Undefeated cruiserweight contenders Efetobor Apochi and Deon Nicholson will meet in a 12-round WBA title eliminator headlining a special one-hour FOX PBC Fight Night Prelims on FS1 and FOX Deportes Saturday, April 17 from the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Center in Los Angeles.
The FOX PBC Fight Night Prelims telecast begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and will serve as the lead-in to FOX PBC Fight Night live on FOX and headlined by former WBC Super Welterweight Champion Tony Harrison against Bryant Perrella in the main event.
Super bantamweight teenage twins Chávez “The Beast” Barrientes and Ángel “AK-47” Barrientes will serve as swing bouts in separate fights.
The event is promoted by TGB Promotions.
A native of Nigeria who now trains with renowned coach Ronnie Shields in Texas, Apochi (10-0, 10 KOs) has knocked out all of his opponents since turning pro in 2016. The 32-year-old added three stoppages to his tally in 2019, including an impressive knockout over tough prospect Earl Newman in May of that year. Apochi most recently delivered a third-round stoppage over Joe Jones in November 2020 on FS1.
The 30-year-old Nicholson (14-0, 13 KOs) earned a career-best victory over Earl Newman in February 2020, earning a 10-round unanimous decision. Fighting out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Nicholson scored knockout victories in his first 12 pro fights, and most recently knocked out Juan Reyna in December 2020.
Chávez Barrientes (5-0, 4 KOs) is one half of a brother duo with a brilliant future in boxing. The 18-year-old Barrientes was born in Honolulu, Hawaii but now lives and trains in Las Vegas. He is coming off a knockout victory over Paul Carroll in his most recent fight last December.
The younger twin by 13 minutes, Ángel Barrientes (4-1, 3 KOs) had an impressive amateur career, winning 14 national tournaments and three international. The 18-year-old turned pro in November 2019, winning his first three fights before dropping a December 2020 contest to Travon Lawson.
