PALM DESERT, CALIF. (Nov. 18, 2025) — Golden Boy Promotions will kick off its 2026 fight calendar with a bang, rolling out a slate of high-stakes rematches to open the new year. Headlining the card, NABO Welterweight Champion Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-1, 16 KOs) and NABF Welterweight Champion Raul “El Cugár” Curiel (16-0-1, 13 KOs) will finally settle the score after their heated first meeting ended in a draw. The 12-round showdown between the two top contenders will take place Friday, January 16, live from Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., and broadcast worldwide on DAZN.

“January 16th isn’t a new fight, it’s Round 13,” said Alexis Rocha. “Curiel and I left something unfinished, and this time I’m not stopping until there’s no doubt left in anyone’s mind. He’s going to feel everything I’ve carried since that night. At Acrisure Arena, I’m ending this story — permanently.”

“I am very excited to continue to build my legacy, be able to fight and continue this boxing saga,” said Raul Curiel. “I am filled with emotions knowing that I will represent Mexico and my hometown of Tampico.”

“We’re kicking off our 2026 fight calendar with the kind of high-impact, high-stakes rematches fans demanded we run back,” said Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “January 16 will bring classic Golden Boy excitement and showcase the Coachella Valley’s next generation of stars we’ve been shaping from the ground up.”

On the undercard, Coachella Valley’s Manuel “Gucci Manny” Flores (20-1-1, 16 KOs) and Tijuana’s Jorge “El Niño Dorado” Chávez (14-0-1, 8 KOs) will meet in a rematch that could define the next phase of their careers. The super bantamweight clash is scheduled for 10 rounds.

“I feel blessed to be making an appearance in this new arena,” said Manuel Flores. “I am ready to showcase in this rematch that we are on different levels.”

“Everyone knows I won our last fight,” said Jorge Chavez. “Manuel knows this, the fans know this, his team knows this and more importantly I know this. Now it’s my job to take this out of the judges’ hands and to show Manuel once and for all who the real winner is between us.”

Tickets for Rocha vs. Curiel are priced at $200, $150, $100, $50, and $25, excluding applicable service charges. A limited number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, which include exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. Ticket pre-sale will begin on Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 10:00 am PT to 10:00 p.m. PT, and the on-sale will begin on Friday, Nov. 21 at 10:00 a.m. PT.

Fresh off a majority draw in a Southern California showdown in December 2024, Alexis “LEX” Rocha once again proved why he remains one of the welterweight division’s most exciting and resilient fighters. His headlining duel with Raul Curiel at Toyota Arena delivered nonstop action and further cemented Rocha’s reputation for grit and entertainment. Rocha entered that bout after recapturing the NABO Welterweight title in July 2024 with a thrilling victory over Santiago Dominguez. That win marked a strong rebound from his October 2023 loss to Giovani Santillan, which ended a successful stretch in which he defended the NABO title three times.

Before that setback, Rocha had built major momentum by claiming the NABO Welterweight title with a win over Luis Alberto Veron in July 2022. That triumph followed an impressive run that included three consecutive knockout victories, highlighted by a dominant performance against Blair Cobbs. Rocha met his first defeat in October 2020 against Rashidi Ellis, but the loss came only after he had already proven his pedigree by winning the WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Title in 2018 and successfully defending it in the years that followed. He began his professional career with Golden Boy in early 2016, making a statement with a knockout debut against Jordan Rosario. That launch came on the heels of an exceptional amateur run in which Rocha became a six-time national champion and, at just 14 years old, the youngest fighter ever to win Junior Olympics gold in 2012. Now at 28, the southpaw keeps advancing through the division, powered by determination, resilience and a reputation for delivering action.

In his latest outing, Raul “El Cugar” Curiel made a powerful statement in a WBA title eliminator on the Jake Paul vs. Julio César Chávez Jr. PPV card, overwhelming previously unbeaten Victor Rodriguez at the Honda Center. A precise right uppercut in the fourth round changed the fight dramatically, leading to a stoppage win and marking an impressive debut under trainer Robert Garcia. That performance followed Curiel’s breakthrough moment in December 2024, when he battled Alexis Rocha to a thrilling 12-round majority draw. The action-packed fight elevated his profile and helped cement his standing among the welterweight elite. He now holds top-15 rankings across all major sanctioning bodies — No. 3 by the WBC and the WBA, No. 6 by the IBF, No. 13 by the WBO, and No. 7 by The Ring Magazine — all while maintaining an undefeated professional record of 16 wins, one draw, and 14 knockouts.

Curiel turned professional in February 2017 under manager Frank Espinoza and Golden Boy, rising through the ranks on the strength of his power and steady dominance. Before turning professional, Curiel built an outstanding amateur resume representing Tamaulipas, Mexico. Beginning at just 15 years old, he quickly emerged as a force on the international stage, capturing gold at the 2012 AIBA World Championships, the 2013 Olympic Cup Championships, and Washington D.C. ‘s 2013 Golden Gloves Tournament. His strong run in the 2015 World Series of Boxing earned him a place on Mexico’s 2016 Olympic team, where he competed in the light welterweight division at the Rio de Janeiro Games. With his sights now set on a world title, “El Cugar” remains a serious threat in the welterweight division.

In his most recent performance, Manny “Gucci Manny” Flores battled to a majority draw in a headline showdown against San Diego’s Jorge Chavez at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, leaving fans and fighters eager for an immediate rematch. The ten-round clash between two of Golden Boy’s brightest rising stars delivered nonstop action and lived up to the hype. Representing Coachella, CA, Flores has become a standout in the super bantamweight division. After debuting in June 2017, he quickly made a name for himself with an aggressive style and explosive power, stringing together an impressive winning streak. Despite a setback in June 2023 with a unanimous decision loss to Walter Santibanes, Flores has bounced back spectacularly, winning five consecutive fights by knockout. Training under Joel and Antonio Diaz at Diaz Training Camp alongside world-class talent like Israil Madrimov, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, and Bektemir Melikuziev, Flores continues to refine his skills. With his current momentum and determination, he is on track for bigger opportunities in the super bantamweight division.

Jorge “ El Niño Dorado” Chavez delivered a standout performance against Manuel “Gucci Manny” Flores, fighting to a 10-round majority draw in front of a roaring Coachella crowd in his latest outing. Facing one of the toughest challenges of his career in enemy territory, Chavez remained composed and confident, mixing technical skill with power, and leaving fans and fighters alike eager for an immediate rematch. Many observers felt he had done enough to claim victory. Hailing from Tijuana and based in San Diego, Jorge Chavez has rapidly established himself as one of Golden Boy Promotions’ top rising stars. He turned professional in November 2021 and, after making a strong impression in his early fights, signed with Golden Boy in November 2023. In April 2025, Chavez thrilled fans with a dynamic performance against hard-hitting Brandon Douglas on the Gabriela Fundora vs. Marilyn Badillo undercard at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, CA. The eight-round contest reminded fans why ‘El Niño Dorado’ has become a must-watch every time he fights. Boasting a 60-7 amateur record, Chavez overcame the challenges of being an immigrant fighter with fewer opportunities to develop an extensive amateur background than many of his peers. Known for his sharp technical skills and power, he trains under Hector Lopez in Santa Ana alongside top talents like Alexis Rocha. With an unbeaten professional record and growing momentum, Chavez is quickly emerging as one of the super bantamweight division’s most exciting fighters.

#

Rocha vs. Curiel is a 12-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Flores vs. Chavez is a 10-round super bantamweight fight. The event will be available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaCuriel

Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel entertained and delivered, yet after 36 grueling minutes neither could claim victory as the nip and tuck welterweight battle ended in a 12-round majority draw at in Ontario, California.

Both guys had plenty of moments taking the lead in the fight as the both landed plenty of head and body flurries. The fighters took turns taking rounds as it was a nip-and-tuck battle throughout.

Rocha landed 205 of 818 punches. Curiel was 232 of 731.

In the end, Rocha won a scorecard by a 116-112 tally while the two others were evened up at 114-114.

Rocha of Santa Ana, CA is 25-5-1. Curiel of Los Angeles is 15-0-1.

“I want to run this fight back again and then hopefully fight for a world title,” said Rocha. “I know I did enough to win. The rounds were very close; unfortunately, tonight didn’t go my way. I want the rematch — it was a fun fight, and I want to do it again.”

“I definitely felt like I had done what I had to do to win the fight,” said Curiel. “I’m sure he would say the same. At the end of the day, the fans are the best judges, and based on the crowd’s reactions, they won tonight. I hope we can run it back again next year. For now, I want to enjoy the holidays with my family.”

Conwell Knocks Out Vegara in 7

In a battle of undefeated junior middleweights, Charles Conwell stopped Gerardo Vegara in round seven of their 10-round bout.

Vegara dominated the action and bloodied Vegara in round five. In round seven, Conwell hurt Vegara with a left hook and opened up a vicious eight=punch flurry that featured several more hard left hook and the fight was stopped at 2:51.

Conwell, 153.8 lbs of Cleveland is 21-0 with 16 knockouts. Vegara, 152.8 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 20-1.

Scrappy Ramirez Decisions Bui

John Ramirez won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Epharim Bui in a super flyweight bout.

In round four, Bio was bleeding under his right eye.

Ramirez landed 176 of 601 punches. Bui was 175 of 705.

Ramirez, 114 1/2 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 97-93 on all cards and is now 14-1. Bui, 113 3/4 lbs of Sugarland, TX is 10-1.

Marlen Esparza Decisions Arely Mucino

In a battle of former world champions, Marlen Esparza won a 10-round unanimous decision over Arely Mucino in a super flyweight bout.

Esparza landed 146 of 460 punches. Mucino 113 of 486.

Esparza who missed the flyweight limit weight and came in at 114 lbs and the Houston native won by scores od 98-92 twice and 97-93 and is now 15-2. Mucino, 111.1 lbs of Monterrey, MEX is 32-5-2.

Victor Morales Stops Guardado Due Eye Injury

Victor Morales remained undefeated by stopping Ivan Guardado due to a swollen eye in round eight of their 10-round junior lightweight bout.

In round one, Guardado was cut under his left eye.

