Title shot awaits Arce if he defeats Ler tonight

Making his first appearance in a California boxing ring, popular Mexican fighter Jorge Arce can secure a shot at the World Boxing Council super-flyweight title by defeating Argentina’s Julio Ler tonight at Anaheim’s Honda Center.

Arce (45-3-1, 35 knockouts) is the WBC’s No. 1-ranked super-flyweight contender, riding a 19-fight winning streak since 1999 that included his three-year reign as WBC light-flyweight champion. Arce’s popularity in Mexico was boosted by his appearance on the Televisa television show, “Big Brother V.I.P.” He is from Los Mochis.

Ler (23-1, 14 KOs) has lost only to former World Boxing Assn. super-flyweight champion Alexander Munoz, by unanimous decision in 2005. The 12-round bout today will be his first outside his native country.

The card also includes a 10-round WBC middleweight elimination bout pitting unbeaten Kelly Pavlik (29-0, 26 KOs) of Youngstown, Ohio, against Jose Luis Zertuche (19-3-2, 14 KOs) of Mexico.

Pavlik, 24, scored a sixth-round knockout of former WBO junior-middleweight champion Bronco McKart in July. Pavlik is the WBC’s second-ranked contender. A victory over Zertuche, 33, will position Pavlik to fight for the middleweight belt, currently held by Jermain Taylor. The bouts will be televised by HBO.

-- Lance Pugmire