Gabriel Rosado, the fastest-rising contender in the junior middleweight division, goes for his fourth consecutive knockout and his eighth consecutive win when he boxes Elvin Ayala, of New Haven, CT, in a 10-round bout Saturday evening, Dec. 8, at Pearson/McGonigle Halls on the campus of Temple University.
Sharing the spotlight will be another Philadelphian, Bryant "By By" Jennings, who defends his USBA heavyweight championship against Bowie Tupou, of Tongo, in a scheduled 12-round contest.
The eight-fight live card begins at 7pm and the NBCSN broadcast will begin at 9PM ET.
"A lot of fighters boast they will fight anybody but Rosado actually backs up his words," said promoter J Russell Peltz. "Ayala has fought as a middleweight and even as a super middleweight but none of that fazes Rosado. He's a throwback to the old-time fighters and this will be his fourth fight in 2012.
"Gab could sit around and wait until March when IBF champ Cornelius Bundrage has to fight him, but that's not in Gab's DNA. He's a fighter and fighters want to fight. It's that simple."
The weight limit will be 156 pounds, two pounds over the junior middleweight limit, four under the middleweight limit.
The 26-year-old Rosado is the poster boy for good fighters who came up the hard way. His 21-5 record includes 13 knockouts, including three big ones in 2012 over
Jesus Soto-Karass, of Mexico; Sechew Powell, of Brooklyn, NY; Charles Whittaker, of Georgetown, Cayman Islands.
Rosado is ranked No. 1 in the world by the IBF.
Ayala, 31, has won his last six fights in a row and is 26-5-1, 12 K0s. A pro since 2003, he boxed a 10-round draw with Sergio Mora, of Los Angeles, CA, and was stopped in 12 by Arthur Abraham for the IBF middleweight title in Germany. He has wins over Derrick Findley, of Gary, IN; John Mackey, of Montgomery, AL; Eric Mitchell, of Philadelphia; George Armenta, of Silver Spring, MD.
Originally from Reading, PA, Ayala recently moved back there to train with Marshall Kauffman.
"I think Rosado bit off more than he can chew this time," said Kauffman. "Ayala is the strongest puncher I've ever been associated with, pound-for-pound."
Pearson/McGonigle Halls, at Broad and Motgomery Avenues in North Philadelphia, a 4,500-seat venue at Temple University, has hosted both professional and amateur boxing in the past, but when NBC Sports Network broadcasts the sixth installment of its "Fight Night" series on Dec. 8, it will be the first professional boxing event held at Pearson/McGonigle Halls in over 19 years.
Eight bouts are planned for the Philadelphia card. The fight is promoted by Main Events, Peltz Boxing, and Goossen-Tutor Promotions in association with BAM Boxing. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, Oct. 24. Contact Peltz Boxing for further ticket info, 215-765-0922, www.peltzboxing.com. Tickets also are on sale at www.comcastTIX.com.