Weslaco's Figueroa set for toughest test tonight
Weslaco lightweight Omar “Panterita” Figueroa (13-0-1, 10 knockouts) is starting the new year with what figures to be the toughest fight of his boxing career.
With the WBO intercontinental lightweight title at stake, Figueroa is set to face Michael “Mikey” Perez (15-0-1, nine KOs) of Newark, N.J., in a scheduled 10-rounder tonight at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, Calif. The fight will be telecast live on Showtime’s ShoBox at 10 p.m. as the co-main event. The 10-round main event has Luis Ramos Jr. (20-0, nine KOs) battling Raymundo Beltran (25-5, 17 KOs) for the NABA USA lightweight title.
Perez won the lightweight championship at the 2008 Golden Gloves national tournament.
“This is definitely going to be Omar’s toughest fight (to date),” said Omar Figueroa Sr., the Weslaco boxer’s father and manager. “Omar is motivated to do his best. If he can win this one, it’ll bring a lot of pride to the Valley.
“It’s a 50-50 fight,” he added. “The ones who put on these (ShoBox) shows try to make it fair to both fighters (by arranging even matchups). This guy will be tough to beat, but if Omar can win, it will really boost his career and should give him a top 10 ranking.”
Figueroa Sr. said he and his son have been in California preparing for tonight's fight for several weeks.
“We’re training with Joel Diaz, and everyone is treating us like family over here,” he said. “Being over here, though, we’re missing Christmas and New Year’s with our family (in the Valley), but if Omar wins, it’ll all be worth it.”
HARLINGEN SHOW
Brownsville lightweight Juan Reyna (3-0, two KOs) is headlining Saturday’s “Border Wars: The Heat is On” show at Harlingen’s Casa de Amistad presented by Juan V. Treviño and Valley Promotions. He’ll face DeShaun Williams (3-6, two KOs) of Galveston in a scheduled six-rounder.
“Like any other fight, it’ll mean a lot to me to get this win and keep my record clean,” said Reyna, who is coming off a fourth-round technical knockout of Juan Ovalle on Oct. 21 in Pharr. “I don’t settle for less than a win.
“I just want to thank God, my family, my coach and my sponsors, plus everyone who is supporting me,” he added. “I want to make the most of this chance (to fight in a main event for the first time). I’m ready.”
Super featherweight Oscar Tovar Jr. (4-0, two KOs) of Alton will face Ivan Perez (pro debut) in the four-round co-main event.
Treviño said other local fighters expected to appear on the card include Gino Hernandez, Angel Hernandez, Abel Fonseca, Joe Garcia and Carlos Orenday. He said six fights are scheduled Saturday with doors opening at 6 p.m. and the first bout to begin at 7:30 p.m.
For ticket information, call (956) 216-5990 or (956) 756-1222.
TWO FOR VEGAS
There are two Rio Grande Valley boxers scheduled to fight on the Jan. 13 show at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” is televising the event.
In addition to light welterweight Esteban “Steve” Almaraz (10-4, four KOs), a fighter from Harlingen now living in Houston, another Valleyite scheduled to appear on the card is light middleweight Raul Tovar (9-5-1, four KOs) of Mission.
Almaraz faces Yordenis Ugas (10-0, five KOs), a Cuban who fights out of Miami, Fla., while Tovar is set to go against Anthony Lenk (12-1, six KOs) of Las Vegas.
Roy Hess writes for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him via e-mail at rhess@brownsvilleherald.com
