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CRISTIAN MIJARES DEFENDS IBF SUPERFLY TITLE AGAINST CARLOS RUEDA TODAY By Jonathan Davis PhilBoxing.com Sat, 14 May 2011 Newly crowned IBF Super Flyweight Champion, Cristian Ricardo Lucio Mijares has a new foe in Nicaraguan Carlos "Rapidito" Rueda for his first title defense today, May 14, 2011, at the Palenque de la Feria Nacional in Durango, Mexico, in a Zanfer Promotion, billed as "Desafio Al Campeon" or defiance to the Champion. The 29 year old Cristian Mijares, 41-6-2, 18KOs, from Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico wrested the crown from compatriot Alberto Rosas last December 11, 2010 with a unanimous decision victory in Torreon, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico. He was originally slated to meet Frenchman Malik Bouziane in Sonora, Mexico for an optional first defense, but later, it was announced that he has opted to make a mandatory defense against top contender, Raul "Cobra" Martinez. However, the fight fell apart when the American challenger from Texas suffered a nasty cut on the bridge of his nose during training, and the name of Oscar "Civeche" Ibarra propped up as a possible replacement. Finally, it was made official, that Cristian Mijares would defend his title against Carlos Rueda of Nicaragua. Cristian Mijares won his first major title, the WBC Super Flyweight Championship with a 10th round TKO of Katsushige Kawashima in Tokyo, Japan on January 3, 2007. After five successful title defenses, which included a masterful thrashing of highly touted Jorge "El Travieso" Arce, and former Thai WBC Flyweight Champion, Chatchai Sasakul, he added to his championship belt, the WBA Super World Super Flyweight Title of Alexander Munoz by scoring a split decision, and suddenly, he found himself the toast of Mexican boxing as one of their more talented champions in the lower weight division. Then, tragedy struck. On November 1, 2008 at the Home Depot Center in Carson City, he clashed with IBF Champion Vic Darchinyan in a unification bout and suffered a stunning 9th round TKO. Eager to rebound fast from the loss, he duelled with the fearsome Nehomar Cermeno, but the Venezuelan slugger instead dealt him back to back decision losses in winning the Interim WBA Bantamweight Title. Losing the adulation of the fans and relegated to just being another former champion, Cristian Mijares has since been on the road to redemption, picking up five straight wins including a split decision over Panchito Arce to bag the vacant NABF Bantamweight Title and a unanimous decision over Alberto Rosas to nail the IBF Super Flyweight Crown. In his choice defense this Saturday, Cristian Mijares, fondly called "Diamante Lagunario" or diamond in the lake by hometown fans, faces a very live threat in Carlos Rueda. The challenger from Matagalpa, Nicaragua is the reigning WBA International Super Flyweight Champion, who is fresh from a successful 4th round TKO title defense over Ernesto Castro last March 4, 2011. He sports a record of 16-4-1, 13KOs and has strung up three straight wins coming into this fight, He is not awed fighting the champion in hostile territory. He showed that confidence during the weigh-in this afternoon at the Plaza de Armas town square fronting the historic twin Cathedral of Durango at Calle Constitution in downtown Durango, where both combatants tipped the scale at 115 lbs. in their first try. Tomorrow night, he gets the chance to show if he really has got what it takes to "defy the Champion" or if he gets blown in the effort, and allow the Champion to continue coming back with a vengeance. Never has the presence of an organization been so much felt in the rich boxing landscape of Mexico than the International Boxing Federation (IBF) whose commitment and mission of promoting new opportunities for the promoters and boxers in the Region is well exemplified by the indefatigable efforts of its supervisors like IBF Director, Dave McCullough, who is managing today's championship fight. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Jonathan Davis. |
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