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Arizona Boxing News & Notes With Don Smith: Pacquiao Schools Vargas, Hopkins Farewell & Much More By Don Smith PhilBoxing.com Tue, 15 Nov 2016  Boxing Fans, Arizona Boxing News & Notes was invited to cover two Top Rank Boxing event in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 4 & 5 respectively. The first show was held at the Treasure Island Casino and our second assignment, the ?Legend vs. The Champ ?PPV event was staged at UNLV?s Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. We were given the VIP treatment by TR publicist Lee Samuels and his very capable associates. If I die and go to heaven, I want his staff to book my journey. In the meantime, let me explain a little hell I went through during recent working trips. Before boxing fans and column readers enroll in journalism 101 class and announce the completion their first novel, I want them to.... think twice about going down that career path! Working as a journalist requires a lot of leg work and patience especially when assignments are out of town on consecutive days. Anything can happen and it usually does. Remember, journalists rank high on the list of having problems with alcohol and drugs. I am not one of the victims; but the stress level experienced forces some journalism majors forsake their dream of pursuing news and take another fork in the road. For example, when I went to Montreal last month to attend the Lemieux vs. Rios fight, I was led to believe that my three day stay would be at a modest hotel instead of a downtrodden hostel void of normal creature comforts such as privacy, television set, private telephone , soap, change of linen and hot water. Hang on sports fans; the best is yet to come. My cell phone was inoperative in Montreal because my service was out of range; therefore, I was out of luck. There was a telephone in the lobby of the hostel; but, the recorded instructions on how to use it were in French; so, I never got past ?Bonjour.? As a result, I walked two miles to reach a Hilton Hotel where a boxing acquaintance was staying. I knew his room number; but only guests with a room key can use the elevator and my contact wasn?t picking up his bedside phone. Fortunately for me, he came to the lobby and noticed me and started telling me that he left several messages for me at the hostel which I never got. Oh by the way, the hostel referral came from him; yes, he is still alive. A five star domicile it wasn?t. As a matter of fact, when I checked into my shared room, I was the only occupant with luggage?.the other travelers staying in the dimly lit room carried their belongings in garbage bags. And the number of loud snorers reached 3-5 on most nights. There were special features not mentioned in the hostel brochure. During my three day stay, my sheets weren?t changed and I had trouble getting into my room several times with my worn-out card key; so I had to walk down three sets of steep stairs to retrieve a new key card from the desk. Oh yes, two of my male roommates slipped in girls to keep them company. I talked to one of the girls, wrapped in a sheet, and she was quite friendly. I thought better than to ask if she was a frequent visitor. The inadequacies of the hostel weren?t my only problem. When I stepped out of the late night post event press conference at the Bell Centre, I was greeted by a strong wind and hard rain that hindered my vision and balance. I carried an umbrella that I lost to the prevailing and unmerciful wind. And I suspect that if I weighed 30 lbs. less, my body would have suffered the same plight as my parasol which ascended into the sky like a calibrated missile. Somehow, I made it back to my beloved hostel and packed in the dark. I had to be careful because the tourist sleeping in the upper bunk wore the same size of shoe. Yes, I was guilty of accidentally putting on a pair of his blue dyed shoes and going downstairs the day before my departure. The victim of my unintentional crime approached me a few minutes later and reminded me, in the dining hall with at least 6 witnesses present, that I was wearing his shoes. I blushed, apologized and hastily returned to my room and put on my black tennis shoes. His shoes were more expensive and stylish than my bargain sneaks. It was still raining and windy when I happily checked out and headed for the city transit stop to catch bus 747, destination-Montreal Airport. I asked the sleepy eyed desk clerk for directions at 3 AM and he