While the legendary two-division world champion Bernard Hopkins will close out his 28-year career in a light heavyweight farewell fight against Joe Smith on Dec. 17 (HBO) at The Forum in Inglewood, California, Golden Boy Promotions has added to the undercard a number of prospects it hopes will carry the company years into the future.
Golden Boy announced the card will include 2012 Brazilian Olympic bronze medalist Yamaguchi Falcao (11-0, 5 KOs), 28, and Irish middleweight Jason Quigley (11-0, 9 KOs), both among the company’s most prominent up-and-comers.
“There is no promotional company with a deeper stable of prospects than Golden Boy Promotions, and fans are going to see a slew of them on the Dec. 17 card,” said Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya, whose professional debut was 24 years ago Wednesday. “I am confident that multiple future world champions are on this card.”
Falcao, a southpaw, will face Mexico’s German Perez (10-2-3, 3 KOs) in a 10-round bout, and Quigley will square off against powerful puncher Jorge Melendez (28-7-1, 26 KOs), of Puerto Rico, also in a 10-round fight, although neither fight will be part of the HBO telecast.
Also on the nontelevised part of the card will be heralded 18-year-old lightweight prospect Ryan Garcia (6-0, 5 KOs), of Victorville, California, who recently signed with Golden Boy. Garcia, who was 215-15 as an amateur and a 15-time national champion, will take on Mexico’s Antonio Martinez (6-7, 5 KOs) in a six-round bout.
Junior lightweight Carlos Morales (14-1-3, 6 KOs), of Los Angeles, will face Charles Huerta (18-4, 10 KOs), of Paramount, California, in a 10-round match. Los Angeles lightweight Ivan Delgado (10-0-1, 3 KOs) will take on Mexico’s Roberto Rivera (6-3, 5 KOs) in a six- or eight-round bout. Lightweight Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez (15-0, 13 KOs), from Buena Park, California, will face an opponent to be determined. Opening the card will be featherweight Joet Gonzalez (14-0, 6 KOs), of Glendora, California, squaring off with Mexico’s Jairo Hernandez (15-10, 8 KOs) in a six-or eight-round fight.
Besides Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KOs) taking on Smith (22-1, 18 KOs) in the main event, there are two other bouts on the HBO broadcast:
Featherweight Joseph “JoJo” Diaz (22-0, 13 KOs), a 2012 U.S. Olympian from South El Monte, California, will meet Horacio “Violento” Garcia (30-1-1, 22 KOs), 26, of Mexico, in a scheduled 10-round fight. And cruiserweight world titleholder Oleksandr Usyk (10-0, 9 KOs), the 2012 Olympic heavyweight gold medalist from Ukraine, will make his first defense — and his United States debut — against South African contender Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu (17-2, 11 KOs).
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