Perales headlines main event tonight at Jacob Brown

Sergio Perales knows he can always expect a large, vocal group of supporters for his fights at Jacob Brown Auditorium in Brownsville.

That's where he'll be tonight, headlining a Marines Promotions boxing show in a scheduled four-round bantamweight main-event matchup against Roberto Perez of Matamoros.

Perales (5-0, four knockouts) is a 20-year-old Brownsville native and 2006 graduate of Los Fresnos High School. Three of his fights since turning pro last November have taken place at Jacob Brown.

"I like fighting at home," he said. "It's my favorite place. I'll have the crowd behind me plus my family and friends and neighbors will all be there. It feels really good to hear them cheering in the background and knowing they have my back."

Tonight's event is billed as 2008 Texas Cup Series Budweiser Boxing Blowout 3. It features boxers from the Rio Grande Valley going against boxers representing Dallas.

The doors at Jacob Brown are scheduled to open at 6:30 tonight with the opening bout introductions set for 7:45.

Perales, a southpaw, is coming off a second-round technical knockout of Jeremy Perez of Lubbock on May 31 at Edinburg Base-ball Stadium. He had defeated Perez at the Golden Gloves state tournament in 2005 when both fighters were amateurs.

Perales is facing another former amateur opponent in Roberto Perez, 27. The two also fought at the Golden Gloves tourna-ment in 2005, and Perales prevailed on a three-round unanimous decision. At the time, Roberto Perez was fighting out of Lubbock.

Robert Campos, Perales' trainer, said Roberto Perez's 0-1 record as a pro in the United States is deceptive. Perez is coming off a loss