Perales, Garcia top lineup of bouts at Harlingen's Casa de Amistad

Fight fans have two boxing shows to choose from today in the Rio Grande Valley.

A Julio Marines Promotions seven-fight card is on tap at Casa de Amistad in Harlingen with the doors to open at 6:30 p.m. and the action to begin at 7:45 p.m. There’s also the Fists of Fury Battle at Borderfest show, which is scheduled at Hidalgo’s State Farm Arena with doors opening at 6 p.m. and the first fight set for 7 p.m.

The Marines card at Casa de Amistad will be highlighted by Brownsville bantamweight Sergio "Time To Shine" Perales (13-0, eight KOs) fighting in the 10-round main event along with the much anticipated return to the Valley of Weslaco light middleweight Roberto "La Amenaza" Garcia (27-2, 20 KOs) in the co-main event. Garcia last fought in the Valley on Nov. 30, 2007. Since then, he’s fought and won three times in Costa Rica.

Garcia is scheduled to face Puerto Rican Jose "El Macho" Medina (15-17, 11 KOs), who fights out of Philadelphia.

Perales is expected to encounter his toughest test to date against Mexican fighter Jose Mar Olivarez (15-2), who is a WBC Latino federation champion. Robert Campos, Perales’ trainer, said the fight might be for a vacant title if details could be finalized prior to the bout.

"This is going to be a tough match for me, and I’m looking forward to getting the experience that this fight will give me," Perales said. "I’ve been training hard, and I’m ready for whatever this guy brings. He’s going to bring to the ring that toughness that fighters from Mexico are known for. I’m preparing for that. I know I’ll need to box him, and if it becomes a war, then I’ll be ready for that, too.

"If I have to prove myself, then I’m ready to do it," Perales added.

Also scheduled to fight on the Marines card are Edinburg light middleweight Raul "El Tigre" Casarez (14-2, seven KOs), Brownsville middleweight Isidro "El Conejo" Arreola (6-2-1) and Brownsville bantamweight Jerry "El Chicanito" Guevara (2-0, two KOs), who is facing Edson Renteria (0-2) of Odessa in a scheduled four-rounder.

"My cousin saw him fight in Houston and he said this guy likes to come forward, so I’m going to be prepared for that and box him," Guevara said of Renteria.

For ticket information, call (956) 206-9543 or (956) 463-5524.

The Fists of Fury event is scheduled for five fights and will be headlined by an eight-round main event featuring super welterweights Raul Tovar (7-2-1, three knockouts) of Mission and Quinton Whitaker (6-6, five KOs) of San Antonio.

"I’m expecting a tough fight because he’s a naturally bigger guy," Tovar said of his opponent. "I’ve been in that type of situation before, and I know I can work around it."

The Fists of Fury co-main event of six rounds matching 116-pounders will have Juan Manuel Lopez (6-3, four KOs) of Weslaco going against Joseph Rios (6-4-1, two KOs) of San Antonio. It will be the third time Lopez and Rios have faced each other. Each has won once in their previous encounters.

Other Valley fighters scheduled on the State Farm Arena card include Jeff Bearden of McAllen, Richard Flores of Edinburg and Luis Arreola of Brownsville.

For Fists of Fury ticket information, call State Farm Arena at (956) 843-6688.

Roy Hess writes for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him via e-mail at rhess@brownsvilleherald.com.