VAZQUEZ-VALBUENA HIGHLIGHTS "TITLE NIGHT AT THE OLYMPIC" MARCH 25
GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS TO PRESENT
FOUR 2004 "BOXEO DE ORO" DATES AT THE LEGENDARY LOS ANGELES VENUE

Boxing and the Grand Olympic Auditorium have been linked together in fistic history since 1925. In 2004, Golden Boy Promotions will continue that storied tradition as it presents four shows showcasing the best the fight game has to offer.

In the 2004 opener, to be held on Thursday, March 25, the vacant IBF junior featherweight world championship will be up for grabs when Israel Vazquez tangles with Jose Luis Valbuena in the 12 round main event.

The sparks will fly in the ten round co-feature as well when two of the hottest fighters in the bantamweight division, Roger "Speedy" Gonzalez and Jhonny Gonzalez, battle it out.

Both bouts will be telecast live on HBO Latino's " Oscar De La Hoya Presents Boxeo De Oro", beginning at 10pm ET / PT. The hit HBO Latino series has garnered rave reviews from fans and boxing insiders during its first 14 months, and with back-to-back title bouts in February and March of 2004, the series' commitment to bringing the best in boxing to living rooms across America continues.

Doors open at 6pm and the first bell rings at 7pm.

As far as main events go, the 2004 season at the Olympic could not have started any better than with two of the premier 122-pound fighters in the world going to war with a world title on the line.

Mexico City 's Israel Vazquez (35-3, 28 KOs ) has lived up to his moniker of "Magnifico" with some of the sport's most stirring performances in recent years. A skilled warrior with dynamite in either fist, Vazquez already holds a first round knockout victory over current WBC junior featherweight king Oscar Larios. In their May, 2002 rematch, Larios narrowly avenged his defeat in a battle considered by many to be the "Fight of the Year". Since the rematch, Vazquez - ranked number four by the IBF - has won three fights in a row, two by knockout.

Jose Luis Valbuena sports an impressive record of 24-2-1 with 14 KOs . Hailing from Turmero , Venezuela , Valbuena's only loss in the last seven years has been a close decision defeat to Marco Antonio Barrera in 2000. The 32-year-old southpaw is currently on a six fight-winning streak, and in October of 2003 he earned the IBF's number one contender spot with an impressive ninth round stoppage of David Donis.

And even though the main event features a world title bout, stakes are just as high in the co-feature, as bantamweights Roger "Speedy" Gonzalez and Jhonny Gonzalez compete for the opportunity to move up the 118-pound rankings.