WBA 130-pound champion Andrew "El Chango" Cancio (21-4-2, 16 KOs) will defend his title for a second time in a twelve-round rematch against Rene "Gemelo" Alvarado (31-8, 20 KOs). The event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 23rd at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. and will be streamed live on DAZN. [Now that Tank Davis has moved up to 135 pounds, Cancio is the WBA's only champion at 130].
Cancio is a 30-year-old who recently recorded back-to-back stoppage wins against npreiously unbeaten Alberto "Explosivo" Machado. The native of Blythe, Calif. has become a hero in his hometown, where he received a "Key to the City" after his first win against Machado. Cancio is managed by Ray Chaparro and recently re-signed with Golden Boy before his win against Dardan Zenunaj. Since his return to the sport after a two-year hiatus, he has become one of Golden Boy's most prominent and determined champions.
"I'm very excited to return to my second home, Fantasy Springs Casino on November 23 for the rematch with Rene Alvarado," said Cancio. "This is my 12th time fighting there, and I love the enthusiasm my fans bring to the venue in support of my fights. Rene Alvarado and I have fought before and now he's earned another opportunity to fight me. I know he'll be very well prepared to try and take my WBA world title. However, I plan on defending my championship in impressive style once again and show boxing fans in attendance and watching on DAZN that I'm the best 130-pound fighter in the world, period!"
Alvarado is a 30 year-old contender who has faced challenging opponents in his professional career including Robinson "Robin Hood" Castellanos, Rocky Juarez, Joseph "JoJo" Diaz, Manuel "Tino" Avila, Jayson Velez, Yuriokis "El Ciclon de Guantanamo"Gamboa, and Carlos "The Solution" Morales. From Nicaragua, Alvarado hopes to avenge his 2015 loss against Andrew Cancio.
"Nicaragua is known for its great world champions, and I'm one step away from becoming one," said Rene Alvarado. "I'm coming for the victory against Andrew Cancio on November 23rd. We know each other very well, and it's going to be a war."
"Andrew Cancio is a very resilient fighter and has proven himself with his raw talent and passion, showing his true potential to grow in this industry. Meanwhile, Rene Alvarado has also put in hard work during his tenure, with an impressive determination in the ring that has kept up his winning streak over the past couple of years," said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. "This year, we've put on many high-quality bouts at Fantasy Springs and are confident this event will be the best so far. We're also excited to add this card to this fall's action-packed fight season on DAZN. You don't want to miss this!"
