Vasquez risks title vs Arce; Mayol tangles with Gallo

LAS VEGAS—An explosive headliner deserves exciting undercards.

Power-puncher Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. (20-0-1 with 17 knockouts), will stake his World Boxing Organization super bantam-weight title against former five-time world champion Jorge Arce (56-6-3 with 43 KOs) in the main supporting bout to the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley tussle for the WBO welterweight title Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the MGM Grand Arena here.

Former world middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik (36-2 with 32 KOs), on the other hand, tries to work his way back to the top when he tangles with rising Texan star Alfonso Lopez (21-0 with 16 KOs), for the WBC Continental Americas championship.

The WBC Continental Americas super lightweight championship will be contested by unbeaten Mike Alvarado (29-0 with 21 KOs) of Denver, Colorado, and Ghanaian Ray Narh (25-1 with 21 KOs) in the opening televised bout of the fight card promoted by Top Rank.

Comebacking Rodel Mayol, the former Filipino WBC light flyweight titlist, battles Mexico’s Javier Gallo in a non-televised eight-round bout.

The 29-year-old Mayol (27-5-2, 21 KOs) is trying to get back into title contention after losing his title to Omar Nino Moreno on June 19, 2010, in Mexico.

Gallo, 27, holds a 17-3-1 card with nine knockouts and is expected to give the pride of Mandaue City, Cebu, a run for his money.

Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz told the Inquirer that Mayol’s original opponent from Colombia was injured in training.

Mayol also trained at the Wild Card Gym of Freddie Roach and is eager to redeem himself. His first clash with Moreno in February 2010 ended in a third-round technical decision due to an accidental clash of heads.

The Filipino scored a controversial second-round TKO of favored Mexican Edgar Sosa in November 2009 in Chiapas, Mexico, with referee Roberto Ramirez Jr stopping the bout at 1:52 of the round.

In his last fight in November 2010, Mayol scored a seventh-round TKO win over Thailand’s Pompetch Twins Gym. With a report from Ronnie Nathanielsz