Flyweight champion Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez, one of boxing's best fighters in the world pound for pound, will defend his title on Oct. 17 at Madison Square Garden in New York on the undercard of the middleweight world title unification bout between Gennady Golovkin and David Lemieux, Gonzalez's manager, Carlos Blandon, told ESPN.com on Wednesday night.
The fight will be among the bouts televised on HBO pay-per-view.
"The date and place are confirmed. We will be fighting Oct. 17 in MSG," Blandon said, adding that Gonzalez's opponent for his fourth title defense was not set yet.
Blandon said they are in "advanced negotiations" with two opponents: former junior flyweight champion Giovani Segura (32-4-1, 28 KOs), 33, of Mexico, who is one of boxing's most devastating punchers, and Puerto Rican contender McWilliams Arroyo (16-2, 14 KOs), 29, the twin brother of newly crowned junior bantamweight titlist McJoe Arroyo.
Segura, who is typically in action-packed fights, is coming off an 11th-round knockout loss in September, when he unsuccessfully challenged unified flyweight titlist Juan Francisco Estrada. Gonzalez outpointed Estrada in a junior flyweight world title fight in 2012.
McWilliams Arroyo also challenged for a flyweight world title in September, traveling to Thailand and losing a disputed split decision to Amnat Ruenroeng. Arroyo rebounded for a third-round knockout of Victor Ruiz in April.
Blandon said he thought Arroyo would be an excellent opponent because the fight will be in New York, which has a large Puerto Rican community that typically turns out to support its top fighters.
Blandon said they would also consider a fight with former unified flyweight titlist Brian Viloria, 34, of Hawaii, who scored a first-round knockout of Omar Soto on Saturday night. Top Rank, Viloria's promoter, has said repeatedly it intended to line up Viloria for a world title fight before the end of the year.
"If Viloria's (team) makes an interesting offer to the promoter, then they can jump in the race before we make up our minds," Blandon said.
Gonzalez (43-0, 37 KOs), 28, is a native of Nicaragua, where he is regarded as the best fighter in the nation's history behind only Alexis Arguello, the late Hall of Famer who discovered Gonzalez, mentored him and trained him early in his career.
Gonzalez was a smash hit in his last fight. On the undercard of Golovkin's title defense against Willie Monroe on May 16 at the Forum in Inglewood, California, he appeared on HBO for the first time and violently blew away former junior flyweight titlist Edgar Sosa in the second round.
As soon as the card ended, HBO, Golovkin promoter Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions and Gonzalez's promoter, Teiken Boxing of Japan, liked the idea of having him appear on Golovkin's next card.
"It was a formula that worked in May, so why not do it again," Loeffler said.
With K2 Promotions co-promoting the card with Lemieux promoter Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar De La Hoya's company will also contribute undercard fights. One fighter De La Hoya plans to have on the pay-per-view is heavyweight banger Luis "King Kong" Ortiz (22-0, 19 KOs), 36, a Cuban defector with very heavy hands.
Promoter Gary Shaw told ESPN.com on Wednesday night that Golden Boy made him an offer earlier in the day for contender Bryant Jennings, whom Shaw promotes, to face Ortiz.
Shaw said he was interested in making the fight and would go over the offer with James Prince, Jennings' manager.
Jennings (19-1, 10 KOs), 30, of Philadelphia, made a good account of himself in defeat in his last fight, a wide but spirited unanimous decision challenging world champion Wladimir Klitschko on April 25 at Madison Square Garden.