Frankie Gomez Highlights Big Day for Golden Boy Promotions

Monday was a big day for Golden Boy Promotions.

The company, named in honor of its president, Oscar de la Hoya (pictured at right), announced the signing of amateur superstar, Frankie Gomez, the lineup for Wednesday's free, St. Patrick's Day Fight Night Club event in association with AEG at The Club Nokia Plaza's L.A. Live, and plans for the April 30, return of the Solo Boxeo Tecate boxing series partnership with TeleFutura, which is among America's largest Spanish language networks.

A winner of 120 amateur bouts, a National Championship, and considered America's premiere amateur boxer, Gomez, of East Los Angeles, will debut as a junior welterweight (140 pounds) on April 3 at The Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas on the undercard of a the light heavyweight (175 pounds) main event rematch between 45-year-old Bernard Hopkins, (50-5-1, 32 KOs), of Philadelphia, and 41-year-old, Roy Jones Jr. (50-4-6, 40 KOs), of Pensacola, Fla.

"I've been watching his career closely for years, and Frankie Gomez is one of the best amateur boxers I've seen in a long time," said de la Hoya, also an East Los Angeles native who has beaten 17 world champions and won 10 world titles in six different weight classes.

"He's [Gomez] a true blue chip prospect, and he has all the tools to become a world champion and a star in this game," said de la Hoya. "We're honored to have the opportunity to promote him and help build him as a fighter."

Born on Feb. 4, the 18-year-old Gomez shares the same birthday as the 37-year-old de la Hoya. De la Hoya won his Olympic gold medal in Barcelona in August of 1992 when Gomez was six months old, and debuted as a professional in November of that year when Gomez was nine months old.

"Growing up I always looked up to what Oscar de la Hoya did in the ring, so to be with Golden Boy Promotions is a dream come true for me," said Gomez, who began boxing as a 8-year old.

"I'm humbled by this moment, but excited at the same time," said Gomez, whose amateur record was 120-8. "Because I'm ready to begin my pro career and show the world just what I can do when the headgear comes off and the bell rings."

On Wednesday at The Club Nokia, four fighters will make their professional debuts in junior middleweight (154 pounds) Bobby Reyes, of Valencia, Los Angeles super featherweight (130 pounds), Jesus Rodrigues, Glendale featherweight (126 pounds), Art Martirosyan, and Los Angeles junior welterweight Oscar Andrade.

Reyes will meet Alfredo Rivera (0-5), of Los Angeles, Rodrigues takes on super bantamweight (122 pounds), Juan Sandoval (1-0, one KO), of San Bernardino, Andrade tackles Nichoulas Briannes (1-4), of Portland, Or., and Martirosyan's rival is undetermined.

TeleFutura's 90-minute package will, on certain shows, feature Frankie Gomez, 20-year-old lightweights (135 pounds), Pablo Cesar Cano (18-0-1, 15 KOs), of Tlalnepantla, Méx., and Omar Figueroa (8-0, all KOs), of Weslaco, Tex., and many others.

The series will also showcase 23-year-old featherweight, Charles Huerta (13-1, seven KOs), of Paramount, Calif., 27-year-old junior welterweight, Lucas Matthysse (26-0, 24 KOs), of Junín, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and 24-year-old lightweight, Carlos Molina (11-0, six KOs), of Rosemead, Calif.

Also scheduled to appear on TeleFutura will be 21-year-old, southpaw, lightweight, Luis Ramos (14-0, seven KOs), of Santa Ana, 20-year-old featherweight Ronny Rios (9-0, four KOs), of Santa Ana, 25-year-old super featherweight Carlos Velasquez (11-0, nine KOs), of Miami, and 21-year-old junior welterweight Danny Garcia (16-0, 10 KOs), of Philadelphia, among others.

"Solo Boxeo Tecate has been a great launching pad for Hispanic fighters, and is where many have begun their careers," said de la Hoya. "We are very excited to, once again, have such a wonderful stage to showcase our top contenders and up-and-coming prospects."

Solo Boxeo Tecate will air live on Friday nights at 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time, 10:30 p.m. Central, and, 8:30 p.m. Pacific.