pointed in a general direction and uttered these famous words: ?you can?t miss it? ?I did! I wandered for at least 40 minutes before I found the correct stop and finally climbed abroad the right transport. Did I ask for directions as I was getting soaked, yes but asking for directions can be complicated in a city occupied by a plethora of French speaking residents who think that speaking English is obscene: Honte a eux! The fact that that I was drenched and the handle on my $6.00 suitcase was in my jacket pocket didn?t endear me to the 2-3 people I was able to stop and ask for help. Yes, I looked like someone who was either homeless or had stayed overnight in a hostel that featured ?pub crawl? as a special entertainment event; guilty as perceived. Boxing Recap: Now that I have bared my tortured soul and revealed my bizarre experience, let?s return to boxing and a quick analysis of both Vegas fight events beginning with the Treasure Island hotel and casino show on Friday, November 4. Sorry for the detour, it?s part of my therapy. On Thursday Morning (11/3) I traveled by car from Phoenix to Las Vegas with a photographer and someone he knew. I didn?t know either man; but, I needed a camera person, so I took a chance riding with two strangers who knew someone I knew. We arrived safely but 40 miles outside of Phoenix, a motorist changed lanes illegally and almost hit our rented vehicle. Our driver wanted to retaliate but I verbally restrained him. We arrived at the site of the weigh-in (Caribbean Rooms B & C) early thanks to exceeding the speed limit several times. Weigh-ins are usually routine but, Arizona featherweight Edgar Brito was 2 lbs. over and after a conference with the commission, promoter and Jose Gonzalez (Brito?s intended foe), it was decided that Brito wouldn?t be allowed to fight because of the discrepancy and he was ordered to check out of his hotel room immediately without any compensation. It was a terse moment to witness in front of approximately 100 onlookers. I am sure; Brito will remember the experience for years to come. The card, already thin, was down to 5 fights. No one was happy, especially Brito. In Arizona, fighters are often given an hour to lose a pound or two. The first bout started ? hour late at 6:45. My photographer was at the weigh-in, but he missed the fight due to one too many drinks and alleged business back in Phoenix. Welcome to the real world. What was expected to be a sparse crowd reached 900, full capacity for the Treasure Island ballroom where it was staged? Reyes Diaz (5-1-5 knockouts) and equally strong Steve Nelson (4-0-4 knockouts) started the festivities off. . Both fighters came out swinging with a bombs away attitude. In the second stanza, Nelson found Diaz?s chin an easy target and Diaz fell prey to a barrage of punches that sent him to the canvas where the 32 year old he stayed until medical responders could escort him out of the ring and to the University Medical Center for observation. The official time of stoppage was 1:58 into the second round and we wish Diaz, nice guy, well! Despite the tragedy, it was an action packed 4 minutes and 58 seconds. Nelson can punch; his next step is to learn defense. In the second contest, Top Rank Prot?g? Jesse Hart (21-0-17 knockouts) returned to ring activity after suffering a hand injury (Tendon) that had his handlers a bit concerned. His manager said his fight with Andrew ?Hurricane? Hernandez from Phoenix would be a good test. Hart passed the exam with flying colors. The Philadelphia fighter knocked Hernandez down in the first round; but, the father of 2 boys rebounded nicely to win the second stanza. In the third and final round of action, Hart pummeled his 30 year old opponent with a barrage of punches and ended the bout with a vicious right to his foe?s temple at 1 minute & 59 seconds of the third round. I talked to both fighters in their dressing rooms after the fight and both men were complimentary in praising each other. Hart said it didn?t matter who he fought next; but, his manager interrupted and said ?we want Ramirez,? meaning Gilberto Ramirez ? the reigning WBO Light Heavyweight shelf and ironically, the 25 year old champion is recovering from a tendon injury. He told me he expects to return to action in 1-2 months; Hart will be waiting! I visited Hernandez in his dressing quarters and found him slumped over in a chair looking very dejected. Rhonda Costa, his personal photographer, was with him as was his wife and both women looked as if