PRESS RELEASE: NEW YORK (Sept. 5, 2007) – Showtime once again will bring the action to fight fans when two lightweight prospects, Antonio DeMarco and Nick “Hands of Gold” Casal face each other in a ten-round battle Friday, September 7, 2007 on "ShoBox: The New Generation” (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
Opening the telecast are the flashy and undefeated junior middleweights, Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo (9-0, 6 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico, and Emmanuel Gonzalez (9-0, 4 KOs) of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Both fighters will put their unblemished records on the line in an eight-round scrap that will be a rematch of a 2002 amateur match-up. Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, will present the doubleheader from the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif.
The 21-year-old DeMarco (15-1-1, 12 KOs), of Tijuana, Mexico, is a rising southpaw whose knockout power is what separates him from other prospects. On Sept. 7, the southpaw will take his power-punching tactics into his 10-round debut.
“This is something you work for as you move on in your career,” said DeMarco, who trains at the Crea Gym in Tijuana. “This is a big step up for me, but I think I am more than ready. I should have no problems if I need to go 10 rounds. I am going to be well prepared, and I am looking forward to it.”
Casal (16-1-1, 1 NC, 12 KOs), of Las Vegas, Nev., who is the same age as DeMarco, also will step up to 10 rounds for the first time.
A 2002 National Junior Olympics amateur champion at 156 pounds, Casal will look to wear down DeMarco with constant movement, hoping to stretch the fight into the later rounds.
“I know DeMarco has a lot of first-round knockouts,” said Casal, who lives and trains in Las Vegas, by way of Niagara Falls, N.Y. “I know he doesn’t like to go too far into the late rounds because he hasn’t gone past six rounds in his career.”
Armed with a wealth of experience fighting southpaws during his amateur career, Casal said he has no problem stepping in against DeMarco.
“For the last four weeks, I have been sparring with lefties, so I don’t think I’m going to be thrown off,” Casal explained. “I tend to know their tendencies and movements quite well.”
DeMarco is coming off of a spectacular one-punch knockout over Roberto Valenzuela on July 28, 2007, in Tacoma, Wash. DeMarco tagged his foe with a heavy right hook that quickly sent Valenzuela hurling toward the canvas face first. Valenzuela tried to get up, but stumbled. On his second attempt, he managed to get to his feet, but was unsteady and the referee stopped the fight at 1:19 of the first round.
On June 1, 2007, Casal recorded an eight-round split decision win (78-74, 77-75 and 75-77) over Priest Smalls on June 1, 2007, at Chumash Casino Resort.
In the co-feature, the 25-year-old Mexican-born Angulo and the 21-year-old Puerto Rican native Gonzalez will meet for the second time. The pair first clashed as amateurs at the 2002 pre-Pan American qualifier in Mexico. In a thrilling contest, Angulo registered a TKO in the final round.
“I was ahead in the fight in the last round,” Gonzalez said. “There was one minute remaining, I went back against the ropes and Angulo hit me with a right. I put one knee down on the canvas, but I managed to get up. The referee, however, stopped the fight. I was just 16 years old and Angulo was 20.”
Gonzalez, who has sparred against his friend, WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, has an engaging style that makes him fun to watch and difficult to hit.
“I am tall and have a long reach which makes me tough right from the start,” said Gonzalez, who is conducting training camp in Santruce, Puerto Rico. “I can engage my opponent and throw a lot of punches, or I can sit back and dictate the pace.”
Angulo will be well prepared for his second showdown against Gonzalez because his training camp has featured a constant influx of sparring partners that at one point have held world titles.
“I have been sparring with Antonio Margarito, Roy Jones Jr. and Fernando Vargas,” Angulo said. “I am coming into this fight hungry and motivated to put on a great show.”
Blow-by-blow announcer Nick Charles will call the action from ringside with expert analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood at his side. The executive producer of “ShoBox” is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing.
