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STANDOUT PROSPECTS D'MITRIUS BALLARD AND ULISES SIERRA TO BATTLE FOR USNBC SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE

PhilBoxing.com


IN CO-MAIN EVENT OF GOLDEN BOY BOXING ON ESPN ON MAY 18 FROM CASINO DEL SOL IN TUCSON, ARIZONA TELEVISED LIVE ON ESPN DEPORTES AND ESPN2 AT 10 P.M EST / 7 P.M. PST

WBC YOUTH WORLD CHAMPION DIEGO DE LA HOYA TO HEADLINE EVENT; NUMBER OF GOLDEN BOY'S TOP PROSEPCTS SET TO APPEAR ON CARD

Tickets still on Sale!

LOS ANGELES (April 28, 2017) The USNBC Super Middleweight title will be up for grabs when red-hot Super Middleweight prospect D'Mitrius "Big Meech" Ballard (16-0, 12 KOs) rides a five-knockout steak into his biggest challenge to date against Ulises Sierra (10-0-2, 6 KOs) in the co-main event of the May 18 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN. Sierra has been seen helping Canelo Alvarez in his preparation for his fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

The 10-round fight - which will serve as chief support to WBC Youth World Champion Diego De La Hoya's (17-0, 9 KOs) fight with Erik Ruiz (16-6-1, 6 KOs) -- will take place at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona and be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes starting at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST.

A slew of Golden Boy's top prospects will round out the stacked card.

Hoping to make TV, super featherweight prospect Hector "El Finito" Tanajara Jr. (8-0, 4 KOs) will face Jesus Aguinaga (5-5-1) in a four or six-round fight. Tanajara is quickly returning from a brutal war in March in which he tasted the canvas for the first time in his career only to rise and win a unanimous decision over Daniel Perales.

Longtime Mexican super lightweight superstar Roberto "Tito" Manzanarez (34-1, 28 KOs)will square off in his second fight under the Golden Boy banner in an eight-round battle against an as-yet announced opponent. Manzanarez was last seen in February taking out longtime contender former world champion Gamaliel Diaz with a brutal body shot in the fourth round.

Phoenix, AZ native Eben Vargas (4-0, 3 KOs) will take on Rodolfo "Rudy" Gamez (1-2) in a four-round welterweight fight. Vargas, a decorated amateur, will return to the ring only weeks after a stellar first-round knockout against Jose Mesa.

Staying active, undefeated super lightweight prospect Jonathan "Thunder" Navarro (9-0, 6 KOs) will return for the second time in just over a month and look for a repeat of his April knockout performance. He will fight Ciudad Juarez's Ricardo "Maniac" Fernandez (3-4-4) in a six-round super lightweight bout.

Opening up the card, undefeated super flyweight prospect Joshua "The Professor" Franco (9-0, 5 KOs) will battle for six rounds against a soon-to-be announced opponent.

Tickets are on sale and range from $30.00-$105.00 (includes convenience fee). Tickets are available for purchase at the Casino Del Sol gift shop and online at www.casinodelsol.com.

De La Hoya vs. Ruiz is a 10-round super bantamweight bout set for May 18, presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate "Born BOLD." ESPN Deportes and ESPN2 will transmit the fights live from Casino Del Sol beginning at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST. ESPN3 live stream of the fight will begin at approximately 8:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PST.

Videos and images are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/DeLaHoya-Ruiz. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for any photos/video.

Media interested in attending De La Hoya vs. Ruiz on May 18 must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are due Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at 5 p.m., and can be found here. Submitting an application does not guarantee approval for a credential. You cannot transfer your credentials to someone else. Media will not be credentialed on-site, no exceptions.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @ESPNBoxing and @ESPNBoxeo; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/espn.fnf, and www.facebook.com/ESPNBoxeo; and follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @ESPNBoxeo. Follow the conversation using #GBPonESPN.




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