Vida En El Valle Blogs: The Latin voice of the central valley.

Vicente Escobedo throws punch just above the belt of Cristian Favela in a 2008 bout at the Arco Arena. Photo: Hector Navejas.

Woodland native Vicente Escobedo is elated that he will be featured in one of the undercard events at the highly-anticipated bout between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19, a date that coincides with México’s Independence Day!

The fights wisely are scheduled to attract the many Latino boxing fans to the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas or to buy it on HBO Pay-Per-View.  It’s Mayweather’s comeback fight since beating Englishman Ricky Hatton in 2007. In that same year, Mayweather (39-0-0) beat Oscar De La Hoya.

Escobedo faces the Australian brawler Michael Katsidis in a scheduled 12 rounds for the WBO Interim Lightweight World Championship.  The 2004 U.S. Olympian Escobedo last fought Kevin Kelley at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, where he won by TKO after knocking down Kelley twice in the second round.

“It’s what I’ve been waiting for; it’s the toughest fight of my career,” said Escobedo in a telephone call from Mexico, where he is training with the legendary Nacho Berenstain.

Though he failed at Olympic gold in Greece, Escobedo has amassed 13 knockouts in 21 victories with a single loss in his illustrious professional career. That single loss came in 2006 when Escobedo finished on the short end of a split-decision to Daniel Jiménez at the Arco.

“Mexican Independence Day weekend is one of the biggest boxing weekends of the year …,” said De La Hoya.

Find out more about Escobedo in the next issue of Vida en el Valle.

Aside from México’s revered fighter ‘El Dinamita’ Márquez (50-4 with 37 KOs, 1 draw) in the scheduled 12 rounds against Mayweather, the other cards include 2000 Olympic silver medalist Rocky Juarez against Indonesia’s Chris John who will defend the WBA featherweight world title. Welterweight world champ Zab Judah will face off against Antonio Diaz in a scheduled 10 rounds.