On Saturday, June 27th, Golden Boy Promotions returns to Los Angeles Staples Center with two World Championship bouts that will kick off the summer fight season in explosive fashion. In the main event, Oxnard’s “Vicious” Victor Ortiz faces Marcos Maidana for the interim WBA World Super Lightweight Title and in the co-feature, Chris John and Rocky Juarez meet in an explosive rematch for the WBA World Featherweight Championship after their first bout on February 28th was scored a draw and left fans wanting more. “The fight fans of Southern California are some of the best in the world and when we put a show on in LA, it’s got to be top-notch,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “With this in mind, we made sure that we delivered top notch match-ups at STAPLES Center by presenting two world title fights that are bound to be exciting. Victor Ortiz is one of the top young fighters in the world and this is his chance to take the next step in his career with his first world title shot against a tough opponent in Marcos Maidana. As for Chris John and Rocky Juarez, their first fight was one of the best of the year so far and I have no doubt that they’re going to do it again in their rematch.”
A charismatic southpaw whose last nine wins have ended by knockout, Oxnard, California’s “Vicious” Victor Ortiz (24-1-1, 19 KO’s) is seen by most boxing fans and insiders as having the potential to be the fight game’s next superstar. Just 22 years old, Ortiz, who owns knockout wins over Carlos Maussa and Emmanuel Clottey, most recently dazzled the boxing world by halting Jeffrey Resto and Mike Arnaoutis in two rounds each in his last two outings. Now he gets his first world title opportunity on June 27th.”This is the moment all fighters dream of and I’m going to make the most of it,” said Ortiz. “Maidana’s got a good record and a lot of knockouts, but I’m not going to let him come into my backyard and beat me. That’s just not happening.”
Santa Fe, Argentina’s Marcos “El Chino” Maidana (25-1, 24 KO’s) is a former national amateur champion who just missed making the 2004 Argentine Olympic Team. But Maidana is searching for gold of a different sort in the pro game and so far, few have been able to deal with his prodigious punching power. Owner of 24 knockout wins in 26 fights, Maidana has taken out ten foes in the first round, with 21 opponents unable to make it past round three. Needless to say, Ortiz vs. Maidana has the potential to be an all-out war. “Ortiz is a good fighter, but he’s never tasted power like mine,” said Maidana. “Once I hit him, he won’t want to fight with me. That’s when I’ll move in, take him out and take the belt back home to Argentina.”
In February, longtime WBA World Featherweight Champion Chris John (42-0-2, 22 KO’s) made his long-awaited United States debut against Rocky Juarez and fight fans here finally got to see what the rest of the world has been raving about for years. A native of Indonesia, the dynamic John has held the 126-pound title since 2003, defending the title successfully 11 times against the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez, Hiroyuki Enoki and Derrick “Smoke” Gainer. On June 27th, he looks to take out Juarez in his second Stateside appearance.
“I was happy with the reception I received by the United States fans in my first fight here and I’m excited to be back,” said John. “The first fight was in Rocky’s hometown, but this time, we’ll be fighting in Los Angeles where tens of thousands of Indonesians live. STAPLES Center will be my back yard. Rocky Juarez and I had a great fight the first time and I know I will give the fight fans a great performance again on June 27th.”
2000 United States Olympic Silver medalist Rocky Juarez (28-4-1, 20 KO’s) has weathered the ups and downs of his pro career and when he battled through 12 hard rounds with John in February, he believed he had finally achieved his dream of winning a world title. Though the draw verdict wasn’t what he expected, it did ensure that he would get another shot at the belt and with confidence and determination, the 29-year-old from Houston, Texas plans on grabbing the gold this summer.
“I thought I won the first fight with John, but I can’t dwell on the past,” said Juarez. “I know what it takes to beat him and even though he’s a great fighter who I respect a lot, I won’t be denied the second time we fight. I’m bringing the world title home with me to Houston this time.”