Just as the bell sounded for round eight, the right eye of Guardado was swelling badly. The ringside doctor spent several minutes test out Guardado and then pulled Guardado out of the fight.

Morales, 131 lbs of Vancouver, WA is now 20-0-1 with 10 knockouts. Guardado, 131 lbs of Ensanada, MEX is 16-3-1.

Jorge Chavez remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Ruben Casero in a super bantamweight bout.

In round one, Chavez landed a big right that sent Casero down. Chavez dropped Casero again at the end of the frame. Casero was bleeding from around the right eye as early as round four.

Chavezm 121 1/2 lbs of Tijuana MEX won by scores of 80-70 and is now 13-0. Casero, 121 1/4 lbs of Uruguay is 12-4.

Ricardo Ruvalcaba remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Jabin Chollet in a welterweight contest.

Ruvalcaba, 144 3/4 lbs of Ventura, CA won by scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73 and is now 13-0-1. Chollet, 145 lbs of San Diego is now 10-2.

Gael Cabrera stopped Garen Diagan in round two of their six-round super bantamweight fight.

In round two, Cabrera landed a big left right on the nose for a knockdown. When Diagan got to his feet, Diagan did not look like he could continue and the fight was stopped at 2:59.

Cabrera of Sonora, MEX is 6-0 with four knockouts. Diagan, 121 1/2 lns of General Santos City, PHL is 10-6.

Uhilices Reyes scored a shocking second round stoppage over previously undefeated Joshua Garcia in a six-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Reyes rocked Garcia with a left hook and had Garcia stumbling around and eating punches. Reyes continued to flurry and dropped Garcia. Halfway through round two, Reyes landed a booming left that was followed by a right and Garcia was dropped again. Reyes continued to the assault was Garcia was administered a third count and the fight was waved off at 2:04.

Reyes, 132 1/2 lbs of Omaha, NE is 3-1 with two knockouts. Garcia, 134 1/4 lbs of Moreno Valley, CA is 9-1.

Fabian Guzman stopped Travis Floyd in round two of their four-round middleweight bout.

In round two, Guzman dropped Floyd with a right hook as Floyd was walking in. Guzman continues to pound on Floyd until the bout was stopped at 2:28.

Guzman, 158 1/2 lbs of Orange, CA is 6-0 with six knockouts. Floyd, 154 1/2 lbs is now 4-12-2.

Javier Meza made a successful pro debut with an opening round stoppage over David Music in a junior welterweight bout.

Early in round one, Meza dropped Music with an overhand right. Later in the round, Meza landed a huge flurry in the corner that forced a referee stoppage at 2:59.

Meza, 140 1/4 lbs of Amarillo, TX is 1-0 with one knockout. Music, 141 1/2 lbs of Findlay, OH is 1-1.

ONTARIO, Calif. (Dec. 12, 2024) – As Golden Boy closes out the year with a stacked fight night on Saturday, Dec. 14, a press conference was held today in Ontario, Calif., to promote the anticipated 12-round clash between two world title contenders: NABO Welterweight Titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2, 16 KOs) and undefeated knockout artist and NABF Welterweight Titleholder Raul “El Cugar” Curiel (15-0, 13 KOs). Doors to the Toyota Arena open at 1 p.m. PT, the Golden Boy Fight Night: Rocha vs. Curiel Prelims livestream begins at 1:30 p.m. PT, and the DAZN broadcast will kick off at 5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Rocha vs. Curiel are on sale and are priced at $100, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable service charges. A limited number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available for purchase, which include exclusive merchandise and fight-night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-Arena.com, GoldenBoy.com, or the Toyota Arena box office, Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

In the co-main event, the highly ranked, undefeated world title contender Charles “Bad News” Conwell (20-0, 15 KOs) will return to the ring in a 10-round super welterweight fight against Buenos Aires, Argentina’s Gerardo Vergara (20-0, 13 KOs). In a bid for the vacant WBA Continental North America Super Flyweight Title, John “Scrappy” Ramirez (13-1, 9 KOs) will seek redemption against Sugar Land, Texas’ undefeated Ephraim Bui (10-0, 8 KOs) in a 10-round super flyweight fight. In a crossroads bout, U.S. Olympic medalist and former unified world champion Marlen Esparza (14-2, 1 KO) will face former four-time world champion Arely “Ametralladora” Muciño (32-4-2, 11 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico, in a 10-round super flyweight contest. Opening the DAZN broadcast with a 10-round super featherweight fight, Victor “El Tornado” Morales (19-0-1, 9 KOs) of Vancouver, Canada, will meet Ensenada, Mexico’s Jose Ortiz (16-2-1, 6 KOs).

On the Golden Boy Fight Night: Rocha vs. Curiel Prelims, streamed live on the Golden Boy YouTube channel, Tijuana, Mexico’s Jorge “El Niño De Oro” Chavez (12-0, 8 KOs) will participate in an eight-round super bantamweight fight against Ruben Casero (12-3, 4 KOs) of Colonia, Uruguay. Ventura, Calif.’s Ricardo Ruvalcaba (12-0-1, 10 KOs) will compete in an eight-round super lightweight contest against San Diego’s Jabin Chollet (10-1, 8 KOs). In a six-round super bantamweight fight, Sonora, Mexico’s Gael “El Terror” Cabrera (5-0, 3 KOs) will face former world title challenger Garen Diagan (10-5, 5 KOs) of General Santos City, Philippines.

Also on the prelims, Moreno Valley’s Joshua “El Americano” Garcia (9-0, 4 KOs) will fight Uhlices Avelino-Reyes (2-1, 1 KO) of Omaha, Neb., in a six-round super featherweight match. Fabian Guzman (5-0, 5 KOs) of Orange, Calif., will compete in a four-round middleweight fight against Travis Floyd (4-11-2, 1 KO) of Douglasville, Georgia. In the opening bout of the night, Amarillo, Texas’ Javier Meza will make his professional debut against Findlay, Ohio’s David Music (0-1) in a four-round super lightweight contest.

HERE IS WHAT SOME OF TODAY’S PARTICIPANTS HAD TO SAY:

ALEXIS “LEX” ROCHA, NABO WELTWELTERWEIGHT TITLEHOLDER: “First off, I want to thank God. I want to thank all of Golden Boy Promotions. Want to thank my team to the right of me. Appreciate you guys for everything you guys have ever done. Yeah, I got a good opponent coming in front of me, undefeated. He has a winning streak, but every streak, unfortunately comes to an end. I’ve trained very hard for this fight. I’ve cut no corners. I’m mentally, physically, in the best shape possible. This is my moment, and I’m gonna go and take it. This is gonna be a war, December 14, and I’m ready to make a statement.”

RAUL “EL CUGAR” CURIEL, NABF WELTERWEIGHT TITLEHOLDER:

“Hello everyone. First of all, I want to thank God for this opportunity. This is a dream come true. To be able to see my face in this beautiful poster is surreal.”

“I’ve trained very hard for this fight. I know this fight can open all the doors for a world title shot, and that’s my dream. This fight is for Mexico, it is for all my people who have my back and support me. I know I’m going win. This camp was a tremendous one, and I am in the best shape of my career.”

CHARLES CONWELL, SUPER WELTERWEIGHT CONTENDER:

“It feels good to be back. This is my third fight this year. I’m excited man. I have trained real hard for this fight. I want to thank Golden Boy, the whole team, for putting this together and letting me be the co-main event. I’m looking to steal the show and stay tuned for exciting fight. Let’s get it!”

BERNARD HOPKINS, HALL OF FAMER AND GOLDEN BOY PARTNER:

“As we go into the next year, everyone here to my right and to my left, have an opportunity to go into the new year 2025 with the mindset of being the next main event, or the next star in boxing, or becoming a bigger star in 2025. These are the incentives. Nothing is guaranteed.”

ERIC GOMEZ, PRESIDENT OF GOLDEN BOY:

“We did 22 shows this year. This will be our 23rd. This is the last show for the year, and it has been an incredible year. We had some big events, a lot of world title fights, and many great prospects who fought and are continuing to develop. But I truly believe we saved the best for last, and this main event is going to be fantastic, style-wise.”

“What matters is that both Rocha and Curiel are here. For Golden Boy, it’s a little bittersweet because we’ve watched these two guys grow up in front of our eyes. But as everyone knows, boxing is an individual sport. It’s not a team sport. And sometimes, there’s someone in your way—someone from the same stable, maybe even the same gym or the same promoter. These two guys know the significance of this fight, and I want to commend both of them for accepting it and for giving the fans what they want to see: a great night of boxing.”

#

Rocha vs. Curiel is a 12-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event will be available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaCuriel

ONTARIO, CALIF. (December 3, 2024) – The DAZN undercard has been finalized for the anticipated clash of power between two, world title contenders, NABO Welterweight Titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KOs) and undefeated knockout artist and NABF Welterweight Titleholder Raul “El Cugar” Curiel (15-0, 13 KOs). The 12-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif. and broadcast around the world on DAZN. Doors to the venue open at 1:00 p.m. PT, the Golden Boy Fight Night: Rocha vs. Curiel Prelims livestream begin at 1:10 p.m. PT, and the DAZN Broadcast will kickstart at 5:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Rocha vs. Curiel are on sale and are priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. A limited amount of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available for purchase with exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades included. Standard and VIP tickets for purchase at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or the Toyota Arena box office Monday through Friday from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The media credentials form is open and can be found at the Golden Boy website. Applications are due EOD, December 9.

In the co-main event, the highly ranked, undefeated world title contender Charles “Bad News” Conwell (20-0, 15 KOs) will return to the ring in a 10-round super welterweight fight against Buenos Aires, Argentina’s Gerardo Vergara (20-0, 13 KO’s). With two straight knockout performances since signing with Golden Boy, Conwell will look to impress yet again against the tough Argentinian who also has had an impressive knockout streak and has held several regional titles.

