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Arizona Boxing News & Notes With Don Smith: Legend vs. Champ Event & Fight Talk By Don Smith PhilBoxing.com Fri, 16 Sep 2016  Boxing Fans, On Wednesday, September 7, freelance photographer (Geoff Ronning) and I traveled by car to California to attend the Thursday (9/8) Manny Pacquiao / Jessie Vargas Press Conference at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills California. The official price quote for a night?s stay at the posh BVH was $560.00 per night so we were perfectly content with parking and spending the night at a Holiday Inn in Hollywood, 20 minutes away from a media event that kicked off a campaign to sell the PPV televised WBO Welterweight Championship bout scheduled for November 5 in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center. In case readers are wondering, we slept well at our much cheaper but pleasant accommodations. In a bit of a surprise, Top Rank announced they would present their own PPV broadcast of the event instead of giving HBO the rights & 7?% to handle the task. I asked TR CEO Bob Arum, before the press conference started, if HBO was ticked off at the revelation and he replied ?not at all, why should they be?? He almost barked his response. HBO can?t be overjoyed at losing millions of dollars. The 84 year old boxing executive went on to say his relationship with HBO remains strong, despite the decision to not use HBO for the PPV and he said it with a straight face. The network wanted Top Rank to change the date of their event (11/5) because the company already has a PPV fight scheduled for November 19 (Ward vs. Kovalev). Top Rank declined and Arum went on to invite other promoters to use TR as a PPV provider. Without hesitation, the boss said TR has been making its? own commercials and posters for years, so producing a PPV event would be easily achievable. Arum exudes confidence! The press event commenced at 12:30 pm on Thursday with a brunch that featured Sirloin Beef and Grilled Chicken Burgers. Also, the buffet offered guests a choice of salads and desserts. Finding a vacant seat was a problem; but, a hotel staff member found me a place to sit in the Crystal Ballroom and I graciously thanked him for his successful search. I was joined at the scrumptious brunch by an estimated 250 reporters/photographers and camera personnel. In addition, an estimated 200 guests comprised of Team Pacquiao members, invited friends and relatives also broke bread with us. Some of the civilians (Non-press) were a little rowdy but entertaining. I dared not to say anything bad or suspect about Manny in their presence. Bob Arum took the microphone to start the Press conference. He introduced Manny as Emmanuel and suggested to Vargas that he be nice to the senator from the Philippines. Manny aka the senator seemed distracted during his time on stage. He kept string at his phone as if he was bored or tired of press conferences. He said all the right words; but, he lacked passion in his delivery. Vargas, a resident of Las Vegas, was more relaxed and stated how honored he was to get the opportunity to fight a legend. Both fighters are contractually linked to Top Rank Boxing; but they have never sparred with each other. Once the introductory pleasantries were exchanged, both gentlemen were led to strategic locations for the press to approach them with questions. The problem with the arrangement was because of time restrictions a majority of the press corps wasn?t able to talk to the fighting senator or the WBO Champion in depth. In the absence of direct access to the boxing icon, Arizona Boxing News & Notes requested and was granted permission to email questions to the fighting senator. We expect a response and will inform our readers when the reply arrives. Manny has been described as an interviewee who prefers to answer questions with a simple yes or no response. We hope his answers to our carefully crafted questions will go beyond yes, no and maybe. In our mailed questions, we didn?t ask about his singing career, we were polite. 
Pacquiao and Vargas pose during Sep. 8's presscon announcing their world title fight in Las Vegas on Nov. 5. Photo by Geoff Ronning. Talking to Jessie Vargas was a piece of cake in comparsion to opening a dialogue with Pacquiao. He came early to the event for the purpose of signing gloves for corporate. He couldn?t believe the number of boxing gloves he was asked to sign; but, he sort of sighed and went on with his assigned mission. I stayed with him fresh and candid. Vargas was supposed to fight Kell Brook and the 27 year old Las Vegas resident signed on the dotted line of the contract; but, in retrospect he thinks Brook was using the negation process to use as leverage to fight GGG which he did on September 10. Brook never signed to fight Vargas and the cat and mouse ploy, according to Vargas, worked. Brook eventually signed to fight GGG for much more money. We talked 2-3 days before Brook met GGG; so, I was able to ask him who he favored and he agreed with me that Brook wasn?t strong enough to deal with the middleweight champion. The title bout ended with Brook suffering