dirrell. I’m ready.”
WBC #2/WBO #4/WBA #13/IBF #15 ranked St. Juste (23-2-1, 15 KOs) of Repentigny, Quebec, Canada has only been campaigning at 168-pounds since last December when he scored the biggest win of his career: a second-round stoppage of Sebastien Demers. The victory completely turned around St. Juste’s career after an upset loss in his previous bout to Marcus Upshaw at middleweight.
“Being at 168 is better for me,” explains St. Juste, who weighed-in at 166 1/2-pounds. “It was difficult for me to make 160. I walk around in the 180s. At 168, I can keep my muscle and not worry about the weigh-in.”
The winner of tonight’s bout would be in line to eventually cash in on a money fight against the winner of the Carl Froch-Andre Ward WBC/WBA unification bout, which takes place later this month.
In the co-main event, WBO #4/WBA #8/IBF #10 ranked 122-pounder Chris Avalos (19-1, 15 KOs) of Lancaster, California takes on IBF #14/WBO #14 ranked Jhonatan Romero (19-0, 12 KOs) of Cali, Colombia in a ten-round super bantamweight bout.
Avalos moved up in the rankings with a ten-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten prospect Khabir Suleymanov in June. The win marked Avalos’ third straight victory at 122-pounds after a weight-drained defeat at bantamweight against Christopher Martin in August of last year. Avalos scaled 121 ¾-pounds on Thursday.
Romero, a multiple-time former Colombian National champion, will be fighting outside of his home country for just the second time in his career. Avalos also represents a major step-up in class. The only notable name on the pro ledger of Romero came in his last bout on American soil, when he rose from a knockdown and scored a six-round decision over faded former super flyweight and bantamweight title challenger Cecilio Santos in June. Romero came in at 121-pounds Thursday.
2008 Colombian Olympian Darley Perez (23-0, 18 KOs) of San Pedro de Uraba, Colombia will take on veteran gatekeeper Fernando Trejo (33-16-6, 19 KOs) of Jarrell, Texas by way of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico in an eight-round lightweight bout.
Perez, the WBA #4/IBF#9/WBO #10/WBC #13 ranked lightweight, is coming off of a Showtime-televised win over Oscar Meza in September. Trejo, whose most notable victory came in 2005 over then-unbeaten Jose Armando Santa Cruz, was in the ring just a month ago. Trejo went the distance but lost a wide decision to lightweight prospect Jose Gonzalez in Puerto Rico. Perez weighed in at 134, while Trejo scaled 135-pounds.
Fighting for the first time outside of Colombia, WBA #5/IBF #7 ranked featherweight Daulis Prescott (23-0, 17 KOs) of Barranquilla, Colombia will take on once-beaten Gabriel Tolmajyan (11-1-1, 3 KOs) of Glendale, California by way of Yerevan, Armenia in an eight-round bout.
Prescott, the brother of Amir Khan-conqueror Breidis Prescott, would appear to be taking a step up in class. Despite his lofty rankings, Prescott has really yet to be even moderately tested as a pro. Tolmajyan has not exactly fought a who’s who, but has been impressive since dropping a four-round majority decision to still unbeaten Efrain Esquivas back in 2008. Prescott and Tolmajyan both scaled 127-pounds Thursday.
Glenn Porras (26-3, 17 KOs) of M’lang, Cotabato, Philippines will make his U.S. debut against journeyman Adolfo Landeros (21-22-2, 10 KOs) of Hidalgo, Hidalgo, Mexico in an eight-round super bantamweight bout. Porras, who came out to San Leandro, California to work with Nonito Donaire Sr. for this fight, weighed in at 120 ½-pounds Thursday. Landeros, 0-4-1 in his last five, scaled 122.
Super bantamweight prospect Roman Morales (7-0, 5 KOs) of San Ardo, California returns to the Chumash Casino Resort for the fourth time this year against Alejandro Castillo (4-1, 1 KO) of Denver, Colorado by way of Ciudad Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, Mexico in an eight-round bout. Despite having turned pro just this past February, Morales has quickly become one of the hottest prospects in the state. In his last ring appearance, Morales quickly dismantled Cain Garcia inside of two rounds in September. Castillo has yet to fight outside of Denver and enters tonight’s bout coming off of his lone defeat, a fourth-round stoppage suffered at the hands of Shawn Nichol in March of last year. Morales came in at 120-pounds to 119 for Castillo.
Super bantamweight prospect Jonathan Arrellano (10-0-1, 2 KOs) of Ontario, California will take on the always tough Jonathan Alcantara (4-5-2) of Novato, California in a six-round bout. Arrellano is fresh off the biggest win of his career, an eight-round decision over previously unbeaten Michael Ruiz Jr. to claim a minor title in September. Alcantara has consistently tested up-and-comers, including a draw with the aforementioned Ruiz. Arrellano and Alcantara both came in at the 122-pound super bantamweight limit at Thursday’s weigh-in.
In the opener, Roy Tapia (1-0, 1 KO) of East Los Angeles, California takes on Jose Garcia (0-4) of Bakersfield, California. Tapia, the 2007 National PAL Champion at 125-pounds, scaled 123 for his second pro bout on Thursday. Garcia, who has been matched incredibly tough in his career, weighed in at 122 ¾-pounds.
Tickets for tonight’s event, promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, are available online at StarTickets.com.
Quick Weigh-in Results:
WBC Super Middleweight Championship Eliminator, 12 Rounds
Dirrell 167
St. Juste 166 ½
Super Bantamweights, 10 Rounds
Avalos 121 ¾
Romero 121
Featherweights, 8 Rounds
Prescott 127
Tolmajyan 127
Lightweights, 8 Rounds
Perez 134
Trejo 135
Super Bantamweights, 6 Rounds
Morales 120
Castillo 119
Super Bantamweights, 6 Rounds
Arrellano 122
Alcantara 122
Super Bantamweights, 8 Rounds
Porras 120 ½
Landeros 122
Super Bantamweights, 4 Rounds
Tapia 123
Garcia 122 ¾
Photos by Tom Casino/Showtime
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected].