Making his great return, John “Scrappy” Ramirez (13-1, 9 KOs) is making a comeback into the ring against Sugar Land, Texas’ undefeated Ephraim Bui (10-0, 8 KOs) in a 10-round super flyweight fight. In a crossroads fight, U.S. Olympic Medalist and former unified world champion Marlen Esparza (14-2, 1 KOs) and former four-time World Champion Arely “Ametralladora” Mucino (32-4-2, 11 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico will battle it out in a 10-round super flyweight bout. Opening the DAZN Broadcast with a 10-round super featherweight fight, Victor “El Tornado” Morales (19-0-1, 9 KOs) of Vancouver, Canada and Ensenada, Mexico’s Jose Ortiz (16-2-1, 6 KOs) will kick off the broadcast.

On the Golden Boy Fight Night: Rocha vs. Curiel Prelims that are streamed live on the Golden Boy YouTube Channel, Tijuana, Mexico’s Jorge “El Niño De Oro” Chavez (12-0, 8 KOs) will participate in an eight-round super bantamweight fight against Ruben Casero (12-3, 4 KOs) of Colonia, Uruguay. In a six-round super bantamweight fight, Sonora, Mexico’s Gael “El Terror” Cabrera (5-0, 3 KOs) will measure up against former world champion challenger of General Santos City, Philippines, Garen Diagan (10-5, 5 KOs). Moreno Valley’s Joshua “El Americano” Garcia (9-0, 4 KOs) will fight Uhlices Avelino-Reyes (2-1, 1 KO) of Omaha, Nebraska in a six-round super featherweight match.

Also on the prelims, Ventura, California’s Ricardo Ruvalcaba (12-0-1, 10 KOs) will participate in a six-round super lightweight medley, and Fabian Guzman (5-0, 5 KOs) of Orange will participate in a four-round super welterweight fight with both of their opponents soon to be announced. Opening fight night, Amarillo, Texas’ Javier Meza will make his professional debut against Findley, Ohio’s David Music (0-1) in a four-round super lightweight bout.

#

Rocha vs. Curiel is a 10-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event will be available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaCuriel

Alexis Rocha won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Santiago Dominguez in a welterweight bout at the Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, California.

The fight featured some solid exchanges with Rocha getting the best of the majority of them.

Rocha landed 184 of 549 punches. Dominguez was 89 of 459.

Rocha, 146.4 lbs of Santa Ana, CA won by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92 and is now 25-2. Dominguez, 146.9 lbs of Sonora, MEX is 27-1.

“I wanted to show everyone that I’m not just a banger, I can use my IQ in there and that’s what I needed,” said Alexis Rocha. “I knew Dominguez was going to come forward, he just keeps coming, so that’s what I wanted to show. It’s more about my brains from now on. I want to be very aware in the ring, and I want to use my brains. That’s all you’re going to see moving forward. I have a great team behind me, Golden Boy, and we’re just going to see what’s next. I’m right there. I’m knocking on the door still. The belts are gonna be open anytime soon, so I’m just knocking on the door right now.

Gregory Morales won a 10-round unanimous decision over Jayvon Garnett in a super featherweight bout.

Morales landed 143 of 742 punches. Garnett was 73 of 357.

Morales, 127 lbs of San Antonio won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 96-94 and is now 17-1. Garnett, 126 lbs of Cincinnati is 10-2.

“I feel amazing. I feel like there’s room for improvement, it was my first 10-rounds,” said Gregory Morales. “There’s only room for improvement from here on out. I learned the pace of the fight. I learned to pick it up, slow it down. I learned that I can do a full 10 rounds.”

Grant Flores remained undefeated with a second round stoppage over Juan Meza in a four-round super welterweight fight.

In round two, Flores landed a huge right that rocked Meza into into the ropes. Flores then landed about 15 unanswered blows and Meza was stopped on his feet at 1:54.

Flores, 151.4 lbs of Coachella, CA is 6-0 with five knockouts. Meza, 151 lbs of Los Angeles is 4-6.

Jorge Chavez remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Riku Kitani in a featherweight bout.

Chavez landed 78 of 312 punches. Kitani was 33 of 196.

Chavez, 125.8 lbs of Tijuana, MEX won by scores of 60-54 om all cards and is now 12-0. Kitani, 125.2 lbs of Mexico City is 8-3,

Bryan Lua stopped veteran Diuhl Olguin in round five of their six-round lightweight bout.

Lua dominated the action featuring thudding body punches and beat Olguin down until a referee stoppage at 2:03.

Lua, 133 lbs of Indio, CA is 10-0 with five knockouts. Olguin, 130 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 16-39-7.

INDIO, CALIF. (July 15, 2024) – Golden Boy’s best prospects will get the opportunity to entertain fight fans on the upcoming July 19 installment of Golden Boy Fight Night on DAZN: Rocha vs. Dominguez. The main event features Southern California’s fan-favorite boxer Alexis “Lex” Rocha (24-2, 16 KOs) who will face off against the undefeated Santiago Dominguez (27-0, 20 KOs) of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico in a 10-round welterweight match. The event, which will surely end in a knockout, will take place at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and worldwide on DAZN beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT. Doors to the Special Events Center will open at 5:00 p.m. PT.

In the co-main event, Gregory “Goyo” Morales (16-1, 9 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas, will return to the ring after securing a dominant unanimous decision win on the undercard of Munguia vs. Ryder. He will participate in a 10-round featherweight match against Cincinnati, Ohio’s Jayvon “El Elegido” Garnett (10-1, 5 KOs). Chief support on the card, the Coachella Valley-hero, the undefeated Grant Flores (5-0, 4 KOs) is making a quick return to the ring after a stellar knockout over Josias Gonzalez less than three weeks ago on the June 27 edition of Golden Boy Fight Night on DAZN. He will participate in a six-round super welterweight fight against Juan Meza (4-5, 3 KOs) of Los Angeles.

Also on the DAZN card, Jorge “El Niño Dorado” Chavez (11-0, 8 KOs) will look to continue his winning streak in a six-round featherweight fight against Riku Kitani (8-2, 3 KOs). Chavez was last seen dismantling his opponent in the sixth-round as the main event of the Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation “Big Fighters, Big Cause” Charity Boxing Night on Wednesday, May 22 at The Beverly Hilton.

Opening the broadcast, another hometown favorite representing Indio, the undefeated Bryan Lua (9-0, 4 KOs) will return in a six-round lightweight fight against a soon to be announced opponent. He was last seen securing a first-round knockout victory on the Ramirez vs. Barthelemy fight night. Part of the preliminary fights, Fabian Guzman (4-0, 4 KOs) of Orange, Calif. will return in a four-round middleweight fight against Corey Cook (2-1-1, 1 KO) of Las Vegas. Opening fight night activities, Juan Estrada Jr. (2-0, 1 KO) representing Phoenix, Arizona will challenge Dyllon Cervantes (3-2-1, 2 KOs) of Salt Lake City, Utah in a four-round lightweight match.

Tickets for Rocha vs. Dominguez are on sale and are priced at $75, $65, $55, and $45 plus applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased at FantasySpringsResort.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

Media interested in a credential for the fight must fill out a credential application by Monday, July 15. To apply, please visit https://forms.gle/MPZ6s3nPcv6fW4dh9.

###

Golden Boy Fight Night on DAZN is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #GBFightNight

INDIO, CALIF. (June 26, 2024) – Southern California’s fan-favorite boxer Alexis “Lex” Rocha (24-2, 16 KOs) will face the undefeated Santiago “Somer” Dominguez (27-0, 20 KOs) of Ciudad Obregón, Mexico in a 12-round welterweight fight that will headline a special edition of Golden Boy Fight Night on DAZN. The event, which will surely end in a knockout, will take place at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and worldwide on DAZN beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT.

“I’m thankful to Golden Boy, DAZN and my entire team for the chance to headline another card,” said Alexis Rocha. “I’ve already proven that I was able to come back after a loss. My losses don’t define me. What defines me is the way I respond to the losses. This next fight is another test in me realizing my ultimate dream of becoming world champion. I’m focused on more knockouts for the fans.”

“I am very excited for the opportunity from Golden Boy,” said Santiago Dominguez. “Alexis Rocha is a great fighter – I have followed his career and he is well respected. On the fight night though, Alexis Rocha will find a fighter that is coming to win. It will be a great fight, our styles will really collide. This fight will end in a knockout.” 

“With crunching power and a swarming style, Rocha is must-watch action every time he steps between the ropes,” said Chairman and CEO of Oscar De La Hoya. “Last time, Lex went in against an undefeated fighter, his championship dreams got put on hold. Fans are going to want to tune in July 19 to see if he can rise again.”

Tickets for Rocha vs. Dominguez are on sale and are priced at $75, $65, $55, and $45 plus applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased at FantasySpringsResort.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com. 

Media interested in a credential for the fight must fill out a credential application by Monday, July 15. To apply, please visit https://forms.gle/MPZ6s3nPcv6fW4dh9. 

The younger brother of former world title challenger Ronny Rios, Alexis Rocha was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at only 14-years-old in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world as he continued on to become a six-time national champion during his amateur career. His only career blemishes come from losses against Rashidi Ellis (October 2021) and Giovanni Santillan (October 2023). He has come back even stronger with an impressive technical knockout victory of Ghanaian warrior Fredrick Lawson this past March 30.

Born in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, the undefeated Santiago Dominguez has worked hard to ascend towards the top of the welterweight division. He has held a number of regional titles throughout his career including the WBC USA Silver Welterweight title, the WBC FECARBOX Welterweight title, and most recently the WBC Latino Welterweight title. Having fought a majority of his career in Mexico, Dominguez will be looking to dazzle the crowd and show he is ready to be considered a world title contender. 

###

Golden Boy Fight Night on DAZN is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #GBFightNight

INGLEWOOD, CA (March 6, 2024): The pride of Santa Ana, Alexis “Lex” Rocha (23-2, 15 KOs) will co-headline the cruiserweight clash between WBA Cruiserweight Super World Champion Arsen “Feroz” Goulamirian (27-0, 19 KOs) of Yerevan, Armenia against former World Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (45-1, 30 KOs). Rocha will participate in a 10-round welterweight fight against Fredrick “General Okunka” Lawson (30-4, 22 KOs). Rocha will return to YouTube Theater after being the main event last January 2023 for the first-ever boxing event in the venue’s history. The fight night is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Y12 Boxing and will take place at YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Inglewood and broadcast live on DAZN.

