Fistic fireworks will be on display in the always exciting 108-pound division as former world title challenger and knockout artist Angel "Tito" Acosta (16-1, 16 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico and Nuevo Leon, Mexico's Juan "Pinky" Alejo (25-4-1, 15 KOs) will headline the non-televised undercard of Cotto vs. Ali in a 12-round fight for the Interim WBO Junior Flyweight Title at Madison Square Garden. The RingTV.com live stream of the undercard bouts will begin at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. The stream will be followed by the HBO World Championship Boxing telecast, which will begin at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Acosta only knows how to win by one way: knockout. After debuting as a professional in 2012, Acosta racked up an impressive 16 victories-all by stoppage. Through the span of almost five years, Acosta defeated the likes of Japhet "The Namibian Lion" Uutoni and Luis "Gallo" Ceja, the latter of whom he beat by tenth-round technical knockout victory to win the vacant WBO Latino Light Flyweight Title. The 27-year-old Acosta will return after the only defeat of his career, which was against junior flyweight kingpin and WBO World Junior Flyweight Kosei Tanaka.
Alejo is an experienced 33-year-old fighter with a tough fight against former WBOWorld Junior Flyweight Champion Donnie "Ahas" Nietes on his resume. This will be the second time Alejo fights in the U.S. and the event will be the biggest so far in the career of these fighters.
The formidable contender Ronny Rios (28-2, 13 KOs) of Santa Ana, Calif. is returning after his first world title opportunity to face Deivis Julio (19-3, 11 KOs) of Monteria, Colombia in a 10-round featherweight fight. Super lightweight prospect and Brooklyn native Zachary "Zungry" Ochoa (17-1, 7 KOs) will clash against a soon-to-be announced opponent in a bout scheduled for six rounds.
Opening up the RingTV.com livestream, Ireland's no. 1 ranked best amateur boxer Aaron "Silencer" McKenna of County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland, will make his highly anticipated professional debut in a welterweight bout against an opponent to be named soon after being signed recently by Golden Boy Promotions. McKenna is the youngest boxer to turn pro in Ireland's history, with an amateur record that included 152 wins and nine losses, including eight Irish titles. Earlier this year McKenna was ranked the no. 1 youth boxer in Ireland for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo but opted to instead begin his professional career in the U.S. under the Golden Boy Promotions banner.
Cotto vs. Ali, a 12-round fight for the Cotto's WBO World Junior Middleweight Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. Vargas vs. Negrete is a 12-round fight for Vargas' WBC World Super Bantamweight Title and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions in association with Promociones del Pueblo. The event is sponsored by Tecate, "THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING," "Hennessy: Never Stop. Never Settle," and Casa Mexico Tequila. The event will take place Saturday, Dec. 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York City and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The RingTV.com livestream of the undercard bouts will begin at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT.
Tickets for Cotto vs. Ali are priced at $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50 and are on sale. Tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com, www.goldenboytickets.com or www.MSG.com. A portion of all ticket proceeds will be donated to organizations on the ground in Puerto Rico supporting the hurricane disaster relief and rebuilding efforts.
For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, and www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, and www.hbo.com/boxing. Follow on Twitter at @cottopromotions, @GoldenBoyBoxing, and @hboboxing, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/realmiguelacotto. Visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing and @realmiguelacotto and follow the conversation using #CottoAli.