A Saturday press conference is in the works for smack-talkers Adrien Broner and Paulie Malignaggi.
Agbeko-Mares lands in L.A. on April 23
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The excellent matchup, which is the finals of Showtime's four-man single-elimination bantamweight tournament, will be supported by the tournament's consolation match between Yonnhy Perez and Vic Darchinyan. Both bouts will be televised on Showtime. Agbeko (28-2, 22 knockouts), THE RING's No. 3-rated bantamweight, defeated Perez (20-1-1, 14 KOs) via unanimous decision in the first round of Showtime's tournament on Dec. 11. It was a rematch of their 2009 fight of the year candidate won by Perez, THE RING's No. 6-rated bantamweight. Mares (21-0-1, 13 KOs), THE RING's No. 4-rated bantamweight, defeated Darchinyan (35-3-1, 27 KOs), the magazine's No. 9-ranked 118-pound contender, via split decision in the co-feature to Agbeko-Perez II. The site of the tournament finals gives Mares, a Mexican national who grew up in Southern California, home turf advantage. Nokia Theater, a 7,100-seat venue that is part of the L.A. LIVE entertainment complex across from STAPLES Center, will also test Mares' drawing power. |