CANCUN, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO (March 18) – A pioneering boxer who made history when she won the WBC Women’s Heavyweight Championship, Martha “The Shadow” Salazar (13-4, 3 KOs) of San Francisco will celebrate her Mexican roots, Today, Friday, March 18, when she defends her title for the first time against unbeaten Alejandra “La Tigre” Jimenez (5-0, 4 KOs) at the Oasis Arena Grand Hotel Oasis Cancun in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The 10-round heavyweight championship bout will air live on FOX Deportes starting at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.
In the co-main event, former WBC Silver Super Lightweight Champion Roberto “Massa” Ortiz (33-1-1, 25 KOs) of Torreon, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico, puts his two-fight winning streak on the line in a 10-round super lightweight bout against Colombia’s Pascual Salgado (12-6, 8 KOs). Opening up the televised action, Cancun’s own Ricardo “Torito” Perez (9-2, 8 KOs) faces off with Barranquilla, Colombia’s Mauricio Fuentes (18-5, 12 KOs) for the WBC Silver Light Flyweight.
The non-televised undercard features seven fights full of action, headlined by Roberto “Tito” Manzanarez (32-1, 26 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico taking on Carlos Adan “El Relampago” Jacobo (12-13-1, 9 KOs) from Guamuchil, Sinaloa, Mexico in a10-round lightweight fight. Also appearing on the card in separate bouts will be Torreon super flyweight Cesar Gandara (23-5, 9 KOs) and three Cancun standouts: flyweight Yesenia Gomez (11-4, 5 KOs), lightweight Joseph Aguirre (11-0, 7 KOs) and super bantamweight Pedro Tut (8-1).
Salazar vs. Jimenez, a 10-round bout for the WBC Women’s Heavyweight Title and presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Cancun Boxing de Pepe Gomez. The FOX Deportes broadcast begins at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.
San Francisco native Martha “The Shadow” Salazar has long set a high bar for women in the heavyweight division, fighting all comers since her debut in 2001, including Kisha Snow, Vonda Ward and Marsha Valley, winning the WIBF championship in the process. In 2013, following a six-year break from the sport, Salazar returned to the ring with a victory over highly-regarded Sonya “The Scholar” Lamonakis, and one fight later, on November 8, 2014, she shut out Tanzee “Sweet Tea” Daniel to win the WBC Women’s Heavyweight World Championship. On March 18, the 46-year-old makes her first title defense.
Mexico City’s Alejandra “La Tigre” Jimenez turned professional in 2014, and since then, the 28-year-old “La Tigre” has risen quickly to the top of the heavyweight division, with three wins in 2015 putting her in a title fight against Salazar. Fresh from a second-round technical knockout victory of Carmen Garcia on November 27, this hard-hitting rising star hopes to bring a world title home to Mexico when she faces one of the sport’s most respected champions.
Torreon, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico’s super lightweight contender Roberto “Massa” Ortiz is the winner of two consecutive victory since his first suffering his first defeat at the hands of the heavy-handed, Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse in 2014. So far, he has his sights on getting back into the title picture defeating Juan Jesus Rivera and Nestor Fernando Garcia. But first, he must turn back the challenge of the upset-minded Salgado, a hard-hitting 31-year-old from Cartagena who is coming off the biggest win of his career over longtime contender Walter Estrada in February.
A thunderous puncher who has ended eight of his nine professional victories by knockout, Cancun’s Ricardo Perez has won three consecutive bouts dating back to 2014, with two of those victories earning him the WBC Silver title in the minimum weight and light flyweight divisions. Now firmly established at 108 pounds, the 24-year-old looks to follow up his technical knockout win over Noe Medina last August with another signature victory in his hometown on March 18. Standing in Perez’ way is Barranquilla’s Mauricio Fuentes, a former world title challenger looking to spoil his opponent’s homecoming.
Unbeaten in eleven fights since 2012, 20-year-old phenom Roberto “Tito” Manzanarez makes his first appearance of 2016 on March 18. Manzanarez has been on a wining streak defeated seasoned veterans Ricardo “Piolo” Castillo and Hector “Charro Negro” Velasquez and in 2015 Manzanarez defeated Edgar “Lupillo” Ramirez, Daniel “El Mulato” Valenzuela, and Christian “Veneno” Lopez. Now in 2016, Carlos Adam Jacobo is standing in his way to championship glory. Former holder of the WBC Fecombox Super Bantamweight Title, Jacobo has had an up-and-down career since his professional debut in 2008. The fighter is known to be a warrior in the ring and will be looking to start off 2016 on the right foot when he goes up against Manazanarez on March 18.
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