a broken eye socket at the end of the fourth round and his corner stopped the contest before the fifth round started. Vargas has his crystal ball working because he predicted the battle wouldn?t go beyond six rounds. I reminded him that Manny hasn?t knocked out anyone since he did the trick with Miguel Cotto and was he prepared to go the distance with the legend. He laughed and point blank told me he was going to knock out the Filipino Legend early. I couldn?t find one reporter who saw the same scenario; but team Vargas belies it. Look, he said,? I am 27 and in my prime, Manny will be 38 before the end of the year and there is no way he can keep up with my speed and Stamina.? Dewey Cooper, his trainer nodded in agreement as he stood by. We also discussed boxing commentators. He tends to like boxers who became commentators because they understand the sport more. His favorite is Roy Jones whom he thinks is near the top of the list and he thinks less favorable of Sugar Ray Leonard who he termed as too soft with his commentary. I asked him if he would consider becoming a fight analyst at the end of his career and he said he was flattered that I would even suggest he might have the right stuff to pursue that path. Before we parted company, he reiterated that fighting Pacquiao was a gift and he would take the opportunity to build upon his own legacy. At the end of our conversation, we shook hands and he left the room after signing all of the gloves looking and sounding like a winner. Fight Talk: Former world champion Orlando Salido is working out at Fuentes Gym in preparation for a November 12 fight in Mexico. Fuentes Boxing is located off 16th Street south of Thomas Road. Fuentes Boxing is the training home for Cesar Valenzuela and 2020 Olympic hopeful Moises Rosales works out at the non-air-conditioned facility s does Francisco ?Tigre? Santana; the 140 lb. highly touted pugilist who will turn professional in January, 2017?. NFL Correspondent and Top Rank Reporter Crystina Poncher interviewed Manny Pacquiao at the Legend Vs. The Champ Press Conference and she were spotted talking to free-lance photographer Geoff Ronning as they were waiting for their cars to be retrieved by valet attendants. . ?..Superstar Boxing Manager Cameron Dunkin was at the Beverly Hills event and he told Arizona Boxing News & Notes to expect Light Heavyweight Trevor McCumby to fight in October for a minor title; he didn?t give specifics. This should be good news for McCumby fans who think the young contender has been virtually abandoned by his management team and promoter. Dunkin cautions McCumby fans to be patient, promising good things were starting to happen. I asked Dunkin if he reads my column and he said ?no, I rarely read anything.? One of Dunkin?s clients is Jessie Vargas who defends his WBO welterweight title against Manny Pacquiao on November 5 in Las Vegas. ?Phoenix middleweight Andrew ?Hurricane? Hernandez upped his record to 15-4-1 with a second round knockout (left hook) over David Cullen in Mexico on September 3. The 30 year old Phoenix native fights again in Mexico on 9/30 against a TBD opponent?..Boxing trainer Jose Benavidez sr. was one of an estimated five people injured in a freak elevator accident on Friday 9/9 in Cleveland, Ohio? Jose was returning from a weigh-in with when a downtown Wyndham hotel elevator malfunctioned and plunged unexpectedly; causing slight injuries to members of UFC fighter CB Dollaway?s Team. As a precaution, Dollaway?s bout scheduled for the following night was cancelled. Benavidez is back hme in California where he will be examined after complaining of a sore back and neck. More News: Sorry to hear the Roberto Duran film bio ?Hands of Stone? is struggling at the box-office and now we understand why the release date was delayed. Robert De Niro is getting solid reviews for his role portrayal of Ray Arcel, his longtime boxing coach. The majority of film critics are critical of the cinematic effort and report it drags. I still plan to watch the movie and advise boxing fans to check it out and make their own decision on the quality of the flick?..Congratulations to Canadian super lightweight Steve ?The Dragon? Claggett (24-4-1) who made a believer out of doubters with a split decision win over highly touted Emmanuel Robles (15-1-1) in Las Vegas on 9/9. The Calgary Alberta resident has come a long ways since his early fights in Calgary; much improved! His marked improvement is attributed to a better work ethic and trimming down to 140, an ideal fight weight for him. The win earned him ownership of the vacant WBA-NABA ?USA super lightweight crown. Claggett is managed by 8 Count Media. Cruiserweight B J Flores (32-2-1) is spending time working out at Central Boxing Gym in preparation of a title fight against current WBC World Cruiserweight Champion Tony ?The Bomber? Bellew (27-2-1) in Liverpool, Manchester on October 15. Flores, an Arizona resident, is 36 and this is definitely a crossroads fight for a fighter bounced back and forth from the light heavyweight to heavyweight division and finally he has cast his fate in the cruiserweight division where he has a chance to dethrone