ORANGE, Calif. (June 23, 2017) – Thompson Boxing Promotions heads to Northern California to promote its first show in Sacramento starring unbeaten, Olympic bronze medalist Taras ‘The Real Deal” Shelestyuk (15-0, 9 KOs).The highly ranked Shelestyuk (WBO No. 5) faces fellow welterweight Jesus Alvarez Rodriguez (15-2, 11 KOs) in the “Locked n’ Loaded” 8-round main event from Omega Products International, an outdoor venue.
Shelestyuk vs. Rodriguez and the entire 8-bout card will be streamed live on TB Presents: Locked n’ Loaded. Watch the action on ThompsonBoxing.com and Facebook Live beginning at 7:45 p.m. PST / 10:45 p.m. EST.
Tickets for “Locked n’ Loaded” are priced at $40, $60, & $100 and are available for purchase online at ThompsonBoxing.com, or by calling 714-935-0900.
Shelestyuk, 31, is coming off a unanimous decision win against Jaime Herrera in November. The fight, televised on SHOWTIME, had championship implications with Shelestyuk winning the WBO-NABO welterweight title.
The Ukrainian-born Shelestyuk, who now lives and trains in Los Angeles, had a decorated amateur career punctuated by winning a bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics.
“I’m excited to fight in Sacramento,” said Shelestyuk, who is promoted by Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions. “I’ve been in the gym all year and can’t wait to put on a show next week.”
In the co-feature, standout amateur Ruben Villa (5-0, 3 KOs) of Salinas, Calif. looks to stay undefeated against Gino De La Paz (2-1, 1 KO) in a fight set for 6-rounds.
Villa has all the tools to become the next world champion at featherweight. He cleaned up the amateur ranks with back-to-back National Golden Gloves championships prior to turning professional last year. He inked a promotional contract with Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions last July and has been busy since then.
“I love being active,” said Villa, who is managed by Danny Zamora. “That was one of the main selling points in signing with Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions. They assured me that I would be fighting frequently. I’m ready to get another win on my resume.”
In the “Locked n’ Loaded” 8-round special attraction, top lightweight Jose “El Gato” Roman (23-1-1, 16 KOs) of Santa Ana, Calif. fights scrappy veteran Miguel Angel Mendoza (23-12-2, 22 KOs) of Mexico.
Roman’s aggressive style and Mendoza’s punching ability likely translates into a back-and-forth struggle that will contain plenty of crowd-pleasing action.
The undercard features one of the middleweight division’s most promising young talents in Salinas-based Rudy Puga (9-0, 8 KOs). Puga takes on Dorell Van Horn (9-1, 6 KOs) of Detroit in a bout set for 6-rounds.
Puga has won his last three fights by knockout, while Van Horn looks to get back on the winning track after losing his first professional fight last year.
Also, junior welterweight Jose Luis Lizarraga (1-0, 1 KO) of Sacramento will have the home crowd behind him when he battles an opponent to be named later (4-rounds).
Lightweights Jose Salinas of Fresno, Calif. and Brandon Trejo (1-0) of Napa, Calif. are also featured on the undercard. Each of their respective bouts will be set for 4-rounds.
Kicking off the “Locked n’ Loaded” card is a 4-round affair between light heavyweight prospects Marcos Delgado (2-0, 2 KOs) and Richard Rigmaden (0-1).
TB Presents: Locked n’ Loaded broadcast team consists of Beto Duran on play-by-play and Steve Kim provides expert, color commentary.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. local time with the first bout at approximately 7:45 p.m. Omega Products International is located at 8111 Fruitridge Road, Sacramento, CA 95826 and can be reached at 916-635-3335.
“Locked n’ Loaded” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with Everlast.
For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. To follow the conversation on social media, please use #LockednLoaded, #TBPresents, and #ThompsonBoxing.
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