Lem’s latest: Wilder, Russell return; Golovkin-Oosthuizen in talks
OSCAR VALDEZ DEBUTS AGAINST ANGEL PRADO ON SATURDAY NIGHT
Two-time Mexican Olympian Oscar Valdez, who signed a long-term promotional contract with Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, will make his professional debut on against Angel Prado (1-0-1), also of Mexico, on Saturday night from Centro de Usos Multiples, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
The fight will be streamed live on Top Rank.com.
Valdez, 22, of Nogales, Mexico, represented Mexico in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic games, the latter of which took place in August in London during which he advanced to the quarterfinals as a bantamweight.
In the quarterfinals, Valdez lost to eventual silver medalist John Joe Nevin of Ireland, whom he forced to take a standing eight-count following a debilitating body shot. Oscar Valdez is trained by his father, Oscar Sr., and managed by Frank Espinoza.
BRYANT JENNINGS, JERRY BELMONTES PUT UNBEATEN MARKS ON THE LINE
Junior lightweight Jerry Belmontes (17-0, 5 KOs), of Corpus Christi, Texas, will pursue his 17th triumph without a loss against Philadelphia’s Teon Kennedy (17-2-2, 7 KOs), of Jamaica, Queens, N.Y., in a 10-rounder on Dec. 8 from the Pearson-McGonigle Hall on the campus of Temple University as part of the NBC Sports Network Fight Night show.
The main event of the eight-fight card features Philadelphia heavyweight Bryant “By By” Jennings (15-0, 7 KOs) opposite Bowie Tupou (22-2, 16 KOs), of Tongo. The live card begins at 7 p.m., and the NBCSN broadcast will start at 9 p.m. ET.
Kennedy (17-2-2, 7 KOs) is 0-2-1 in his past three bouts, and is coming off June’s fifth-round knockout loss to WBA junior featherweight beltholder and two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KOs).
Kennedy, 26, was floored five times by Rigondeaux on the undercard of Tim Bradley’s split-decision over Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
A promotional press conference will be held on Nov. 18 at Temple University’s McGonigle Hall, promoter Main Events has announced.
Photo by Jim Everett, Fightwireimages.com
Photos by Naoki Fukuda
Photo by K2 Ukraine
Photo courtesy of Don King Productions
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Photo by Naoki Fukuda
Photo by Chris Farina, Top Rank
Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]