Famoso vs. Ranchero official for December 11

17/11/2004

Famoso vs. Ranchero official for December 11

Press release:  As reported yesterday by Boxingtalk, Carlos "Famoso" Hernandez will appear on  the Vitali Klitschko-Danny Williams undercard on December 11 , 2004.  Hernandez, a former IBF junior lightweight champion, will face Juan Carlos “Ranchero’’ Ramirez in a ten-round bout, it was announced today.  The pay-per-view undercard will also feature a WBO junior welterweight title fight between undefeated Miguel Cotto and a former titlist, Randall Bailey.  The telecast will also feature  Frankie Archuleta moving up to 130 pounds to face Carlos Navarro.  Roberto Duran Jr., the namesake of legendary Roberto Duran, will be featured in a six-round bout in the non-televised portion of the undercard.
 
Hernandez (40-4-1, 24 KOs), of West Covina, Calif., became the first boxer of El Salvadorian descent to win a world title when he recorded an eighth-round technical decision over David Santos in a bout for the IBF junior lightweight title on Feb. 1, 2003. A national hero in El Salvador, where both his parents were born, Hernandez made one successful defense - a tenth-round technical decision over Steve Forbes on Oct. 4, 2003 - before losing a 12-round decision to Morales in a heated 130-pound world title unification bout on July 31, 2004. Hernandez gave an all-out performance and fought courageously, but fell by the scores 115-113 and 119-110 twice.

Ramirez (34-6, 14 KOs), of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, has gone 5-1 since losing a crowd-pleasing slugfest to then-undefeated, then-WBA/WBO 130-pound champion Acelino Freitas on March 15, 2003. In a gallant effort, the exciting Ramirez got credit for a knockdown in the second, but went down twice in the third and the bout was stopped 19 seconds into the fourth. Ramirez has defeated former world champions Jesus Salud, Hector Acero-Sanchez and Cesar Soto. In his previous world title challenges, he lost to WBC titleholders Erik Morales and Luisito Espinoza. Ramirez is coming off a sixth-round TKO over Jose Sarabia in his last outing on Oct. 22, 2004.

Navarro (23-3-1, 20 KOs), of Los Angeles, was considered the best amateur pound-for-pound fighter heading into the 1996 Olympic Trials. The two-time U.S. National champion and 1994 Goodwill Games gold medallist lost to Floyd Mayweather and failed to make the U.S. team. After turning pro on July 25, 1996, the older brother of top-ranked flyweight and 2000 U.S. Olympian, Jose Navarro, won his initial 19 starts. In his last start, the talented Navarro scored a seventh-round TKO over Luisito Espinoza on July 9, 2004.

Archuleta (23-4-1, 13 KOs), of Las Vegas, New Mexico, won a 10-round split decision over five-time world champion Johnny Tapia in his last start on March 5, 2004, in Las Vegas, New Mexico. A tough competitor who makes for scintillating scraps, Archuleta captured the NABA 122-pound crown with a third-round TKO over Osvaldo Guerrero on June 21, 2002. Archuleta has battled such impressive fighters as former WBC featherweight champion Kevin Kelley and unbeaten Rocky Juarez.

Tickets are priced at $650, $400, $200, $100 and $50 and are on sale now at the Mandalay Bay Box Office and all TicketMaster outlets.  To order tickets by phone, call K2 Promotions at 323-954-8055. The pay-per-view telecast, which begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and has a suggested retail price of $49.95.