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Arizona Boxing News & Notes With Don Smith: Donaire on TFC, Q & A with McCumby & More By Don Smith PhilBoxing.com Sun, 13 Apr 2014  Trevor McCumby. Boxing Fans, Former world Champion Nonito Donaire appeared on the ?Bottom Line with Boy Abunda? talk show which aired April 5 on The Filipino Channel (Direct TV Channel- 2060). Donaire proved to be a very good guest and wasn?t hesitant to talk about any aspect of his life. Nothing was off limits. Sex before a fight, bout with depression, being bullied, early tension with his father, Rigondeaux defeat and what his family means to him. I recommend you contact TFC for info on re-broadcast time. Donaire challenges WBA Super Featherweight Champion Simpiwe Vetyeka (Cotai Arena)in Macao S.A. China on May 31. Fight fans, short on airfare to China, can catch it on HBO 2 at no extra charge for HBO 2 subscribers. Should be a good fight. Donaire is currently training in Manila and upon request, fight promoter Top Rank Inc. has agreed to forward questions fashioned by this columnist and there were no restrictions or guideline on submitted questions. Top Rank has always been fair with me and I appreciate their spirit of cooperation. I expect the interview to be carried in my next column. Bob Arum and his Top Rank lieutenants should take a bow for cultivating the boxing market in China. In my opinion, smart move despite early complaints about the venue. Climbing the Ranks: 21 year old light heavyweight Trevor McCumby is ranked somewhere In the top 100 in his division depending on what listing you read and who you listen to. One of his handlers insisted the hard punching boxer from Yorkville Illinois (50 miles West of Chicago) is ranked 18th in the United States in 81st in the world. He may be, but I did see him listed in the top 100 in several boxing publications. According to his bio, Trevor took up boxing at age 7 and won a slew of state and national titles before moving to Glendale, Arizona at age 14 where he finished high school. He was smart enough to go to college, but decided to put off cap & gown ritual until he took care of his boxing itch. The lad was a boxing scouts dream and a promoters yearning: strong, teachable and white. When he reached 18 the offers began to come. The young pugilist signed on with boxing guru Cameron Dunkin who has guided him to an impressive 14-0 record that includes 11 knockouts. Dunkin thinks he has a future champion in the making according to his published remarks. We have spoken on several occasions and Trevor was always polite and excused himself when he had to leave. I suspect his parents and modest Midwest upbringing taught him to abide by the golden rule. His mom is his rock and she lives with him while dad is sorting things out in Florida. Sometime last month I bumped into him at the Central United Gym in Phoenix where he was scheduled to spar and mentioned the possibility of doing a Q & A with him and he said sure. Trevor has told me on a couple of occasions that he liked my work. With his permission I emailed him questions and here is our bare bones ?Unplugged? interview. Trevor is trained by Alan & Wayne Viers at Busted Knuckle Gym in Phoenix and 2013 trainer of the year Robert Garcia. ABNN: You now live in Glendale, Arizona after moving from Yorkville, Illinois which is 50 miles West of Chicago. Other than Ken Norton, can you name another world boxing champion born in your home state? TM: To be honest, I don?t know too many others; (maybe due to my young age) Ken Norton visited my pull barn gym in Yorkville, Il, when I was about 9 or 10. That made my day. ABNN: How many friends do you have and what is your response to requests for complimentary tickets? TM: I have many friends. A few from the ?Windy City?, a few from Michigan, a few from Las Vegas and a lot in Phoenix. I moved a lot as a kid but primarily was brought up in Chicago and moved when I was about 14 to Glendale, Arizona. I get asked daily about tickets, my next fight, etc., I love the sport. I tell people that I only get a few complimentary tickets and they go to my family. A lot of my friends can?t afford the drive or fly out to my fight anyway! (ha-ha). ABNN: Can you talk about your relationship with TKO, Golden Boy and Top Rank? Are changes evitable? TM: A lot of my early stages were just finding the right promoter. I?m sure most fans are