Undefeated West Coast Fighter’s Big Test

A slew of West Coast phenoms hit the equestrian center including undefeated Juanito Garcia, John Molina, and Alejandro Perez. Those aren’t the only undefeated fighters on the card.

You could call it a night of zeroes but the Top Rank promoted fight card at the Industry Hills Equestrian Center on Friday won’t have any runaway fights. Every one of them has a good opponent on the afternoon fight card.

Doors open at 3 p.m.

Garcia, an undefeated super featherweight from Phoenix, had his fight elevated to the main event when Vanes Martirosyan was forced to cancel. The Arizona boxer who looks younger than 21, had a rugged fight with Puerto Rico’s Gamalier Rodriguez last January. Now he gets tall southpaw Cornelius Locke out of Detroit.

“I’m just going to fight the way I always fight, with heart,” said Garcia who climbed back into a fight against Rodriguez despite getting stunned early.

It’s no easy touch fighting Lock (16-3-1, 9 KOs).

“I don’t know anything about him,” said Garcia (14-0, 5 KOs). “But it’s exciting fighting in front of television.”

Telefutura will televise a portion of the fight card.

The semi-main event features another super featherweight Perez (11-0-1, 6 KOs) facing Puerto Rico’s battle-tested Omar Adorno. It should be a very close boxing contest.

Adorno (16-9-1, 10 KOs) has faced some of the best prizefighters in the featherweight division including Martin Castillo, Carlos Navarro and Abner Mares who now fights at bantamweight. He’s a featherweight gatekeeper.

“I’ll just do what I always do, fight hard and do my best to win the fight,” said Adorno who replaced Carlos Vacarel.

Another phenom on the loaded fight card is West Covina’s Molina (10-0, 8 KOs), a hard-hitting speed lightweight with brain numbing power. He faces veteran Carlos Madrid (8-4-2) who forced Oxnard’s talented Brandon Rios to go to a decision after six rounds in their lightweight battle last May 2007.

Boxing manager Joe Hernandez has another young fighter he’s ready to introduce named Demetrio Soto. And when Hernandez says he’s got another good one you better listen. In the past he discovered and signed Edwin Valero, Francisco “Panchito” Bojado, Mighty Mike Anchondo and still has Daniel Ponce De Leon.

”He’s the next Antonio Margarito,” says Hernandez.

Soto, who has one win in one pro fight, meets Mike Ramos with a similar record at welterweight.

Speaking of Margarito, the former WBO welterweight titleholder will be making an appearance. He’s scheduled to fight IBF welterweight titleholder Kermit Cintron on April 12 back East.

Other good fighters who will be tested are Paramount’s Charles Huerta, Lincoln Height’s boxer Leo Santa Cruz, the younger brother of Jose Armando Santa Cruz and Oscar “Snoop” Banuelos of El Monte. All are undefeated.

Get there early. The first bout begins at 4:15 p.m. The Industry Equestrian Center is located at 16200 Temple Avenue in City of Industry.

For tickets and information call (626) 252-8237.

Juan Diaz signs with Golden Boy

Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said that Diaz will be fighting Ring Champion Joel Casamayor in Houston sometime in the summer. After that, he may work a bout between the winner of that fight and WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight titleholder Nate “Galaxxy Warrior” Campbell who beat Diaz for those titless.

Campbell attended the lightweight clash between former foe Joel Casamayor of Cuba and Australia’s Michael Katsidis.

“I’m supposed to fight the winner,” said Campbell before the fight.

After Casamayor knocked out Katsidis in a wild and entertaining slugfest, the Cuban fighter said he did not want to fight Campbell a second time though the Floridian holds three of the four major titles.

“We did that already. I beat him,” said Casamayor, who ironically chastised Brazil’s Acelino Freitas for not giving him a rematch eight years ago when he lost for the first time in is career. “I just want the big fights.”

Campbell said that the Cuban fighter’s reluctance proves he’s not a real champion.

“Who else but me says that I’ll fight anyone and then goes out and does it?” asked Campbell. “I’m a real champion.”

And what about Jose Armando Santa Cruz?

It was Santa Cruz who seemingly defeated Casamayor in New York last November but was ruled the loser by two judges. A rematch was promised by Golden Boy Promotions, but it hasn’t materialized. Golden Boy promotes both Casamayor and Santa Cruz.

Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions said on Monday that a match between the winner of Diaz and Casamayor could very well be Campbell.

“That’s a fight that has to be built up for the fans,” Schaefer said on Monday. “Santa Cruz could be fighting the winner of David Diaz and Manny Pacquiao.”

Kaliesha West in Mexico

Moreno Valley’s Kaliesha West (7-0) heads to Ensenada, Mexico to battle bantamweight Mexican fighter Ceniz Meraz (0-1-1) at the Gimnasio Tigre Garcia on Friday March 28.

Also on the card will be Miguel Espino (18-2-1) of the Contender reality TV show. He faces Eliu Duenas (10-7) in a middleweight contest for the WBC Caribbean title. For tickets and information call (818) 612-9296.

Another Morongo fight card

In less than two weeks former junior lightweight world champion Jesus “Matador” Chavez (42-4) meets Puerto Rico’s hard-hitting Daniel “Azuquita” Jimenez (17-2-1) at the Morongo Casino Spa Resort on Friday April 4. Also on the card is another former world champion Jhonny Gonzalez (36-6) against Edel Ruiz (29-19-4) in a featherweight match. For tickets and information (800) 252-4499.