The final Golden Boy Live! event of 2013 on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes will be one to remember, as a trio of spectacular matchups have been added to the televised portion of the Friday, Dec. 13 card at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.
Already featuring "Riverside Rocky" Josesito Lopez against "Mighty" Mike Arnaoutis in the main event and Francisco "El Bandido" Vargas facing Jerry "The Corpus Christi Kid" Belmontes as the co-main bout, boxing fans in the venue and watching live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes will also see three more televised bouts, with unbeaten junior middleweight Jermall Charlo taking on Joseph De Los Santos, 2012 U.S. Olympian Joseph "JoJo" Diaz Jr. meeting Mexico's Carlos Rodriguez in a junior featherweight battle and Diaz' Olympic teammate Errol Spence Jr. putting his perfect professional record on the line against Noe Bolanos in junior middleweight action. All three bouts are scheduled for eight rounds.
Also stepping into the ring for an exciting 10-round non-televised middleweight bout will be Coachella, Calif. favorite Angel Osuna and unbeaten Hugo "The Boss" Centeno Jr. Plus, those in attendance will get an extra treat as popular heavyweight contender Chris "The Nightmare" Arreola, fresh off of his stunning first round knockout over Seth Mitchell in September at Fantasy Springs, will be on hand to sign autographs, take pictures and meet and greet fans.
Houston's Jermall Charlo (16-0, 12 KO's) cemented his reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the junior middleweight division as he has gone 6-0 with six knockouts already in 2013, with finishes over notable foes such as Orlando Lora, Luis Hernandez and Antwone Smith. The 23-year-old aims to close out the year with another furious finish. A rugged veteran from the Dominican Republic, 36-year-old Joseph De Los Santos (16-12-3, 9 KO's) may have a few defeats on his record, but he has only been stopped once, making him a tough test for Charlo. Plus, with wins in six of his last seven bouts, De Los Santos is proving himself to be a late bloomer primed to score the upset.
Twenty-one-year-old South El Monte native Joseph "JoJo" Diaz Jr. (8-1, 5 KO's) is on the fast track to big things in the 122-pound weight class and with six wins in 2013 alone, he's keeping the kind of busy schedule that makes world champions. On Dec. 13, the 2012 U.S. Olympian hopes to score his fifth straight knockout when he takes on Los Mochis' Carlos Rodriguez (18-12-4, 10 KO's). Rodriguez will be quite the challenge for the young Diaz and after winning six of his last eight fights, the 30-year-old has the momentum he needs to come up big at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino
A highly decorated amateur who made it to the quarterfinals of the 2012 London Games, Desoto, Texas' Errol Spence Jr. (9-0, 7 KO's) has picked up plenty of frequent flyer miles in 2013, fighting in Florida, Nevada, California and Texas while putting seven more wins on his record. A recent victor over unbeaten Emmanuel Lartey in October, the 23-year-old Spence is hungry for more W's. Looking to put a "1" in Spence's loss column is Obregon, Mexico's veteran Noe Bolanos (25-8-1, 16 KO's). The 27-year-old will be looking to make it two wins in a row on Dec. 13, following his eight-round win over Felipe Gonzalez in September.
Two of California's top prospects collide in a highly anticipated showdown, as 25-year-old Angel Osuna (11-3-1, 7 KO's) from Coachella takes on the young and undefeated 22-year-old Hugo "The Boss" Centeno Jr. (19-0, 10 KO's). Osuna bounced back from a rocky start to his pro career to win his last seven bouts, five by knockout. Centeno has yet to lose as a professional and he wants to end 2013 with an upset win to remember against the fan favorite Osuna.
Josesito Lopez, Joseph Diaz Jr., Julian Williams and Diego De La Hoya participated in a Los Angeles media workout yesterday. Below please find the quotes and a link to the photos from the event.
Josesito Lopez, Top Welterweight Contender
"I've been training hard and I always try to adjust to different styles. That's why we bring in different sparring partners so the preparation is definitely there.
"Everything is going great in camp. The fight is only a few days away and I'm excited to be back. I really appreciate all the fans and I'm glad to be fighting in Southern California.
"There are big things coming in 2014, but first things first and that's December 13 I'm expecting a tough fight and that's what I'm focused on. I don't take anyone lightly and train like I'm the underdog."
Joseph Diaz Jr., Junior Featherweight Rising Star
[On his opponent]: "I know that Carlos Rodriguez is going to come and be aggressive to try to overwhelm me.
"He [Rodriguez] may be my toughest opponent to date, but I'm ready for him. I know that it will be a difficult fight because he's an experienced fighter, but I'm ready to give the fans a great show.
"If the knockout comes, then it comes. The knockouts I've gotten, I got with shots they weren't expecting. I just like to take my time and have patience when I am in the ring."
Julian Ramirez, Undefeated Junior Featherweight Rising Star
"Me siento bien, estoy listo para el 13 de diciembre. Me he preparado por 3 meses, entrené e hice spar con Yeyo Thompson y Jesse Roman, 10 rounds de sparring tres veces por semana así que me siento fuerte para salir con todo y para ganar."
Translation:
"I feel good. I'm ready for December 13. I've been preparing for three months and I trained and sparred with Yeyo Thompson and Jesse Roman. I've sparred 10-rounds of sparring three times per week so I feel strong and I'm ready to give my everything to get the win."
Diego De La Hoya, Undefeated Junior Featherweight Rising Star
"Estoy contento por esta pelea, por poder pelear en casa con mi gente y acercarme un poco mas a mi gran sueño de ser campeón. Me he preparado bien, he trabajado duro en los entrenamientos con el mejor entrenador Joel De La Hoya y con algunos sparrings muy buenos. Estoy contento por tener un gran equipo."
Translation:
"I'm excited about this fight, being able to fight close to home getting a little closer to my dream of being a champion.
"I've prepared well. I've worked hard during training with the best trainer Joel De La Hoya and with some really good sparring partners. I'm happy about having a great team."
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