Canelo-Golovkin undercard finalized

The undercard for the upcoming September 16th showdown between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is a stacked one.

In the co-main event, two undefeated fighters will square off in a 12-round WBC featherweight title eliminator. Joseph Diaz Jr. (24-0, 13 KO’s), of South El Monte, California, will take on Jorge Lara (29-0-2, 21 KO’s), of Guadalajara, Mexico.

"The Canelo vs. Golovkin undercard will feature some of boxing's best contenders and rising stars the fans will be in for a treat and won't want to miss the action," said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. "From Jojo Diaz to Randy Caballero, Diego De La Hoya, Vergil Ortiz, and Marlen Esparza, Golden Boy Promotions has stacked the undercard with some of the toughest fighters in the sport today that are determined to put on great fights for the fans."

"It's a dream come true to be fighting in the co-main event of the Canelo vs. Golovkin card," said Joseph Diaz, Jr. "I finally get the opportunity to fight for a title eliminator! I've been waiting my whole life to become a world champion. On September 16, I'm going to give it everything I got, for all my fans out there."

"I haven't seen too much of [Joseph] Diaz, but I know that he's a tough opponent," said Jorge Lara. "I also know that he participated in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. More than anything else, I know that we have to give a great fight, and I hope that he throws punches and brawls."

Also on the pay-per-view telecast, WBC Youth super bantamweight champion Diego De La Hoya (19-0, 9 KO’s), the cousin of 10-time world champion Oscar De La Hoya, will face a significant test in former IBF World bantamweight champion Randy Caballero (24-0, 14 KO’s) in a 10-round battle for Caballero’s NABF super bantamweight belt.

"I am so happy and grateful for the opportunity that Golden Boy Promotions has given me," said Randy Caballero. "I promise to all my friends, family and fans that I will put on a great performance come September 16."

"I'm very motivated and excited for another great opportunity on the biggest boxing event in some time," said Diego De La Hoya. "Fights like this one versus Caballero are what bring out the best in me, and I guarantee I will give it my all to put on a great show for the fans. I'd like to thank Golden Boy Promotions, my manager, and Team DDLH for the continued support! See you September 16!"

To open the telecast, lightweight contenders Ryan “Blue Chip” Martin (19-0, 11 KO’s) faces Francisco Rojo (20-2, 13 KO’s) for Ryan’s WBC Continental Americas title and the vacant WBA Intercontinental title.

"I realize there are a lot of big fights that can be made right now in the lightweight division," said Ryan Martin. "There are lot of projections and talks for me to be a part of some of those bigger fights. But, right now I have to get past Rojo. Preparations are going good, and I will be as sharp as ever on that night. My team is amazing, and my trainers are pushing me really hard."

"It is an honor to be fighting on the same Mexican Independence Day weekend card as the great Canelo Alvarez," said Francisco Rojo. "It's going to be a great night for Mexico when we both leave the ring with all the belts wrapped around us." "Ryan Martin is one of the fastest-rising stars of the lightweight division," said Tom Loeffler, promoter of Gennady "GGG" Golovkin. "This battle between two hungry top-10 contenders is a great addition to the card and an exciting way to open the pay-per-view telecast."

The non-televised portion of the card will feature: Puerto Rico’s Jesus Rojas (25-1-2, 18 KO’s) fighting Dominican Republic’s Claudio Marrero (22-1, 16 KO’s) for the vacant WBA featherweight title in a scheduled 12-rounder; Vergil Ortiz (6-0, 6 KO’s) of Dallas, TX facing Cesar Valenzuela (7-1, 2 KO’s) from Pheonix, AZ in a six-round super lightweight fight; and 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist Marlen Esparza taking on Denver’s Tania Cosme (5-6-1, 1 KO). Los Angeles’ Serhii Bohachuk (4-0, 4 KO’s) is expected to fight in a four-round welterweight bout, but he has yet to find an opponent.