Toshiaki Nishioka – Rafael Marquez Ready to FIGHT

East meets West when Top Rank Live! returns to Las Vegas this week with a world championship summit featuring WBC super bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan defending his title against México’s two-division world champion Rafael Márquez. The Nishioka-Marquez world championship rumble will headline an exciting seven-bout card This Saturday! October 1 in the Marquee Ballroom at the MGM Grand and will be televised live in the U.S. and México on FOX Deportes, beginning at 9 p.m. ET. WOWOW, which is celebrating its 20th year of broadcasting, will televise it in Japan. Doors open at 4:00 p.m. PT with the first fight at 4:15 p.m. PT.

Nishioka (38-4-3, 24 KOs), of Tokyo, will be making his first appearance in Las Vegas since his fourth-round knockout victory of Jose Alonso in 2006. Nishioka became the WBC’s interim super bantamweight champion in 2008 via his dominating unanimous decision victory over Napapol Sor Rungvisai. The WBC soon elevated him to world champion and he has successfully defended that title six times, five by knockout.

Márquez (40-6, 36 KO), of México City, captured the International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight title by knocking out undefeated defending champion Tim Austin in the eighth round of their 2003 fight. Márquez successfully defended the title seven times during his four year reign before vacating it to successfully challenge defending WBC super bantamweight champion Israel Vazquez in 2007, stopping him in the seventh round of the first or their memorable four-bout series.

The co-main event will pit undefeated WBA light flyweight champion Roman Gonzalez (29-0, 24 KOs), of Managua, Nicaragua, defending his title against Omar Soto (22-8-1, 15 KOs), of Hildalgo, México. The undercard will also feature local favorites Jesse Magdalano (5-0, 3 KOs), and Anthony Lenk (12-1, 6 KOs), both of Las Vegas, in six-round super bantamweight and super lightweight battles, respectively.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Teiken and Zanfer Promotions, remaining tickets, priced at $200, $100 and $50, can be purchased at the MGM Grand box office and online at www.ticketmaster.com