 |
|
ESPN2 Wednesday Night Fights Jeff Lacy vs. Epifanio Mendoza
July 23, 2008 Morongo Casino Resort & Spa Cabazon, California
Featured Bout: Super Middleweight Bout (10 Rds) Jeff Lacy (23-1, 17 KOs) vs. Epifanio Mendoza (28-5-1, 24 KOs)
______________________________________________________________________
Jeff Lacy Meets Epifanio Mendoza At The Super Middleweight Crossroads On July 23rd ESPN2’s Wednesday Night Fights To Televise From Morongo Casino Resort & Spa
LOS ANGELES – A former world super middleweight champion, Jeff Lacy made his name in the boxing world behind his concussive power and trademark left hook; equally powerful Epifanio Mendoza has never taken a backwards step in his nine-year pro career. On Wednesday, July 23 at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California, Lacy’s irresistible force meets Mendoza’s immovable object in a 10 round bout which should leave fight fans on their feet and cheering.
Lacy vs. Mendoza, a 10 round super middleweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions, will air live on ESPN2’s Wednesday Night Fights beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. This bout marks the first ever ESPN2 Wednesday Night Fights card at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa.
Tickets, priced at $35, $75 and $125 are on sale now and can be purchased at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa Box Office at (951) 755-5391 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the first bell rings at 5:30 p.m.
“Jeff Lacy has waited a long time to get back in position to regain his title and if he can beat a dangerous opponent like Epifanio Mendoza, he will be one step closer to his goal,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “This fight should be one of the best of 2008, but with the power of both guys, I don’t expect it to go the distance.”
“We're very excited to take part in ESPN2's Wednesday Night Fights,” said Morongo Casino Resort & Spa general manager, Sean Sullivan. “This is an opportunity to show the nation that Morongo is the home of “BIG TIME” boxing.”
A 2000 United States Olympian, Jeff ‘Left Hook’ Lacy (23-1, 17 KO’s) has been one of boxing’s most consistently exciting performers ever since he turned pro in 2001. A world champion in just his 18th fight after stopping Syd Vanderpool for the IBF World Super Middleweight crown in 2004, Lacy successfully defended his title four times before being outpointed in a 2006 title unification bout against Joe Calzaghe. The St. Petersburg, Florida native returned to the ring nine months later and outpointed Vitali Tsypko, only to have it revealed that he had torn his rotator cuff early in the fight. After surgery and almost a year away, Lacy was back in championship form last December as he scored a ten round unanimous decision win over ‘The Contender’s Peter Manfredo Jr.
“This is going to be my first fight this year and my first time fighting at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa,” said Lacy. “I’m going to make it a good one and I will definitely make the statement that I’m ready for another world title shot.”
Colombia’s Epifanio Mendoza (28-5-1, 24 KOs) fought under the radar in his native country until his 16th fight on October 13, 2002 when he scored a shocking 30 second stoppage of unbeaten and highly touted Tokunbo Olajide. Since then, the 32-year-old has been the one guy you don’t want to see when you look across the ring. Among his victims are Rubin Williams (KO1) and Rito Ruvalcaba (KO8), and though he fell short in a light heavyweight title fight against Chad Dawson last September, Mendoza knows that at 168 pounds, he’ll be hard to beat.
“Jeff Lacy is a former world champion and he’s a good fighter, but I’m hungrier than he is,” said Mendoza. “I need a win in this fight and I won’t stop throwing punches until they raise my hand in victory.”
Undercard bouts can be viewed at www.goldenboypromotions.com. For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.morongocasinoresort.com.
About Golden Boy Promotions: Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2001 by Oscar de la Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. In 2007, in its sixth year of promoting, Golden Boy Promotions set a record by selling over 2.5 million in pay-per-view homes in a single night. Also in 2007, Golden Boy Promotions established the record for pay-per-view sales by one promotional company in a single year selling events to more than 4 million homes total. Golden Boy Promotions is one of boxing’s most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the United States on networks such as HBO, HBO Latino, TeleFutura, SHOWTIME and ESPN.
About Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa: Morongo is the premier gaming resort in California. Located in Cabazon, California, in the scenic Coachella Valley, Morongo is a prime getaway for residents of Orange County, Ontario, Palm Springs, Palm Desert and Los Angeles. Earning the prestigious AAA Four Diamond Award for three consecutive years, Morongo offers 310 well-appointed rooms and suites, a 150,000 sq. ft. casino floor, nine restaurants and lounges and continuous world-class entertainment offerings. One of the largest tribal gaming facilities in the country, Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa is owned and operated by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. For more information please visit www.morongocasinoresort.com.
Subject to change
(7/22/08) |
 |