aware of the TKO situation. Golden Boy was decent for my first 4 fights, however I wasn?t given the amount of fights that I wanted and it just didn?t work out. No hard feelings at all, it just didn?t pan out and I wish them the best. I was without a promoter for a while. I had a few fights without being signed. Once on a card in Virginia there were problems. Somehow I prevailed that test and was given the opportunity to fight on a Top Rank card and proved myself. Top Rank is the best promotional company in the business and they treat their fighters great. I?m grateful to be with Top Rank and a great team. ABNN: Some kids have a soccer mom; your mother is a boxing mom. Does she hold her own in a sport dominated by men? What is her role? TM: She loves being involved and she has a bit of fire to her (ha, ha). She doesn?t have a problem telling me or anyone else what?s on her mind. She is my co-manager and helps out. She always makes sure I have te right food in the house and she keeps me on task. She does her best. My father, whom I love very much, isn?t involved anymore, so my mom kind of took his role. It is what it is. In life, you roll with the punches. ABNN: You?re only 21 and on the road a lot. How do you relax and have fun? TM: I love being at home base. My friends are very intelligent, motivated and goal oriented individuals, so I am not surrounded by people who hinder me. I love to shoot my guns, go camping, go out to dinner and eat Sushi. I love watching movies. One of my favorite films is Pulp Fiction, although I have many. ABNN: You?re fighting at light heavy; yet you have hinted at dropping to super middleweight and some insiders think you might be best suited at 164 lbs.?your thoughts? TM: My Phoenix trainer Alan Viers and I have discussed the issue. I want to make the 168 lb. weight. As of now, I believe I am still not in my prime , and wit that I still have growing to do. I don?t want to hinder myself too much. The lowest I ever weighed for a professional weight is 172 and I felt good, wasn?t really dehydrated. So, I believed 168 lbs. is plausible. ABNN: What is the best piece of advice ever given to you about boxing and who gave it to you? TM: Advice and things that my father taught me throughout the years. I continue talking to my dad here and there. He knows what he is talking about and I store the advice he gives to me. Other people, throughout the years, have given me good advice and I store those words of wisdom in my knowledge bank. ABNN: One of your most ardent supporters wants to know why you aren?t fighting 8 round bouts at this point in your career. How much input do you have in your career decision making process? TM: I?m 21 years old, most of the guys I?m fighting are in their mid 20?s, if not older. This sport, along with many others, is a marathon not a sprint. Especially considering I?m in a big man?s division (light heavy or super middleweight). I have trust in my team and strategy. I just stay in the gym and try to learn the most I can. ABNN: You?re fighting in California on April 26. Do you have more details? TM: Not much more than you are aware of. It is an 8 round fight, so that will clear up the previous question. ABNN: According to a learned scholar, every life is thought of as a journey, what do you expect from your journey? TM: I want to be a world champion. After that, the sky is the limit. I have a lot to offer the world, whether it be boxing or Physical Therapist. (hint, hint) ABNN: Thank you for your time and good luck! TM: Thank you Don! Your interviews keep me interested and aren?t the norm. Good stuff! New Opponent: Lightweight contender Raymundo Beltran was scheduled to fight Ramon ?Rocky? Martinez in the co-main on the 4/12 Bradley/Pacquiao card but the Puerto Rican boxer took ill and was replaced by Arash Usmanee (20-1-1). The new pairing caused a media controversy because Usmanee is a super featherweight and scribes are wondering why Top Rank couldn?t find a quality lightweight to combat Beltran (28-6). Blame whomever, finding a quality last minute replacement is always difficult and Beltran needed work so an agreement was made. Usmanee isn?t a Zombie, Tomato or stiff, so let?s see what happens. Best we can hope for is a good fight. Beltran?s family is watching the fight at Twin Peaks Restaurant on Camelback Road in Phoenix. There is a $10.00 cover charge with amenities. Lightweight