GLENDALE, Ariz. (Aug. 14. 2024) — Undefeated junior lightweight contenders Andres “Savage” Cortes and Charly Suarez will collide in a high-stakes 10-rounder on Friday, Sept. 20, at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Cortes-Suarez will be the co-feature to the 12-round super middleweight main event between Mexican superstar Jaime Munguia and the unbeaten Erik Bazinyan.
The eight-round televised opener sees undefeated junior welterweight Emiliano Fernando Vargas step up in class against upset-minded Irishman Larry Fryers.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Eye of the Tiger, Zanfer Promotions, and Golden Boy Promotions, Munguia-Bazinyan, Cortes-Suarez, and Vargas-Fryers will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale NOW via Ticketmaster.com.
Cortes (22-0, 12 KOs), an eight-year pro from Las Vegas, is a top 10-ranked contender by the WBC and WBO at 130 pounds. He’s had a breakout 2024, knocking out Bryan Chevalier in four rounds in February and edging former world title challenger Abraham Nova by unanimous decision in June. Suarez (17-0, 9 KOs), a 2016 Filipino Olympian, is ranked No. 6 by the WBO and IBF. He’s fought on a pair of Top Rank on ESPN bills, winning a one-sided decision over Yohan Vasquez last August and turning away the game Louie Coria over eight rounds in April.
“Ever since the Nova fight, I’ve been working on my craft in the gym. I’m showing the world my full arsenal on September 20,” Cortes said. “I want a world title shot soon, and I need to earn it with a devastating performance over Suarez.”
Vargas (11-0, 9 KOs), the youngest fighting son of former world champion Fernando Vargas, makes his fourth outing of 2024 as he continues to build his résumé as one of the sport’s top prospects. Since jumping to junior welterweight, “El General” has scored a pair of knockouts, including June’s first-round destruction of the normally durable Jose Zaragoza. Fryers (13-6-1, 5 KOs) has won two straight fights, turning his career around following a six-bout winless streak. He last fought in June 2023, securing a technical decision over Dimash Niyazov, who entered the contest with a 14-1-3 record.
Undercard action, streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+, includes the following bouts:
In a scheduled eight-rounder, heavyweight knockout artist Richard Torrez Jr. (10-0, 10 KOs), the Olympic silver medal star from Tulare, California, faces his most experienced foe in Philadelphia native Joey Dawejko (28-11-4, 16 KOs). Torrez has been extended past the third round only twice in his young career, while Dawejko has won seven of his past eight fights.
Welterweight prospect Art Barrera Jr. (6-0, 4 KOs) looks for his fifth victory of 2024 in a six-rounder against Jose Belloso (5-4, 5 KOs).
Junior lightweight DJ Zamora (13-0, 9 KOs), a Las Vegan southpaw of Filipino heritage, will see action in an eight-round clash. Zamora earned a decision win over Mexican veteran Jose Antonio Meza in June.
Junior bantamweight phenom Steven Navarro (3-0, 2 KOs), the latest uber-talent from Los Angeles, returns in a six-rounder versus Oscar Arroyo (3-2, 2 KOs). Navarro picked up win number three last Saturday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, stopping Israel Camacho in the opening round.
Up-and-coming junior featherweight Sebastian Hernandez (16-0, 15 KOs) steps up against former interim world champion Yonfrez Parejo (24-6-1, 12 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
