Ontario, CA (April 14, 2022) – Featherweight world title contender, Ruben “Drac” Villa (18-1, 5 KOs) weighed in at 126.4 pounds while his opponent Horacio Garcia (35-5-1, 25 KOs) checked in at 126.7 pounds for their Friday night 10-round fight at The Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California.

Villa of Salinas, California is co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing. will be competing in the main event of a card that will be streamed live on Banner Promotions Facebook page, Thompsonboxing.com, and Thompson Boxing social media as well as the Thompson Boxing app beginning at 8 PM PT /11 PM ET.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please like the Banner Promotions Facebook Page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing.

SALINAS, CA (April 12, 2022) – Featherweight world title contender, Ruben “Drac” Villa (18-1, 5 KOs), who is co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing, has wrapped up training camp in Salinas, California for his fight, Friday, April 15, 2022, as he battles tough veteran Horacio Garcia
(35-5-1, 25 KOs), of Guadalajara, Mexico in a 10-round main event.

This event titled “Path To Glory” will take place at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, CA. Doors open at 6:30 pm PT with the first fight starting at 8:00 pm PT. Tickets are priced at $50, $75, and $100, and are available for purchase by calling 714-935-0900.

Here is what Villa had to say about his recent training camp, his upcoming fight with Garcia, and more.

On his matchup with Horacio Garcia:

“I am glad to be back, and I want to thank my team, Garcia Boxing, Max, Sam, Kathy as well as my father for the support, as well as my promoters Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions for getting me back in the ring. My opponent is a solid guy, he is talented, but I see myself as a world champion, and just made small mistakes in my last fight that cost me a world title. The experience I’ve gained makes me an even more dangerous fighter, and you will see that in this fight.”

On his recent training camp:

“Camp has been really intense and I’ll be in great shape. I recently opened a new form of my boxing gym in Salinas, California, and the big spark came this week when NFL Pro Bowler Patrick Willis visited the gym and worked out with me. Training can be very much the same thing repeatedly and getting a surprise visit by a legend really got me inspired to finish camp strong.”

On fighting back in Ontario, CA at the DoubleTree Hotel:

“It feels good to be back at the DoubleTree. I started my career on these cards, and to return is a good feeling as I know the venue and the fight week stuff very well. It is like visiting an old friend if an old friend could be a building. The fans always bring good energy there and I can’t wait to bring an exciting fight to everyone in attendance.”

On what a win will do for his career:

“I want to get back into the world title picture. I see the division as fairly empty outside of the fighter I lost to and we had a close fight. I spent my whole amateur career fighting the best fighters in the world, and after this fight I want to face the best fighters possible. I have a very good record, and now I am going for legacy with the goal to bring a world title fight to Salinas, California.

The fight can be seen on Banner Promotions Facebook Page.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please like the Banner Promotions Facebook Page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing.

• Emanuel Navarrete 126 lbs vs. Ruben Villa 125 lbs
  (Vacant WBO Featherweight World Title – 12 Rounds)

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please like the Banner Promotions Facebook Page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing.

LAS VEGAS (October 7, 2020) -Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete has won 27 consecutive bouts. Ruben Villa has never lost as a professional. Something will give Friday evening (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET), when the two battle for the vacant WBO featherweight world title, which became available after Shakur Stevenson moved up to the junior lightweight ranks.

The ESPN-televised co-feature will see Kazakh middleweight phenom Janibek Alimkhanuly against Gonzalo Coria in a 10-rounder. Undercard bouts, including middleweight prospect Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson against Sonny Duversonne and junior welterweight puncher Elvis “The Dominican Kid” Rodriguez against Cameron Krael, will stream live on ESPN+ at 7:15 p.m. ET.

Navarrete (32-1, 28 KOs) reigned as WBO junior featherweight world champion and became boxing’s most active world champion. He made five defenses of the title he won from Isaac Dogboe in a nine-month span and most recently knocked out Uriel Lopez in a June non-title bout in Mexico City.

Villa (18-0, 5 KOs), from Salinas, Calif, who is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing, earned this title shot with wins over the likes of Alexei Collado and Jose Enrique Vivas, but Navarrete represents a giant step up in class. Villa fights for his Salinas Valley home region, which has been ravaged by wildfires in recent months. The poor air quality has forced him to wear a mask during roadwork. The field workers are still out there, providing Villa with ample motivation as he awaits his first world title opportunity.

