Full Card Announced for “Rumble at the Rock IV” on Friday, March 1
The full card has been announced for “Rumble at the Rock IV” on Friday, March 1 at 7 p.m. at the Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., and live on Boxeo Telemundo (11:35 PM ET/PT).
Headlining the undercard will be undefeated Cuban super featherweight Hairon “El Maja” Socarras (20-0-3, 13 KOs) of Miami taking on Mexico City’s Carlos “Fino” Ruiz (16-5-2, 6 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
With natural talent, youth, speed and power in both hands and a classic Cuban style, 26-year-old Socarras has been considered one of Cuba’s best prospects. Former WBO Latino Super Featherweight Champion Ruiz, however, has a high-pressure approach to fighting and has never been stopped.
Presented by Kris Lawrence and The Heavyweight Factory, in association with All Star Boxing, the “Rumble at the Rock IV” main event will feature highly touted WBO No.1-ranked and WBO Bantamweight Latin Champion Ricardo “Hindu” Espinoza (22-2, 19 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico, taking on Panama’s rugged veteran Ricardo “El Matematico” Nuñez (29-8, 23 KOs) for the WBO-NABO Bantamweight Championship.
In the 10-round welterweight co-main event, Miami via Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas (19-0-1, 14 KOs) will face fellow Floridian Ed “The Lion” Paredes (38-7-1, 25 KOs) of Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Tickets for “Rumble at the Rock IV” cost $60, $100, $150, $250 and $500 and are available through ticketmaster.com.
Several other notable Florida-based prospects will also be in action that night, including a six-round welterweight duel between Chris Velez (10-0-1, 6 KOs) of Fort Lauderdale and Ryan Pino (8-4, 4 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Also showcased will be a six-round light heavyweight match-up between undefeated KO machine Ulysses Diaz (9-0, 8 KOs) of Miami and Gilberto Rubio (8-7, 6 KOs) of Sinaloa, Mexico, as well as a six-round welterweight showdown for JD Martinez (10-1, 8 KOs) of Miami and Matias Garcia (17-16-1, 14 KOs) of Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua.
Undefeated Miami-based crowd favorite Jorge De Jesus Romero (13-0, 10 KOs) will return in a bantamweight eight-rounder against El Paso’s Felipe Rivas (17-23-4, 11 KOs).
In a treat for the fans, the “Gatti of Florida” featherweight Jessy Cruz (15-7-1, 7 KOs) of Miami will bring his flare for the dramatic against Buenos Aires, Argentina’s David Michel Paz (4-6-1) over six rounds; while Miami’s undefeated super welterweight Eduardo Perez Diaz (6-0, 4 KOs) will go four against Fort Myers, Florida’s Hector Mercado (2-10).
Newcomers will start out the night in four-round battles, as featherweight Luis Melendez (3-1, 3 KOs) of Miami will look for his fourth victory against Mexico City’s Isaac Cerda (6-3, 1 KO); and Fort Lauderdale’s Blake Davis will make his light heavyweight pro debut against Alabama’s Rashad Jones (6-20-3, 3 KOs).
Also scheduled for action, but with an opponent TBA, is unbeaten Kazakhstani strongman Mussa Tursyngaliyev. His fight will be scheduled for six rounds.
On fight night, the Hard Rock Event Center doors open at 6 p.m., and the action starts at 7 p.m. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is located at 1 Seminole Way in Hollywood, Fla.