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Arizona Boxing News & Notes: Kahn Can?t, Iron Boy 33, 2 Shows on CBS & Re-cap By Don Smith PhilBoxing.com Wed, 18 May 2016  Boxing Fans, Phoenix Twin Peaks Sports Bar & Grill (on Camelback Road) co-owner Carolyn Bayless approached me before the HBO PPV contest of ?Canelo? Alvarez vs. Amir Khan graced the 84 or so in house screens on May 7 and asked me point blank how long the ballyhooed battle would last in my opinion, and I responded: ?6-8 rounds with the much stronger Canelo, winning by knockout.? It wasn?t the answer Carolyn wanted because the longer the fight lasted, the better the night for the franchise. PPV boxing events are expensive broadcasts and Sports bars take a gamble every time they offer high end televised boxing presentations to their patrons. Selling UFC is less a gamble for vendors; but, club & restaurant bosses tell ABNN that boxing patrons spill more than UFC fans drink. May 7 offered an exciting doubleheader for sports fans, The Kentucky Derby followed by the Canelo vs. Khan PPV fight. We don?t want to discredit the routine daily sports ration; but horse racing and boxing owned the day. When I entered the comfortable Twin Peaks venue at 5:37 pm, the fans (some buzzed) were pumped and it was hard to find anyone supporting Amir Khan against the Mexican fighter known affectionately as ?Canelo.? I heard one Canelo fan loudly suggests that for Khan, to win, the boxer from UK would have to bring a baseball bat to the dance; he didn?t. Kahn, in my opinion, won the 1st three rounds with a stick and move strategy that confused Alvarez until the bigger fighter began cutting off the ring enabling him to win rounds 4 & 5. In the 6th round, Khan stood directly in front of Canelo which is comparable to taunting a hungry lion with a T Bone Steak. The end game came from a strong stiff right hand that reached the jaw of a surprised Kahn at 56 seconds into the 8th round and it was a dramatic knockout that will become a popular replay on You Tube. The win sets up an anticipated loud demand for Canelo to face Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin (35-0-32 knockouts) before the end of 2016. Alvarez told his jubilant his fans his post-fight interview that he isn?t afraid of the undefeated fighter from Kazakhstani; who was seen smiling at ringside. Yet, he qualified his willingness to meet the acclaimed middleweight champion by putting weight qualifiers on a potential match between two of the world?s most talked about athletes. The somber truth is before Canelo can think about a rich PPV meeting with GGG; he must take care of a legal matter (breach of contract case) that is to be addressed by a Dade County Florida Court Judge on May 23. The under-card was a bit disappointing as betting favorites scored easy victories over mismatched opponents. Former IBF Middleweight Champion David Lemieux (35-3- 32 knockouts) manhandled Glen Tapia before ending the contest in the 4th round of a scheduled 10 rounder. The Canadian victor was very impressive and in retrospect, a better match for Canelo than his date on May 7. At 31, middleweight Curtis Stevens showed he isn?t ready for a rocking chair as he punished the previously undefeated Patrick Teixeira (26-1) until the contest was stopped in the second round. In the weakest bout of the evening, Welterweight Frankie Gomez (21-0) won unanimous decision over a very lethargic Mauricio Herrera in a 10 round snoozer. In an earlier bout, rising super bantamweight Diego De La Hoya (15-0-9 knockouts) won the WBC world Youth Super Bantamweight Title with a 7th round stoppage of Rocco Santomauro (13-1) at 1:59 marker. Post stoppage, it was reported that Santomauro?s trainer (Shane Mosley) threw in the towel after reprimanding his fighter between rounds. Overall, it was a good enthusiastic night of boxing and 4 stars to Canelo, Lemieux, Stevens and Diego De La Hoya for their winning performances. And Twin Peaks continues to shine as a venue to watch PPV sporting events; 5 stars to our server, Ziggy. Tournament Recap: