Junior Middleweight Champion Will Fight Tonight in Irvine

John David Jackson will be the first current world champion to fight at the Irvine Marriott when he is featured in tonight’s main event.

Jackson, from Detroit, is the World Boxing Organization’s junior middleweight champion. Jackson comes into the Irvine bout with a 26-0 mark and takes on Los Angeles’ Sergio Medina (24-6) in a non-title bout.

This is the first of two bouts that Jackson is scheduled to fight in Irvine. He will also headline a card at the Sports Club of Irvine on Nov. 14 as part of fund-raiser for the Orange County chapters of the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the American Red Cross.

Jackson hopes to fight World Boxing Assn. junior middleweight champion Terry Norris and has publicly challenged Norris, who has yet to accept.

Two promising local fighters--Joey Martin of Anaheim and Ricky Ramirez of Santa Ana--are scheduled on tonight’s undercard.

Martin, a junior welterweight with an 8-1 record, makes his first appearance at Irvine since losing a unanimous decision to Danny Perez of Paramount in May.

Ramirez, a junior lightweight with a 3-0 mark, won a four-round decision last month at Irvine.

Tickets, priced at $32, $27 and $25 for the five-bout card, go on sale at 10 a.m. today in the hotel’s grand ballroom.