PHILADELPHIA, PENN./ORANGE, California–Heralded featherweight prospect Ruben Villa returns home for the 1st time as a professional as he headlines in the Northern California city of Salinas on Saturday, April 14, from the popular Salinas Storm House. The show is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.
“Ruben has been coming along great, and on April 14th, he will thrill his hometown fans,” said Banner Promotions President, Arthur Pelullo. “We are looking forward to this special night for Ruben, for him not only to put on a great performance in his hometown, but to capture his first championship.”
“This show has been in the works for more than a year,” said Alex Camponovo, who as Matchmaker and General Manager of Thompson Boxing. “It’s an excellent show from top-to-bottom featuring talent from all over the Bay Area and surrounding parts. You have Ruben looking to win his first professional title [WBO Youth] in his hometown.”
Villa, 20, will be locked in a battle with fellow prospect Marlon Olea (13-2, 12 KOs) of Colombia in the 8-round “New Blood” main event where the WBO Youth Featherweight Title is up for grabs. Villa, a southpaw, is currently in Riverside, Calif. with trainer Max Garcia preparing for his main event debut.
“I’m excited to headline my first event,” said Villa, who is co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing. “I’ve been preparing for this my whole life. It came fast. There’s a lot to be happy about. It’s a title fight, and it will be in front of my hometown fans.”
Villa will certainly receive a challenge from Olea. He holds a unanimous decision loss against WBA World Champion Danny Roman and is known as a pressure fighter with excellent instincts.
“He’s a mover, and he’s quick with his hands,” Villa said. “I’ll be ready for him. We are getting a little bit of everything in this training camp. I’m sparring guys that like to box and guys that are coming in and pressuring.”
New to Villa for this fight has been the abundance of ticket requests from local boxing fans. The former two-time Golden Gloves Champion has already sold 400 tickets, yet the requests keep pouring in.
“To be honest, I’m not sure how it’s going to feel to fight in my hometown,” Villa said. “I tend to tune out all the white noise and just box. I’m sure there will be some moments when I recognize the crowd. I have to enjoy it, but keep my poise.”
Tickets for “New Blood” are priced at $40, $75, & $125, and are available for purchase by calling 714-935-0900, or online at ThompsonBoxing.com.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m. local time with the first bout at approximately 6:00 p.m. The Salinas Storm House is located at 185 Maryal Dr. Salinas, CA 93907.
All fights will be live streamed on TB Presents: New Blood via Thompson Boxing Facebook page and ThompsonBoxing.com.
The livestream starts at 6:00 p.m. PT / 9:00 p.m. ET with Beto Duran as the blow-by-blow announcer and Steve Kim providing expert color commentary.