Champ Terence Crawford is expected to attend the fight in Vegas. He won?t have to pay a cover charge. Media Workout: WBA Welterweight Champion Marcos ?El Chino? Maidana will hold a media workout on Tuesday, April 15at 1 p.m. the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard, California. Special guests at the event include Interim WBA Featherweight Champion and 2013 Trainer of the year and former boxing champion Robert Garcia. Maidana will fight WBC Welterweight Champion Floyd ?Money? Mayweather at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in in Las Vegas on Saturday May 3. The ?Moment? as it is billed will air on Showtime PPV. A friend of mine suggested the event should be retitled ?A monumental Moment for Floyd Mayweather?. Local trainer Andrew Mendes thinks Maidana has better than a ?decent? chance to upset Mayweather and knock him from the ranks of the undefeated. Sounds like a tall order. Boxing Noise: Arizona lightweight Victor Castro?s fight at Sam?s Town in Vegas with Rashad Ganaway was shelved after Ganaway failed a drug test. Castro has found a volunteer challenger in Jose Marrufo who, with the aid of loud friends, has been calling out Castro over the internet; no word from Castro Camp. Marrufo will fight on the Iron Boy 12 Show at the Celebrity Theatre. Match Maker Mike Sanchez confirmed it won?t be against Castro. Nice try, Jose. Iron Boy 12: New Mexico?s Arturo Crespin (11-4) and Phoenix favorite Joey ?The Boxer? Ruelas (7-0-1) square off in the Iron Boy 12 Main Event bout at the Celebrity Theater on April 26. Both men are expected to fight at 160. Less than a year ago, Ruelas was struggling to make 175. Also on the card, Rollin Williams returns to the ring after an absence of almost 20 years. His opponent is scrappy super middleweight Sijuola Shabazz trains out of Pro Edge Boxing in Phoenix after moving from New Mexico. Shabazz record is 3-1 and veteran Williams brings a 23-16-2 record to the bout. Crowd favorite Francisco C. De Vaca highlights the under card. The rest of the card is still under construction. Check the Iron Boy website. Iron Boy will also present boxing at the Arizona Events Center in Mesa on May 10. Details for the event are still being ironed out. J.O. Regionals: USA Boxing Arizona President Jacob Magallanez has released the names of the Junior Olympic qualifiers (15-16 year olds) from Arizona who will be headed to Los Lunas , New Mexico to compete in the J.O Regional Championships, May 10-11. Team members include: 110 lbs. Angelica Enriquez-AZTECA Boxing in Phoenix, 106 lbs. Evelyn Anaya-Broadway Boxing in Mesa, 119 lbs. Rachel Etcitty-Damon?s Boxing in Chinle, 101 lbs. Alexis Solaris-AZTECA Boxing in Phoenix, 106 lbs. Fernando Martinez- Fuentes Boxing in Phoenix, 110 lb. Ariel Lopez-Red Nation Warriors in Tucson, 114 lbs. Carlos Velazquez- South Mountain n Boxing in Phoenix, 119 lbs. David Wright-Tucson Southwest Boxing, 125 lbs. James Browning-Guadalupe Boxing, 132 lbs. Alfredo Escarcega-Phoenix Boxing Academy, 138 lbs. Eric Lopez-Ramos Boxing in Casa Grande, 145 lbs. Jamon Lewis ?Top Level in Phoenix, 154 lbs. Isiah Christy ?Grimes, 176 lbs. Joshua Bahe-Damon?s Boxing in Chinle, 176 lbs. Ray Torrez-Jake?s PAL in Prescott. Team head coach is Sonny Gutierrez and Jose Lopez, Region 9 Coordinator will also travel with the Team. Short Take: Nevada Athletic Commission Chairman Francisco Aguilar has interviewed the final four candidates to replace Keith Kizer who resigned in January as Executive Director of the NAC. Mr. Aguilar told me the field was down to five before Mark Smith withdrew his name for personal reasons. New Executive Director will be named on Saturday, April 12. Extra Stuff: Phoenix Boxer Mario Esparza was allegedly talking contract with valley boxing figure Sonny Gutierrez , but signed with Busted Knuckle.?.Casa Grande Arizona fighter Abel Ramos is on the May 10 Arreola/Stiverne card. His nephew Jesus Ramos Jr. is starting to make noise as an amateur?..Leon Spinks 111 left Vegas with a little egg on his face after losing to Tucson Arizona boxer Wilbert Lopez who entered their contest as a huge underdog. Spink?s record is now 6-1 and Lopez moves above 500 at 3-2. Spinks may ponder entering another career. No disrespect to Lopez ?.Until Next Time ! Click here to view a list of other articles written by Don Smith.  |
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