DAVID RODELA VS. DANTE JARDON IN “NEXT BOXING GENERATION” CO-FEATURE

Mexico’s Top Young Talent Also Featured In Non-Televised Undercard Bouts

LOS ANGELES, March 24 – Golden Boy Promotions will once again heat up the Mexico City night on Friday, March 26 when exciting lightweight contender Vicente Escobedo makes his first start of 2010 in the ten round main event of HBO Plus’ “Next Boxing Generation” at Auditorio Plaza La Condesa.  Escobedo will face Los Mochis veteran Carlos Urias in a bout scheduled for ten rounds.

In the ten round co-main event, junior lightweight prospects Dante Jardon and David Rodela collide.  Also seeing action will be Mexico City’s unbeaten rising star Marco Antonio Periban.

“Next Boxing Generation”, which is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Producciones Deportivas de Ricardo Maldonado Jr., will air live on the HBO Plus service in Latin America beginning at 8:00 pm local time.  As the event is a private sponsored function, there will be no tickets for sale to the public.

A 2004 United States Olympian, Vicente Escobedo (21-2, 13 KO’s) is proud to pay tribute to his roots by fighting in Mexico for the first time as a pro.  Winner of 12 of his last 13 bouts, the 28-year-old contender is coming off a hard-fought split decision loss to Michael Katsidis in an interim WBO lightweight title bout last September and is eager to get back in the title race in 2010.

Looking to make his own road to the top this year is seasoned veteran Carlos Urias (43-23, 16 KO’s), a hard-hitting battler from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.  A former Mexican, WBC CABOFE and WBA FEDEBOL champion, Urias is on a two-fight winning streak that includes a blistering first round knockout of Alejandro Barrera in January that earned him the WBC FECARBOX crown.

Mexico City’s own Dante Jardon (11-1, 11 KO’s) is a thrilling knockout artist with concussive power who has ended eight of his victories in two rounds or less.  On March 26, he faces his toughest challenge to date when he squares off against 27-year-old “Dangerous” David Rodela (14-2-3, 6 KO’s) who returns to the ring with plans to show the form that has seen him turn back the likes of Kevin Kelley, Jose Luis Soto Karass and Gamalier Rodriguez.

Also representing Mexico City on March 26will be 25-year-old super middleweight Marco Antonio Periban (6-0, 4 KO’s), who is coming off a decision win over unbeaten Richard Vidal last November.  Periban will face Mexico City’s Luis Reyes (6-9-1, 5 KO’s) in a six round fight.

In off-TV action, local Mexico City heroes face off when junior welterweight Mario Cuevas (5-1, 4 KO’s) meets Martin Rivas (2-3-1, 1 KO) in a six rounder, junior bantamweight Pedro Melo (4-1-1, 1 KO) squares off against Gustavo Morales (3-2) in a six rounder and in a junior lightweight 4 round bout, Gonzalo Rodriguez (1-0) takes on Nestor Moran (2-2, 1 KO).

Rounding out this stellar card will be a six round bout featuring San Luis Potosi featherweight Romulo Kuasicha (8-0, 5 KO’s) against Veracruz’s Alejandro Mendez (0-4), an eight round bantamweight bout with Armando Santos (5-1, 5 KO’s) taking on Carlos Jimenez (6-8-2, 4 KO’s) and the Mexico City junior featherweight Giovani Vargas will make his professional debut against an opponent to be determined.

“Next Boxing Generation,” which was launched in August of 2008 by Golden Boy Promotions in association with HBO Latin America Group, features the top up and coming Latin American fighters in boxing today in exciting bouts that will appeal to fans across all demographics. The series has seen fights take place throughout Mexico as well as in Argentina, Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, the United States and Uruguay.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or follow Golden Boy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing.