The Arizona Republic

Phoenix's 17-year-old boxing phenom Jose Benavidez Jr. became the youngest to ever sign a professional contract with boxing promotional company Top Rank, his father Joe Benavidez told The Republic on Thursday.

Top Rank President Todd DuBoef also announced

the signing at a press conference at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Thursday.

Benavidez Jr., who is trained by his father and renowned trainer Freddie Roach in Los Angeles, will make his professional debut at 138 pounds on Saturday against Steven Cox (1-0, 1 KO) of Independence, Mo. The bout will be on the Fox Sports Net-televised Vanes Martirosyan-Kassim Ouma card at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
 
"We didn't know we would be a part of the press conference," Benavidez said in a phone interview. "Bob Arum started talking and said, 'We have a really good prospect. He's really talented. And we just signed him. He was a little bit more expensive. But he's worth it.' Then he introduced my son! I thought he was talking about somebody else!"

Benavidez said after five months of negotiation, he and his son signed the contract on Monday. Roach told Ringtv.com that the contract guarantees eight televised fights in 2010.

At 16, Benavidez Jr. was the youngest ever to win the National Golden Gloves championship at 141 pounds.

Benavidez Jr.'s pro debut had been much anticipated since Roach raved about his "best prospect" in front of a media throng at his Hollywood gym, Wild Card Boxing, during the lead up to the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight in November.

Benavidez said the Nevada Athletic Commission gave his son a "special license" to make his pro debut. You need to be 18 to fight professionally in Nevada. Benavidez Jr. attended Avondale La Joya High before moving last fall to Hollywood to train at Roach's gym full-time.

Originally appeared at AZCENTRAL.com