PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island – Former world champion “Goyo” Vargas is coming all the way from Mexico to Providence on a mission to take Gary “Tiger” Balletto’s International Boxing Union lightweight crown at “Halloween Homecoming,” ESPN 2 Friday Night Fights show October 31 at the Rhode Island Convention Center.
Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc. is presenting “Halloween Homecoming,” in association with Mohegan Sun, 94 WHJY, Westin Hotel and Gansett Juice.
Vargas (43-7-1, 30 KOs), the former World Boxing Council super featherweight champion and present No. 16 rated contender, is cut from the same mold as great Mexican fighters such as Julio Cesar Chavez, Salvador Sanchez, Erik Morales, Carlos Zarate and Ricardo Lopez.
Vargas’ lone loss in the past six years was a 12-round decision to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in their 2000 WBC super featherweight title bout. “Goyo” has been stopped only once in 51 pro fights and he holds victories against world-class contenders such as Ben Tackie and Tracy Harris Patterson.
Balletto, 28, will be fighting in his first main event on national television. The feared power puncher has won four straight fights and earned his first main event off impressive ESPN2 co-feature victories against Luis Lizarraga (WDEC10) and Frank Houghtaling (WKO4).
Balletto-Vargas is only one of three-world title fights on “Halloween Homecoming.” CES is negotiating a WBC Youth Championship 10-round co-feature match for “Bad” Chad Dawson (13-0, 9 KOs), of New Haven (CT), and in a special 10-round special attraction, Jaime “Hurricane” Clampitt (11-2, 4 KOs), of Narragansett (RI), faces Michelle “Amazing Grace” Linden (6-3, 6 KOs), of West Palm Beach (FL), for the vacant International Women’s Boxing Federation light welterweight title.
“This will be one of the top female fights of the year,” promoter Jimmy Burchfield said. “Jamie is a powerful puncher who keeps improving every fight. Linden will be her most serious threat.”
Highly touted featherweight Angel “Gee Roc” Torres (13-2, 5 KOs), fighting out of Manchester (NH), puts his nine-fight win steak on the line against Angelo Torres (7-6-1, 3 KOs), of Lakewood (WA), in a six-rounder. Angel was Flash Update’s 2002 Most Improved New England Fighter.
Providence’s undefeated middleweight Bobo “The Bull” Starnino (6-0, 1 KO) battles Martin “The Irish Assassin” Thornton (5-1, 1 KO), of South Boston (MA), in a four-round match. Also scheduled to fight on the undercard in separate fights are featherweight, Missy “The Fury” Fiorentino (7-0, 5 KOs), of Cranston (RI); middleweight Joe Gardner (3-0-1, 1 KO), of Bellingham (MA); middleweight Benny “The Boss” Constantino (6-0, 4 KOs), of Warwick (RI).