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Arizona Boxing News & Notes With Don Smith: De Vaca, Hernandez Crowned & Mosley Update By Don Smith PhilBoxing.com Sat, 28 May 2016  Boxing Fans, before super bantamweight Francisco C. De Vaca (15-0-4 knockouts) scored an 8th round TKO victory over Mexico?s Gustavo Molina (22-12-9 knockouts) at the Celebrity Theater on May 20th in Phoenix to capture the vacant NABF Junior super bantamweight Title; the 21 year old baby faced champion stopped to comment about the significance of his first professional title quest. Sporting a smile that defied the gravity of the moment, De Vaca told me he was approaching the event as just was just another fight. After gentle prodding, ?Panchito? dropped the fa?ade and admitted it was a special night for him, his fans and Iron Boy promoter (Roberto Vargas) as evidenced by the 12 piece Mariachi Band that serenaded his entrance to the ring. Mr. Vargas, often incorrectly identified as his fighter?s Uncle, clarified the relative issue via email and added the following descriptive and partisan fight review: ?He (De Vaca) kicked some ass; it was a great fight from De Vaca and Molina. I have a lot of respect for that kid (Molina) for taking the fight with Panchito, would you agree? Iron Boy fighters are in great shape and ready to take challenges. No disrespect, but you can?t come into my house (Celebrity Theatre) and beat up my boys.? He added a post script: ?Don?t you love that Don? I just gave you a huge present!? Our response: Thank you ?Uncle? Roberto and don?t forget the Thanksgiving invitation. It was a quality fight. De Vaca showed poise, patience, power, focus, and stamina throughout the contest. In comparison, Molina was game; but lacked the foot and hand speed to trade quality punched with De Vaca who threw and landed more meaningful blows. The victory bodes well for the Phoenix fighter who was often criticized for fighting lesser opponents; beating Molina will earn him national respect and help him rise in the rankings. It was a dominant performance that had his foe (Molina) backpedaling throughout the contest. Promoter Roberto Vargas was all smiles over the end result. While fans applauded the main event, the 8 round co-main received a thundering cascade of boos and a thumbs down from this critic. It took Top Rank prot?g? Daniel Valdivia (11-0-9 knockouts) 2:06 into the first round to knock out an out of shape Miguel Munguia. I asked Valdivia if he learned anything from the fight and he replied? it is my job to take them out as soon as possible.? I thought his quote was rather odd and inappropriate. In retrospect, taking out Munguia (31-34-1) was easier than picking up the phone and ordering a takeout pizza from Papa Johns. In his defense, Munguia was a last minute substitute. Young David Courtney (Phoenix) won the hearts of the fans; but, Puerto Rican Ivan DE LA Madrid scored a unanimous decision over the 19 year old who took up boxing less than two years ago. Team Courtney is asking for a rematch; but, don?t count on it. I had Madrid by a split decision. David needs a little more polish to go with his obvious power. A very elusive Daron ?Sweet Tay? Williams (3-0) put on a slick, slide and glide performance to gain an MD victory over the more traditional Sergio Najera (10-25-2) who became frustrated at Williams hit and run style and the audience sided with Najera and roundly booed the decision. In a special 8 round bout, Arizona favorite Abel Ramos (16-1-2) delivered a very impressive performance in handing Dario Ferman (13-1) his first loss. Ferman was unable to withstand a liver shot at 2:02 in the 5th round. In winning, Ramos remains in the hunt for his second title shot. He fought for a NABF title in 2015 against Regis Prograis in Houston; but a nasty head butt in the 5th round, led to stoppage in the 9th round and memory of the controversial head butt still lingers within the Ramos camp. Fast hitting Luis Espinoza (3-0), fighting out of Mesa Arizona, disposed of Jonathan Ramos (0-1) at the 16 second mark of the first round. After three exciting wins, Espinoza is beginning to turn a few heads. In our opinion, he is ready for better opponents. Daniel Garcia, 3-0, won a convincing victory (UD) over super welterweight Michael Williamson who was wearing shoes a half size too small. Williamson, fighting out of Las Vegas, left his 10 ? sized pair at home forcing a team member to rush to a nearby store only to find out that the closest fit available was a size 10. Good win for Garcia (Busted Knuckle in Tempe, Arizona) and a pinching defeat for Williamson who offered no excuses for his loss. Garcia?s decision to fight in a heavier weight class seems to fit. Slick Joshua Greer Jr. (8-1-1) had his way with Ray ?Bad Boy? Chacon in a 6 round final bout of the evening. After watching Chacon fight for the second time; this corner thinks he should change is nickname to ?Dirty Boy, as he was warned several times for using tactics unbecoming of a professional boxer. Jamaican Nate Gallimore (13-0-1 w/ 10 knockouts) is a young fighter with a lot of upside but Mexico?s Hector Mercado close