Beltran In For Lazcano Versus Magdaleno

NEW YORK (March 21, 2012) – Former world title contender Fernando Beltran Jr. will replace the injured Eduardo Lazcano and meet unbeaten, consensus top-10 super featherweight contender Diego Magdaleno in the new 10-round super featherweight (130 pound) main event of ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME^® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) this Friday, March 23, at the Conference Center at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Ariz.

Southpaw Beltran (36-7-1, 20 KOs), of Tijuana, Mex., agreed to meet fellow left-hander Magdaleno (21-0, 7 KOs), of Las Vegas, Nev., late Tuesday after Lazcano withdrew with a rib injury earlier in the day.

Beltran, 30, should enter the ring in excellent physical condition. He had a fight scheduled last weekend in Mexico, but it was cancelled when his opponent fell out. Beltran will be making his 2012 debut. In his last start, he lost a majority 10-round decision to unbeaten prospect Efrain Esquivias on Dec. 4, 2011, in Ontario, Calif.  The experienced Beltran is a two-time world title challenger, having faced Steve Molitor in 2008 and Joan Guzman in 2005 in championship bouts.

Magdaleno fought on ShoBox last July 15, winning a lopsided 10-round decision over Alejandro Perez despite going down in the first round. In his most recent outing, Magdaleno registered one knockdown en route to pitching a near-shutout 10-round decision over Emmanuel Lucero on Dec. 11 in Las Vegas.

A natural right-hander and dedicated practitioner who maintains peak condition, Magdaleno was an outstanding amateur before turning pro in December 2007. He won a gold medal at the 2007 U.S. National Championships (132 pounds) and the 2004 Western Olympic Trials (125 pounds).

Magdaleno, who was introduced to boxing at the age of eight, was named after a soccer superstar – Diego Maradona.

In a battle of undefeated junior welterweights in Friday’s co-feature, former international amateur standout and 2008 Cuban Olympic Bronze Medalist Yordenis Ugas (11-0, 5 KOs), of Miami by way of Cuba, will face Johnny Garcia (11-0, 8 KOs), of Holland, Mich., in an eight-round bout.

Tickets, priced at $100, $75, $50 and $35, are available at the casino box office and on www.casinodelsol.com.

Barry Tompkins will call the blow by blow action alongside expert analyst Steve Farhood. Gordon Hall is the executive producer of ShoBox with Richard Gaughan producing the Rick Phillips directing.

For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please visit the website at http://sports.SHO.com.