SAN ANTONIO, TX (March 23, 2022)
- The Alamodome on April 9, 2022, will be a night full of
exciting action as popular fighters make their grand return to
the ring for the first time in 2022.
Houston’s Marlen Esparza (11-1, 1
KOs) will take on Tokyo’s Naoko Fujioka (19-2-1, 17 KOs) in a
10-round fight for three world titles, the inaugural Ring
Magazine Flyweight World Championship, the first-ever in the
women’s flyweight division, and the WBC and WBA Flyweight World
Championships.
The historic three-title showdown
will be featured as part of the undercard for Ryan Garcia vs.
Emmanuel Tagoe in San Antonio, Texas, live, worldwide on DAZN.
Also, part of the DAZN live stream, “King” Gabriel Rosado
(26-14-1, 15 KOs) of Philadelphia, PA, will face-off against
Shane Mosley Jr. (17-4, 10 KOs) of Pomona, CA in a 10-round
fight for the WBA Continental Americas Super Middleweight title.
“I am training hard and excited for my return to San Antonio,”
said Marlen Esparza. “We are both champions, and we get to fight
for the first-ever Ring Magazine Women’s Flyweight World
Championship. Fireworks are what you can expect on April 9.”
“I am grateful to Goldenboy and everybody making this fight
happen,” said Naoko Fujioka. “I believe that my last victory
against Sulem Urbina opened the door for this bigger opportunity
to fight Marlen Esparza and unify world titles. I’ve never been
more excited. I am ready to go to her backyard and win!”
“I’m excited to get back and start the new year with a bang,”
said Gabriel Rosado. “I’m back at 168, where I feel more
comfortable. I won’t take Shane Mosley Jr. lightly, this is a
big step-up fight for him, and I expect him to be at his best.
I’m looking forward to making a run at the super middleweight
division, and Shane Jr. is in my way. I respect his father, who
is one of the best to do it. So this fight is nothing personal,
it’s strictly business, and I plan to get the job done and put
on a show for the fans in San Antonio, Texas! Get your popcorn
ready, the ‘King’ is back!!!”
“I’m excited for the opportunity to fight on such a great card,
and I can’t wait to get back in the ring,” said Shane Mosley,
Jr. “This is going to be my first fight in 2022, and I am ready
to show fans an exciting show on April 9.”
“We are excited and proud to put on a fan-friendly undercard for
the anticipated matchup between Ryan Garcia and Emmanuel Tagoe,”
said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “We
always want to keep the fans in mind when we put together
fights, and I know they will be glad to witness history in the
making when #1 world-ranked Marlen Esparza faces #2 Naoko
Fujioka for the inaugural Ring Magazine Flyweight World
Championship. Both fierce fighters will also put their WBC and
WBA Flyweight World Championships on the line for the honor of
being crowned the unified female flyweight world champion. Also
on the live stream, exciting warriors, Gabriel Rosado and Shane
Mosley, Jr. will face off in a fan-friendly bout. This is a
major test for both fighters as they both move up to super
middleweight in a bid to forge a new path in the sport. I am so
excited for this event; I can assure fans that San Antonio will
be the place to be on April 9.”
2012 Bronze Olympic medal winner and current WBC Flyweight World
Champion Marlen Esparza is seeking to make history again as she
fights to be the first woman crowned as the Ring Magazine
Flyweight World Champion. Esparza will not only be defending her
world championship, but she will also be seeking to unify the
division when she faces WBA Flyweight World Champion Naoko
Fujioka on April 9. Esparza is coming off a decision victory
over former two-time world champion Anabel Ortiz in December
2021.
History will be made on April 9, when WBA Flyweight World
Champion Naoko Fujioka fights for the unification of the
flyweight division and the inaugural women’s Ring Magazine
Flyweight World Championship. Fujioka is a five-division world
champion, the first in Japan, and has faced tough opposition in
her rise in the sport, beating the likes of Isabel Millan, Irma
Sanchez, and Yosaka Valle. She was seen in July 2021, defeating
Sulem Urbina, successfully defending her WBA Flyweight World
Championship for the third time.
“King” Gabriel Rosado of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a
world-class warrior with an exciting style that has won him the
admiration of boxing fans worldwide. He was last seen in the
ring in one of the best performances of his career, facing the
undefeated Jamie Munguia at the Honda Center last November.
Although the decision was not in his favor, he received massive
acclaim for his performance. Earlier in 2021, Rosado scored a
sensational knock-out victory over previously undefeated fighter
Bektemir “The Bully” Melikuziev, a victory that proved Rosado
still was a force to be reckoned with in the sport. Now moving
up to super weight, a weight class more comfortable for the
boricua fighter, Rosado is ready to climb the ranks in the
division when he faces Shane Mosley Jr. on April 9.
Second-generation fighter, Shane Mosley, Jr. of Pomona, CA, is
looking to get in the ring and score a victory after a
controversial loss via majority decision to Jason Quigley in May
2021. The 31-year-old is willing to leave it all in the ring on
April 9 and is looking for a fresh start fighting for the first
time at super middleweight. A victory against Rosado, an
experienced warrior, and world title contender, would establish
Mosley, Jr. as a true rival in the super middleweight division.
Tickets for Garcia vs. Tagoe are going fast and are priced at
$250, $150, $100, $75, and $40, not including applicable
facility fees. Tickets will be available for purchase at
Ticketmaster.com or in-person at the Alamodome Box Office,
Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. CT.
Garcia vs. Tagoe is a 12-round lightweight fight presented by
Golden Boy in association with DiBella Entertainment. The event
is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle,” and
“BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.”
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