they had witnessed te sinking of the Titanic. I asked him if he was okay and he softly replied he was okay; but, embarrassed and sorry he let his fans down. Two days later, I talked to him by phone after hearing rumors that he would retire. He told me the thought crossed his mind; but, he decided against quitting and would return to action sometime in December in Mexico. Andrew celebrates his 31st birthday on December 29th and we wish him many more. By winning, Hart retained his NABO & USBA super middleweight titles. Hernandez holds 2 middleweight titles. Hart is a beast; but, Hernandez thinks Ramirez can handle him in a toe to toe match-up. In the main event, popular California fighter Andy Vences (17-0-10 knockouts) won the vacant WBC Continental Americas Title by a ?Technical Decision? over rugged Casey Ramos (23-1-6 knockouts) fighting out of Austin Texas. After an ?accidental? head butt opened a nasty gash under the left eye of Ramos in the 8th, the fight continued; but, was stopped after the ring physician ruled the injury was severe enough to halt the confrontation at 1 minute & 12 seconds into the 9th round of their scheduled 10 round battle. According to Nevada Boxing Commission rules, judges tallied the scorecards and announced Vences the winner with scores of 87-84, 88-83 and 86-85. The pronouncement almost knocked me out of my chair. I was ready to declare Ramos the winner because he three more and landed more punches than his opponent who had huge crowd support that was almost deafening at times. Super Lightweight Alex Saucedo, trained by Abel Sanchez, delivered a workmanlike performance in defeating Philadelphia?s Ray Serrano (21-4-9 knockouts) with scores of 77-74 x 2 and 76-75. Saucedo (23-0-14 knockouts) was a bit sloppy at time; but, he threw more punches than Serrano who missed several missed opportunities by not doubling up on his punches. In my opinion, Saucedo didn?t live up to his press hype against Serrano. Promising young middleweight Joey Alday Jr (3-0-3 knockouts) lived up to his hype as he ended Cesar Hernandez?s hope of an upset with a dominant 2nd round TKO victory over the Californian whose record stands at 2-2. The Texan got busy early and kept his fists flying throughout the brief contest. Alday is definitely a prospect to watch: speed, power and confidence! The Legend vs. The Champ: 16,132 enthusiastic fans streamed into Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on November 5th to watch Filipino Senator and boxing legend Emmanuel ? Manny? Dapidran Pacquiao, aka Pac-Man, capture his record setting 9th world title as he defeated WBO welterweight Champion Jessie Vargas (27-2-10 knockouts). The match-up was billed as the ?The Legend vs. The Champ.? In winning, Pacquiao defied age, 38 in December and statistical disadvantages (height & reach) to dominate an opponent 10 years younger and confident that his time had come and a victory would secure his place in history. In their joint press conference and weigh-in, the boxing icon didn?t make any bold prediction, he just told members of the press that he was happy to be back boxing and excited about the opportunity to winning a title he once possessed. The first round was pretty much a wash with both fighters feeling out each other. In the second round, Pac-Man caught Vargas with a hard straight left that sent the 27 year old Las Vegas pugilist to the canvas for the only knockdown in the bout. That knockdown set the tone for the rest of the fight and Vargas never established enough poise or confidence to topple one of the greatest fighters of all time. At the Post fight press conference, Vargas told a packed gathering of the press that he hit Pacquiao hard a couple of times; but, couldn?t double up his punches on the elusive 9 time world champion. Pacquiao (59-6-2-38 knockouts) didn?t attend the PC due to a gash on the top of his head suffered from an accidental head butt in the 12th and final round. The official scores announced were 118-109 x 2 and 114-113 in favor of Pacquiao. Top Rank CEO Bob Arum manned the podium for the Q & A session and he was asked several times about retired champion Floyd Mayweather showing up at the event minutes before his one-time rival (Pacquiao) went to work and Arum told us that ?Money? had contacted a TR associate and said he was coming and was told he was welcome. The mention of a possible rematch between Mayweather & Pac-Man didn?t set well with the boss who reminded members of the media that Mayweather was retired and