At Wednesday’s press conference, this is what Navarrete and Villa had to say.

Ruben Villa

“There have been a couple of restrictions and stuff due to COVID, but I’ve been in the gym, I’ve been active. It hasn’t gotten in the way of me training and my team’s training. Yeah, we trained hard, another hard camp, and we’re ready for Friday night.”

“My last couple of fights, they’ve been aggressive guys who come to beat me and think they’re going to get me off my game plan. But I adapted well. We always had good game plans and stuck to game plans, and now we’re here fighting for a world title. I feel like I’m ready. I feel like he’s beatable, and my style is the one to do it.”

“He’s an aggressive guy who throws 100 punches a round. I feel like it’s just going to bring the best out of me to do my job as well as I can.

“I feel like you’re going to see a bigger and better Ruben Villa this Friday.”

“Running with the mask on, seeing the field workers working during the pandemic and fires, it’s just another motivation for me to win this fight and bring Salinas its first world title. I just can’t wait to show you guys what I got.”

“I want to see the best Ruben Villa. I haven’t even seen him yet. I feel like Navarrete will bring it out of me. I’m just excited to perform and, like I said, show you guys what I got. I feel like I’ve been slept on. Maybe a lot of people think I don’t belong here, but I’m going to show everyone I’m an elite 126 fighter. Yeah, I’m coming to win and coming to fight.”

Emanuel Navarrete

“With the current situation and the camp we’ve had, {my team} has done a great job. We’ve worked through it, and we’re ready for this match.”

“My body is doing a lot better. I’m growing a little bit more. It was getting a little bit difficult making 122, but now going up to 126, I think I’m more prepared for that.”

“For now, we’re pretty much ready. We’re ready for this weight. We’re ready for this fight on Friday night, so I think we’re ready to go with what we have. After this fight, we’re going to keep moving forward.”

Use the hashtag #NavarreteVilla to join the conversation on social media.

SALINAS, CA (October 6, 2020) – The highly anticipated world title fight between Ruben Villa IV (18-0, 5KOs), who is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing, and Emanuel Navarrete (32-1, 28 KOs) will happen this Friday, October 9th, 2020 on ESPN with the vacant WBO featherweight world title on the line.

The fight is being promoted by Top Rank, in association with Banner Promotions Promotions and Thompson Boxing, taking place at “The Bubble” inside the MGM Grand Conference Center, televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (10 PM ET / 7 PM PT).

Prior to being in the professional ranks, Villa was largely considered as one of the greatest amateurs in recent years in USA Boxing. He is now looking to make a childhood dream come true by bringing a world title back to his hometown of Salinas, California.

Here is what Villa had to say about his upcoming fight world title fight.

On his recent training camp
“This camp has been the best camp of my life. I turned off all social media, I took a ‘Mamba Mentality’, and focused strictly on training. I’ve had great sparring partners preparing for this fight like Manny Jaimes, Javier Padilla, Andy Vences and Xavier Martinez, and they all gave me tough rounds, and I am ready for whatever Navarrete will bring, whether it is boxing or pressure.

On his matchup with Emanuel Navarrete
“Navarrete is a good fighter, but I will be honest, I feel largely disrespected coming into this fight. I am a southpaw who is the bigger man, and had a better amateur career, but am being viewed as an underdog. I have a chip on my shoulder, and though I respect Navarrete’s skills, I am looking to prove a point.”

On bringing a world title back to Salinas, California.
“I love my hometown of Salinas, California, and I want to bring home a world title to all the fans here that have supported me over the years. I have told my trainers Max Garcia and Sam Garcia that this has been a childhood dream of mine since I first laced up a pair of gloves. We’re working as a team to accomplish this goal.”

On what people expect when he steps in the ring.
“People will see someone who started boxing at a young age, show his skills and poise in accomplishing a childhood dream. I have been very focused, I am giving this my all, and I am ready. Everyone should tune in Friday, October 9th, on ESPN, because this will be a great fight for the fans.”