“First and foremost, I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions, my fans, and my entire team for their constant support,” said Alexis Rocha. “My last fight did not go the way that I expected it to. I let a lot of people down, including myself. This next stage of my career is my revenge tour. This is when I become everything I know I was meant to be in this sport. The pain I feel from my last loss will be the pain every opponent feels moving forward.”

“I would like to personally thank the Golden Boy himself, Oscar De La Hoya, for this great opportunity of redemption,” said Fredrick Lawson. “Also, I would like to thank DAZN, the number 1 outlet in the world, for watching boxing. I know that Alexis is a top fighter, but so am I, and I will prove it to everyone on March 30. My manager Jacob Zwennes is very confident that I will beat Rocha.”

Also on the DAZN broadcast, Rialto’s Ricardo Sandoval (23-2, 16 KOs) and Queretaro, Mexico’s Luis “Zari” Hernandez (13-6-1, 8 KOs) will battle it out in a 10-round flyweight bout. Opening the broadcast, Fort Worth, Texas’ Santiago “Somer” Dominguez (26-0, 20 KOs) will make his U.S. Golden Boy debut against Jose Sanchez (14-3-1, 4 KOs) of Albuquerque, New Mexico in a 10-round welterweight fight. Dominguez was last seen on the undercard of the Yokasta Valle vs. Anabel Ortiz world championship fight in Costa Rica.

On the preliminary card, in a 10-round light heavyweight fight, Kareem Hackett (12-0, 6 KOs) of Toronto, Canada will defend his newly-minted WBA Intercontinental Title against Victorville’s Rowdy Montgomery (10-5-1, 7 KOs). Also in the preliminaries, Jonathan “Sugarcane” Cañas (3-0, 2 KOs) will participate in a four-round lightweight fight. Making his professional debut, Ronaldo Mancilla of Big Bear will participate in a four-round light heavyweight fight. In a four-round welterweight fight, Deni Davtian of Kharkiv, Ukraine will also make their professional debut. Opponents for each will be announced soon.

Tickets for Goulamirian vs. Zurdo are on sale and are priced at $150, $100, $75, $50 and $30 plus applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or GoldenBoy.com.

Media interested in credentials can apply at https://forms.gle/Yz1fqk2kGN3hJh539. Media applications are due EOD Friday March 22, 2024.

#

Goulamirian vs. Ramirez is a 12-round fight for the WBA Cruiserweight Super Middleweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The fight night will take place on Saturday, March 30, live from YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, CA and will be broadcast on DAZN worldwide.

Media interested in credentials can apply at https://forms.gle/Yz1fqk2kGN3hJh539. Media applications are due EOD Friday March 22, 2024.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #GoulamirianZurdo

About YouTube Theater
YouTube Theater is a 6,000-seat performance venue located at Hollywood Park, a near 300-acre sports and entertainment destination in Inglewood Calif., being developed by Los Angeles Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke. The state-of-the-art theater is a 227,000 square foot, three-story indoor venue situated under the same roof canopy as SoFi Stadium and American Airlines Plaza. The venue can be configured to house three different crowd capacities, including intimate settings with minimum capacities of 3,400 and 4,400. Equipped with premium finishes throughout, the venue ranked among the Top 10 venues in the world for top-grossing concert and live event ticket sales in 2023. Opened in August 2021, YouTube Theater is equipped to host a variety of events, including concerts, awards shows, boxing, esports competitions, community gatherings, conferences and more.

NEW YORK (October 22, 2023) – Giovani Santillan remained undefeated in capturing the NABO Welterweight title with an empathic six-round beatdown of WBO number-one ranked Alexis Rocha in a bout that headlined a DAZN streamed card at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California,

Santillan is managed by Split-T Management.

Santillan put a career best performance as he battered and bloodied the highly regarded Rocha from the outset,

Santillan, who began to bloody Rocha as early as round three, scored two knockdowns in round five. The first was set up by an uppercut. By that time the face of Rocha was a mess and Santillan continued to pour it on and the stoppage was inevitable.

That came just a round later when Santillan continued his assault that resulted in the third knockdown of the fight and the fight was mercifully waved off in favor of Santillan at 1:13.

“I feel good. It was the outcome we were looking for. You never know how these types of fights will go,” said Santillan. “Alexis is a great fighter, and he’s tough. He got up twice and he’s never been stopped before! It’s different with all these people here and when you’re the b-side. He brought all his fans and his supporters which makes boxing a great sport. 2024 is going to be a great year for me now with this performance. I needed this to secure a title shot.”

“Giovani is a testament to hard work and perseverance. He’s the consummate professional and one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. Against Rocha the rest of the world got to see he can really fight also,” said David McWater of Split-T Management.

Santillan of San Diego is promoted by Top-Rank and is now 32-0 with 17 knockouts.

Giovani Santillan scored an upset sixth round stoppage over Alexis Rocha in a scheduled 12-round welterweight bout at The Kia Forum in Inglewood, California.

In round four, Rocha began to bleed from the nose. In round five, Santillan dropped Rocha with an uppercut. Santillan sent Rocha down again with a big combination and a left to the top of the head. In round six, Santillan continued the assault as he bludgeoned Rocha with a wicked combination to the head that made Rocha wilt to the canvas and the fight was stopped at 1:13.

Santillan, 146 lbs of San Diego is 32-0 with 17 knockouts. Rocha, 147 lbs of Santa Ana, CA is 23-2.

“I feel good. It was the outcome we were looking for. You never know how these types of fights will go,” said Giovani Santillan. “Alexis is a great fighter, and he’s tough. He got up twice and he’s never been stopped before! It’s different with all these people here and when you’re the b-side. He brought all his fans and his supporters which makes boxing a great sport. 2024 is going to be a great year for me now with this performance.”

“I am sorry to all my fans,” said Alexis Rocha. “I will be back.”

John Ramirez earned a world title shot by stopping Ronal Batista in the fourth round of their 12-round WBA Super Flyweight Elimination bout.

In round four, Ramirez dropped Batista with a left to the body. With Batista hurt, Ramirez dropped Batista again with a big flurry of 12 shots on the ropes that was finished by a right to the head and the fight was stopped at 2:33.

Ramirez, 115 lbs of Los Angeles is 13-0 with nine knockouts. Batista, 114.2 lbs of Panama City is 15-4.

“I was slow cooking him and I wanted to eat him. I eventually gave up and took him out,” said Scrappy Ramirez. “This was a result of staying focused and making the necessary adjustments.

In a bloody battle, Ricardo Sandoval won a 10-round unanimous decision over Victor Sandoval in a flyweight battle.

Ricardo Sandoval, 111.8 lbs of Rialto, CA won by scores of 97-93 twice and 96-94 and is now 23-2. Victor Sandoval, 111.2 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 37-4.

Gabriela Fundora won the IBF Flyweight championship with a four-round beatdown of reigning champion Arely Mucino.

In round four, Fundora dropped Mucino with a right to the temple that was followed by a straight left to the chin. Fundora dropped Mucino again with a vicious flurry on the ropes asnd the fight was stopped by the corner at 1:18.

Fundora, 110.8 lbs of Coachella, CA is 12-0 with five knockouts. Murcino, 111.8 lbs is 32-4-2.

In a battle of undefeated super middleweights, Joeshon James stopped David Stevens in the opening round of their eight-round bout.

In round one, James hurt Stevens with a right hand and then dropped him with a left hook. James dropped Stevens again with a flurry that punctuated by a right hand. James finished off Stevens with a hard flurry that forced referee Jerry Cantu to stop the bout at 2:52.

James, 166.8 lbs of Sacramento is now 8-0-2 with five knockouts. Stevens, 167 lbs of Reading, PA is 13-1.

NEW YORK (October 21, 2023) -Tonight from the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, Split-T Management’s undefeated welterweight, WBO number-five ranked Giovani Santillan takes on WBO number-one ranked Alexis Rocha in a bout that could lead to a very significant fight for the winner.

Santillan of San Diego has a record of 31-0 with 16 knockouts. The 31-year-old has wins over Peter Haro (2-0), Michael Balasi (10-2), Daniyar Hanyk (10-0), Osenohan Vazquez (7-1-1), Eduardo Rivera (9-1-2), Ernesto Ortiz Centeno (10-2), Omar Tineda Bahena (18-3), Sammy Valentin (12-0), Dotzi Keneh (19-1), Alejandro Barboza (11-1), former world champion Antonio DeMarco (33-8-1), Cecil McCalla (23-4), Angel Ruiz (17-1), Jeovanis Baraza (23-2), Julio Luna Avila (19-0-2) and a 10-round unanimous decision over Erick Bone (27-6) on July 22nd in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

Rocha of Santa Ana, California is 23-1 with 15 knockouts. The surging 26-year-old has quality wins over Cesar Valenzuela (7-0), Miguel Dumas Perez (10-1), Carlos Ortiz Cervantes (11-2), Berlin Abreu (14-2), Roberto Valenzuela Jr. (11-1), Brad Solomon (28-2), James Bacon (26-4), Jeovanis Beranza (23-1), Blair Cobbs (15-0-1), Luis Alberto Veron (19-4-2), Jesus Perez (24-3), George Ashie (33-5-1) and his bout when he took out Anthony Young (24-2) on May 27th in Indio, California.

The Top-Rank promoted Santillan weighed 146 lbs, while Rocha was 147 lbs.

The fight will headline a DAZN streamed card beginning at 8 PM ET.

INGLEWOOD, CALIF. (October 19, 2023) – In the lead up to their welterweight showdown to prove they are on the top of the welterweight division, Santa Ana’s very own NABO Welterweight Titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) and San Diego’s undefeated Giovani “Gallo de Oro” Santillan (31-0, 16 KOs) hosted a press conference today to promote their match. Rocha vs. Santillan is a 12-round fight taking place at the Kia Forum on Saturday, October 21 and is presented in association with Top Rank. Doors to the Kia Forum open at 3:00 p.m. PT, the first fight starts at 3:05 p.m. and the worldwide broadcast begins on DAZN beginning at 5:00 p.m. PT.

