The vacant Texas State Heavyweight boxing title arrived into town this past Tuesday. Kingsville Fighter Homer Fonseca (center) will fight for the title in an eight round main event rematch against Austin’s Fred Gatica at ‘South Texas Young Guns’ which is being put together by Lone Star Promotions. Standing (left to right) at the Kingsville Convention and Visitors Bureau are: Volunteer Coordinator Mary Windham, LSP Event Coordinator Eddie Aguilera, Fonseca, Promoter Jaime Cantu and Executive Director Carol Ann Anderson. The vacant Texas State Heavyweight Boxing title arrived in Kingsville this past Tuesday but Homer Fonseca has yet to touch the strap preferring to first win it when he steps into the ring against Austin fighter Fred Gatica in the main event rematch of the ‘South Texas Young Guns’ event which is being hosted by Lone Star Promotions on September 25 at J.K. Northway. Fonseca, who previously defeated Gatica in a four round match in May 2008, will go eight rounds with him this time.

LSP Promoter Jaime Cantu and Event Coordinator Eddie Aguilera first showed off the belt at the Kingsville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau on Wednesday.

“We are definitely proud to have it here in Kingsville,” bureau executive director Carol Ann Anderson said. “We hope to fill up J.K. Northway, that people will come to watch this, enjoy themselves and spend a little money in our city.”

Fonseca followed the belt and his promoters to a couple of more stops but kept his distance while mentally locked on to Gatica.

“I am going to knock him out as soon as possible and get that title around my waste,” Fonseca said. “I am not going to touch it right now, for superstitious reasons I guess, because it is not mine yet so I have to earn it before I can touch it. We have been sparring ten and twelve rounds at the gym so I am in great shape and ready for whatever.”

Aguilera firmly believes the Texas title will be the first of many in Fonseca’s career.

“This is going to be a very exciting fight, I think Homer has the potential to be a world champion and I hope we have a lot of people there,” Aguilera said. “Kingsville’s whole stable is very well prepared to put on an exciting show for the city of Kingsville and show them something they have never seen before. We have full confidence in Homer and his abilities and this is his first step towards many titles to come.”

Cantu - who owns the Twelfth Street Gym and heads Team Solid Knockout - said his big boy’s training intensified right after the Texas Boxing Commission sanctioned the title fight about a month ago.

“He is training very hard and sparring more rounds than he has ever in the past,” Cantu said. “When Homer first saw the title he told me ‘Coach that title is going to stay in Kingsville Texas’ so I am very confident he will win and defend it; Kingsville will be the home of the Texas State Heavyweight Champion from here on out.”

Five other matches are scheduled for Friday.

Jon David Charles will fight Juan Serrano (Killeen) in a six round welterweight match. Oscar Gonzalez steps into the ring against Robert Trevino (McAllen) in a four round welterweight match. San Diego’s Isaac Guzman will swap punches with Jason Castore (Dallas) in a four round middleweight match. San Benito fighter Abel Fonseca faces Benito Fuentes in a four round super middleweight fight. Jerome Lockette (San Antonio) will fight John Swain (Little Rock, Arkansas) in a four round light welterweight match.

The weigh-in for the event will be held at 4 p.m. this Thursday at Salsa’s restaurant and the public is invited.

Doors on Friday open at 6 p.m. and the opening fight’s first bell rings at 7:30 p.m.