Gomez returns on Solo Boxeo show on Saturday

After almost a year of inactivity due to legal problems, undefeated junior welterweight prospect Frankie Gomez returns to the ring on Saturday in a Telefutura-televised main event at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim, Calif.

Gomez (12-0, 9 knockouts), a 20-year-old amateur star from East Los Angeles, hasn’t fought since knocking out journeyman James Hope on the undercard of the Abner Mares-Joseph Agbeko rematch last December. The aggressive boxer-puncher will face another journeyman in Mexico’s Manuel Leyva (21-8, 12 KOs) in their scheduled eight-round welterweight bout on Saturday, but the 30-year-old southpaw is far more experienced than Hope.

Leyva, who lives and trains in Downey, Calif., gave former 130-pound titleholder and lightweight champ Joel Casamayor fits in dropping a 10-round split decision to the Cuban veteran last March.

Gomez, whose career was sidelined most of this year because of past run-ins with the law that included a drug possession charge, will be fighting under the guidance of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach for the first time against Leyva.

The co-featured bout of the Solo Boxeo Tecate show between undefeated lightweight prospect Jamie Kavanagh and Ramon Valadez figures to be the fight of the night.

Kavanagh (11-0-1, 5 KOs), a Roach-trained amateur standout from Ireland, is a well-rounded boxer with a penchant for body punching and accurate combinations.

Like Gomez, Valadez (11-2, 6 KOs), a strong pressure fighter who likes to mix it up, hails from East L.A.

Valadez is coming off a loss but has won 10 of his last 11 fights. His most recent win was a third-round knockout over then 6-0 Kevin Hoskins, showing that he knows a little something about taking a prospect's "0." Valadez, who has a habit of getting into crowd-pleasing brawls, will look to duplicate that feat against Kavanagh.

Both 22-year-old fighters are graduates of the Fight Night Club series that Golden Boy Promotions, which is presenting Friday’s show, put on from 2009-2011.

Doors open at 6:00 p.m. PT on fight night and the first bell rings at 7:00 p.m. PT. The Telefutura broadcast begins at11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets priced at $30 and $50 are on sale now and available for purchase online at http://fla.vor.us/1141276-Solo-Boxeo-Tecate-2-tickets/Solo-Boxeo-Tecate-2-Anaheim-Festhalle-The-Phoenix-Club-November-03-2012.html.