he took him at his word. As for the celebrated boxer?s next match, Arum suggested a possible match around Easter time and a possible foe could be selected from a pool of fighters consisting of Vasyl Lomachenko, Terrance Crawford, Danny Garcia, Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman. When Trainer Freddie Roach was asked the same question, a big smile was apparent and he without hesitation he said Mayweather and he thought Pacquiao would second the motion. As for his nights work, the champ took in a reported $4 million plus a percentage of the PPV revenue. . Pacquiao Trainer Freddie, according to a news report, bet a $100.00 on a knockout victory and lost his wager. Pac-Man hasn?t knocked an opponent out in 9 years. There were 8 bouts on the card and the first fight started at 3:30 PM with no more than a hundred fans was on hand to watch the first three matches. . I was told the number of working press at the event exceeded 500.Top rank passed out 1500 tickets to fans who wanted to watch the weigh-in via closed circuit, Friday 11/4. It was a media extravaganza comparable to a visit from a US President. Here are the results of the remaining bouts. Featherweight Fernando Fuentes used his experience and power to defeat Xu Que who came to the arena with a 9-0-1 record; but, his opposition was less than stellar. At the end of the 6 rounder, Fuentes (9-7-2) won over Que (9-1-1) with scores of 58-56 x 2 and 59-55. Three other title bouts were on tap. Junior Featherweight Jessie Magdaleno celebrated his 25th birthday 3 days early with a decisive victory over 2 time world champion Nonito Donaire to capture the WBO Junior Featherweight World Title with scores of: 116-112 x 2 & 118-110. Donaire hasn?t been the same fighter since his TKO losses to Rigondeaux & Walters. He has been a true warrior. 3 times Olympic Gold Medalist Zou Shiming ((9-1), China?s most successful amateur boxer of all time, soundly defeated Prasitak Phaprom (120-107 x 2 & 119-108 to win the vacant WBO World Flyweight Belt. His record now stands at 39-2-2. Shiming is quite the showman. Slick quick hitting Oscar Valdez (22-0-19 knockouts) proved to be too fast and strong for Hiroshige Osawa (in retaining his WBO World Featherweight title with a 7th round TKO victory. Valdez is a rising star. The loss drops Osawa?s record to 30-4-4. Other under-card action, 19 year old Teofimo Lopez Jr. (1-0) was sensational I n his professional debut. Lopez, disqualified from representing USA in the 2016 Olympics on a technicality, knocked out Mexico?s Ishwar Siqueiros in the first round at the 2:03 mark. The kid has a bright future. Promising welterweight Alexander Besputin (5-0-5 knockouts) scored a TKO victory over tough Azael Cosio in the 6th round of their scheduled 8 round bout. Brazilian lightweight Robson Conceicao (1-0) decisional former US Marine Clay Burns (4-3-2) in a rough & tumble 6 round battle. Conceicao won Olympic Gold in 2016 representing Brazil. It was a good night for boxing and I was glad to be present to witness history in the making. I was a bit taken back my the number of ?alleged reporters? who showed partiality by cheering on fighters they supported. They shamed the profession and embarrassed themselves. Sorry, I feel compelled to blow the whistle on pretenders. Farewell Fight: Legendary Philadelphia fighter Bernard Hopkins (55-7-2-32 knockouts) will fight his ?Final 1?against Joe Smith Jr (22-1-18 knockouts) at the famous Forum in California on December 17 in the 12 round main event. At stake is a possible title; but, what specific belt is at stake is yet to be determined. Golden Boy Promotions will produce and promote the show and it will air on HBO. Box-Rec list Joe Diaz vs. Horacio Garcia in a 10 rounder as the co-main. Tickets start at $25.00 and are available online and at the Forum box-office in Inglewood California. Hopkins hasn?t fought since he was decisively whipped (UD) by reigning light heavy weight champion Sergey Kovalev in November of 2014. We hope Hopkins, who turns 52 in January isn?t embarrassed. He was a great champion who likes so many athletes, stayed in the game too long. Orlando Salcido was to be the headliner for the Forum show; but, a back injury derailed the boxing superstar who seems to be less than a favorite son with ring judges. Fight of the year? Every year, we remind fight fans and boxing critics that there are 12 months in a year. Already, fans and scribes are handing the fight of the year award to the November 19 battle