Last Week Was Gangbusters, Can This Week Top It?

If last week was gangbusters, then what do you call this week?

A crazy week of boxing began on a Monday when a press conference for the Alfredo “Perro” Angulo, Joel Julio, Tomasz Adamek and Chris Arreola fight card commenced at San Manuel Casino which stands about 50 yards from the San Andreas Fault. (This is true.)

From then came ventures to various gyms around the Southern California landscape to check on the numerous fighters that are scheduled to fight soon. Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather and their team also held telephone conference calls.

Club Nokia was the scene of the first fight card of last week that would begin a three-day fight card rollercoaster in Southern Cal. Various journalists and I met at the ESPN Zone including Liz Quevedo Parr, Kaliesha West and Katherine Rodriguez who represent a boxing web site magazine.

Inside the restaurant we all had dinner and then met with Tattoo the famous co-host of Power 106 radio station. It’s the number one Hip Hop station and the number one station period in the United States.

Tattoo had once said on the radio program that no female boxer could whip his butt and Kaliesha West called up the station to challenge him. Big Boy and Tattoo whipped it around but the lawyers decided that it was not feasible because of possible litigation. The challenge simply died out.

The colorful radio co-host was explaining to us the dynamics of fighting a 300-pound man and how he would crush a girl’s skull if he hit a woman. Then he proceeded to show us his street fighting style that caused a near riot in the sports bar and grill. About six security guards showed up with a scared look in their eyes as Tattoo explained to them that he’s just showing us something.

No dice.

The security guys began to surround us as if expecting a gang war. Let me add that most of the group were women, but the security guards were not listening to Tattoo’s explanation.

I couldn’t stop laughing.

“They always think I’m some crazy cholo just cause I’m Mexican,” said Tattoo adding that he was a radio celebrity to cool out the security guards.

We all were laughing at Tattoo’s antics but he played it smooth and soon we left the premises to go to the fight. Tattoo serves as the host and emcee for the fight cards at Club Nokia. He loves boxing.

All seven of us walked toward Club Nokia to watch the Golden Boy Promotions fight card. That venue is probably the best place to see boxing because it intimate and seats about 2,000. Enrique Ornelas and Julian Fogle are the main event.

The fight card proceeded as normal with a hitch here and there. On one fight that was scheduled to go six rounds, it was quickly ended after four rounds because somebody didn’t check the contract.

No problem. I think.

Toward the end of the program Tattoo introduced Kaliesha West to the crowd. West recently fought for the bantamweight world title in Denmark and was forced to take a majority draw against Anita Christensen after 10 rounds. The fight can be seen on www.Kaystar.net.

After Tattoo’s introduction West signed multiple autographs.

Friday

Another fight card held by Thompson Boxing Promotions took place at the Doubletree Hotel and featured Mauricio “Maestro” Herrera and Efren Hinojosa in a junior welterweight bout.

If Thompson Boxing sounds familiar it’s because they’re a company that has world champions Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley and Yonnhy Perez on their roster. They also have other very good young fighters like Patrick Lopez, Josesito Lopez, Dominic Salcido, Abraham Lopez, and recently signed Julio Diaz. They make things happen in the Inland area.

The fights were not up to the usual standard but not due to the matchmaking. It was just a bad night as several fighters decided to simply survived instead of fight to win. The night ended on a rather mediocre night for a Thompson Boxing show.

Sat.

Two very good fights that were televised on HBO took place at the rather new Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario. It’s about a mile from the Doubletree Hotel where the previous fight card took place. The arena holds about 10,000. On this night about 6,200 fans showed up with their lungs ready to scream and they sure did.

Most of the journalists from California and Nevada showed up for this Goossen-Tutor event. The reason is simple: both main events featured fighters who like to bang and both didn’t disappoint.

Angulo’s fight with Julio was kind of a surprise. Julio boxed magnificently and showed extraordinary courage fighting a wrecking machine like Angulo.

Both guys hit each other with huge blows that echoed throughout the arena. Julio, who was trained by Ronnie Shields, stayed on his plan to box and move. It was the same plan used by Kermit Cintron to win a decision over Angulo last year. The problem this time was Angulo was not sick like last time. He was able to chase down Julio and catch him after the combinations were fired. A perfectly timed right hand ended the night for Julio and gave Angulo the biggest win of his career.

Next up was Adamek and Arreola.

These guys are heavyweights and fought like the junior middleweights who preceded them. Sure Adamek boxed and moved but like he said at the post fight press conference: “do you want me to die?”

It was a terrific showing for Adamek who took some big blows and kept to his plan to fire combos and get out. Arreola countered with a stiff jab that nearly dropped Adamek twice during the fight. Around the ninth round the Mexican-American heavyweight began to tire and the jab became nonexistent.

Poland’s Adamek weathered the bad rounds and kept up his pace and won a majority decision. The several hundred Polish fans rejoiced.

After the fights and press conference about a dozen writers and photographers met at Applebee’s restaurant to eat. We couldn’t stop talking about the Goossen-Tutor fight card. It was strange because the consensus was the winners looked great and even the losers did great. Nobody gave up or slipped into survival mode. The women at our tables were the biggest advocates of the two main events.

“That was the prettiest right hand I’ve ever seen,” said Parr a former boxer who admired Angulos right cross. “It was perfect.”

Can anything top it?

All of the usual suspects will be rounded up this weekend in Las Vegas. Can Sugar Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather continue to hot streak on Saturday?

First, on Friday, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero returns to the ring to face Roberto Arrieta in a lightweight showdown. Also on the card is newly signed prospect Frankie Gomez of East L.A. and several others. The Solo Boxeo Tecate fight card will be held at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino and shown on Telefutura.