Brocton, MA - Cappiello Promotions has announced that undefeated super-bantamweight contender Mike "Machine Gun" Oliver (19-0, 7 Kos) will take on former WBO bantamweight champion Cruz "Chucho" Carbajal (28-13-2, 24 Kos) in an IBF super bantamweight title eliminator on July 18 from The Castle at Park Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts.

The 12-round affair, which pits two of the sports most action-packed fighters against one another, will headline the July 18th installment of ESPN2's Wednesday Night Fights. "This is a fight of great importance for Mike," states Cappiello Promotions President - Rich Cappiello. "Once again, Mike is taking on one of the division's elite fighters, and given the fact that there is a world title shot at stake, this will be, far and away, the biggest challenge of Mike's career!"

Oliver, rated No. 8 by the IBF, honed his boxing skills during an amateur career that consisted of over 300 fights, to include a trip to the national finals in the Police Athletic League tournament. Since turning to the professional ranks in 2001, Oliver, a native of Hartford (CT), has continuously proven the worth of his amateur upbringing, daily work ethic, and unparalleled hand speed. In his last three fights alone, Oliver captured the vacant USBA title with a unanimous decision win unbeaten Adam Carrera (10-28-06), retained the title with a unanimous decision victory over undefeated Gary Stark Jr (2-16-07), and thoroughly dismantled former USBA super-flyweight titlist, Vernie Torres en route to a unanimous eight-round technical decision (5-4-07).

The July 18 IBF title elimination bout with Carbajal, a native of Veracruz, Mexico, will pit Oliver against his most-seasoned opponent to date. "I believe Cruz Carbajal is the gatekeeper to all the world champions in this divisions," Cappiello states. "A lot of guys have gone around him, but we've never ducked anyone. I believe that Mike's hand speed will offset Carbajal's experience, and lead Mike to a well-deserved world title shot."

A fifteen-year, forty-three fight veteran of the professional ranks, Carbajal, rated No. 10 by the IBF, has tallied-up twenty-four knockouts in his twenty-eight wins. Though he just recently turned 33 years-old, Carbajal does not appear to be losing either his punching power or boxing skill that helped him capture the WBO bantamweight crown back in 2003. Since last losing to the heralded Silence Mabuza in May 2005, Carbajal scored three consecutive knockout wins, never allowing any of his opponents to make it past the fifth stanza. And, in his most recent outing (3-16-07) Carbajal, with less than three days notice, took on former IBF featherweight champ, Eric "Mighty Mouse" Aiken.

After 12 action-packed rounds (which likely makes the bout a candidate for Fight of the Year), Carbajal walked out of the ring with a controversial draw that left almost all in attendance chanting his name and booing the decision.

The winner of the Mike Oliver - Cruz Carbajal IBF title-eliminator will earn a mandatory world title shot against the winner of the July 14th IBF super bantamweight title fight between reigning champ, Steve Molitor and challenger Takalani Ndlovu.

Undefeated featherweight prospect, Dat "Dat Be Dat" Nguyen (10-0, 6 Kos) provide chief support in an eight round bout, against an opponent to be announced soon. Nguyen, who was born in Vietnam and grew up in Maui, Hawaii, is quickly becoming one of the most talked about prospects in the featherweight division. Now living and fighting out of Vero Beach, Florida, where he is under the watchful eye of heralded trainer Buddy McGirt, Nguyen will be fighting for the first time in a nationally televised event.

In supporting undercard attractions, all of which are slated for 4-rounds, undefeated Weymouth, Massachusetts junior welterweight prospect "Nasty" Nick Morganelli (6-0, 3 Kos) makes his much-anticipated return against New Haven, CT's William Foster (4-9-1, 1 KO), unbeaten Bostonian - Anthony LaMonica (3-0, 2 Kos) puts his unbeaten record on the line against Des Moines, Iowa's Jeff Farmer (1-6), Lowell, MA's Joe McCreedy (5-1, 4 Kos) squares off against Don Labbe (3-9, 2 Kos) in a light heavyweight affair, in featherweight action - Guatemalan-born Castulo Gonzalez (9-2, 3 Kos) faces Phoenix's Angel Gonzales (0-2-1), 19 year-old Revere, MA prospect Icender Beauchamp (1-0) and New Haven's Edwin Carmona (1-1) square off in a flyweight bout, and Phillip Miller makes his professional debut against Stamford, CT's Robert Irizarry. All bouts and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets, priced at $100, $60, and $40, are available by calling 508-586-2277. Doors to the event will open at 6 PM, with the first fight slated for 7:30 PM. For more information go to