TUCSON, Ariz – Home is where the victories are. As long as there is a 0 on the right side of the record, Las Vegas super-featherweight Diego Magdaleno will be happy in any zip code.
Magdaleno (21-0, KOs) hits the road and travels outside of Nevada for only the second time in his career Friday night at Casino del Sol against an opponent who has changed twice since the ShoBox-televised card was announced.
Magdaleno has fought 18 times in Las Vegas, his hometown. Two fights have been in Primm, Nevada. He went out-of-state once for a bout in Maywood, Calif., in 2009.
For his Tucson trip, he was initially scheduled to fight Miguel Beltran. But Beltran failed a physical conducted by the Pascua Yaqui for a bout subject to regulation by the Tribe, which owns the southern Arizona casino. Then, he was supposed to face Eduardo Lazcano. But Lazcano injured a rib in training.
Finally, journeyman Fernando Beltran (36-7-1, 20 KOs) of Tijuana got the call on Wednesday.
No matter who or where he fights, Magdaleno, the North American Boxing Federation’s 130-pound champion has to win to stay in line for an eventual shot at a major title.
“I feel right at home here,’’ said Magdaleno, who has family in Tucson and expects his Las Vegas fans to be at ringside. “I’m ready to put on a show.’’
First bell is scheduled for 6 p.m. (PST) on a card scheduled to include welterweight Yordenis Ugas (11-0, 5 KOs), a 2008 bronze medalist for Cuba at the Beijing Olympics, against Juan Garcia (11-0, 8 KOs) of Holland, Mich.
Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank