Unbeaten lightweight standout Kevin Ventura 8-0 (7) of Omaha, NE, stars in the main event Saturday when he takes on upset-minded Donnie “Baby-Face” Reeves 3-1 (2) of Hanibal, MO, in a scheduled 6 round bout. The bout will take place at the Ralston Arena in Omaha, NE. The power-punching Ventura recently signed with Oscar De La Hoya’s company Golden Boy Promotions and this bout is being groomed as quite possibly his last bout in Omaha as he has his sights in the Texas and California areas.
Ventura was a stellar amateur and nearly won nationals back in 2015 in Las Vegas. He eventually would lose to Jaron Enis on points. Enis is 20-0(18) and will headline his first ShoBox card on July 20 in Sloan Iowa. In addition, Ventura spars with the likes of Terence “Bud” Crawford 33-0 (24), Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker 24-0-3 (16) and Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring 17-2 (10).
Reeves is coming off a huge upset win when over Detroit’s Jalen Stephenson back in May. Stephenson 3-0 at the time trains at the famed Kronk gym and simply couldn’t deal with Reeves timing and power.
Detroit matchmaker, Aaron Rodriguez, stated. “I’m telling you this right now, my kid maybe underestimated Donnie but he is a sleeper. He is a clean-cut white kid that when you look at him, you’re like …easy fight for us. Then all of sudden this kid is cracking you, good chin, fights in the pocket and is in great shape. Based on what I’ve seen from both guys… this is Ventura’s toughest fight to date.”
Reeves’ only loss was when he went toe-toe with Top Ranks own Gabriel Flores Jr 9-0 (5). Flores would state “Reeves comes to fight, he’s no slouch, I have a lot of respect for him.”
“Most people wanted me to just wait to fight on the Golden Boy card, but there is no way I’m not going to thank the people that helped me get to where I’m at in my career. The way to thank them is to fight at home, give them a performance that they will remember. This fight is for Omaha.”
Ventura is co-promoted by B&B Boxing Promotions, who will promote the bout along with 6 other well-matched contests.
Tickets for “Next Generation 5” are priced at $20, $40, & $60, and are available for purchase at the Ralston Arena Box Office or online at here.
Doors open at 6:00 pm local time with the first bout of the night starting at 7:00 pm. The Ralston Arena is located at 7300 Q Street, Ralston, NE, 68127, and can be reached at 402.934.9966.
The undercard bouts will feature several sizzling Mid-Western matchups including:
Genaro Mendez 11-4-1 (6) of Chicago, IL vs Rene “The Beast” Marquez 5-4 (2) of Scottsbluff, NE 6 rounds Lightweights
Treven “TopFlight” Coleman 6-1 (3) of Omaha, NE vs Jose Jacobo 2-1 of Grand Island, NE 4 Rounds Lightweights
Raul Chavaria 1-0 (1), Omaha, NE vs Javier Ignacio Rodriguez 2-5-1 (1), Grand Island, NE 4 Rounds Super Welterweights
Abel Soriano 6-0 (3) of Omaha, NE vs Austin Lajiness 0-2, Detroit, MI 4 rounds Bantamweights
Kevin Nauden 1-1, Omaha, NE vs Jeff Farmer 4-14 (1), Des Moines, IA 4 Rounds Super Lightweights
Duane Johnson Pro Boxing debut vs James Morgan 0-1 Cedar Rapids, IA 4 Rounds Super-Middleweights