When local 118-pound professional boxer Andre Wilson steps through the ropes tonight in Temecula, Calif., it will be the biggest night in the 26 year-old’s 14-fight career.

Wilson (11-2-1, 9 KOs) will be featured in an eight-round, co-main event on Showtime’s ShoBox: The New Generation Championship Boxing network when he squares off against California native Chris Avalos (10-0, 8 KOs).

“This fight is going to open new doors, and people will actually realize who I am in the world,” Wilson said. “Especially with Gary Shaw being the promoter of the fight, and we all know Shaw is like the Don King of the smaller weight classes.”

Wilson ranks as the No. 2 bantamweight in the United States, according to boxrec.com, and sits in the top 50 worldwide, according to the WBC and the WBO. Avalos comes in just behind Wilson at boxrec.com at No. 3 in the United States but doesn’t hold a ranking in any of the major boxing governing bodies.

The fight airs live at 10 p.m., sharing main event status with super featherweights Marvin Quintero and Tyrone Harris.

Wilson has bigger aspirations for his boxing career, and a loss here would slightly derail his ultimate goal, a goal that he has had since he was 18 years old and first started boxing.

“I want to be the first person from St. Joe to hold a legitimate world title,” Wilson said. “I am talking about a title from the WBA, WBO, WBC, IBF and the IBO, all of the major sanctioning bodies in the world.”

Wilson is no stranger to facing stiff competition on the road.

He knocked out once-beaten Francisco Rodriguez in the second round when he traveled to Chicago in February of last year. In March 2009, Wilson went to Philadelphia, where he lost a controversial eight-round split decision to undefeated native Teon Kennedy.

Wilson knocked Kennedy down early in the fight and opened up a nasty cut only to lose on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

“I am a road warrior everywhere I go, and that is who I am,” Wilson said. “Every other boxer in this town that travels out of this area are road warriors, too. That is who we all are, not just me.”

Avalos’ high-profile manager, Mike Criscio, seems to have a different outlook on the upcoming fight against Wilson. Criscio signed Avalos after more than 100 amateur fights and also manages current world champion Chad Dawson and light middleweight prospect Alfredo Angulo.

“Chris is such a hard worker, and I sent him off to camp with Chad Dawson and he soaked up so much boxing knowledge,” Criscio said. “(Wilson) is just another bump in the road if you ask me, and I think the fight will go three, maybe four rounds until Chris knocks him out. He will get some work out of it.”

However, Criscio said he’s glad Wilson was interested in the fight because nobody else wants to fight Avalos.

“Wilson is a tough kid, and I know he is not coming to lay down. But Chris has one of the best short punches in the entire game,” Criscio said.

Earl Walker, Wilson’s trainer, has his own opinion on the upcoming fight.

“I think this is going be a very tough fight, but if they are going to underestimate Andre, they are wrong,” Walker said. “If Andre don’t knock him out, I think it might go the distance. Either way It will be a real good fight for television.”

Showtime is available as part of the digital channel lineup through St. Joseph Cablevision but is not a part of the basic or family cable packages.