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The televised undercard for the June 7 encounter between WBC Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez and Miguel Cotto was officially announced on Monday. And while the main event is the only championship match in the card, the Bill promises a lot of fireworks with three other former world champions seeing ring action.
The Rematch
In the co-featured bout of the card, Former WBO junior featherweight champion Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. of Puerto Rico and-ex WBO Super flyweight king Marvin Sonsona of the Philippines will square off in a rematch of their February 2010 title bout. Vasquez knocked out the Filipino in the 4th round to capture the vacant WBO Super Bantamweight championship in his native Puerto Rico.
Vasquez’ is a second generation world champion who never fought a single amateur boxing match. He has a record of 23-3-1 with 19 KOs . Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. has been on a slide lately, going 3-3 in his last six fights. But his three losses were in title fights and two of those losses came at the hands of Mexican warrior Jorge Arce and 2012 Fighter of the Year Nonito Donaire of the Philippines. In his last bout, he won a unanimous decision over Mexican contender Guillermo Avila to capture the vacant WBO International Super Bantamweight title.
On the other side, “Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona has not lost since being knocked out by Vasquez. After a long layoff and soul searching, the young Sonsona returned to the ring on October 2011 against Mexican Carlos Jakolmo and won via unanimous decision. Sonsona added three more victories, the last of which was an impressive third round knockout of former junior featherweight champion Akifumi Shimoda last February in Macau, China. The win improved Sonsona’s record to 18-1-1 with 15 KOs.
Hometown Boy
Israel’s former WBA Super Welterweight champion Yuri Foreman returns to Madison Square Garden to prove that he is still a world championship contender. Foreman, who lives in Bronx New York, will face Jorge Melendez of Puerto Rico.
It will be a homecoming of sorts for Foreman who lost to Miguel Cotto in June 2010 during the first defense of his WBA Super Welterweight title at Yankee Stadium. Foreman tore his ACL in round 7 of the fight and fought valiantly until round 9. Foreman also lost his next bout to Poland’s Pawel Wolak and then retired for 22 months. He returned to action last year and won four bouts against low-quality opposition. Foreman has a record of 32-2 with 9 knockouts.
Melendez, nicknamed “The Destroyer” is promoted by Cotto Promotions. The 25 year old Puerto Rican prospect has an impressive 28-3 record with 26 knockouts. The hard hitting Melendez is coming off a 10 round decision win over Richard Gutierrez.
The Fighting Irish
Irish contender Andy Lee moves down in weight class to battle John “Dah Rock” Jackson of the US Virgin Islands. Jackson is the son of former two-division champion Julian “The Hawk” Jackson. The younger Jackson has a record of 18-1 with 15 knockouts. Jackson has won five consecutive bouts after suffering his only defeat to Willie Nelson in 2012.
Andy Lee has an outstanding record of 32-2 with 22 knockouts. The fighting Irish has won four straight bouts after his 7th round knockout loss to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June 2012. Promoter Lou DiBella says that Lee is stronger at 154 lbs while Jackson is explosive and has championship pedigree.
With these three exciting undercards, we can expect and explosive night of boxing on June 7. Let’s not forget that there is a main event. And it is Cotto vs Martinez. That promises a lot of fireworks too.