In the co-main event, John “Scrappy” Ramirez (12-0, 8 KOs) will participate in a 12-round, WBA Super Flyweight Title Eliminator against Ronal Batista (15-3, 9 KOs). Also on DAZN in a 10-round flyweight fight, Rialto’s Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval (22-2, 16 KOs) will fight Victor Sandoval (37-3, 23 KOs).

In the night’s championship fight presented in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions and Sampson Boxing, four-time World Champion and current IBF Flyweight Titleholder Arely “Ametralladora” Muciño (32-3-2, 11 KOs) will defend her hard-won title against the Coachella Valley’s undefeated Gabriela Fundora (11-0, 4 KOs). Opening the broadcast, David “Dynamite” Stevens (13-0, 9 KOs) will hope to maintain his clean record in an eight-round super middleweight match against Joeshon James (7-0-2, 4 KOs) of Sacramento, California.

On the preliminary card, San Fernando’s Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco will make her anticipated professional debut in a four-round lightweight fight against Clarice Morales (0-2-1) of Toledo, Ohio. Opening the fight night, Fabian Guzman (2-0, 2 KOs) of Orange, CA will participate in a four-round middleweight fight against Rueben Johnson (0-2) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Previously announced Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. has experienced COVID-like symptoms. Out of an abundance of caution for him and his opponent, he will no longer participate on the Rocha vs. Santillan card.
ALEXIS “LEX” ROCHA, NABO WELTERWEIGHT TITLE HOLDER:
“I want to thank Giovani Santillan and his team taking this fight. We both knew this fight would come one day. We’re knocking on the door for title contention. He’s ready. I’m ready. We’re going to bring it. This is a fan friendly fight that could potentially end in a knockout either way, so you guys do not want to miss this.”

GIOVANI “GALLO DE ORO” SANTILLAN, WELTERWEIGHT CONTENDER:
“I’ve been working very hard and I’m very excited for this opportunity. I’m planning on making the most out of this, and I plan on making a statement. I’m finally getting a chance to show the world who I am as the main event at the Kia Forum. This is something very meaningful for me and it’s going to be an exciting night.”

JOHN “SCRAPPY” RAMIREZ, SUPER FLYWEIGHT CONTENDER:
“We had a plan. The plan was to take the right fights, you know, to get to the world title. You see, a lot of people didn’t believe in me when I say that I’ll get here. But guess what? I wrote it down. I visualized it and made it happen. And I stayed hungry and when you get to this level it is easy. But to stay here is hard. And I’m here to stay. So, make sure you guys tune in October 21.”

BERNARD HOPKINS, GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS PARTNER:
“Thank you everybody who supports Golden Boy and supports our mission. It’s statement time. To all the fighters to my left and to my right, it is time. So, make the statement and steal the show if you can. Understand that the world is watching. Thank you.”
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:
“We are proud to keep the promise I made to boxing fans about working with everyone to make the best fights possible. This card is stacked from top to bottom including a world championship fight, a title eliminator, and a tough fight for one of our top rising prospects.”

#

Rocha vs. Santillan is a 12-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Top Rank. The event will be available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.

Tickets for Rocha vs. Santillan are priced at $150, $100, $75, $50 and $30 plus applicable fees. A limited amount of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available for purchase with exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades included. Standard and VIP tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaSantillan

About the Kia Forum
The Kia Forum, located in Inglewood, California, is the only arena-sized venue in the country dedicated to music and entertainment, delivering a superior experience for artists and fans alike. The iconic venue attracts a wide variety of premier events including the biggest names in music and entertainment, award shows, combat sports and more. Fans at the Kia Forum enjoy approximately 8,000 square feet of event level hospitality offerings, including merchandise and food and beverage options. A tinted glass wall separates this concession area from the arena, ensuring fans do not miss a moment of the show. A 40,000-square-foot outdoor terrace wraps around the perimeter of the building and offers comfortable furnishings and food and beverage options from some of SoCal’s most celebrated brands. Designed with entertainers and performers in mind, Kia Forum Backstage includes star-caliber dressing rooms that provide unparalleled comfort. The Kia Forum was honored at the 2022 Pollstar Awards as recipient of the Arena of the Decade award. For more information, please visit thekiaforum.com. Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

LOS ANGELES, CA (September 19, 2023): NABO Welterweight Titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) of Santa Ana and San Diego’s undefeated Giovani “Gallo de Oro” Santillan (31-0, 16 KOs) hosted a kickoff press conference today at Golden Boy HQ. The two world title contenders discussed their upcoming 12-round clash that is presented in association with Top Rank and exclusively broadcast on DAZN. Scheduled for Saturday, October 21, the welterweight warriors will add their names to the exclusive list of legendary boxers who have fought at the Kia Forum ranging from Muhammad Ali to Golden Boy’s Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya.

This is what today’s participants had to say:

ALEXIS ROCHA, NABO WELTERWEIGHT TITLEHOLDER:

“Well, first off I just want to thank God, without him none of this was possible. Also want to thank Golden Boy Promotions, my team, my head coach Hector Lopez, Abraham Perez, and TKO boxing.”

“It takes a team, a dedicated team, to get where I’m at today. I feel that I’ve grown so much over time and now’s my moment, and I want to keep just banging on the door for a world title. I know that Giovani is gonna be a good opponent. I’m not thinking about Crawford, for me this is a world title shot, this is a world title fight.”

GIOVANI SANTILLAN, WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE CONTENDER:

“This is going to be an exciting fight, we’re both Mexican fighters. You know, we have that Mexican blood inside of us, you know, and we’re gonna come with that fire for sure.”

“This isn’t the first time that I go into enemy territory. You know, the last time I did that I fought this guy, Sammy, and I went all the way to Tampa Bay for that fight. As I’m walking into the ring, I hear all his fans cheering for him and talking a lot of trash about me. But afterwards, his fans became my fans, and I believe that I can do that for this fight. I think that I will gain the LA fan base after this fight.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY:

“As Golden Boy, we know our position, we know exactly what we have to do in order to position that fighter to get them to that world title. Alexis Rocha is knocking on the door. Giovani has an amazing opportunity. So this is what boxing is all about.”

“My pro debut was at the Kia Forum. The Forum is a very special arena. It’s built like a bowl, so every seat is a great seat. But most importantly, the fans appreciate a great fight. Obviously, this is no exception.”

“I think that Alexis Rocha has proven that he belongs in this spot, that he has what it takes to become a world champion. Just to give you a little history about what’s going on with Crawford and the WBO, there’s a WBO convention coming up where Crawford will be making his decision whether he’s going up to 154 or he’s staying at 147. So therefore, it will dictate what next move we will be making for Rocha. But first thing is first, he has a very difficult tough opponent in front of him. I strongly feel that Giovani with his undefeated record is coming with everything, guns blazing!”

?

###

Rocha vs. Santillan is a 12-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Top Rank. The event will be available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.

Tickets for Rocha vs. Santillan are priced at $150, $100, $75, $50 and $30 plus applicable fees. A limited amount of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available for purchase with exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades included. Standard and VIP tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

Media interested in covering the fight can apply for a credential at https://www.emccredentials.com/rocha_santillan. Applications are due EOD, October 13, 2023.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaSantillan 

About the Kia Forum

The Kia Forum, located in Inglewood, California, is the only arena-sized venue in the country dedicated to music and entertainment, delivering a superior experience for artists and fans alike. The iconic venue attracts a wide variety of premier events including the biggest names in music and entertainment, award shows, combat sports and more. Fans at the Kia Forum enjoy approximately 8,000 square feet of event level hospitality offerings, including merchandise and food and beverage options. A tinted glass wall separates this concession area from the arena, ensuring fans do not miss a moment of the show. A 40,000-square-foot outdoor terrace wraps around the perimeter of the building and offers comfortable furnishings and food and beverage options from some of SoCal’s most celebrated brands. Designed with entertainers and performers in mind, Kia Forum Backstage includes star-caliber dressing rooms that provide unparalleled comfort. The Kia Forum was honored at the 2022 Pollstar Awards as recipient of the Arena of the Decade award. For more information, please visit thekiaforum.com. Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

INGLEWOOD, CALIF. (September 7, 2023) – Tickets for the welterweight showdown between NABO Welterweight Titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) of Santa Ana and San Diego’s undefeated and No.4 WBO-ranked Giovani “Gallo de Oro” Santillan (31-0, 16 KOs) will go on sale Friday, September 8 at 10:00 a.m. PT. The 12-round title defense, presented in association with Top Rank, will take place at the famous Kia Forum and broadcast live worldwide on DAZN. 

Tickets for Rocha vs. Santillan are priced at $150, $100, $75, $50 and $30 plus applicable fees. A limited amount of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available for purchase with exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades included. Standard and VIP tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

More information on the undercard will be announced soon.

###

Rocha vs. Santillan is a 12-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Top Rank. The event will be available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.

Media interested in covering the fight can apply for a credential at https://www.emccredentials.com/rocha_santillan. Applications are due EOD, October 13, 2023.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaSantillan 

About the Kia Forum

The Kia Forum, located in Inglewood, California, is the only arena-sized venue in the country dedicated to music and entertainment, delivering a superior experience for artists and fans alike. The iconic venue attracts a wide variety of premier events including the biggest names in music and entertainment, award shows, combat sports and more. Fans at the Kia Forum enjoy approximately 8,000 square feet of event level hospitality offerings, including merchandise and food and beverage options. A tinted glass wall separates this concession area from the arena, ensuring fans do not miss a moment of the show. A 40,000-square-foot outdoor terrace wraps around the perimeter of the building and offers comfortable furnishings and food and beverage options from some of SoCal’s most celebrated brands. Designed with entertainers and performers in mind, Kia Forum Backstage includes star-caliber dressing rooms that provide unparalleled comfort. The Kia Forum was honored at the 2022 Pollstar Awards as recipient of the Arena of the Decade award. For more information, please visit thekiaforum.com. Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

WBO number-one ranked welterweight Alexis Rocha stopped Anthony Young in round five of a scheduled 12-round bout at The Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, California.