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please like the Banner Promotions Facebook Page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing.

PHILADELPHIA, PA/ / ORANGE, CA. (Sept. 21, 2020) – On Friday night, October 9th, undefeated WBO number-two ranked featherweight contender Ruben Villa (18-0, 5 KOs) gets his much deserved world title shot when he takes on former WBO super bantamweight world champion, and WBO number-one ranked contender, Emanuel Navarrete (32-1, 28 KOs), in a battle for the WBO World Featherweight title.

Navarrete is undefeated in the last eight-years, which spans 27 fights.

The fight will take place at “The Bubble” inside the MGM Grand Conference Center, and will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

“I have been working my butt off since I was a little kid for this opportunity, and I just can’t wait to get in there and fight for the title,” said Villa, who is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing. “Navarrete is a real aggressive Mexican fighter. He is coming to win. He was a former champion, and I am the underdog, but I have the style to beat him. We have kept the camp the same. We just treat it like it’s every other fight, just that this fight is for a world title. All my hard work is paying off. I am honored and excited to represent everyone who has supported me and my journey to become a world champion, and I plan on bringing the world title back to my home city of Salinas, California.”

“This is what we envisioned for Ruben when we signed him out of the amateurs, to be fighting for a world title,” said Artie Pelullo, President of Banner Promotions. “That opportunity has now arrived, and we expect Ruben to put on a great performance on October 9th and win the WBO Featherweight World Title. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Stephen Espinoza and Gordon Hall of Showtime for all their help with the development of Ruben’s career, by showcasing him on ShoBox that has helped get him ready for this fight.”

“Ruben Villa is a terrific fighter and has the ability to make his dream to become a world champion a reality. The hard work that Banner Promotions and us at Thompson Boxing have put on his career will surely pay off,” said Ken Thompson, CEO of Thompson Boxing. “Navarrete is a terrific champion and it will be a huge challenge for our fighter, but I’m sure Ruben will rise up to the occasion and make us all proud.”

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please like the Banner Promotions Facebook Page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing.

HILADELPHIA, PA / ORANGE, CA- February 25, 2020 – The accolades continue to come in for undefeated featherweight Ruben Villa (18-0, 5 KOs) as he is now ranked #2 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO).

Last week it was announced that Villa is now ranked #9 by Ring Magazine

The new position has the Salinas, California native inching ever closer to a world title opportunity against amateur rival Shakur Stevenson. Villa and Stevenson split four bouts in their amateur career.

“Now to be ranked #2 by the WBO shows that the hard work is paying off. I am looking to face any champion. I am just being patient, and when my time comes, I will be ready for that opportunity,” said Villa.

Villa is co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please like the Banner Promotions Facebook Page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing.

PHILADELPHIA, PA / ORANGE, CA- February 20, 2020 – Undefeated featherweight Ruben Villa is now ranked #9 by Ring Magazine.

Villa (18-0, 5 KOs) of Salinas, California is just three weeks removed from an impressive 10-round unanimous decision over Alexei Collado in a bout that headlined a ShoBox: The New Generation card in Shreveport, Louisiana. With the win, Villa successfully defended his WBO International title.

In that bout, Villa was dominant throughout and displayed a diverse arsenal of punches that were very effective in decisively out punching the offensive minded Collado.

The ranking from the heralded magazine, adds to his world rankings of #5 by the WBO and #13 by the WBC.

“I was just surprised to get the recognition that I deserve. It’s been tough, but its finally starting to payoff. I am trying to get better with each fight and the people were happy. That the last fight against Collado meant a lot and opened up many doors,” said Villa

“Being recognized in the top-10 by Ring Magazine solidifies and validates Ruben of graduating from top-prospect to bona fide contender. In his next bout, we are looking for Ruben to really make a statement and face another world-ranked opponent in order to put him in position to fight for a world title,” said Banner Promotions President, Artie Pelullo.

“The rise of Ruben Villa has been gaining momentum since the world got to see him on Showtime last year. A world title bout is in his immediate future and it’s great to see the media, like Ring Magazine, recognizing his accomplishments.” stated Ken Thompson, CEO of Thompson Boxing Promotions.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please like the Banner Promotions Facebook Page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing.