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Arizona Boxing News & Notes With Don Smith: Iron Boy 34, H.O.F. Induction Dinner & More By Don Smith PhilBoxing.com Thu, 21 Jul 2016 Boxing fans, Iron Boy 34, held at the Celebrity Theatre on Saturday July 16, featured 8 bouts and six were determined by knockouts while 2 tiffs went the distance. It should be noted that the original main event and co-main were scrapped due to an injury to Canadian Welterweight Janks Trotter and the inability to find a suitable opponent for Carlos Castro, a popular local fight who was signed on to be one half of the co-main event. Despite last minute major changes to the card, the attendance was strong and credit for the enthusiastic turnout belongs to the fighters who set aside time from their training to sell tickets. At least two pugilists (reportedly) sold more than $4,000.00 in tickets, a very impressive feat. Best performance on the card was turned in by super bantamweight Daron ?Sweet Tay? Williams, a Suitland Maryland native who plans to move his personal speed bag to Phoenix in the near future. As to the origin of his nickname, Daron?s middle name is Lonta which evolved into ?Sweet Tay. Sweet is a good adjective in describing the boxer/puncher that glides and slides across the ring, effortlessly and his grace and speed reminds veteran scribes of boxing greats Pernell Whitaker and Mildred Taylor. He isn?t there yet, but the 19 year old (celebrates birthday 20 in August) has a lot of potential. Williams (4-0) schooled Luis Guerrero (0-6) in their bout that was stopped in the final stanza by referee Chris Flores. ?Sweet Tay? is expected to fight on the Iron Boy 35 September 3rd card at the Celebrity Theatre along with Francisco C. De Vaca (title fight) and promising prospect Ryan Riddell. All the Celebrity Theatre bouts were 4 round matches except the 8 round main event between Chicago?s Adrian Granados (18-4-2) and Nicaragua?s Ariel Vasquez (12-15-2). Granados, a highly regarded super lightweight, had a troubling time with a journeyman that led with his head and showed a few elementary wrestling moves; it wasn?t pretty; but the Chicago fighter bested his Latin opponent with a UD victory. MMA instructor Sean O?Malley (Hammer Boxing) made his boxing debut a successful journey as he knocked down David Courtney (1-3) 3 times in the first round to end the contest at 2:59 of the first stanza after an alert command from referee Wes Melton. O?Malley was entertaining and picked up a few fans with his performance. Another star on the card was Ryan Riddell (2-0) who fought at 122 lbs. instead of his usual 118 lbs. Riddell last fought in April 0f 2015 and the question of ring rust was quickly answered as Riddell pelted Ray Lopez (0-3) with hard sots at will. Riddell?s speed, power and confidence was impressive and the 20 year old literally knocked Lopez and out of the ring and referee Chris Flores moved quickly to stop the bout early in the second round before the fighter from New Mexico became seriously injured. Devon Lee looked and sounded like a winning fighter at the weigh-in; but, his performance against winless Jason Thompson (0-8) was painful to watch. To his credit his ensemble was color coordinated; but his form was very raw. Lee (1-0) won by a TKO over an opponent who should rethink his future in boxing. Luis Espinoza upped his record to 4-0 with a steady performance over veteran Leonardo Reyes from Mexico whose record dropped to 3-10. In a bout cheered on by fans, Ivan De La Madrid (2-0) went toe to toe with Erik Lopez (0-2) for four rounds to gain a unanimous decision, At the end, fans stood up and cheered both fighters. Their back and forth earned them fight of the night honors. Edgar Ortiz was too big and strong for Jonathan Ramos (0-2) who tipped the scales at 105.8 while Ortiz (1-1) tipped the scales at 113lbs and apparently bulked up a bit after hydrating while Ortiz kept pulling up his trunks during the contest. Ortiz was declared a winner by TKO over a game but overmatched foe. Back From Russia: Arizona boxing referee/judge Chris Flores is back from Yekaterinburg, Russia after serving as a ringside judge for the Kovalev /Chilemba title fight on Monday July 11. He left Phoenix on Friday morning and arrived in Russia, Saturday evening 26 hours later. I knew he was taking the trip; so, I thought copying a number of winning Russian phrases and giving them to him to experiment with in Russia would be a social boost and then I realized the Phoenix barrister is married with two kids. Phrases like ?I love you? or ?you?re so heavenly? would only get him in trouble, besides I was told the ring girls in Russia paled in comparison to the women in the audience. All kidding aside, Chris was gracious enough to email our column a brief summary of his trip that we