The Super Powers of the junior featherweight and the junior welterweight divisions will do more than flex their muscles when they battle for supremacy, mano a mano, in a sensational night of championship boxing. Top-Five pound for pound fighter and four-division world champion NONITO “Filipino Flash” DONAIRE will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior featherweight titles against former World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight champion TOSHIAKI NISHIOKA. And in the second main event, former world lightweight champion BRANDON “Bam Bam” RIOS will take on No. 1 contender “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO where undefeated records and world rankings will be at risk. Promoted by Top Rank, the Donaire vs. Nishioka / Rios-Alvarado championship doubleheader will take place Saturday, October 13 under the stars at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Both fights will be televised Live on HBO Boxing After Dark, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast.)
These four gladiators boast a combined record of 131-5-4 (86 KOs) — a winning percentage of 94% with 2/3 of those victories coming by way of knockout.
Information on tickets, including prices and on-sale date, will be announced soon.
“History shows there is only one way for a fighter to make the leap to stardom and that’s by accepting the challenges and risks like the ones Donaire, Nishioka, Rios and Alvarado committed to on October 13. They are young, hungry and ambitious,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank.
“Fight fans everywhere will be marking their calendars for October 13 to see this superb, all-action doubleheader on our late-night franchise,” said Kery Davis, senior vice president of programming, HBO Sports.
Donaire (29-1, 18 KOs), a native of General Santos City, Philippines, now living in the Bay Area of San Leandro, Calif., is a consensus top-five pound-for-pound fighter. He enters this fight riding an 11-year, 28-bout winning streak, which includes an IBF/IBO flyweight title knockout victory of defending champion Vic Darchinyan, and a fourth-round blasting of former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko, December 4, 2010. However, Donaire’s most impressive knockout victory occurred on February 19, 2011, when he knocked out defending WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel in the second round, ending Montiel’s 25-bout winning streak while also claiming his third world title in as many weight divisions. That victory was named the 2011 Knockout of the Year. Ten of Donaire’s last 13 victories have come by way of knockout. He successfully defended his World Bantamweight Championship last year by blitzing undefeated Omar Narvaez, winning virtually every round en route to a unanimous decision victory. On February 4, Donaire captured the vacant WBO 122-pound title, winning a gritty split-decision battle over former world champion Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. He unified the title on July 7, winning a dominant unanimous decision over defending IBF champion Jeffrey Mathebula.
Nishioka (39-4-3, 24 KOs), of Hyogo, Japan, enters this fight riding an eight-year, 16-bout winning streak, including eight world title fights. After capturing the interim WBC super featherweight title via a dominant unanimous decision over Napapol Kiatisakchokcha in 2008, he was elevated to world champion where he successfully defended the WBC 122-pound title seven times between 2009 and 2011 with only two of those fights going the distance. In his last world title fight, he won a unanimous decision over two-division world champion Rafael Marquez.
Rios (30-0-1, 21 KOs), the former World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champion, from Oxnard, Calif., is on the hunt for his second world title in as many weight divisions. He enters this fight having won 10 of his previous 12 fights by knockout. One of boxing’s most exciting fighters, Rios is known for his an all-action fan-friendly fighting style. His trainer, former IBF junior lightweight champion Robert Garcia, calls it a “throwback” style with a warrior’s mentality that screams excitement. Highlight knockout victories on Rios’ resume include Miguel Acosta, Anthony Peterson, Urbano Antillon and John Murray. He returns to the ring after winning a tough split decision over WBA interim lightweight champion Richard Abril on April 14.
Alvarado (33-0, 23 KOs) of Denver, has won 10 of his last 13 bouts by stoppage en route to a career-high No. 1 world rating, in the World Boxing Organization (WBO). Notable knockout victims include Breidis Prescott, Ray Narh, Emmanuel Clottey and Cesar Bazan. In his last fight, Alvarado went toe-to-toe for 10 brutal and exciting rounds winning a unanimous decision over Mauricio Herrera (18-1, 7 KOs) on April 14. Herrera entered that fight riding a two-year, five-bout winning streak, highlighted by victories over Ruslan Provodnikov (17-0) and Mike Dallas, Jr. (17-1-1). Alvarado’s victory over the No. 7-ranked Herrera is already a consensus Fight of the Year candidate.
The ticket prices and on-sale date for the Donaire vs. Nishioka / Rios-Alvarado championship fight event will be announced soon. For details, please visit Top Rank: Website, Facebook, Twitter or The Home Depot Center: Website, Facebook, Twitter: For HBO: Website, Facebook, Twitter.