quarters style confused Gallimore and forced the Chicago fighter to settle for a less than spectacular Unanimous win. Arturo Brambila (returned to the ring after a 2 ? absence and he fought with a lot of heart; but it wasn?t enough as he lost to tough Jose Maruffo 9-4-1. Brambila?s record now stands 9-22-1. The attendance was estimated at near capacity. Nex Iron Boy event (MMA) is scheduled for June 4. Boxing Briefs: Fernando Martinez, Mendoza Boxing, reached the National Golden Glove finals before taking a loss in the prestigious tournament held in Salt Lake City Utah. Arizona?s two other entrants (Damien Stone & Eben Vargas) were eliminated on Thursday, 5/19. Martinez, Tournament Silver Medal winner, will continue training for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics; his home state of Arizona should be very proud of him and the boxing laurels he has accumulated during his illustrious amateur career . . . ?Robbie Davies Jr. attended the Mosley/Avanesyan media workout and the modest boxer from Kirkby Merseyside in the UK and the 26 year old fighter has compiled an 13-0-9 knockout record and he told he and the AVA Team are headed to Las Vegas to party after the Mosley fight. Davies is regarded as an prospect and he hopes t fight in the US before 1015 ends. Added Stuff: super boxing fans Debbie Ruiz and Geoff Ronning were feted at the Iron Boy Show on 5/21 for supporting Iron Boy boxing and the sport in general. Both fans were awarded a pair of custom made gloves created by Gino Adonis Garcia. Ms. Ruiz, battling cancer, was moved by the presentation as was Mr. Ronning who plans to use the gloves in his preparation for an upcoming amateur master boxing tournament; he is a teammate of local boxing figure Ralph Velez Jr. who looks lighter and quicker, thanks to a resolution he made to himself. Ralph interviewed me n Vegas after making s negative remark or two about me before our short session began. We had an enlightening discussion and I think the back & forth between us is history, I hope so. Ralph has agreed to promote our ABNN hosted June 4 fundraiser at the Celebrity Theatre. Proceeds from the event will help settle debts of a community friend and boxing fan that ascended to Heaven recently?. . Fan favorite Ray Beltran (30-7-1-18 knockouts) scored a 2nd round knockout victory over Ivan Najera (16-3) in Laredo Texas on May 21?..Scott Maling and Peter McKinn have signed boxer Wes Capper to a promotional contract?..Fight Hard Promoter Rigoberto Ledezma is a big fan of Roberto Duran and he hopes a place the winning for a boxing glove signed by the legend at the June 4th fundraiser at the Celebrity Theatre. Other donors include actress Rita Moreno, President Bill Clinton, Fernando Vargas, Jose and David Benavidez, Bill Walton, Nolan Ryan, James ?Buddy? McGirt and many more celebrities who signed and donated?.Undefeated David Benavidez (formerly of Phoenix) is fighting on the Shawn Porter/ Keith Thurman Card on June 25. Brother Jose is battling on the July 25 Terrence Crawford card. Vegas Controversy: The fight is over and the verdict is history; but, a verbal battle over the decision continues. On May 21, at the Downtown Las Vegas Center, undefeated Texan John ?The Phenom? Vera (14-0) fought Joey ?Boxer? Ruelas (10-2-1) in a CBS Sports Network televised bout scheduled for 8 rounds. At stake was Vera?s NABA Super Welterweight Belt. Ruelas was a decided underdog going into the contest; but, I had Ruelas slightly ahead after 5 rounds. At that point, the 34 year old Arizona pugilist was out boxing the Champ and except for an early round defensive lapse, the underdog was at his career best and victory appeared within his grasp or so thought his corner; boxing is a contact sport. An aggressive John Vera, behind on my scorecard, initiated the action in the beginning of the sixth round and Ruelas took some shots; but, remained upright. I thought the Phoenix fighter was able to continue, however Nady stopped action at the 1:17 mark of the sixth round and declared Vera the winner by TKO in the 6th round. Team Ruelas became unhinged over the verdict and 8 Count Media (hired by Ruelas) emailed a response to a media colleague of mine and she told me the communiqu? described the decision as premature and the author went on to review the contest round to round, blow by blow; it was quite lengthy and partisan. In an effort to be fair, I approached both sides and asked if they thought the contest was stopped prematurely and neither side responded directly. I was told by a third party that 8 Count Media released a statement and requested their reaction be printed in its? entirety without editing or follow-up. No editor worth his or her salt can make that promise. My quest to search for information led me to attend the after-party where I met a person linked to the promotional end of the show and he said Nady stopped the bout because the eyes of Ruelas indicated he was wasted; therefore, the bout was stopped to protect the health and safety of Ruelas. Three days later in Phoenix, I hooked up with Ruelas trainers (Alan & Wayne Viers) and the brothers told a different tale. They