Vasquez Defends IBF Junior Featherweight Championship Against Simonyan

BoxingTalk
Nov 27 2004

Press release: International Boxing Federation Association junior
featherweight champion Israel Vasquez defends his title under the
Sycuan Ringside Promotions banner for the first time when he meets
undefeated and No. 1-ranked contender Art Simonyan Tuesday, Dec. 28,
at the Sycuan Resort & Casino in El Cajon, Calif.

The world championship card will be held in the Spotlight Showroom
at the Sycuan Resort & Casino.

Tickets for this championship card are on sale 24 hours daily in the
gift shop at the Sycuan Resort & Casino. Tickets also can be ordered
by calling 619-445-6002 or 619-659-3380 24 hours daily.

This is the fifth boxing card presented by Sycuan Ringside Promotions
since it burst onto the international boxing scene earlier this year.

The IBF 122-pound championship will be a belated birthday gift for
one these two boxers.

Vasquez turns 27 on Christmas Day while Simonyan becomes 29 on Dec.
27.

Vasquez, originally from Mexico City but now living in Los Angeles,
won the IBF junior featherweight championship in his most recent bout,
March 25 in Los Angeles, when he stopped Jose Luis Valbuena in the
12th round.

Vasquez has a record of 36-3 with 26 knockouts. He has a mark of
16-1 dating back to 1999, that lone loss coming in a bout for the
World Boxing Council super bantamweight championship during 2002.

Simonyan, who was born in Armenia but now lives in Glendale, Calif.,
has a record of 14-0-1 with seven knockouts. He earned the right to
challenge Vasquez with a 12-round decision over Fahsan Por Thawatchai
in a title elimination bout May 21 in Elk Grove Village, Ill.

Sycuan Ringside Promotions is considered by many to be the
fastest-growing and most dynamic promotional entity in the sport.
Sycuan Ringside Promotions made its promotional debut during February,
but already has presented world championship bouts on premium cable
networks.

Sycuan Ringside Promotions has many notable boxers in its stable,
including, in addition to Vasquez, IBF lightweight champion Julio
“The Kidd” Diaz, World Boxing Organization junior featherweight
champ Joan “Little Tyson” Guzman, former World Boxing Association
cruiserweight king Orlin “Night Train” Norris and highly regarded
welterweight Antonio Diaz.