between Ward & Kovalev. There are a number of significant bouts remaining on the 2016 calendar including what could be a war between former 2 time Olympic Champion Vasyl Lomachenko (7-1-1 and undefeated Jamaican Nicholas Walters (26-0-1) on November 26th at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Arizona Boxing News & Notes might be on hand to witness the action. Ticket prices start at $50.00 and can be secured by calling 1-800-745-3000. A ticket surcharge applies. As we went to press, two holes on the card remains. Super lightweight Ashkat Valikhanov (0-1) and Super Featherweight Joseph Adorno are still waiting for foes. Here is the lineup forwarded by Top Rank: Co-Main-Juan Jose Ruiz (17-0-0-1- 10 knockouts) vs. Egidijus Kavaliauskas (15-0-12 knockouts) 10 rounds-welterweights, Konstantin Ponomarev (30-0-13 knockouts) vs. Silverio Ortiz (35-18-17 knockouts) ? 8 rounds welterweights, Trevor McCumby (23-0-18 knockouts) vs. Donovan George (25-6-2-22 knockouts) 8 rounds-light heavyweight, Efrain Cruz (4-2-1-1 knockouts) vs. Maxim Dadasshev (4-0-4 knockouts) 6 rounds super lightweights. Ring Talk: Super Bantamweight Paul ?Ziggy? Romero (7-0-1) will challenge TBA opponent for the vacant WBU Super Bantamweight Title in February at Phoenix?s Celebrity Theatre. There may be three title fights on the same card. Carlos Castro and Francisco De Vaca are rumored to vie for championship hardware, also. ?..Manny Pacquiao?s WBO Welterweight title belt that he won from Jessie Vargas in Vegas cost $46,000. The WBU belt will cost considerably but any title belt wears well n the resume of an upcoming fighter?.Arizona Olympic hopeful Fernando Martinez (Mendoza Boxing) is headed to Russia for international sparring and training ?..Gilbert Arizona heavyweight Malcolm Tann (24-4-13 knockouts) returned to ring actin after a 9 year absence with a TKO victory over Nick Asberry (9-1) at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond Indiana on October 8, congratulations? Super middleweight Albert Alvarez (Sells, Arizona) hopes to fight in December at a venue and time to be determined. The 22 year old Native American is an outstanding role model for kids to follow. ?? Popular fighter Adrian Servin (2-0) may travel to Mexico to fight in December and the ambitious flyweight is expected to be on the under card of the next Iron Boy Card (#37) in February 2017? In the meantime Servin is sparring with Edgar Ortiz and others. .. Lightweight Ray Beltran (31-7-1) is tentatively scheduled to go toe to toe with Juan Diaz ((42-4) in Omaha Nebraska on the WBO Title card (Crawford vs. Molina Jr) December 10; to be broadcast by HBO??..A spokesperson for VFW Post 6310 in Tolleson, Arizona reported that officially the ?Ring for Heroes? show promoted and produced by the City of Tolleson and Iron Boy Promotions raised nearly $9,000.00. Our earlier report estimated the fundraiser brought in 5-6K. We are glad to upgrade the total and thank everyone involved in supporting the fundraiser?..Iron Boy EO Roberto Vargas was at the Pacquiao fight and he placed a small wager on Vargas, how did that turn out?...Arizona Amateur standout Christopher Gonzalez was also in attendance, compliments of his coach Brad Carlton-nice touch! While we are on the subject of veterans, a special salute to all of the restaurants who laid out a free meal for our military heroes on 11/11. Patriotic eateries such as Twin Peaks, Applebees, Chili?s, Sizzler, Denny?s, Black Angus, Golden Corral and many more across the nation participated. Hopefully, the tradition will continue; yes, I had a free meal or two! Editor?s Note: A computer meltdown (Power Supply) led to delay in column release. Also, after the stay in a Montreal Hostel, I was forced to undergo a series of back treatments. It is our editorial policy to report such delays and we hope our readers understand the fragile nature of humans and electronic glitches. As a bonus, we would like to recommend the following televised fights: November 19 on HBO PPV-Ward vs. Kovalev, November 26 on HBO-Lomachenko vs. Walters, December 10 on HBO-Golovkin vs. Jacobs, December 10 on SKY PPV-Joshua vs. Molina, December 17 on HBO-Hopkins vs. Smith, 1/28 on Showtime-Frampton vs. Cruz, February 11 on Showtime-Broner vs. Granados, March 4 on Showtime-Garcia vs. Thurman. The next Arizona Boxing Commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday November 18 at 10 AM. Do me a favor and attend, I will be at the my doctor?s office-ouch! Masters Results: Column