By Jake Donovan

Recent eighth round stoppages by Jonathan Vidal and Daniel Lozano did more than just put the pair of super flyweights back in the win column; it moved both towards a head-on collision, with the prize of a future title fight looming overhead. 

Vidal and Lozano will face off in the finals of the Boxeo Telemundo super flyweight tournament, which is set for October 3 at A La Carte Pavilion in Tampa, Florida. The bout will formally kick off the fall season of the Boxeo Telemundo series. 

Lozano (12-1-1, 9KOs) rebounded from the lone loss of his career with an 8th round stoppage of Antonio 'Tostado' Garcia last weekend in Tampa. The local prospect has become a cult favorite, as he now gets to play the venue for the fifth straight time.

Hometown edge might be the only clear cut advantage in an otherwise even matchup. 

Vidal (18-2, 10KOs) proved his grit, bouncing back from consecutive losses–including a points loss to Garcia this past March–to knock out Juan Kantun in their July 18 headliner in Kissimmee, Florida. The win over Kantun registered as the highest rated boxing event ever to air on Telemundo dating back its initial involvement with the sport in 1989.

The winner of the October 3 showdown will be in line to score a super flyweight title fight, with the opponent to be decided in a forthcoming rematch between long-reigning titlist Omar Narvaez and Felipe Orucuta. 

"This has really been an amazing year for the Boxeo Telemundo series," notes promoter Felix 'Tuto' Zabala, whose All-Star Boxing promotional company serves as the primary feeder for the long-running series. "The tournament has been well-received, including our record-breaking July 18 show. The fighters have raised their game, and now the winner (of the tournament) will be in line for the biggest fight of his career."

Zabala has enjoyed a banner year, even beyond the success of the series and the super flyweight tournament. The veteran promoter was voted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame earlier this year, prior to the start of the Boxeo Telemundo summer season.

The summer finale airs this weekend in Mexico, as local prospect Edgar Ortega (14-1, 10KOs) faces unbeaten Puerto Rican knockout artist Daniel Rosario Cruz (8-0, 7KOs) in a scheduled 10-round welterweight bout. 

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com, as well as the Records Keeper for the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and a member of Boxing Writers Association of America.

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