In round five, Rocha dropped Young with a left. Young got to his feet, but was wobbly and the fight was stopped at 2:15.

Rocha, 146.6 lbs of Santa Ana, CA is 23-1 with 15 knockouts. Young, 146.4 lbs of Atlantic City, NJ is 24-3.

“I knew he was going to come in with the same energy he did when he fought Sadam Ali, and I was ready for that,” said Alexis Rocha. “I want the winner of the Spence-Crawford fight, and I am confident with the help of my amazing promoter, Golden Boy and Oscar De La Hoya, we’ll make it happen.”

Oscar Duarte stopped D’Angelo Keyes after round seven of their 10-round lightweight bout.

In round three, Duarte put Keyes down with a right hand along the ropes.

In round seven, Duarte scored another knockdown with a left hand to the forehead. Keyes showed toughness, but he took a lot of punches and the doctor stopped the bout after round seven.

Duarte, 135 lbs of Parral, MEX is now 26-1-1 with 21 knockouts. Keyes, 134.3 lbs of Houston, TX is 17-3.

“This was an amazing fight, with a great rival who was incredibly tough and very prepared,” said Oscar Duarte. “From the beginning, our plan was to break him down little by little. As I said in previous interviews, I wasn’t going to go looking for the knockout, I just knew it was going to happen naturally just based on how well I had prepared and how I have matured physically and mentally. I would love a fight against William Zepeda.”

Oscar Collazo won the WBO Minimumweight world title with a stoppage of Melvin Jerusalem after round seven.

Jerusalem started well, but Collazo came on and dropped Jerusalem with body shots in round seven. The fight was stopped in the corner following the round.

Collazo, 105 lbs of Villalba, PR is now 7-0 with five knockouts. Jerusalem, 104.6 lbs of Santos City, PHL is 20-3.

“We knew we had a solid challenge ahead of us, but thanks to my corner, they helped me stay calm throughout the fight,” said Oscar Collazo. “I knew I had to establish the pace with my jab, and by the fourth or fifth round we started to hit the body and he didn’t like it. We chopped the tree and we made history for Villalba. I will see you all in Puerto Rico in August, where I will make my first title defense.”

World ranked super flyweight John Ramirez had to eek out a 10-round split decision over Fernando Diaz.

Ramirez, 114.5 lbs of Los Angeles, CA won two cards 96-94, while Diaz took a card 96-94 and sis now 12-0.

Diaz, 114.8 lbs of Riverside, CA is 12-4-1.

Eric Priest remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Ricardo Villalba in a middleweight bout.

Priest, 159.8 lbs of Los Angeles, CA won by scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73 and is now 10-0. Villalba, 160 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 20-9-1.

In round five, Villaalba started to bleed from the bridge of his nose.

Johnny Canas made a successful pro debut with four-round unanimous decision over Jose Alvarado in a super lightweight bout.

Canas, 136.4 lbs of Santa Ana, CA won by scores of 40-36 and 39-37 twice and is now 1-0. Alvarado, 138 lbs of Puebla, MEX is 1-8.

Leonardo Sanchez stopped Uhlices Reyes in round two of their four-round super featherweight fight featuring undefeated boxers.

In round one, Sanchez dropped Reyes with a left to the body. In round two, Sanchez put Reyes down with a straight left hand. Sanchez landed a big left that sent Reyes backing up across the ring. He followed up with a flurry that sent Reyes down again and the fight was stopped at 1:01.

Sanchez, 130 lbs of Cathedral City, CA is 5-0 with four knockouts. Reyes, 129 lbs of Omaha, NEB is 1-1.

INDIO, CA (May 25, 2023) In the lead up to his NABO Welterweight Title defense, Alexis “Lex” Rocha (22-1, 14 KOs) and his opponent Anthony “Juice” Young (24-2, 8 KOs) hosted a press conference at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino ahead of their scheduled 12-round fight on Saturday, May 27. Fighters from the DAZN undercard and the Golden Boy Fight Night: Rocha vs. Young Prelims, which are streamed live on YouTube, also participated.

In addition, the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation made a $30K donation to the Lee Espinoza Coachella Valley Boxing Club. The donation was accepted by club owner and legendary trainer Librado “Lee” Espinoza who has been recognized not only by Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. for his work with boxers in the valley but has been inducted into the West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame and the California Boxing Hall of Fame.

Doors to the Special Events Center will open at 4:00 p.m., the Golden Boy YouTube Channel stream begins at 4:00 p.m. PT/ 7:00 p.m. ET, and the DAZN broadcast begins at 6:00 p.m. PT / 9:00 p.m. ET.

Here is what today’s participants had to say:
ALEXIS “LEX” ROCHA – NABO WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION:
?”I am not much of a trash talker either. My respects to him. Whatever his thoughts are, that’s good for him. I am confident in my ability. I am confident in myself. You’ll find out about who I am on Saturday night. I hope he brings this same kind of energy into the ring on Saturday.”

ANTHONY “JUICE” YOUNG – WELTERWEIGHT FIGHTER:
?”I looked at the odds again, and they’re kind of disrespectful – they got me 8-1 underdog. The last time they did that, we shocked the world. I plan to do that again. I didn’t come here to lose; I am not with the script. They built him up good: 22 wins, a couple of tough fights, one step-up fight didn’t go too well. I am going to win on Saturday.”

MELVIN “GRINGO” JERUSALEM, WBO MINIMUMWEIGHT CHAMPION:
?”Good afternoon everyone. I am very grateful for this opportunity. I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions for this fight. I am excited to see my opponent today. We will see you all on Saturday night.”
OSCAR “EL PUPILO” COLLAZO, MINIMUMWEIGHT WORLD TITLE CONTENDER:
?”Thank you everyone for coming. Thank you to Oscar, Golden Boy Promotions, and Miguel Cotto Promotions for making this fight happen. Thank you for this opportunity to make history, history for Puerto Rico, the opportunity to become one of the fastest to become a world champion. We’re feeling very good about this. I earned this, and you’re going to see it this Saturday.”

OSCAR DUARTE, LIGHTWEIGHT FIGHTER:
?”I am very happy, I am very excited for this fight, for this opportunity. I am ready for this Saturday. I will win. Thank you, everybody.”

JOHN “SCRAPPY” RAMIREZ, SUPER FLYWEIGHT FIGHTER:
?”You already know, get your popcorn ready. I am not here to take part, I am here to take over. Some people feel some type of way by the way I move but I am just a man on a mission. Saturday Night I am going to make a statement, mark my words.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:
“I have known Lee for many years; his son, Ruben Espinoza, would beat me up all the time in the amateurs. On behalf of the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation, I would like to present this $30,000 check to the Coachella Valley Boxing Club. To the young fighters here from his gym, the fighters who sit at the dais started their love for the sport of boxing through the local gym like the one Lee has given his life to.”

“It is an honor and pleasure to be here at Fantasy Springs. We’ve had a lot of successful fights here, and we thank you for your hospitality.”

“I firmly believe that this Saturday’s fight card will leave a mark in boxing. From top to bottom, we have historic world championship matchups, world title contenders and newly signed Golden Boy Prospects that I believe are going to shake up their respective divisions.”
LIBRADO “LEE” ESPINOZA, FOUNDER OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY BOXING CLUB:
Thank you, Oscar and Thank you to your organization for the support. Thanks to Golden Boy for supporting Coachella Valley boxing.

#

Rocha vs. Young is a 12-round NABO Welterweight Fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Hard Hitting Promotions. The fight is sponsored by Betonline, “BetOnline, Your Online Sportsbook Experts,” and Autozone, “Get in the Zone, AutoZone.” The fight night will take place on Saturday, May 27, live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and will be broadcast on DAZN worldwide.

Tickets for Rocha vs. Young are on-sale now and are priced at $95, $75, $55, $45 and $35 plus applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased at FantasySpringsResort.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaYoung

About The Oscar De La Hoya Foundation
Founded in 1995, the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation annually hosts a golf tournament, a boxing gym equipment donation, Thanksgiving dinner giveaway and holiday toy giveaway in addition to supporting the Oscar De La Hoya Ánimo Charter High School, the Cecilia Gonzalez De La Hoya Cancer Center and the Oscar De La Hoya Labor and Delivery Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (both located at White Memorial Hospital in East Los Angeles). Today, with the help of many partners, the foundation serves thousands of people annually.

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (May 17, 2023) – On his historic journey to become the fastest world champion in his division, Villaba, Puerto Rico’s Oscar “El Pupilo” Collazo (6-0, 4 KOs) hosted a media workout at Wolf Elite Boxing in his native Puerto Rico. Collazo will challenge current WBO Minimumweight Titleholder Melvin “Gringo” Jerusalem (20-2, 12 KOs) of Santos City, Philippines in a 12-round fight presented in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions on the DAZN Rocha vs. Young undercard. If Collazo wins this clash, he will become the fastest Puerto Rican world champion with only seven fights, previously held by Alex ‘Nene’ Sanchez who won the same belt, the WBO Minimumweight World Title, with a record of 11-0 at the time.

Doors to the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino’s Special Events Center will open at 4:00 p.m., the Golden Boy YouTube Channel will stream the preliminary fights beginning at 4:00 p.m. PT/ 7:00 p.m. ET, and the DAZN broadcast will begin at 6:00 p.m. PT / 9:00 p.m. ET.

Here is what the world champion contender had to say:

OSCAR COLLAZO, MINIMUMWEIGHT TITLE CONTENDER:

“I feel like never in my career, have we worked so hard for this fight. I have worked very hard for my dream and these big opportunities, and on Saturday May 27, I will become a world champion for my family and Puerto Rico.”

“I’ve been in camp for the past 4 months and I have done things the right way with my team, we have taken care of every detail. We have seen every aspect of Melvin Jerusalem and I can say that I am ready, ready to put on a show on May 27 and have a solid victory.”

“I have read several things that he has said. That he wants to knock me out, that I’m not up to the level, but he doesn’t know that I’ve come this far because I’ve worked for it.”

“I don’t take that ‘trash talk’ personally, but I take advantage of it and throw away mine. This is how things heat up. I want to tell Melvin Jerusalem to get ready. He thinks I’m just another fighter, but he’s going to find the match of his life. He is fighting with the best of Puerto Rico!”