reader and boxing aficionado Geoff Ronning was gracious enough to forward the names of belt winners at the Master?s Tournament held at Sonny?s Gym in Goodyear Arizona on November 4-5. The same venue presented A Silver Gloves competition and we have a list of the awarded winners; but, some of the names are illegible and unable to decipher. We may have to scour the planet for a decoder to decipher the names of the Silver Gloves Champions. Hopefully, we will be able to resolve the issue and announce the winners in our next column. Mr. Ronning typed the Master?s list and forwarded it to our assignment desk; therefore, he earns a MVP status for his diligence. We hope he doesn?t let it go to his head. He (Ronning) was scheduled to compete in the tournament but one of his potential foes was too flight and the second one took flight. Boxing Promoter Rigoberto Ledezma fought and won on the first day of the tournament; but, a family illness prevented im from competing for a medal on the second day. The Phoenix LBC voted Michael Sandoval as fighter of the Tournament with Jay Corcoran, a close second. Manny Fernandez was awarded the ?Patron Saint of Master Boxers.? Unfortunately he could not attend due to a torn ACL. The honoree was made aware of his accolade via video. By all accounts, the tournament was well attended and well organized, something rare and unusual in boxing circles. Here is the complete list of belt winners: Edward Powell-CA, Aaron Bornstein-AZ, Mario Valenzuela ?CA, Heather Bachman-Kansas, Coleman McKinney-Florida, Paul Demoranville-AZ, Simon Doering-NM, David Sheehan-CA, Bradley Carlton-AZ, Thomas Stewart-PA, Pollyanna Hardwick-Brown-Canada, Laura Maxwell-TX, Jeff Dykstra-AZ, Jason Harris-Kansas, Jimmy Moore-WA, Rob Allison-CA and Michael Sandoval-AZ. Congratulations to USA Boxing Arizona and Sonny Gutierrez (Sonny?s Boxing) for presenting the tournament. Ditto congrats to Mike Sanchez for his recent work with the Silver Gloves Tournament and amateur boxing. More Amateur Notes: Madison Boxing will host a smoker at Greenfield Elementary School, 7009 south 10th Street in Phoenix, start time is 2 PM and 15-20 bouts are expected on tap for December 10??at least 4 area boxers are expected to turn professional in 2017. More Talk: Andrew ?Hurricane? Hernandez told our bureau chief that he hopes to tip the scales at 154 lbs. in the future instead of weighing at 168 as he did in his last bout... Andrew turns 31 in December, happy birthday, many more and good luck with your next fight in Mexico. ??.Promising undefeated Arizona welterweight Luis Olivares (12-0) has vowed, according to a spokesperson, never to fight again in Arizona. The 24 year old Glendale resident is fed up with what Team Olivares is calling boxing malarkey. I applaud his principled stand; but, will the sacrifice lead to lifelong regrets. Let us hope the issue is resolved. I asked newly appointed Arizona Boxing Commission Executive Director Juan Estrada what he was going to do about ongoing complaints and unresolved issues within the sport of boxing and he told me, all matters we discussed are under review. Hopefully the ?weak? Arizona Gaming Department and Arizona Legislators will realize that boxers, promoters and scribes are Leary of the Commission?s sincerity and ability to alleviate problems saddling the sport. A number of local boxers are quitting while other fighters have soured on Arizona?s ?dismissive ?treatment of registered professional boxers. The latest pugilist to leave the sport is Daniel Garcia who leaves the game after complaining about inactivity created by an antiquated system that is less than productive. Garcia was given his release by agent Cameron Dunkin and Iron Boy Promotions at the fighter?s request. Garcia?s detractors say the young fighter wasn?t always ready to fight and lacked maturity??.lightweight hopeful Trevor McCumby fights veteran Donovan George in Vegas on 11/26 at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and it is a very important fight for both fighters. ? We have been told that President Elect Donald J. Trump has talked to boxing promoter Don King about putting on a boxing show at the White House?.. Danny ??Swift? Garcia scored a 7th round TKO of Colombian Samuel Vargas in Philly on 11/12 to set up his much anticipated March 4 bout with Keith ?One Time? Thurman on regular ShowTime?.. Until Next Time! Click here to view a list of other articles written by Don Smith.  |
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