On Sunday, May 8, The 4 Corner Region 1X Junior Olympic Tournament, held at Sonny?s Gym in Goodyear concluded after two days of amateur boxing. Arizona won the team trophy followed by New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. Best bout awards went to Vincent Tapia-Utah (11-12 yrs.), Micky Scala (Broadway Boxing in Arizona) 13-14 age division, Jaciel Carbajal (Sonny?s Boxing in Arizona) 15-16 age division. After a brief muted salute, here is this year?s list of Arizona JO Regional champions: Bryant Gonzales (AZ) 11-12, 65 lbs.?.Bryant Miranda (Miller?s Boxing) 13-14, 85 lbs.?.Jeremiah Teran (Broadway Boxing) 13-14,90 lbs.?.Micky Scala (Broadway Boxing) 13-14, 95 lbs.?.Jose Escarcega (F-1 Boxing) 11-12, 85 lbs.?Dorian Khan 13-14, 101 lbs.?. Maximus Castro (K O Boxing) 13-14, 106 lbs.?.Elijah Garcia (Hammer Boxing) 13-14, 132 lbs.?Brandon Lobatos (F-1 Boxing) 13-14, 110 lbs.?..Rene Dela Perez (AZ.) 15-16, 101 lbs.?Jose Miranda (Millers Boxing) 15-16, 110 lbs.?.Jaciel Carbajal (Sonny?s Gym) 15-16, 114 lbs.?Daniel Ybarra (Sonny?s Gym) 15-16, 125 lbs.?.Daryon Salazar (AZ.) 15-16, 132 lbs. Next major challenge for these remarkable champions is the National Tournament held in in Dallas, Texas, commencing June 25. * As we went to press, a caller told us that the ?Advance? list was incomplete and if true we will add on additional qualified winners in our next column.***Reminder, California vs. Arizona on Saturday May 21 in Phoenix at Victory Outreach, 4655 W. McDowell Road; 1st punch at 2 P.M. **** 2020 Olympic hopeful Fernando Martinez won his opening bout at the National Golden Gloves Tournament in Salt Lake City on May 17. Short Jabs: phoenix pugilists Daniel Garcia, Joey Ruelas, Jesus Gonzales and Andrew Hernandez sparred at Central Gym on Tuesday April 10 according to an eye witness who was hanging out at the popular boxing gym. Joey (10-1-1) and Andrew (11-4-1) fight respective opponents at the Downtown Center in Las Vegas on Saturday April 21. Daniel Garcia fights on the Iron Boy Card at the Celebrity Theatre on Friday April 21. ?.USA Boxing Arizona President Jacob Magallanez emailed Arizona amateur boxing coaches and boxers warning them there would repercussions if they participated in a recent boxing event sponsored by Iron Boy Promotions and deemed as an unsanctioned event (5/14) by amateur boxing. Iron Boy CEO Robert Vargas describes the controversy as a misunderstanding. He said the event (staged at American Legion Post #41 in Phoenix) involved professional boxers sparring and noting more, nothing less. Furthermore; he went on to state that the session was cleared through USA Boxing and the Arizona Boxing Commission. We hope the matter is settled and hopefully all boxing disputes will handled by diplomacy and not fiery rhetoric?.A few eyebrows arched when Tucson Arizona welterweight Alfonso Olvera (7-2-1)settled for a draw with Sanjarbek Rakhmanov (4-0-1) when the two fought on ShowTime (5/13) in Las Vegas.. At least five watchers called to say they thought the Arizona fighter was robbed?? Fight Hard Promotions sponsored the trophies handed out at the F-1 boxing event held at the F-1 boxing facility in Buckeye, Arizona on May 14?..Local amateur boxer Adrian Servin has given up the sport in favor of Muay Thai. Adrian is working under the guidance of Rob Garcia (Siege MMA) Rob is a respected trainer and there is no reported timetable for the 19 year old Servin who first showed interest in Muay Thai at age 15. We wish him the best......Valley resident and lightweight contender Ray Beltran (29-7-1) returns to ring action against Ivan Najera 16-2 in Laredo Texas on Saturday 5/21. This corner picks Beltran by knockout because Najera lacks the skills and experience to defeat Beltran who is very hungry for another title shot. Mosley Update: Rumors persist that Jesus ?El Martillo? Gonzales will make his boxing return on the Shane Mosley Card at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday, May 28 even though Gonzales has allegedly denied and confirmed reports that he is on the card; boxing, that?s what I am talking about-partly truth and partly fiction-please use your imagination. Official additions to the card include a quartet of undefeated explosive pugilists: welterweight Luis Olivares (10-0-7 knockouts) vs. TBD, lightweight Victor Castro (16-0-7 knockouts) versus Carlos Zatarain (6-2-2), super bantamweight Adam Lopez (15-0-7 knockouts) vs. Jose Estrella (14-10-1-10 knockouts) Cruiserweight Dimar Ortuz (10-0-2-7 knockouts) vs. TBD and super middleweight Shane Mosley Jr.