#

Rocha vs. Young is a 12-round NABO Welterweight Fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Hard Hitting Promotions. The fight is sponsored by Betonline, “BetOnline, Your Online Sportsbook Experts,” and Autozone, “Get in the Zone, AutoZone.” The fight night will take place on Saturday, May 27, live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and will be broadcast on DAZN worldwide.

Tickets for Rocha vs. Young are on-sale now and are priced at $95, $75, $55, $45 and $35 plus applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased at FantasySpringsResort.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

Media interested in applying for a media credential can visit https://www.emccredentials.com/rocha_young Credential applications are due EOD May 22.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaYoung

INDIO, CA (May 12, 2023) – A stacked fight night is set for Rocha vs. Young, scheduled on Saturday, May 27 live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. The main event features Alexis “Lex” Rocha (22-1, 14 KOs) who will defend his NABO Welterweight title for the third time against Anthony “Juice” Young (24-2, 8 KOs) in a 12-round fight. Doors to the Special Events Center will open at 4:00 p.m., the Golden Boy YouTube Channel will stream the preliminary fights beginning at 4:00 p.m. PT/ 7:00 p.m. ET, and the DAZN broadcast will begin at 6:00 p.m. PT / 9:00 p.m. ET. 

As the DAZN co-main event presented in association with Cancun Boxing, Parral, Chihuahua’s Oscar Duarte (24-1, 11 KOs) will return to the ring after a masterful knockout victory against Alex Martin this past March in Long Beach on the undercard of Diaz, Jr. vs. Gesta. Duarte will participate in a 10-round lightweight fight against D’Angelo Keyes (17-2, 11 KOs) of Houston, Texas. 

In the night’s special world championship presentation, Villaba, Puerto Rico’s Oscar “El Pupilo” Collazo (6-0, 4 KOs) will continue his campaign to make history as one of the fastest in his division to become a world champion when he challenges current WBO Minimumweight Titleholder Melvin “Gringo” Jerusalem (20-2, 12 KOs) of Santos City, Philippines. The 12-round fight presented in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions will be Collazo’s second time in the ring in 2023.

Opening the DAZN broadcast, fan-friendly fighter of Los Angeles, John “Scrappy”  Ramirez (11-0, 8 KOs) will participate in a 10-round super flyweight fight against Fernando “Leoncito” Diaz (12-3-1, 4 KOs) of Riverside. 

The Golden Boy Fight Night: Rocha vs. Young Prelims, streamed live on the Golden Boy Boxing YouTube page, will feature the promotion’s recently signed fighters. Korean-American Eric Priest (9-0, 7 KOs) of Los Angeles will make his Golden Boy debut in an eight-round middleweight fight. In a four-round super featherweight fight, Leonardo “Bazooka” Sanchez (4-0, 3 KOs) will look to continue his knockout streak. Opponents for both will be announced soon. 

Opening up fight night and the Golden Boy YouTube Prelims, recently signed prospect of Santa Ana, Johnny Cañas will make his pro-debut in a four-round super lightweight fight against  Jorge Lopez (0-2) of Queretaro, Mexico.

###

Rocha vs. Young is a 12-round NABO Welterweight Fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Hard Hitting Promotions. The fight is sponsored by Betonline, “BetOnline, Your Online Sportsbook Experts,” and Autozone, “Get in the Zone, AutoZone.” The fight night will take place on Saturday, May 27, live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and will be broadcast on DAZN worldwide.

Tickets for Rocha vs. Young are on-sale now and are priced at $95, $75, $55, $45 and $35 plus applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased at FantasySpringsResort.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com. 

Media interested in applying for a media credential can visit https://www.emccredentials.com/rocha_young Credential applications are due EOD May 22. 

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaYoung

INDIO, CA (April 6, 2023) – Returning to the fight stage as a headliner for the second time of 2023, Alexis “Lex” Rocha (22-1, 14 KOs) will defend his NABO Welterweight title for the third time against Anthony “Juice” Young (24-2, 8 KOs). The 12-round welterweight fight, which was originally scheduled for last January, will take place at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN beginning at 5:00 p.m. PT / 8:00 p.m. ET. 

Tickets for Rocha versus Young are on-sale now and are priced at $95, $75, $55, $45 and $35 plus applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased at FantasySpringsResort.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

“I’m back in the ring on May 27 and I’m looking forward to staying busy,” said Alexis Rocha. “I can’t wait to put on another great performance for all those in Southern California who make the trip to Fantasy Springs, but also for all of my fans who tune in on DAZN. Anthony Young is familiar to me because I was preparing to face him in my last fight before he was injured.  I’ll be ready for this fight and my focus is to end this early with another big knockout for my fans.” 

“I’m just thankful for the opportunity to perform on this platform,” said Anthony Young. “With the strength of Allah we are going to shock the world twice!”

“As he showed last time out, Rocha is an absolute beast who is more than deserving of a title shot in the welterweight division,’ said Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya. “But Anthony Young is the real deal who has knocked off a Golden Boy fighter in the past. Rocha needs to use his power to get rid of Young early and move on to the next step of his career.”

Media interested in applying for a media credential can visit https://bit.ly/5_27RochaYoung. Credential applications are due EOD May 22. 

Information on the undercard will be announced in the coming weeks. 

Hailing from Santa Ana, California, Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a respected fight family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at 14-years-old in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world as he continued on to become a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made an electrifying professional debut in March 2016, knocking out Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. His only career blemish is an unanimous decision loss in October 2021 against Rashidi Ellis, in which he confidently came back with six consecutive wins. Rocha locked in the NABO Welterweight title in an unanimous decision victory against Argentinian Luis Alberto Veron in July 2022 on the undercard of Ryan Garcia vs. Javier Fortuna, which he has successfully defended against Jesus “Ricky” Perez in October 2022 and George Ashie in January 2023. 

Anthony “Juice” Young represents Atlantic City, New Jersey. He made his professional debut at 23-years-old on October 28, 2011 against Kywayne Hill, winning by unanimous decision. With only two blemishes on his early career resume, he has had a string of wins, including a stunning upset of former WBO junior middleweight champion Sadam Ali via third-round knockout on the May 2019 Alvarez vs. Jacobs undercard in Las Vegas. Since then, he has fought victoriously three times, the last being a unanimous decision win over Jose Zaragoza in October 2022. 

?

###

Rocha vs. Young is a 12-round NABO Welterweight Fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Hard Hitting Promotions. The fight is sponsored by Betonline, “BetOnline, Your Online Sportsbook Experts,” and Autozone, “Get in the Zone, AutoZone.” The fight night will take place on Saturday, May 27, live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and will be broadcast on DAZN worldwide.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaYoung

Alexis Rocha earned a big fight by stopping late-replacement George Ashie in round seven of their 12-round welterweight bout at The YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California.

In round three, Rocha uncorked a vicious right hook that landed on the jaw and sent Ashie to the canvas. There was some furious exchanges that Rocha got the better of and he landed some good hooks to the head and thudding body shots.

In round six, Rocha was cut over his right eye from an accidental headbutt. In round seven. Rocha landed a perfectly timed right hook that deposited Ashie face-first on the canvas and the fight was over at 2:08.

Rocha, 146.4 lbs of Santa Ana, CA is 22-1 with 14 knockouts. Ashie, 146 lbs of Accra, GHA is 33-6-1.

“I wanted to make a statement,” said Alexis Rocha. “Crawford is next. But if that can’t happen, I want all the big names. I’m signed to the best promotional company in the world, and I know they’ll make it happen. He [Ashie] was a tough fighter, but I knew he wasn’t going to hang with me.”

Floyd Schofield Decisions Mercado

Floyd Schofield remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Alberto Mercado in a lightweight bout.

In round two, Schofield landed a hard right to the top of the head that put Mercado down.

Schofield, 134.8 lbs of Austin, TX won by scores of 100-89 on all cards and is now 13-0. Mercado, 134.8 lbs of Humacao, PR is 17-5-1.

“My feet hurt, but it was a good victory,” said Floyd Schofield. “To the fans, thank you for all the love and support, and next time I’ll definitely get that knockout. We want to fight Keyshawn Davis next.”

Melikuziev Stops Sierra in 3

Bektemir Melikuziev stopped Ulises Sierra in round three of their 10-round super middleweight bout.

In round two, Melikuziev was cut over the right eye from a punch. In round three, Melikuziev dropped Sierra with a straight left to the body. Late in the round, it was a hard straight left to the body that put Sierra down for good, and the bout was stopped at 2:59.

Melikuziev, 167.6 lbs of Indio, CA is now 11-1 with nine knockouts. Sierra, 167.4 lbs of San Diego, CA is 17-3-2.

“I’m happy that I just won and as I said before Gabe Rosado is the guy I’m looking for and if not him, anyone,” said Bektemir Melikuziev. “I’m ready. Just give me any 168-lb fight. Thank you to all of my supporters, we’re moving little by little. We’re getting closer to the title shot, we got another title today and we’re looking forward to the world championship.”

Oscar Collazo Stops Reyes in 5

Oscar Collazo stopped Yudel Reyes in round five of their 12-round WBO Minimumweight Elimination bout.

In round five, Collazo landed a big right hook that rocked Reyes back. Collazo followed up with a left and another right hook that put Reyes on the canvas. At the end of the round, Collazo landed another flush right hook that was followed by a straight left that put Reyes down again, and the fight was stopped at 2:59.

Collazo, 104.6 lbs of Villalba, PR is now 6-0 with four knockouts. Reyes, 104.2 lbs of Monterrey, MEX is 15-2.

“I feel super good. We did exactly what we wanted to do,” said Collazo. “If we went to the body, we then went back up and that’s how we made it happen. The knockout punch was the hook. We had been practicing since camp so I’m glad we made it happen. I want the champions next. Specifically, The WBA champion, Melvin Jerusalem. So, Melvin, if you’re listening, I want you.”

