San Jose, CA— Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E) and Golden Boy Promotions announced today that Miller Lite Fight Night at the Tank will continue at HP Pavilion at San Jose on Thursday, September 25 at 7:30 p.m. Featured on the card will be Roger “Speedy” Gonzalez (22-0-0, 17 KO’s) of Chino, CA. Gonzalez will face a tough opponent in Samuel Lopez (14-1-0, 5 KO’s) in this 12 round bout for the NABO Bantamweight Title. Also appearing on the card is undefeated super middleweight Ricardo Cortes (10-0-1, 6 KO’s) of San Jose, CA and undefeated prospect Arturo Quintero (7-0, 4KO’s) of Las Vegas, NV.
Roger Gonzalez (22-0-0, 17 KO’s) hails from Chino, California and is currently the NABO bantamweight champion. He is one of boxing’s most highly regarded young contenders. Ranked third in the world by the WBO and sixth by the IBF, “Speedy” has impressed fans and boxing insiders with his wide array of skills in the ring, as well as his warrior’s heart. In his last bout, the 25-year-old rumbled over Heriberto Velazquez in two short rounds adding to his reputation as a fearsome finisher.
In Samuel Lopez (14-1-0, 5 KO’s), Gonzalez will face a tough battler who has not lost in more than three years, having won his last seven fights. The current California State Bantamweight champion, Lopez is coming off a six round decision win over Francisco Arce in January.
In the “Miller Lite Fight Night at The Tank” co-main event, San Jose’s own Ricardo Cortes will put his 10-0-1 (6 KOs) record on the line against Errol Banner (6-8-1, 4 KOs) of Belize who fights out of Los Angeles, CA in an eight-round super middleweight bout that will produce heavyweight fireworks.
In July of 2002, Cortes and Banner met for the first time at “The Tank” and the fists flew from the opening bell. Banner shrugged off his underdog status and more than held his own with the highly touted Cortes. In the sixth round, Cortes took control of the fight and stunned his opponent with a barrage of punches to Banner’s head, forcing the referee to halt the bout.
Also, unbeaten super featherweight prospect Arturo Quintero (7-0-0, 4 KO’s), originally from San Jose but now residing in Las Vegas, NV, will bring his three fight knockout streak with him when he faces Pacoima’s Arturo Flores (6-5-0, 3 KO’s) in a six round contest.
In a featured female bout, featherweight up-and-comer Rhonda Luna (3-0-0, 1 KO), a native of Rowland Heights, will take on an opponent to be announced shortly in a four-round featherweight bout. Luna was a highly regarded amateur boxer before turning to the pro game earlier this year, where she is finding continued success. When she’s not training or fighting, Luna spends her time at Bishop Amat High School where she is an English teacher and softball coach.
Another fighter who has made his mark both in and out of the boxing ring is San Jose’s Gary Owens (1-0-0, 1 KO). Owens will face an opponent to be named later in a four round junior welterweight bout. Owens is a world-renowned kick boxer and a former IKF US International Rules Champion.
In the September 25 “Miller Lite Fight Night at The Tank” opening bout, junior middleweight Israel Sandoval (1-7) of San Jose, CA will battle it out with Walter Diaz in a four round bout.
In addition to the September 25 event, one more date is scheduled for later in the year: November 6. That card is also scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Date is subject to change.
Golden Boy Promotions, owned by six-time world boxing champion Oscar de la Hoya, has scheduled more than 30 fights throughout California in 2003 alone.
SVS&E, the company that oversees all aspects of business operations for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, also oversees HP Pavilion Management, Logitech Ice at San Jose and the Siebel Open men’s professional tennis tournament.
Published on WBAN.