Isaac Zarate vs. Christian Esquivel on Oct. 20

By Boxingnews24.com

Super bantamweight Isaac Zarate (13-3-2, 2 KOs) headlines the latest edition of “Path to Glory” when he faces veteran Christian Esquivel (29-12, 22 KOs) in the 8-round main event on Friday, Oct. 20, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Tickets for “Path to Glory” are priced at $40, $60, & $100 and are available for purchase by calling 714-935-0900, or visiting ThompsonBoxing.com.

Zarate, fighting out of the port city of San Pedro, Calif., enters the contest with a win over recent world title challenger Carlos Carlson in July. Prior to that, Zarate endured a rough stretch that saw him net a draw and two split decision losses.

“The win against Carlson really put me back on track,” said Zarate, who turned 26 in September. “I have some momentum now and I’m looking forward to closing out the year with a win against Esquivel.”

Zarate, a southpaw that also campaigns as a featherweight, is well equipped to handle Esquivel. He recently spent significant time sparring with WBA world champion Danny Roman.

“I’ve known Danny for years,” Zarate said. “We are actually very good friends. I helped him prepare for his world title fight against Shun Kubo in September, and he helped me stay sharp while I was in between fights.”

In the co-feature, junior welterweight Mohammed Rodriguez (10-4, 4 KOs) of Mexico makes his second appearance on a Thompson Boxing card when he fights Colombian Cesar Villarraga (9-3-1, 4 KOs) in a bout set for 8-rounds.

After an uneven start to his career that included four straight wins followed by three straight losses, Rodriguez is on the verge of turning things around. He knocked out Manuel Mendez in the fourth round in June in what was his Thompson Boxing debut.

Villarraga, meanwhile, is mired in a slump with two unanimous decision losses and a draw in his last three outings.

“Both Rodriguez and Villarraga need this win,” said Alex Camponovo, general manager and matchmaker for Thompson Boxing. “It’s a classic ‘show me’ fight. Rodriguez and Villarraga are hungry to right the ship, which should produce a competitive and entertaining fight.”

The marquee attraction on the “Path to Glory” undercard showcases middleweights Antonio Gutierrez (22-2-1, 10 KOs) of Tijuana, Mex. and James De La Rosa (23-5, 13 KOs) of Harlingen, Tex. (8-rounds).

Gutierrez owns a very close loss to Gabriel Rosado, who has fought elite talents such as Gennady Golovkin, David Lemieux, and Willie Monroe, Jr.

Also on the undercard, slick bantamweight Saul Sanchez (5-0, 3 KOs) of Indio, Calif. battles Nester Ramos (7-6-1, 3 KOs) in a fight scheduled for 4-rounds.

Lightweight Brandon Trejo (2-0) of Napa, Calif. makes his third start for Thompson Boxing. He faces an opponent to be named later (4-rounds).

Opening “Path to Glory” are bantamweights Daniel Guzman (1-1) of Los Angeles and Jose Mora (1-4) of Tijuana, Mex. (4-rounds).

All six fights will be livestreamed on TB Presents: Path to Glory via our Facebook page and ThompsonBoxing.com.

The livestream starts at 8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET with Beto Duran as the blow-by-blow announcer and Steve Kim providing expert color commentary.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. local time with the first bout at approximately 8:00 p.m. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N. Vineyard Ave. in Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at 909-937-0900.

“Path to Glory” 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 #PathtoGlory, #TBPresents, and #ThompsonBoxing.

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