(6-1-5 knockouts) vs. Ricardo Ramiro (3-1-3 knockouts). We hear that possibly two more bouts may be added to the program. The Main Event features Shane Mosley (49-9-1-41 knockouts) vs. David Avanesyan (21-1-1-11 knockouts). At stake: Interim WBA World Welter Weight Title currently held by Avanesyan. Ticket prices range from $22.00 -$507.00. The show is broadcast by CBS Sports Network, very active in presenting boxing. Tickets are available at the Gila River Arena Box-Office and through Ticketmaster. Team Mosley is planning several Memorial week events leading to the championship bout on May 28. Unfortunately the press release touting these extracurricular activities doesn?t give locations for the event. The official press conference will be on May 24 at 12 pm at an unspecified location. Later on that same day, a ?record breaking? event is scheduled at 6:30 pm at an unspecified location. On May 25, at 8 pm, Team Mosley will hold a ring girl search at an unspecified viewing point. On Friday, May 27, the official weigh-in (4pm) at the Arena we believe. We sent an inquiry to Team Mosley asking where these pre-fight activities will be hold. Boxing Tidbits: Boxing Champion Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez?s next fight will be held inside a Dade County Florida Courtroom on Monday, May 23 against All-Star Boxing, his first promoter. All-Star Boxing is claiming Canelo and Golden Boy Promotions are guilty of ?breach of Contract? and the case has dragged on for some time; but, insiders think the dispute will end on May 23 or shortly after; there is a lot of money at stake, Golden Boy claims no wrongdoing?.Top Rank has an ongoing one hundred million dollar lawsuit filed against Al Haymon and the CEO of PBC is also facing a three hundred million dollar lawsuit filed by Golden Boy Promotions?.Haymon could lose both cases and two losses could spell the end for Mr. Haymon and his boxing promotion company?.?..Boxing siblings Linda and Elihu Soto were waiting for their next bouts until Elihu was signed to fight on the Casino Del Sol Roy Jones Jr. produced card, May 20 in Tucson. Linda, super flyweight, has 7 victories to go with 6 losses and younger brother Elihu (flyweight) is undefeated at 4-0 and he fights out of Phoenix while older sis works out of Mexico; no word on her next gig. A gracious Move: Iron Boy CEO Roberto Vargas has agreed to allow ABNN to host a fundraiser at the June 4 Iron Boy (combat fighting) event to help defray medical & funeral expenses of Ely Omega who was buried on April 30 in Phoenix?s St. Francis Cemetery. The plan is to stage a silent auction (at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix) with notable signed collectibles and various items to possibly include trips, etc. Lightweight Contender Ray Beltran and other benevolent members of the boxing community have signaled a readiness to help. The auction will be held downstairs in the club area and we hope everyone will participate. ABNN would like to thank Mr. Vargas for his pledge and commitment to a very good cause. Club doors at the Celebrity will open at 4 p.m. on June 4 and winning bidders must be present to collect their items or have made previous payment and pickup arrangements. The Theatre is located 1 block south of Van Buren on 32nd street in Phoenix. A raffle will accompany the auction which features some very impressive signed collectibles; once again, a big thanks to Iron Boy Promotions. Donors include Nolan Ryan, Ray Beltran, Bill Clinton, Chris Arreola, Jose Benavidez Jr, David Benavidez and many more celebrities