An all-Mexican lightweight showdown between Rene “El Bravo” Tellez Giron and Luis “Koreano” Torres is expected to deliver fireworks.
They top a ProBox TV bill at the College Park Center at the University of Texas in Arlington on Friday, February 27.
Tellez, rated No. 9 with the WBO, is 22-5 (13 KOs) while Torres – 13 with the WBA – brings with him a 22-1 (13 KOs) record.
Tellez, 26, started boxing 15 years ago and went 60-10 in the amateurs before turning over in 2015, and he trains with Bonifacio Arellano at Gym Arellano. He earned a decision over 19-1 Jordan White last September, but has lost to good fighters like Michel Rivera, Giovanni Cabrera, Eduardo Hernandez, and Floyd Schofield.
“Luis Torres is a tough boxer with a lot of heart who leaves everything in the ring,” said Tellez. “But all my punches are my best punches and they all hurt. I know it’s a great opportunity, and an impressive win will help me get to a world title as soon as possible.”
Torres is 24, a southpaw, and he’s been fighting since he was 12.
He went 34-3 in the amateurs and now fights out of the Bob Santos Gym in Las Vegas.
He’s scored four wins since the lone loss of his career, which came to Claudio Gabriel Daneff in late 2023, and he stopped former champion Nicolas Walters in three rounds last year and Jonhatan Cardoso in nine in September.
“Tellez is a Mexican with a lot of guts,” said Torres, “but I will win because I have the better skills.”
“This is a classic ProBoxTV matchup,” said ProBox TV CEO Garry Jonas. “This is the epitome of a 50/50 fight that will, no doubt, deliver plenty of action. These are the kinds of fights that are building the ProBox TV brand with the fans. I think the fans should tune in and acknowledge how special it is for these true gladiators and their teams to take a fight like this.”
In a 10-round co-feature, unbeaten welterweight Ruben Eduardo Aguilar, who is 23-0-1 (20 KOs) and fights out of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, faces Californian Luis Lopez, 16-2-4 (5 KOs).
Aguilar is 25 and racked up more than 300 amateur fights. He trains under his father, Omar, and said of his opponent: “I know that he’s right-handed and short. But I know who I am, the gift I have, and where I come from. I'm not here by chance or luck. I've been working hard since I was six years old. I was an underappreciated boxer from a young age, and that fueled my hunger to achieve even more. I'm going to prove that I'm destined for great things. God gave me this gift of boxing, and I will make the most of it.”
Lopez, 29, has been boxing for almost 20 years, is unbeaten in his last six, and trains with Henry Ramirez at Raincross Boxing in Riverside, California. He drew with unbeaten prospect Adrian Vargas in his last bout in July.
“Aguilar looks to be tough opponent with power,” said Lopez, “but I will win this fight with my will and conditioning. A win would be great for advancement in my career, a win over a good undefeated fighter like Aguilar would lead to bigger opportunities.”
Jonas added: “Last time on our air, Ruben Aguilar made easy work of his opponent, like he was supposed to do. If he does it again against a proven guy like Luis Lopez, then he’s the real deal. Luis Lopez is a true gatekeeper of the division, and no one should ever take him lightly. This will be the test for Aguilar for where he really stands in boxing.”
Elsewhere on the bill, in another 10-rounder, Edward Vazquez, 18-3 (5 KOs), boxing in front of his hometown fans, meets seasoned Grimardi Machuca, who is 17-3 (14 KOs).
Vazquez, 30, a former two-time world title challenger, has pushed the likes of Raymond Ford and Joe Cordina hard and was a decorated amateur.
Machuca, fighting out of Camden but originally from Venezuela, is 34 and also won his fair share in the amateurs.
“My opponent is a tough Venezuelan, said Vazquez, “but I will win because I’m better, faster, stronger, smarter, and more experienced at a higher level.”
“I only know that he is aggressive,” said Machuca, “but I’ve been working toward this for a long time. I pushed myself hard during this training camp, and that’s what I work for: to win.”
The bill includes out for prospects Emilio Garcia, Xavier and Ray Bocanegra, and Amador Mendez, in the Future Stars portion of the undercard.
“Our young fighters are matched much more competitively,” said Jonas. “The fans can tell we put our young guys in tougher matchups than everybody else. The Future Stars Series is an obstacle course because putting them in with easy opponents would be malpractice. These matchups are good for the fans and good for the fighters, that’s why this series is as popular as it is.”
