DIEGO MAGDALENO PUTS PERFECT RECORD ON THE LINE AGAINST ALEJANDRO PEREZ IN MAIN EVENT OF 10TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW
NEW YORK – ShoBox: The New Generation celebrates its 10th anniversary on Friday, July 15, live on SHOWTIME® at 11:05 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) with exactly the type of doubleheader that has typified the popular, well-respected boxing series since its inception on July 21, 2001: Young, promising boxers in their toughest fights.
In the Top Rank-promoted main event at Texas Station Gambling Hall & Hotel in Las Vegas, local favorite and world-ranked southpaw, Diego Magdaleno (19-0, 7 KOs), of Las Vegas by way of Beverly Hills, Calif., and Los Angeles, will become the 84th boxer in ShoBox history to enter the ring undefeated when he defends his North American Boxing Federation (NABF) junior lightweight title against Alejandro “Alacran’’ Perez (15-2-1, 10 KOs), of Salinas, Calif.
The co-feature will match 130-pounders Casey “The Wizard” Ramos (13-0), of Austin, Tex., against Joselito Collado (12-0, 3 KOs), a Dominican fighting out of Queens, N.Y. The eight-round match will mark the 52nd time unbeaten boxers have been matched against each on ShoBox.
After winning only three of his first 15 fights inside the distance, which included nine consecutive victories by decision from October 2008-April 2009, southpaw Magdaleno has stepped up the pressure in recent starts and won his last four by (T)KO within five rounds, registering knockdowns in each.
During the power surge, Magdaleno has steadily advanced in the world rankings and is now No. 6 in the World Boxing Association (WBA) and No. 11 in the World Boxing Council (WBC). He’s coming off a third-round TKO over Gilberto Sanchez Leon in a bout last May 6 in Las Vegas in which Leon went down three times before the bout was stopped at 0:49 in the third. The impressive victory came in the first defense of the NABF belt that the 5-foot-6, 24-year-old Magdaleno won with a convincing fifth-round TKO over Marcos Leonardo Jimenez last Jan. 22 at Texas Station.
“Everything’s just coming together,’’ said Magdaleno, a dedicated practioner who maintains peak condition. “It’s just sitting down more on our punches. I’m feeling more comfortable in the ring and that’s a big factor, too. It’s a learning thing. Each fight, I learn. I’ve worked very hard to get to this point, but I’m not going to stop here.’’
Magdaleno, who was introduced to boxing at the age of eight and named after a soccer superstar – Diego Maradona – has been dropped one time and that came in the first round against Juan Sanitago on March 1, 2009. Magdaleno bounced back to score a unanimous four-round decision.
A natural right-hander, Magdaleno was an outstanding amateur before turning pro in December 2007, winning a gold medal at the 2007 U.S. National Championships (132 pounds) and the 2004 Western Olympic Trials (125 pounds). Eighteen of his pro starts have emanated from Nevada – 16 in Las Vegas and two in Primm (the other fight was in Maywood, Calif.).
Perez, who was born in Michoacán, Mexico, is a sharp, accurate puncher who works the body very well. Tough and durable, he is coming off a 2:57 first-round knockout over Antonio Escalante last March 25 in Fairfield, Calif. The blowout came in the aggressive-minded Perez’ initial go at 130 pounds and his first start in 16 months.
The 5-foot-6 1/2, 25-year-old Perez won his pro debut in August 2004, boxed a draw in his second outing, and then won 11 in a row before suffering his first defeat in an upset, eight-round split decision to underdog Adolfo Landeros in June 2008. Perez avenged the loss in devastating fashion, dropping Landeros four times en route to a convincing ninth-round TKO in May 2009 in Las Vegas.
In Perez’ final start before the layoff, he dropped an eight-round decision in a fast-paced, exciting scrap to highly regarded Rico Ramos, an impressive winner this past Feb. 11 on ShoBox.
“I don’t like making excuses but I had a lot of trouble making weight in the lower divisions and I just had to learn from that,’’ Perez said. “I feel much more comfortable now and continue to train very hard. I’m hungry, I can tell you that. I live off this sport. It’s my life. Whatever I have to do to be on top, I’ll do that.
“Whenever somebody expects to see Alejandro Perez fight, then that’s what they will see – a fight. I get paid to fight, and that’s what we do.’’
Ramos is an excellent technician who’s making his third start in 2011. In his most recent effort last April 23, he decked John Jackson one time en route to taking a lopsided eight-round decision in Thackerville, Okla. “I consider myself a master of the game,’’ Ramos said. “ I study, work hard and I’m ready to fight.”
A well-conditioned youngster who was born, raised and still resides in Austin, the 21-year-old, 5-foot-6 Ramos has been boxing since he was six-years-old. He went 95-15 during a top-notch amateur career before he went pro at age 17 in June 2007. He got his nickname two years after he began to box.
“We were going to the silver gloves state tournament,’’ Ramos recalled, “and my whole team had lost. I was up, and my coach told me, ‘Alright Casey, you’ve got to pull a hat trick out. You need to work some magic.’ I won the state title. I was 8-years-old, and ever since then they’ve been calling me ‘The Wizard.’’’
Ramos’ first 10 outings took place in Texas; the last two in Oklahoma. A kid that has seldom lost a round and makes for exciting fights, he has triumphed via points in his last six outings. In perhaps his toughest fight, Ramos won a close decision over Guadalupe De Leon to capture the Texas state featherweight title in February 2009.
Collado, who also rarely loses a round, won his toughest fight in his last start when he overcame a point deduction in the fourth to record a six-round split decision over Rafael Lora on April 9 in Newark, N.J.
“I would like to be a world champion one day,’’ said the 5-foot-5, 28-year-old Collado, a solid amateur who turned pro in the Dominican Republic in November 2006, but has campaigned exclusively in the States (mostly on the East Coast) since. “At the Olympic Trials, I fought Juan Manuel Lopez and I gave him two standing 8-counts. I thought I won. But they gave it to him by one point.’’
Collado was born in the Dominican Republic, but his family moved to New York City (first Brooklyn, then Queens) when he was one-month old. He turned to boxing at the insistence of his mother. “I used to get in trouble for fighting at school,’’ he said. “Finally, one day, my mom said, ‘you keep on fighting, I’m going to put you in the gym,’ and that’s how I got my start.’’
Tickets for July 15 are $50 and $35 plus applicable taxes and fees and may be purchased at all Stations Casinos Rewards Centers, online at stationcasinos.com or by telephone (702) 547-5300.
Curt Menefee will call the blow by blow action alongside expert analyst Steve Farhood. Gordon Hall is the executive producer of ShoBox with Richard Gaughan producing the Rick Phillips directing.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports Programming, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http:// sho.com/sports.
