Lara, unbeaten Martirosyan headline card at Wynn Las Vegas
Top Rank believes Erislandy Lara is good enough to sell tickets on his own and doesn’t need him to fill out the undercard of a Manny Pacquiao fight.
The talented junior middleweight from Cuba will headline a Nov. 10 card on the Strip, facing undefeated Vanes Martirosyan at Wynn Las Vegas. The WBC title elimination bout, scheduled for 12 rounds, will be nationally televised on HBO, with the winner in position to take on reigning WBC champ Saul “Canelo” Alvarez next spring.
“Both fighters have a lot on the line,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti said. “Both know that the winner gets a guaranteed shot at Canelo, and I think it’s going to bring out the best in both Lara and Vanes. We think it’s a terrific fight that can stand on its own rather than put them on Manny’s undercard.”
Pacquiao fights Dec. 10 at the MGM Grand Garden, facing Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth time.
Lara (17-1-1 11 knockouts) is the WBC’s No. 1-ranked contender in his division. The 29-year-old is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision over Freddy Hernandez on June 30. His only loss was a highly disputed 12-round majority decision to Paul Williams in Atlantic City in 2011 that ultimately led to the New Jersey State Athletic Commission suspending the three judges. Lara is being trained by Ronnie Shields, who used to train Martirosyan (32-0, 20 KOs).
The 26-year-old Martirosyan, the WBC’s No. 2-ranked junior middleweight, last fought Feb. 4 when he stopped Troy Lowery in the third round. Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach is working Martirosyan’s corner.
In the co-feature, featherweight title contender Mikey Garcia puts his unbeaten record on the line against former WBA world champion Jonathan Barros (34-3-1, 18 KOs). Garcia (29-0, 25 KOs) initially was to fight Orlando Salido, but that fight was called off when Salido injured his right hand in late September by slamming it in a car door, breaking his index finger.
“This is a good test for Mikey,” Moretti said. “Barros is a tough Argentinian, and he’s been a world champion. It’s a very competitive fight.”
Also on the card at Wynn’s Lafite Ballroom will be 20-year-old Las Vegas super bantamweight Jesse Magdaleno (11-0, eight KOs) and former UNLV heavyweight Brett Rather, who will be making his Las Vegas debut after winning his first pro fight in Laughlin in July.
Tickets are on sale at the Wynn ticket office and at wynnlasvegas.com. Prices are $40, $75 and $125.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.