Padilla Next for Semaza in Main Bout

Featherweight Mike Semaza of Orange will try to gain some respect back from the fans at the Irvine Marriott when he fights Lazaro Padilla of Sonora, Mexico, in tonight’s main event. Semaza (13-0-2) was loudly booed and greeted with ice-filled cups after he escaped with a eight-round draw two months ago against Carlos Rubio of Jalisco.

Semaza appeared sluggish against Rubio and he was consistently beaten to the punch, but he still did enough to gain a controversial draw. Semaza, who suffered a punctured ear drum in the Rubio fight, could face the similar problems against Padilla (8-2 with three knockouts), who is known as a quick and crafty boxer.

Rubio (8-2, two knockouts) will fight super featherweight Ramon Orozco of Baldwin Park (5-4-1, three knockouts) in the eight-round semi-main event. In two six-round bouts, featherweight Ricardo Fuentes (5-0, 2 KOs) of Azusa will fight Agustine Valenzuela (3-3, one knockout) of Sonora and super flyweight Ysidro Garcio (5-0) of Glendale faces Jose Luis Peralta (5-13-2) of National City.

In two four-round bouts, heavyweight Mike Brainard (1-2) of Encinitas faces Azusa’s Jerry Moran in his pro debut and middleweight Steve Hurley of Huntington Beach fights Kent Lithicum (0-1) of San Diego. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. card are priced at $25, $30 and $35 and may be purchased at the Marriott.