from the sports and entertainment world. Iron Boy 33: When we hit the distribute button on our last column there were a few questions surrounding the May 20 Iron Boy 33 card and we are happy to fill in some of the holes on the Celebrity Theatre boxing show. As referenced in our last published effort, Danny Montoya and Joe Martell are no longer on the card : Main Event: Top Rank prospect Danny Valdivia (10-0-8 knockouts) tests his ballyhooed potential against well-vetted Miguel Munguia (31-33?1-25 knockouts) in what is posted as a 8 round contest. Danny?s brother Victor trains the Top Rank Prot?g?. In the Co-Main, Arizona favorite Abel Ramos (15-1-2-10 knockouts) battles hot prospect Dario Ferman Garcia (13-0-10 knockouts) in an 8 round contest that could lead the winner to a future title fight. In total, matchmaker Mike Sanchez and Iron Boy will showcase 12-14 fights featuring young and veteran pugilists. All bouts are subject to change; here is a peek at the forwarded undercard information: undefeated Francisco C. De Vaca fights his most experienced foe in Gustavo Molina, cagey Paul Romero tangles with Hector Nava, young prospect Julian Rodarte takes on wily veteran Misael Chacon, improving Daniel Garcia faces newcomer Obet Gananda, fast rising Nathaniel Gallimore is waiting for a foe to be determined, Daron ?Sweet Tay? Williams draws Leonardo Reyes, Joshua Greer Jr. tries for victory #8 against southpaw Ray Chacon, entertaining Luis Espinoza hopes to remain undefeated versus upset minded Jonathan Ramos, Central Boxing newcomer hopes to enter the win column in his bout with Ivan Dela Madrid. Also vying for a spot on the card are rough and tough Jose Maruffo and two familiar veterans making comebacks: super welterweight Arturo Brambila and cruiserweight Carlos Reyes. Ticket prices for the Friday, May 20 show range from $29.00-$54.00 + service charge. Theatre doors open at 5 pm; Celebrity lounge opens at 4 pm. Ring action is set to start at 6 pm. Quick Punches: 2020 Arizona Olympic boxing hopeful and Mendoza Gym prot?g? Fernando Martinez?s trip date to Russia has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a future date?Boxing legend Luis Ramon ?Yori Boy? Campas is officially the head trainer for Fight Hard Promotions. FHP had their August 26 Show at Legends Event Center approved by the Arizona Boxing Commission on Thursday, May 12. Promoter Scott Maling and associate Peter McKinn III have signed onetime heavyweight prospect Malcolm Tann (23-4) to a two year contract that takes effect, immediately. Tann is returning to the sport after stepping from boxing, 9 years ago. Tann was approved by the commission for his license at a recent Arizona Boxing Commission meeting and he hopes to fight before the end of June and become a contender by the end of next year. It is a lofty goal that Team Tann feels is attainable. McKinn thinks the heavyweight division is weak, a view not shared by ABNN; it doesn?t matter, it isn?t our nickel! Tann is trained by George Babers who has honed his craft for 22 years. His former pupils include former Olympic boxing hopeful Cynthia Moreno, 1996 Pan American Games medalist Jhonny Nolasco Hughes (representing Dominican Republic) and professional super middleweight Hector Hernandez who posted an 11-6-2 record until he retired in 2013. Nolasco made the trip to the big show where he won 18, lost 9 and ended 4 bouts with draws before retiring in 2013. McKinn and Maling feel George is a perfect fit for the team; time will tell?.The Chavez Boxing Foundation, a 501(c) (3) Non-Profit Organization will host a June 4th fundraiser at the Chavez Gym facility located 2309 North 24th Street, in Phoenix, (7 pm). One of the highlights of the evening will feature a bout between birthday boy and foundation founder Coach Pete Chavez who will try to prove that his 50 year old body can withstand a challenge from a much younger opponent. It promises to be a festive evening and a chance to meet star pupil, 20 year old Alfredo Valdivia, a participant in one of the amateur exhibition matches. Alfredo (a winner in the 2015 Gene Lewis Tournament) plans to turn professional before the end of 2016. According to Gemma, Secretary and spokesperson for the Foundation, a few $30.00 General Admission tickets are still available and calls seeking more info should be directed to 602-363-0700. Boxing Notes: Jose Benavidez Sr. has closed his downtown Phoenix Boxing Gym. Junior Lopez was keeping it open; but Jose Sr. decided to shut it down and concentrate on his new digs in Long Beach, California. Jose will work the May 21 boxing show (RJJ Promotion) in Las Vegas at the Downtown Center. I asked him about rumors that he closed his Phoenix Gym and left town before settling a few debts and he vehemently denies the accusation. If the accusations are accurate, the alleged victim(s) should go to their local Justice of the Peace Magistrate and file charges. Remember, allegations must be proven before finger pointing has real meaning. Benavidez left the gym several months and let trainer Junior Lopez take over management of the facility. CBS Sports Network: Roy Jones Jr. Promotion?s May 20th boxing show at the comfortable Casino Del Sol Ava Amphitheater in Tucson will hold its? official weigh-in on Thursday, May 19 inside the Casino?s stylish & cool Paradise lounge commencing at 6 PM. The card will feature ?6? professional bouts including a main event contest pitting highly regarded super Bantamweight Hanzel Martinez (23-2-18 knockouts) vs. the pride of Ghana, Prosper Ankrah (24-7-15 knockouts. Ankrah is a replacement for Isaac Netty who bowed out for unknown reasons. In the Co-Main, undefeated super lightweight Emmanuel Robles (14-0-1) meets veteran Gerardo Cuevas (17-15-1). The 4 fight under-card will feature two familiar faces in the Arizona boxing community: super featherweight Keenan Carbajal (10-2-1) and flyweight Elihu Soto (4-0). Carbajal faces Lorenzo Trejo (35-31-1); the veteran (Trejo) replaces Jose Angel Cota for unspecified reason. Soto meets Yezbar Romero who enters the ring with a 2-1 mark. In a battle of debut fighters, Edgar Ramirez starts his career against Jesus Santamania in a four round contest. In a battle of heavyweights, Trent Rawlins (3-0-3 knockouts) is looking beyond ring foe David Mbah (1-3) as evidenced by the fact that Team Rawlins has already scheduled a June bout in California. First bout begins at 7:30 p.m. and doors to the venue open to the public at 6:30 p.m... CBS Sports Network will air the Main & Co-Main bouts. Tickets start at $15.00 and are available at the Casino box-office and online: http://casinodelsol.com/events/cbs-sports-championship-boxing. ABNN will be in Las Vegas on Saturday May 21 to cover the RJJ promoted show at the Downtown Las Vegas Center. Two Arizona natives (Andrew Hernandez & Joey Ruelas) man key roles on the card. In the Main Event, Hernandez (11-4-1) fights Arif Magomedov (17-0) for the vacant WBC United States (USNBC) middleweight title. In the Co-Main, Joey ?The Boxer? Ruelas battles John Vera (13-0) and the winner takes home the vacant WBA-NABA USA super welterweight title. Both Arizona fighters are decided underdogs. We hear that a large contingent of loyal Hernandez & Ruelas will be climbing in their cars and motoring to the Downtown Las Vegas Center to cheer on their fighters. The event will be televised by the CBS Sports Network. The undercard spotlights young fighters hoping to build a fan base. Jemen Cochran enters the ring with 11-0-1 record when he faces Juan Antonio Lopez who brings an impressive 10-1 mark to the featherweight contest. In other bouts: Devin Haney (5-0) takes on Jairo Vargas Fernandez (4-0) in a lightweight contest, welterweight Jeremy Nichols (3-0) vs. Julio Santos (2-2), undefeated Randy Moreno Ochoa (2-0) faces Texan Christopher Turton (1-2).The Event , dubbed Knockout at the D,? commences at 11 p.m. (ET) and ticket prices range from 14.99 to $99.99. If you make the trek to Vegas, drive carefully??. Until Next Time! Click here to view a list of other articles written by Don Smith.  |
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