Randy Caballero Off June 30 GBP on ESPN Card; Jesus Ruiz to Step in

Unbeaten contender Randy Caballero has suffered an injury in training and had to be withdrawn from his upcoming bout with Oscar Negrete. Their showdown was slated to anchor a Golden Boy Promotions on ESPN card on June 30, but the promotional team was able to salvage the event.

“I want to apologize to my opponent, Oscar Negrete, and to all my fans who really wanted to watch this fight,” said Randy Caballero. “With all that has happened in my career, I didn't want to risk an ankle injury hurting my entire career. I am sure that once my ankle heals and with the support of all my fans, I will be back at 100 percent.”

With Caballero (24-0, 15 KOs) sidelined with an injured right ankle, Golden Boy convinced longtime veteran Jesus (Estrella) Ruiz (35-8-5, 24 KOs) to fill in on short notice to fight Negrete. Ruiz is coming off a decision loss to Caballero in March, but the Mexican brawler has a knockout win over Ruben Tamayo and has gone 8-3 in his last 11 bouts. The only losses during that span have come against Diego de la Hoya, multi-divisional world champion Leo Santa Cruz and Caballero.

Negrete (16-0, 6 KOs) has looked terrific since turning pro three years ago. The Colombian has racked up solid wins over tough regional foes throughout his new homeland of California and is coming off a dominant performance against Victor Ruiz in May. He’s bummed about not fighting Caballero, but he’s eager to continue to fight and Ruiz should be a tough opponent for him.

“I am a little sad that the fight against Caballero fell through because that was the fight that I really wanted, but I am excited that I still get to fight on June 30,” said Oscar Negrete. “Ruiz is a fierce warrior. I've seen him in the ring against notable opponents like Santa Cruz, De La Hoya and Caballero. He is an opponent that gives all he has, and we will both be ready to put on a great and exciting show.”