Giovani Santillan Headlines Thompson Boxing’s ‘New Blood’ this Friday!
Thompson Boxing Promotions celebrates seventeen years in the boxing business next month and to mark the anniversary, the Southern California-based promoter will begin live streaming its monthly shows starting with NEW BLOOD on May 19.
Headlining this special anniversary event, junior welterweight standout Giovani Santillan (21-0, 11 KOs) will face Juan Garcia Mendez (19-2-1, 12 KOs) at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.
The live stream, titled “TB Presents: New Blood,” will be anchored by blow-by-blow announcer Beto Duran with Steve Kim providing expert color commentary.
Boxing media and fans alike can access the live stream at ThompsonBoxing.com , or its Facebook page via Facebook Live beginning at 8:00 p.m. PT on Friday, May 19.
To view the trailer, please click here , or on the graphic to the right.
Tickets for “New Blood” are priced at $40, $60, & $100 and are available for purchase online at ThompsonBoxing.com, or by calling 714-935-0900.
The 8-round main event matches one of Thompson Boxing’s elite prospects in Santillan, against a rugged counter puncher in Mendez.
Santillan, 25, enters the contest unbeaten and without ever being knocked down in his five years as a professional. The southpaw, based in San Diego, is fresh off an 8-round sweep of Omar Tienda in February.
“I feel great coming into this fight,” Santillan said. “I’ve been in the gym non-stop and look forward to headlining Thompson Boxing’s first live stream show.”
Mendez, 25, is coming off a tough decision loss against world ranked contender Xolisani Ndongeni in November. Mexico’s Mendez could not solve Ndongeni’s active jab, which would later set up a proficient body attack. All of this does not bode well for Mendez, as Santillan enjoys to work off the jab to set up inside power punches.
“I’m familiar with what Santillan likes to do,” Mendez said. “I learned a lot from the Ndongeni fight. I won’t sit back and wait for the fight to come to me. I’m going to take it straight to him.”
In the co-feature, local fan favorite Erick Ituarte (16-1-1, 2 KOs) of Santa Ana, Calif. puts his nine fight winning steak on the line against fellow Southern California native Isaac Zarate (12-2-2, 2 KOs) of San Pedro. The 8-round fight will be contested at the featherweight level.
The prevailing story line in this fight will be Ituarte moving down a division, while Zarate moves up from junior featherweight.
The undercard is highlighted by the fast rising featherweight prospect Ruben Villa (5-0, 3 KOs) of Salinas, Calif. Villa, 20, faces Anthony de Jesus Ruiz (2-2, 2 KOs) of Mexico in a bout set for 6-rounds.
Villa, a southpaw, turned professional last July after putting together an outstanding amateur resume that saw him net back-to-back National Golden Gloves Championships. He is coming off a knockout win over Luis Diaz Torres last month.
Hard hitting junior bantamweight Ricardo Espinoza (10-1, 8 KOs) of Tijuana, Mex. faces fellow brawler and hometown rival Christian Ayala (9-1, 4 KOs) in a bout scheduled for 8-rounds. Espinoza vs. Ayala has all the makings of a barnburner, as both boxers bring an exciting brand of fighting into the ring.
Additionally on “New Blood,” unbeaten welterweight prospect Saul Bustos (8-0-1, 4 KOs) of Los Angeles battles Leonardo Carrizales (4-2-1, 2 KOs) of Brownsville, Tex. (6-rounds).
Bantamweight Mario Hernandez (1-0) of Los Angeles faces May Garduño (pro debut) of San Bernardino, Calif. (4-rounds).
Opening the “New Blood” show is junior welterweight Brandon Trejo. Trejo will be making his professional debut against an opponent to be named later (4-rounds).
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. local time with the first bell at approximately 7:45 p.m. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N. Vineyard Ave., Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at (909) 937-0900.