Younger Dirrell steps up

Younger Dirrell steps up competition

Mark E, Ortega

Leave-it-in-the-ring.com

December 1, 2011

Tomorrow night, unbeaten super middleweight Anthony Dirrell looks to put himself into world title contention as he steps up his competition in fighting Renan St Juste in a 12-round WBC super middleweight title eliminator atop a Showtime televised doubleheader live from the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California.

The card, promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, will also feature exciting once-beaten bantamweight prospect Chris Avalos against unbeaten Jhonatan Romero in a ten round attraction opening up the televised portion of the broadcast.

Dirrell [23-0, 20 KOs], of Flint. Michigan, has built up an impressive record against mostly modest opposition, and St Juse of Canada represents his biggest challenge to date. Dirrell is coming off an easy second round stoppage of Kevin Engel that was also televised on ShoBox earlier this year.

That said, St Juste [23-2-1, 15 KOs] is 39 years old and aside from a shock second round stoppage of once promising fellow countryman Sebastien Demers in 2010, he hasn't really faced top flight competition.

A win for Dirrell puts him in line to fight the winner of the Andre Ward-Carl Froch Super Six World Boxing Classic final. The champion will be walking away with the WBC belt that Dirrell is fighting the eliminator for.

Avalos [19-1, 15 KOs], of Lancaster, California, has seen his fair share of exciting fights early in his career and saw himself take a step back last year after losing to Christopher Martin. After running off three straight wins, he will meet the unbeaten but largely untested Romero [19-0, 12 KOs] from Colombia.

Also featured on the untelevised portion of the undercard are a slew of promising young fighters.

Colombian featherweight Daulis Prescott [23-0, 17 KOs] will appear against tough Gabriel Tolmajyan of Glendale, California by way of Armenia in an eight round bout. The bout will be Prescott's first in the United States with all previous contests having taken place in his native Colombia.

San Ardo, California's Roman Morales [7-0, 5 KOs] looks to complete a successful first professional year as he goes for his eighth win against Alejandro Castillo [4-1, KO] of Denver, Colorado in a six-round super bantamweight bout.

Fellow super bantamweight prospect Jonathan Arrellano [10-0-1, 2 KOs] of Ontario, California meets rugged Jonathan Alcantara [4-5-2] of Novato, California in a six-round clash. Arrellano is coming off a signature win of then-unbeaten Michael Ruiz Jr., who Alcantara pushed to the brink twice in defeat.

Also on the card are super bantamweight bouts between Filipino Glenn Porras [26-3, 17 KOs] and trial horse Adolfo Landeros [21-22-2, 10 KOs] of Hidalgo, Mexico. Porras is making his American debut at 26. The bout is set for eight rounds.

Rounding out the card is unbeaten featherweight Roy Tapia [1-0, KO], who will take on an opponent still to be determined.