Two Puerto Rican Prospects In Action On Eve of Puerto Rican Day Parade On ShoBox: The New Generation

Two Puerto Rican Prospects In Action On Eve of Puerto Rican Day Parade On ShoBox: The New Generation

Del Valle Takes On Nguyen and Gonzalez Battles Gutierrez Saturday, June 11, Roseland Ballroom, New York City Live at 10:35 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME

Hector Sanchez-Vincent Arroyo Fight Off

NEW YORK (June 7, 2011) – On a second consecutive night of fights on ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME®, two Puerto Rican fighters will climb in the ring against their toughest opponents to date on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City. All the action takes place on a special Saturday edition of ShoBox on June 11 at 10:35 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). The originally scheduled co-feature bout between Hector Sanchez and Vincent Arroyo is off due to an injury Arroyo sustained during training.

In the featured attraction, promising Luis Orlando “Orlandito” Del Valle (12-0,10 KOs), of Bayamon, P.R., and his toughest foe to date, Dat “Be Dat’’ Nguyen (17-1, 6 KOs) of Vietnam, collide in a 10-round featherweight fight at Roseland Ballroom in New York City. The card co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Gary Shaw Productions will include a 10-rounder that pits 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian, power-punching Jonathan Gonzalez (13-0, 13 KOs), of Rio Piedras, against Colombian Richard Gutierrez (26-6-1, 16 KOs), of Miami, in a junior middleweight match.

The 24-year-old Del Valle has won five in a row by knockout, including a sixth-round TKO over Irving Hernandez in his last outing Feb. 18 in Puerto Rico. “I’m grateful for this opportunity to fight as a star on SHOWTIME. I am preparing to make the best fight of my life,’’ said Del Valle, who knocked out Pasqual Rouse in the fourth round to capture the New York State featherweight title on July 10, 2010, in Poughkeepsie. Del Valle was an outstanding amateur for the U.S. before turning pro in April 2008.

Nguyen – not to be confused with the former NFL player with the same name — has competed exclusively in the United States since turning pro in May 2004. As an amateur in 2003, he became the first Vietnamese-American to earn a spot in the U.S. Championships, where he lost to eventual Olympic gold medalist Mickey Bey. The 28-year-old Nguyen, a resident of Vero Beach, Fla., has won his last six starts, all by decision, including an eight-round decision over Andres Ledesma in his last fight on Oct. 10, 2009. Nguyen suffered his lone loss on a six-round split decision to Gregorio Torres in August 2007.

Gonzalez, 21, possesses good movement and boxing ability – he’s not merely a brawler – yet has fought into the seventh round only once, and that came in his last outing against Rudy Cisneros at Chumash this past May 13. Eleven of his KO wins have come within three rounds. “I’m in the prime of my career but I’m training like never before to show my quality to the world,’’ said Gonzalez, the No. 11 contender in the World Boxing Association (WBA) who’s fought 10 of his 13 fights in the U.S. “This is a quick turnaround for me, but I’ll be ready for it.’’

Gutierrez, 32, is a physically strong, well-conditioned veteran who is experienced against capable competition. “I’m a complete boxer,’’ said Gutierrez, who is moving up in weight for this. “I’ll adjust, depending on how the fight is going. I’ll work the body, the corners, the ropes, or the middle.’’ A winner of 21 in a row after turning pro in January 2001, Gutierrez dropped a decision to then-undefeated Carlos Abregu on Feb. 6, 2006, on SHOWTIME.

“I’ve called about three of Del Valle’s fights in the past. From the beginning, I saw a technically sound fighter whose extensive amateur experience is obvious. In a sense, he fights more like a Mexican than a Puerto Rican because he loves to shoot the left hook to the body. He’s a prospect I look forward to seeing on ShoBox,” said veteran SHOWTIME commentator Steve Farhood. “Gonzalez is a very young fighter with a perfect KO record so as he moves up we’ll see how legit his KO record is.’’

The telecast’s bow-by-blow announcer will be Curt Menefee with Farhood handling the expert analysis.

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