the 33 year old champion in his backyard. Bellew, by all logic, should be fighting #1 contender Mairis Briedis (20-0) however, the WBC allowed the Champ to pick his own foe; so he picked Flores who isn?t ranked in the top 15 list of contenders in the division. Special Event: The amateur boxing show on September 18 in Tolleson, Arizona at the two day Tardeada Latina Street Festival is hosted by Sonny?s Gym and not Iron Boy Promotions as reported recently in our usually spot on column. We listed Iron Boy as the official host after receiving a press release from the Tolleson Parks & Recreation Department telling us such. We humbly apologize for an error that we didn?t commit; notice how humble we are. Our mention of the boxing event caught the attention of USA Boxing Arizona President Jacob Magallanez who wanted the record set straight. USA Boxing Arizona sanctioned the boxing event at the request of Sonny Gutierrez, owner and operator of Sonny?s Gym. Iron Boy Promotions is sponsoring the awards and covering the cost for the event. The city of Tolleson is to be commended for inviting amateur boxing to its fair city and Iron Boy Promotions, Sonny?s Gym and USA Boxing Arizona deserves kudos for their roles in making this event happen for the community. Iron Boy President Roberto Vargas told me that his organization was happy to participate and ?give back? to the community for their support of Arizona Boxing. Iron Boy can?t officially host the event because Iron Boy promotes professional boxing and isn?t a member of USA Boxing Arizona which governs the sanctioning of Amateur boxing held in the Grand Canyon State. The Street Fair commences on Saturday September 17th at 1 pm and will feature live musical entertainment by David Lee Garza & Los Musicales, a Tejano music favorite. If you?re wondering about your hunger and thirst, food and beverage vendors will be ready to take your order. We advise folks to arrive early and check out the crafts and special cultural presentations. . For more information call Mike Sanchez (Iron Boy Promotions) at 480-560-8114 or Ruth Espinoza (City of Tolleson Special Events Programmer) at 623-936-2754?..I hope to see you there! If you go, the street festival will take place on Van Buren Street from 91st to 94th Avenue in Tolleson. You may want to call Ruth and ask about parking availability, drivers may encounter a road closure around the festival area beginning on Saturday morning. Tourney Results: Fighters First Boxing held a tournament on Saturday 9/10 in Buckeye, Arizona and we are proud to list 34 first place finishers. We would like to thank USA Boxing Arizona Official Richard Soto for forwarding the names of the outstanding winners to our assignment desk. The names on the bout sheet were handwritten; so, legibility and accuracy is questionable. We apologize for any misspelled name: 1) Jennifer Peralta 127 lbs. (San Luis Pal) (2) Jonathan Padilla 119 lbs. (Indio Boys & Girls) (3) Myron Bridges 120 lbs. (Unattached) (4) Juan Montes 52 lbs. (Central Boxing) (5) Mariah Martinez 65 lbs. (Ko Boxing) (6) Christian Acosta 138 lbs. (Peraza Boxing) (7) Jenny Dala Luz (El Paso TX.) (8) Sebastian Mitry 71 lbs. (F-1 Boxing) (9) Eduardo Monrreal 162 lbs. (Wolves Den TX) (10) Roxana Ortiz 124 lbs. (Heber CA) (11) Cruz Diego 74 lbs. (Unattached) (12) Ronaldo Plata 64 lbs. (El Martillo Boxing) (13) William Sepulveda 126 lbs. (El Paso) (14) Eladio Castillo 73 lbs. (New Mexico) (15 Adam Rodriguez 90 lbs. (Unattached) (16) Brayan Gonzales 60 lbs. (KO Boxing) (17) Daniel Fowler 101 lbs. (Hook City) (18) Matthew Prieto 106 lbs. (New Mexico) (19) Albert Valerio 56 lbs. (El Martillo?s Boxing) (20) Michael Prieto 101 lbs. (New Mexico) (21) Abraham Fowler 45 lbs. (Unattached) (22) Simeon Duckey 90 lbs. (Duckey Boy Boxing) (23) Alejandro Castillo 55 lbs. (New Mexico) (24) Jacob Girardot 101 lbs. (Hammer Boxing) (25( Carlos Rios 159 lbs. (Unattached). (26) Oscar Ponce Deleon 90 lbs. (Fight To Win) (27) Jose Miranda 115 lbs. (Miller?s Boxing) (28) Adam Lopez 119 lbs. (Peraza Boxing) (29) Elijah Garcia 140 lbs. (Hammer Boxing) (30) Annika Soto 101 lbs. (New Mexico) (31) Esau Valerio 70 lbs. (MCSO Boxing) (32) Mario Mundo 135 lbs. (Fight to Win) (33) Steven Dagnino 110 lbs. (Peraza Boxing) and (34) Jose Montiel 90 lbs. (Hammer Boxing). Wrap-up: The annual Copper Gloves Tournament is set for October 19-20 and it is a great opportunity for families to take advantage of combing watching boxing and enjoying the extra benefits of the Arizona State Fair; food, rides and special concerts. On the first night of boxing at the fair, C&W Artist Scotty McCreery performs in the Coliseum on the Arizona State Fairgrounds followed by ?Cash- Cash? the following night at the same venue. A complete list of concerts, discounts is available on the Arizona State Fair website. The fairgrounds are located at 19th Avenue and McDowell Road. In Phoenix and we encourage all boxing fans to support the Copper Gloves event and enjoy the amenities of the Arizona State Fair. ?.Until Next Time! Click here to view a list of other articles written by Don Smith.  |
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