believe Nady has a history of ending fights prematurely and they found it rather odd that Nady approached Ruelas before the fight and asked him what his record was. I called Nevada Boxing Commissioner Bob Bennett to get his take on the allegations; but, he failed to return my call. As for his future, the Viers told me that Joey is getting several offers for his next fight. Ironically, veteran Kenny Bayless was supposed to referee the Ruelas contest, but junior featherweight Jerren Cochran (11-1-1) stumbled and fell from a Tony Lopez punch onto Bayless and the 2.0 landing resulted in a dislocated arm for Bayless who ended his night in the second round as did Cochran who was taken out of the ring on a stretcher. I was told later that he would recover, nicely. Rest of the Card: It was a beautiful night for boxing at the Las Vegas Downtown Center outdoor venue on May 21 and Roy Jones Jr. Promotions treated the press as if they were royalty: drinks, snack and ready access to the fighters with the exception of Ruelas who was in a stew over his 6th round knockout loss to John Vera; understandable under the circumstances. I emailed his wife for post-fight comment, but no response. The weather was almost perfect. At one point a swirling gust of wind blew my bout sheet off the press table; but I was able to retrieve it in flight, ala Jim Edmonds, June 10, 1997; what a catch!....sorry it didn?t make the sports highlight reel. In the Main Event, Andrew ?Hurricane? Hernandez (12-4-1) aka the pride of Phoenix finally showed the boxing skills critics knew he had. The Phoenix Native was an outstanding amateur fighter but his professional career has lacked consistency and focus; a dilemma that has led some of his supporters to question his dedication to the sport. As one fan put it: ?I don?t know if he is a contender or pretender?? On Saturday night (5/21) the 30 year old pugilist looked like a contender as he put it all together and out classed middleweight contender Arif Magomedov (17-1) to win the vacant USNBC Middleweight Championship. Hernandez entered the bout as the reigning USBF Inter-Continental Super Middleweight Champion. Magomedov entered the ring as the #2 ranked middleweight in the world by the WBC. It was a gritty performance considering Hernandez sprained his ankle in the second round and was taken on a stretcher to the University Medical Center for observation after the fight. Magomedov, knocked down in the 10th and final round, was taken to the same medical facility for an MRI test and then released. As for Hernandez, he decided to play doctor and leave the medical center without an official diagnosis; Andrew will always be Andrew! The always entertaining boxer fielded questions from reporters before he departed to UMC and a very confident Hernandez told us he was ready for Canelo, shy he isn?t! ABNN has learned that he has talked to at least two promoters who hope to ink the fighter for his next fight. His win has rejuvenated his career and given a shot in the arm for Arizona Boxing. The interview was recorded by Arizona boxing figure Rhonda Costa and carried over the internet; at last count, more than 1,000 fan hits were registered. 2015 youth world champion Devin ?The Dream ?Haney (6-0) stopped Jairo ?El Leon? Vargas (4-1) at the 1:34 mark of the 4th round. The 17 year old Haney was a little sloppy in is his win, but he has a world of talent. At least 50 friends and family members turned to watch ?The Dream? in action. In the introductory battle Jeremy ?J-Flash? Nichols (4-0-2 knockouts) scored a unanimous victory over Julio ?El Indio? Santos. **An unscheduled freestyle bout took place in the grandstands while knockout victim Jerren Cochran was being carried out of the ring on a stretcher. The brief melee involved two women who began hurling insults at each other and the verbal confrontation led to the exchange a few punches. The two combatants were equal in weight; but the slightly taller woman had the distinct advantage in that she brought her baby to the fight and although I didn?t see the baby leave the carriage and assist his mother, the presence of baby boy could have could have intimidated his mother?s enemy combatant. It ended when baby mama threw a left hand claw that snatched the wig off the embarrassed woman -the contest was officially stopped at 1:37 of the first stanza; both women received a Bronx cheer and were escorted out of the venue. The bareheaded woman was clutching her wig in her left hand as she was led out by two Las Vegas Metropolitan Police offers. I tried to interview the wigged out lady; but, security personnel persuaded me to forget about it. It isn?t known whether or not the de-wigged lady will seek damages for assault and battery on a wig. Mosley Update: Team Mosley pulled out all stops in promoting the May 28 Title bout between Sugar Shane Mosley and Interim WBA welterweight Champion David Avanesyan, a Russian/Armenian fighter with something to prove in his USA debut. Ava, as he is known, looked very fit in his 5/26 media workout conducted at Gen?s Boxing Gym in North Phoenix. A spokesperson for Ava, said his fighter had bigger