Fuentes Faces Castillo in Friday Night Fight

After 12 years of hosting monthly shows on Thursday nights, the Irvine Marriott’s “Battle in the Ballroom” is switching to Fridays, beginning with tonight’s card that features undefeated featherweight Ricardo Fuentes of Azusa.

Promoter Roy Englebrecht, whose move to Fridays was prompted by the Marriott’s weekday convention business, said he will be staging the first regular Friday night card in Southern California since the 1950s. The last building to host a Friday night show in the area was Hollywood Legion Stadium.

Englebrecht said the change from Thursday to Friday has cost him some season ticket-holders, but gained him some new fans.

Fuentes (12-0, six knockouts), who will face Felipe Castillo (11-15, nine knockouts) of Mexico City in the 10-round main event, is one of four undefeated boxers on the card.

In the semi-main events, junior featherweight Carlos Navarro (4-0, three knockouts) of Los Angeles fights Lucio Angeles (10-8, five knockouts) of Mexico City in an eight-round bout and featherweight Marcos Licona (9-0, four knockouts) of Westminster faces Javier Duran (4-6-2) of Mexico City in a six-rounder. Navarro is a 1994 Golden Gloves national champion.

The undercard, which begins at 7:30, is headlined by flyweight Pedro Pena (3-0, two knockouts) of Los Angeles against Benito Hernandez of Chino (0-2).

Pena and Navarro are managed by Mouthpiece Sports and Entertainment, who also manage former world champion James Toney. Pena was a 1996 U.S. Olympian and a 1995 Golden Gloves national champion.

Tickets, at $25, $30 and $35, are on sale at the Marriott.