LOS ANGELES, CA (January 26, 2023): As the countdown continues for the inaugural boxing event at YouTube Theater in Inglewood this Saturday, January 28, Santa Ana’s Alexis “Lex” Rocha (21-1, 13 KOs) hosted a press conference today in Los Angeles ahead of his NABO title defense against George “Red Tiger” Ashie (33-5-1, 25 KOs) of Accra, Ghana. The 12-round main event is presented in association with Star Boxing. Doors to the venue will open at 3:00 p.m. PST, and the worldwide broadcast on DAZN begins at 5:00 p.m. PST/ 8:00 p.m. EST.

Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya, Partner of Golden Boy and Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins, and several of the Rocha vs. Ashie undercard fighters also participated.

This is what the participants had to say:

ALEXIS ROCHA, CURRENT NABO WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION:
“Mentally as a fighter – RIP to Kobe Bryant who passed away three years ago – you have to have that ‘Mamba Mentality.’ You have to be ready for anybody they put in front of you. If it’s you or George Ashie I have to prepare for it. I have to focus on what I can do.”

“Sometimes losses hurt fighters but they can also motivate. They help you mentally. What can I say? Ghanians are tough but I’m Mexican, I’m just as tough. Everyone is always asking what I want after this fight but I can’t take my eyes off of him. He has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Those are very dangerous fighters. My mind doesn’t go past the 28th. My mind is focused on him. Whoever they put in front of me I have to put on a spectacular show. Keep knocking on that door and the big names will follow.”

GEORGE ASHIE, IBF CONTINENTAL AFRICA SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT TITLEHOLDER
“First of all I want to thank God for this opportunity. I’ve been training everyday for this opportunity. I’m a great fighter from Ghana and I’m going to show that I’m back. I want to prove that to the fans.”

“I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions and Star Boxing for this great opportunity. This is going to be Oscar De La Hoya vs. Ike Quartey II and this time it’s going to Ghana not Mexico. It’s going to be a war. I want to thank all the fans in Ghana. I have this opportunity and I’m not going to let it slide out of my hands. These opportunities are life changing and I’m here to stay.”

FLOYD SCHOFIELD, LIGHTWEIGHT PROSPECT:
“I put in the work to put on a show so tune in. This is for me to prove that I’m here to stay. This is my division and I’m going to take over. All I can say is that I’m grateful for the opportunity,”

“It’s going to be a great fight. I want to fight all of them. Anybody who has the belts like Haney, Davis and Ryan. I want all the top names. They’re in my way. They’re just stepping stones. When I see them it’s going to be all business. I’m not going to give away the plan but it’s going to be a good fight.”

ALBERTO MERCADO, LIGHTWEIGHT FIGHTER:
“I’m very happy to be here after not fighting for so many years. I want to thank God. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen this Saturday but I’m going to go off of what he [Floyd] does.”

“I have the experience. I’ve seen this kid. I know he’s talented, he’s young and he’s bringing it all on the table. I got offered this fight back in September and I said yes. I know I have the experience and you’ll see this Saturday.”

BEK MELIKUZIEV, SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT PROSPECT:
“Hello everyone and thank you for coming. For me the priority is this fight, I’m only concentrating on this Saturday and the guy in front of me. If everything goes well I want a rematch with Gabe Rosado.”

“My home is Uzbekistan, but here in the U.S. my home is Indio, CA. It’s amazing there. There are many Mexicans there who like boxing and are very hardworking like us Uzbekistans. I’m looking forward to fighting in Indio, CA. Thank you to everyone, we are ready. Gracias, Mexican Fans. Vamos!”

ULISES SIERRA, SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT PROSPECT:
“I don’t really get too many opportunities on the big stage, so when they offered this I had to hop on. It’s going to be an exciting fight.”

“Bek is very aggressive and I’m expecting him to bring everything. I’ll be there standing tall ready to catch him between shots. Thank you guys for the support. Tune in, it’s going to be a good fight.”

OSCAR COLLAZO, MINIMUMWEIGHT CONTENDER:
“I dedicate this fight to all my fans, to all my Puerto Rican fans. I want them to feel proud of me and I want them to know that I have been working very hard to become a world champion. I am going to be a teacher come Saturday.”

YUDEL REYES, MINIMUMWEIGHT CONTENDER:
“I feel very good. Golden Boy offered me this fight. I feel super calm and very prepared for this fight and the preparation we had for this fight. Mexico vs. Puerto Rico have always been great fights.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:
“We have started 2023 on an amazing note, with an amazing partner like DAZN, bringing fight fans, especially LA fight fans and throughout California great cards like this one on January 28. We want to present fight fans with the hottest new talent.”

“YouTube Theater is an amazing venue, there is not a bad seat in the house and can seat 5-6,000 people. This card is stacked, we have some tough fights, and we’re committed to the mission to bring fight fans the best entertainment.”

BERNARD HOPKINS, GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS PARTNER AND INTERNATIONAL BOXING HALL OF FAMER:
“To Alexis and Bek who have a loss on their record: it’s not how you start, it’s how you end it. I started my professional career with a loss. And now I am a Hall of Famer.”

“We put the call out. When the great fights happen, Golden Boy isn’t going to stick their chest out and say ‘see what we did,’ it’s going to be more like ‘see what we said’ – we said that we want to make the best fights happen.”

#

Rocha vs. Ashie is a 12-round welterweight fight for the NABO Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing. Schofield vs. Mercado is a 10-round fight for the vacant WBA International Lightweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Davies Entertainment. The fight night will take place on Saturday, January 28, live from YouTube Theater in Inglewood, CA and will be broadcast on DAZN worldwide.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.DAZN.com, and www.starboxing.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @StarBoxing, and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy, https://www.Facebook.com/starboxing, and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @StarBoxing, and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaAshie

About YouTube Theater
YouTube Theater is a 6,000-seat performance venue located at Hollywood Park, a near 300-acre sports and entertainment destination in Inglewood Calif., being developed by Los Angeles Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke. The state-of-the-art theater is a 227,000 square foot, three-story indoor venue situated under the same roof canopy as SoFi Stadium and American Airlines Plaza. The venue can be configured to house three different crowd capacities, including intimate settings with minimum capacities of 3,400 and 4,400. Equipped with premium finishes throughout, the venue also offers guests both an interior and exterior balcony, luxury boxes, an industry room, and a private club with premium seats. Opened in August 2021, YouTube Theater is equipped to host a variety of events, including concerts, awards shows, esports competitions, community gatherings, conferences and more.

LOS ANGELES, CA (January 25, 2023): Santa Ana’s Alexis “Lex” Rocha (21-1, 13 KOs) hosted a media workout today at Young Champion’s Boxing in Los Angeles ahead of his NABO title defense against newly announced opponent George “Red Tiger” Ashie (33-5-1, 25 KOs) of Accra, Ghana. The 12-round main event clash is set for this Saturday, January 28 at YouTube Theater in Inglewood and is presented in association with Star Boxing.

Doors to the venue will open at 3:00 p.m. PST, and the worldwide broadcast on DAZN begins at 5:00 p.m. PST/ 8:00 p.m. EST.

Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar De La Hoya, and several of the Rocha vs. Ashie undercard fighters of the televised DAZN event were also on hand to give comments.

This is what the participants had to say:

ALEXIS ROCHA, CURRENT NABO WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION:
“I’m very confident and prepared for this moment and I’m happy being the main event. I’m looking forward to going out there and putting on a good show. He’s a good opponent, he’s very tough and very durable. What I tell everyone is that every opponent is dangerous. Especially him coming in as a last minute replacement. He’s going to want to steal the show. He has nothing to lose and everything to gain. I prepared the same as always, with a grueling tough camp. I had a lot of great sparring with great sparring partners. They got me ready to be the best I could possibly be. I’m ready to go out there and show the world who I am.”

FLOYD SCHOFIELD, LIGHTWEIGHT PROSPECT:
“I feel very confident. I’m ready and anxious to get in the ring. I feel he is a step-up opponent. He’s never been stopped before but I plan to change that this upcoming weekend. I prepared very hard. I sparred 15 rounds. I’ve just been preparing a game plan and that’s what I plan to show and execute this weekend.”

BEK MELIKUZIEV, SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT PROSPECT:
“It should be a good fight. I’m not thinking about it too much. I’m ready to fight. I have a good opponent, he’s experienced and has been around for a while. It was a good training camp, almost two months so I’m ready for the fight.”

OSCAR COLLAZO, MINIMUMWEIGHT CONTENDER:
“I feel super excited. I feel 100 percent for this fight. It was a very serious fight camp. We know what’s laid out on the table and we’re prepared for that. My opponent is strong. Mexicans usually leave it all in the ring. I know he’s hungry but at the end of the day we’ll see who prepared more and is more intelligent.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:
“This is a stacked card from top to bottom in a venue where there is no bad seat in the house. You have a spectacular main event featuring Alexis Rocha who is knocking on doors for his opportunity for a world championship. You also have Floyd Schofield who I believe is going to be the next big thing in boxing. Fans are in for a treat – boxing is back!”

#

Rocha vs. Ashie is a 12-round welterweight fight for the NABO Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing. Schofield vs. Mercado is a 10-round fight for the vacant WBA International Lightweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Davies Entertainment. The fight night will take place on Saturday, January 28, live from YouTube Theater in Inglewood, CA and will be broadcast on DAZN worldwide.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.DAZN.com, and www.starboxing.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @StarBoxing, and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy, https://www.Facebook.com/starboxing, and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @StarBoxing, and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaAshie

About YouTube Theater
YouTube Theater is a 6,000-seat performance venue located at Hollywood Park, a near 300-acre sports and entertainment destination in Inglewood Calif., being developed by Los Angeles Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke. The state-of-the-art theater is a 227,000 square foot, three-story indoor venue situated under the same roof canopy as SoFi Stadium and American Airlines Plaza. The venue can be configured to house three different crowd capacities, including intimate settings with minimum capacities of 3,400 and 4,400. Equipped with premium finishes throughout, the venue also offers guests both an interior and exterior balcony, luxury boxes, an industry room, and a private club with premium seats. Opened in August 2021, YouTube Theater is equipped to host a variety of events, including concerts, awards shows, esports competitions, community gatherings, conferences and more.