Junior welterweight up-and-comer Arnold Barboza Jr. will face Manuel Lopez in the 10-round co-feature of the rematch between super middleweight world titleholder Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and Jesse Hart on Dec. 14, Top Rank announced on Thursday.
The entire Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ card, which will take place at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET, with main card coverage of the top two bouts starting at 10 p.m. ET.
Barboza (19-0, 7 KOs), 26, of Los Angeles, looms as a potential challenger for world titleholder Jose Ramirez, who is also with Top Rank, next year but must win to keep that possibility alive.
“I have heard that a world title shot is in my future, but I never take a fight for granted,” Barboza said. “I have trained really hard this fight. Lopez is a tough guy who I know from the amateurs. I am excited to have the opportunity to showcase my skills on a big platform. I never want an easy fight. This is a step-up fight, and I am ready to show the fans what I am made of.”
Lopez (14-2-1, 7 KOs), 28, of Denver, is unbeaten in his last six fights, going 5-0-1, since an eight-round decision loss to Kevin Watts in 2015.
Other fights on the undercard include:
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Junior lightweight Mikaela Mayer (8-0, 4 KOs), a 2016 U.S. Olympian, will face Calixta Silgado (17-10-3, 12 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
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Bantamweight puncher Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer Jr. (18-1-1, 10 KOs) will take on Daniel Lozano (15-5, 11 KOs) in a 10-rounder for a vacant regional belt.
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Lightweight prospect Gabriel Flores Jr. (10-0, 5 KOs), who is just 18, will fight for the sixth time this year when he faces Edward Kakembo (10-5, 3 KOs) in a six-round bout.
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Junior lightweight Jamel Herring (18-2, 10 KOs), the fighting U.S. Marine and 2012 U.S. Olympian, will face former junior featherweight world title challenger Adeilson Dos Santos (19-5, 15 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
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Junior bantamweight prospect Ruben Vega (11-0, 5 KOs) will battle Oscar Mojica (11-5, 1 KO) in a six-round bout.
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Junior featherweight Jesus Arechiga (6-0, 6 KOs) will meet David Martino in a six-round fight.
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Welterweight Roberto Duran Jr. (1-0, 1 KOs), the son of the legendary Hall of Famer Roberto Duran Sr., will fight Leonardo Pena (0-2) in a four-rounder.