Life after ESPN begins in earnest for Bob Arum’s Top Rank this Saturday, when the promotional powerhouse stages a club show at Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, California. Featherweight prospect Albert “Chop Chop” Gonzalez (13-0, 7 KOs) headlines against Mexico’s Angel Antonio Contreras (16-9-2, 10 KOs) in a ten-rounder little more than twenty minutes from the unbeaten 23-year-old’s home. Unbeaten super-lightweight Art Barrera Jnr (9-0, 7 KOs) and lightweight Perla Bazaldua (2-0, 1 KO) round out the Top Rank trio on the House of Pain card.
Arum confirms the casino show is a stop-gap while negotiations continue for what he calls a “multi-year [broadcast agreement] for a lot of money,” which he hopes to finalise by early autumn. Until then, Top Rank will bankroll purses itself and keep its stable active. “We’re going to be fine,” one company official insisted, pointing to recent headline victories by Xander Zayas, Bruce “ShuShu” Carrington and Emiliano Vargas as proof the pipeline is healthy.
Gonzalez welcomes the old-school route. “They’re giving me a hometown fight, so all my family and friends can show love,” he said, pledging a sharper display after what Hall-of-Fame matchmaker Brad Goodman called a “lackadaisical” points win in April and a cancelled May date. Contreras, a veteran who has gone the distance with Ramon Cardenas, Carrington and Justin Viloria, offers a reliable measuring stick. “I know he’s tough,” Gonzalez added. “This makes me hungry to do even better.”
Beyond Soboba, Top Rank co-promotes Naoya Inoue’s undisputed super-bantamweight defence against Murodjon Akhmadaliev on September 14 in Japan under Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season banner, and continues talks for Artur Beterbiev’s rubber match with Dmitry Bivol, targeted for Russia. November 22 will see WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman J.r defend against Devin Haney in Saudi Arabia, with lightweight prospect Abdullah Mason boxing Sam Noakes for a vacant title on the same bill.
For now, however, Arum’s focus is on keeping the conveyor belt moving. *“Until we finalise our TV deal our matchmakers will set the schedule,” *the Hall-of-Famer said. Saturday’s modest setting is step one.
Fight card:
▪️Albert Gonzalez vs. Angel Antonio Contreras, 10 rounds, featherweight
▪️Brook Sibrian vs. Katherine Renee Lindenmuth, 8 x 2 rounds, minimumweight
▪️Art Barrera Jr. vs. Jake Robinson, 6 rounds, welterweight
▪️Gabriel Costello vs. Ryan Diaz, 4 rounds, heavyweight
▪️Diego Dominguez vs. Bryan Domingo, 4 rounds, lightweight
▪️Perla Bazaldua vs. Kedra Bradley, 4 x 2 rounds, super flyweight
▪️Jesse Zuniga vs. Genesis Wynn, 4 rounds, super lightweight