money offers; but the opportunity to fight Mosley had a bigger upside; a loss might have the reverse effect. Former world champ ?Sugar? Shane appeared late for his workout but in terrific shape. Under the watchful eye of trainer and boxing Icon Roberto Duran the champ romped around the ring as if he was a teenager, a description he used at the press conference on Monday May 23. He said the ?Old School? methods of Duran made him feel like a teenager again. At the Monday Press Conference, I had to share questioning with several members of the Spanish speaking press which meant I got the short end of the stick. One reporter (ASU Student) apologized for his abuse of the unwritten ?fair share) rule adopted universally by journalists with principled vales. I told him he was rude and I chalked his conduct up to inexperience and insecurity; he smiled and left the room. I did manage to set the record straight on whether or not Duran (as a youngster) knocked down a horse with one punch: he replied yes. As to flying a small aircraft in his native country of Panama; the legendary fighter is guilty as alleged. His film bio, ?Hands of Stone? will be released in August and Duran owns a small piece of the project and he is satisfied with the end result.. We will meet again at the weigh-in and I will try to ask him more questions. Both men were gentlemen at the press conference and were gracious in posing for pictures and granting autographs. The workout was attended by approximately 220 people, I ran out of fingers to count. Duran consented to signing a glove for our upcoming auction (June 4) at the Celebrity Theatre and someone has already committed an opening bid of $220.00; proceeds go towards paying off debts of Ely M. Omega who passed recently-call 602-264-6372 for more details. An event coordinator told me the fight card was compromised by person(s) who attempted to bribe boxers not to be on the card. She didn?t give names of approached fighters; but she seemed generally ticked off. Here is a listing of the scheduled fights and all military veterans with a valid ID get a free ticket and their guests are admitted at half price. The CBS Sports Network televised show will air live from the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The show is promoted by Shane Mosley and his Go Box Promotion Company. Good seats are still available at the box-office. Arizona Boxing fans have the reputation of walking up to the venue and purchasing tickets at the last minute?and sometimes that means a fan might be watching the action from three rows from the top; if that is the case, take your binoculars. Main Event: David Avanesyan (21-1-1) vs. ?Sugar? Shane Mosley (49-9-1) Under Card: Dimar Ortuz (10-0-2) vs. Ricardo Campillo (9-9-1), Victor Castro 16-0) vs. Carlos Catarain (6-2-2), Shane Mosley Jr. (vs. Roberto Young (5-7-2), Luis Olivares (10-0) vs. Manuel Herrera (21-19-1), Louis Rose (13-3-1) vs. Jose Hurtado (4-7), Clay Burns (3-1-1) vs. Isaac Avalos (debut). F-1 Results: F-1 boxing in Buckeye Arizona held a smoker 5/14 and we were unable to print the results due to lack of space and uncertainty of the spelling of some winner?s names. We haven?t totally cleared up the latter issue; but here is our best effort: Juan Gandra (Maricopa), Joaquin Guzman (Sonny?s Boxing), Adrian Rodriguez (Unattached), Julian Flores (Maricopa), Jose Lara (Salvation Army), Samuel Alcantar (Maricopa), Steven Dagnino (Peraza Boxing), Juan Montes (Central Boxing), Moises Rosales (Fuentes Boxing), Daryon Salazar (Unattached), Joel Martinez (Rodriguez Boxing), Jacob Girarciot (Hammer Boxing), Danny Barrios (Peraza Boxing), Andre Rodriguez (F-1 Boxing), Breenan Macias (F-1 Boxing), Manuel Chavez (Unattached) and Daniel Balderas (?). Victory Outreach Results: ABNN was on another assignment; therefore, we missed the California vs. Arizona boxing show held (May 21) at Victory Outreach on McDowell Road in Phoenix. Boxing coach Juan Varela was gracious enough to send the following results. The outstanding bout pitted winner Oscar Lopez (Madison Boxing) vs. Brian Velasquuez (Knockout Boxing); both 15 year olds were awarded trophies. Neutral Corner (Tucson) won team trophy. Here is a complete list of the individual winners: Juan Montes (unattached), Andrew Corona (Knockout Boxing), Marco Tautinez (Tucson Southwest), Samuel Alcantar (Maricopa), Jesus Zamorano (San Diego), Brian Dagnino (Perazza Boxing), Danny Barrios Flores (Perazza Boxing), Brandon Cruz (San Diego), Christopher Gonzalez (Neutral Corner), Daniel Balderas (New Corner), Lily Keating (Busted Knuckle), Victor Ruiz New Corner), Myron Bridges (Unattached), John Hernandez (J&C Boxing), Julio Esquilel Munoz (Neutral Corner), Kevin Morales (Madison Boxing), Ethan Saenz (Neutral Corner), Miguel Ceballos (Fight 2 Win), Ulisses Urbina (Knockout Boxing) and congratulations to all participating boxers. A Memorial Day Special Salute to the men and women who proudly serve and protect our country: past, present and in the future ?.Until next Time! Click here to view a list of other articles written by Don Smith.  |
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