can share with our readers: ?I woke up early on Sunday morning and decided to take a jog around the river next to my hotel. I was the only person exercising and enjoying the perfect weather, 65-75 degrees. The weigh-in was held on Sunday afternoon in the same area near the river. Kovalev (Russian) is very popular there and a few hundred fans showed up for the event. We (officials) returned to the hotel for the official rules meeting with the teams of Kovalev and Chilemba. Later that evening, we (officials) were taken out to an enjoyable night of dinner and entertainment. As to your question, I didn?t learn any Russian at all. You also asked if Russia has its? own boxing commission and the answer is yes. The supervisors of the IBF, WBO and WBA worked the fight along with the Russian Commission. The event center where the fight was held wasn?t very big but it was full. I was informed that the event was sponsored by the owner of a local copper company. There was some kind of metal industry convention going on in the city and the city runs along the Ural Mountains which I understand is rich in precious metals. At the event, it was obvious the production was sponsored by the metals industry. As for the fight, the Russians love Kovalev and they were vocal and supportive. However, they were also very respectful to Chilemba and his team. Chilemba actually received applause when he entered the ring. When Kovalev was declared the victor the crowd was respectful and Chilemba was gracious in defeat. It was a very pleasant experience. ** Mr. Flores account was edited for space considerations; but, the essence of his text wasn?t altered in our opinion. Nevada Boxing H.O.F The 4th Annual Nevada Boxing H.O.F. Dinner will be held on Saturday July 30 at Caesar?s Palace in Las Vegas, commencing at 5:30 P.M. The 2016 inductees include boxers: Riddick Bowe, Ray Mancini, Christy Martin, Pernell Whitaker, Ricardo Lopez and Freddie Little. Tickets for the Gala are available at www.nvbhof.com and prices range from $75.-$175.- $300.00. In addition, a day long autograph session with champions, inductees and other boxing figures will take place at Caesars. The Nevada Boxing Hall Of Fame is an IRS 501-c-3 non-profit, charitable which donates to boxing-related causes. Our condolence: We are saddened to hear about the tragic death of 17 year old Cecelia Montes, who died at a reported 2:58 AM on July 10th as a result of a rollover vehicle accident that occurred on I-10 near the I-17 junction in Phoenix, Arizona. Cecelia and four friends were on their way home from a party in a van driven by a friend and former co-worker of Cecelia?s when the tragedy occurred. Investigation into the accident continues and according to a family spokesperson, a ?driving under the influence? charge is expected to be filed against the driver of the vehicle by the state of Arizona. Cecelia worked out at Central Boxing Gym in 2015-2016 and boxing coach Tom Garcia remembers her as a model kid who will be missed by the community. It was his call to our assignment desk and her interest in boxing that motivated us to investigate the accident and inform readers on how they could help her family as they grieve and prepare for the interment service on Friday (7/22) at St. Francis Cemetery in Phoenix. The family has scheduled a funeral visitation (viewing) for Cecelia at Victory Outreach (4645 W. McDowell Road in Phoenix) on Thursday, July 21 between the hours of 6-9 p.m. Immaculate Heart Church, 909 E. Washington Street in Phoenix, will host a memorial & Rosary service beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday. Readers wishing to help the family with their financial burden can go to their PC and click on: https://www.gofundme.com/2drkdccs#ceceliamontes or go to any Wells Fargo Bank and contribute to the Cecelia Montes Memorial fund: Account # 8573656405. The goal is to raise $10,000.00. Pep Boys, 24th Street & McDowell Road in Phoenix, donated space for a car wash on Saturday, 7/16. It was there I talked to family members who described Cecelia as a young woman with dreams. Her application to enter cosmetology school was accepted and she planned to follow that career path after securing a high school diploma. Cecelia, according to a few of her friends, had turned a corner in her life and was ready to sprint toward a successful life. At least 50-60 volunteers were present at the Pep Boys carwash fundraiser, a testament to her obvious popularity; help if you can! Master?s Tournament 11/4-5: Sonny?s Boxing Gym, in Goodyear Arizona, will host an International 2 day Masters Boxing Tournament on Friday & Saturday November 4-5 and according to host and promoter Sonny Gutierrez the event is drawing interest from master age boxers (aged 35-75) from various regions of the world including Canada and Australia. All boxers winning their division will be given a championship belt and international titles when applicable. Entrance fee for fighters is $100.00 and the cost for fans is yet to be determined. Sonny?s Gym is located at 108 E. Western Avenue, Goodyear Arizona 85338. Entertainment, food and meet and greet sessions with local professional pugilists. For more information, call 623-806-2421 or focus on Sonny?s website which is still under construction. All contestants must be amateurs, abide by USA Boxing rules and have medical clearance; early registration is suggested. The venue has a reported capacity of 800 and the event is expected to sell out; with the help of volunteer Geoff Ronning and other friends of boxing. Jordan No Show: boxer Cliff Jordan (2-1) decided to remove himself from the Iron Boy 34 card at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix on July 16-just hours before the fight (AM hours on fight day) due to a contract dispute. It was a matter of money and Jordan, a family man, independently made the decision to walk away from an altered payday offer that included fight tickets and a small amount of cash. Jordan turned down the offer and didn?t attend the event as a participant or spectator. What the decision does to his career is unknown. ABNN sent an email to Iron Boy Promotions and the Arizona Boxing/MMA Commission asking if Jordan would receive a suspension for his no show decision and the answer from the commission is yes. Another fighter was offered a similar deal and decided to remain on the card, boxing is a tough business-too tough for the thin skinned. More News: WBC World Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder (37-0-36 knockouts) broke his right hand, tore a bicep muscle and still had enough juice to pummel hapless Chris Arreola (36-5-1-31 knockouts) in retaining his title with an 8 round TKO victory in Wilder?s hometown of Birmingham Alabama on Saturday, July 16. In the end, Areola?s face looked as if it had been chewed on by a very hungry and ornery pit-bull?. David Benavidez (15-0-14 knockouts) and Denis Douglin (20-4-13 knockouts) collide in Philadelphia at the 2300 Arena on Friday, August 5 and viewers can watch the PBC promoted bout on ESPN?.Arizona State Senator Catherine Miranda was introduced by Iron Boy announcer Sonny Franco as a friend of boxing and it is obvious that Iron Boy is supporting Miranda in her re-election bid. The Democratic Party incumbent is facing Democratic challenger Maritza Miranda Saenz in a tough primary race that will be decided in August. Maritza is Catherine?s stepdaughter and former boxing promoter (Bout Maker Boxing Promotions); may the best woman win?..WBA ranked #2 welterweight Jose Benavidez Jr. (24-0-16 knockouts) takes on Francisco Santana (24-4-1) at the MGM in Vegas on Saturday July 23 and viewed on HBO PPV as part of the Crawford/Postol card. ?. Checkout amateur smoker at the Greenfield Elementary School ( 7009 South Phoenix-10th Street) on Saturday, July 23 with 1st bout at 2 pm. Boxing coach Fernando Martinez and his coach Juan Mendoza will be honored at the event?.. Fight Hard Promotions August 26 fight at Legends Event in Phoenix will feature Roy Jones fighter Rolando Garza, Joey Ruelas and Abel Ramos. The show is a pro/am event and Alexis Zazueta (9-0) will appear in a special bout and top notch amateurs Ariel Arismendez, Fernando Martinez and Zeus Pinder will head an all-star amateur presence to the show. I saw Ariel at the Celebrity Theatre show weigh-in recently and she looked buffed; Fernando and Ariel are committed to representing America in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Spokesperson for the event told our reporter that Keenan Carbajal will not be on the card as rumored?..Abel Ramos and Edward Ceballos head to Agua Prieta on 7/23 for a fight in Sonora: a show promoted by Fight Hard Promotions. More News: Hammer Boxing, Phoenix, Arizona, took three kids to participate in an Indio California boxing tournament and we will carry the Arizona results in our next column. ?The July 21st Arizona Boxing /MMA Commission meeting was cancelled; August 18 (10 a.m.) is the next scheduled meeting. Roy Jones Promotions is teaming with FHP to produce the August 26 boxing show at the Legends Event Center? ?.social media reports that Arizona boxing figure Ralph Velez Jr. went to Birmingham, Alabama to watch the Arreola/ Wilder fight?..Heavyweight Malcolm Tann (27-4) is working out at a private gym on 33 Street & Van Buren in Phoenix. Malcolm, trained by George Baber, is anxious to return to action and he is ready. I watched him spar with Daniel Acuna (a natural cruiserweight) and Tann looked sharp?..Until Next Time! Click here to view a list of other articles written by Don Smith.  |
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