23.01 - Promoter Art Pelullo/Banner Promotions will present a sensational world championship fight card on Saturday, March 15, 2003, at a site to be announced. The main event and co-featured fight will be
televised on "Showtime Championship Boxing."
MAIN EVENT - 12 ROUNDS, WBA, WBO 130-POUND WORLD TITLES: Champion ACELINO FREITAS, 32-0, 29 KOs, Salvador, Brazil vs Challenger GABRIEL RUELAS, 49-6, 24 KOs, Sylmar, California
130-pound world champion Acelino "Popo" Freitas, 32-0, with 29 knockouts, of Salvador, Brazil, will make his ninth defense of the World Boxing Organization title and second of the World Boxing Association "unified" title against former World Boxing Council super featherweight world champion Gabriel Ruelas, 49-6, with 24 knockouts, of Sylmar, California.
Freitas gave two sensational performances last year, both televised on Showtime Championship Boxing. In his last fight on August 3, he gave a dominating performance against the WBO's No. 1 ranked mandatory challenger, previously undefeated Daniel Attah (20-0-1), and won a 12-round unanimous decision by scores of 117-110 on all three scorecards. On January 12, Freitas won a thriller in a world title unification fight against previously undefeated WBA world champion Joel Casamayor (26-0). Freitas won a 12-round unanimous decision by scores of 114-112 on all three scorecards.
Ruelas won the WBC world title in 1994 with a 12 round unanimous decision against defending champion James Leija, and made two successul title defenses before losing the title against the legendary Azumah Nelson. Gabriel said, "I know that I'm capable of winning another world title. I've never really been away."
CO-FEATURE - 12 ROUNDS, SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS - NABF TITLE: Champion ANTWUN ECHOLS, 29-4-1, 26 KOs, Dade City, Florida vs TBA
North American Boxing Federation super middleweight champion Antwun "Kid Dyn-o-mite" Echols, 29-4-1, with 26 knockouts, will defend the title against an opponent to be announced. Riding a five-fight winning streak, Echols has climbed in the world ratings to WBA No. 1, IBF No. 1, and WBC No. 3.
An exciting lineup of supporting bouts will be announced.
