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L.A. Media Day: East L.A.’s Angel Bojado and Ireland’s Jason Quigley
LOS ANGELES-Driving 70 miles through heavy traffic to get to West L.A. is a severe pain. But when a show arrives that features so much young and veteran talent, it’s worth the drive.
Junior welterweight contender Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera was the main attraction for the media day coordinated by Golden Boy Promotions. Other fighters in the West L.A. Boxing gym on Wednesday were Jojo Diaz, Jason Quigley, Nick Arce, Michael Perez, and Angel Bojado.
All will be appearing on a sizzling fight card at the L.A. Sports Arena on July 11. Herrera versus Hank Lundy is the main event. Golden Boy Promotions promises a fiesta atmosphere with ticket prices starting at an amazingly low $10.
East L.A.’s Bojado is the younger brother of Panchito Bojado, and just like his older brother, he can fight. Whether it’s inside or outside, whether a slugfest or scientific matchup, the Bojado brothers can just plain fight. It’s a natural born genetic kind of thing that you can teach, but it takes years to learn.
Bojado tried following in his older brother’s footsteps.
“I wanted to be like Panchito and fight professionally at 17,” said Bojado. “But some things aren’t meant to be.”
Unlike his brother Panchito, who accumulated many amateur boxing matches and was a member of the 2000 Mexican Olympic team, Angel traveled from gym to gym like a boxing gypsy until he found a perfect fit.
“No more talking, just doing,” Bojado said is his creed.
Two months ago Bojado was introduced to a boxing crowd at the Belasco Theater venue. At the time he looked to weigh about 180 pounds. On this Wednesday afternoon Bojado looked like he trimmed a good 30 pounds off.
“Most of the weight is gone,” said Bojado.
For 15 years I’ve seen Angel Bojado in boxing gyms or at fights. Inside the boxing ring he’s shown an innate ability to box with anyone.
“It’s a lot different than amateurs,” said Bojado, who I saw spar with Sergio Mora and Alfredo Angulo in the recent past. “It’s a lot different from going only four rounds. Sergio showed me that and took me into deep waters.”
Mora often used Bojado as a sparring partner when he needed a speedy boxer with good technical abilities. Though Mora rates as one of the quickest middleweights in the business, he often found it difficult to hit Bojado.
Now, finally, Bojado gets an opportunity to show the world what he can do.
Jason Quigley
Many consider the summer heat in Southern California to be one of the best qualities of the golden state.
But what if you’re born and raised in the green hills of Ireland?
“It’s taken a little getting adjusted to the weather,” said Quigley (above, in Al Applerose photo), who hails from Ballybofey, Ireland and fights as a super middleweight. “In Ireland it either rains or its cold. It’s why everything is so green.”
So far Quigley has knocked out every opponent he’s faced as a professional. But as an amateur things were quite different.
“I don’t remember ever knocking out anyone as an amateur,” Quigley said. “Maybe by stoppage.”
The difference, says Quigley, has been sitting down on his punches.
“I’m sitting down on my punches and not picking a point like in the amateurs,” said Quigley.
The Irish middleweight has boxing in his blood. His father also boxed and passed on his knowledge to his son. But unlike so many other fathers, he wisely decided to let another show him through the professional ranks.
It was a family decision four months in the making to decide to sign with Golden Boy Promotions and move to the United States to train and fight.
“It was a big step, a big cultural move,” said Quigley.
The Irish middleweight with crackling power lives in the hot San Fernando Valley and trains in the cooler city of Carson. Though he’s adjusted to Southern California lifestyle, he dreams of fighting in front of his countrymen one day.
“It would be absolutely amazing,” he said.
Ticket info
Tickets are priced at $10, $25, $50 and $100, plus applicable taxes and service charges, and are available for purchase at www.lacoliseum.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations and by calling 800-745-3000.
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Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City
Garry Jonas’ ProBox series returned to its regular home in Plant City, Florida, tonight with a card topped by a 10-round light heavyweight match between fast-rising Najee Lopez and former world title challenger Lenin Castillo. This was considered a step-up fight for the 25-year-old Lopez, an Atlanta-born-fighter of Puerto Rican heritage. Although the 36-year-old Castillo had lost two of his least three heading in, he had gone the distance with Dimitry Bivol and Marcus Browne and been stopped only once (by Callum Smith).
Lopez landed the cleaner punches throughout. Although Castillo seemed unfazed during the first half of the fight, he returned to his corner at the end of round five exhibiting signs of a fractured jaw.
In the next round, Lopez cornered him against the ropes and knocked him through the ropes with a left-right combination. Referee Emil Lombardo could have stopped the fight right there, but he allowed the courageous Castillo to carry on for a bit longer, finally stopping the fight as Castillo’s corner and a Florida commissioner were signaling that it was over.
The official time was 2:36 of round six. Bigger fights await the talented Lopez who improved to 13-0 with his tenth win inside the distance. Castillo declined to 25-7-1.
Co-Feature
In a stinker of a heavyweight fight, Stanley Wright, a paunchy, 34-year-old North Carolina journeyman, scored a big upset with a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Milton.
Wright carried 280 pounds, 100 pounds more than in his pro debut 11 years ago. Although he was undefeated (13-0, 11 KOs), he had never defeated an opponent with a winning record and his last four opponents were a miserable 19-48-2. Moreover, he took the fight on short notice.
What Wright had going for him was fast hands and, in the opening round, he put Milton on the canvas with a straight right hand. From that point, Milton fought tentatively and Wright, looking fatigued as early as the fourth round, fought only in spurts. It seemed doubtful that he could last the distance, but Milton, the subject of a 2021 profile in these pages, was wary of Wright’s power and unable to capitalize. “It’s almost as if Milton is afraid to win,” said ringside commentator Chris Algieri during the ninth stanza when the bout had devolved into a hugfest.
The judges had it 96-93 and 97-92 twice for the victorious Wright who boosted his record to 14-0 without improving his stature.
Also
In the TV opener, a 10-round contest in the junior middleweight division, Najee Lopez stablemate Darrelle Valsaint (12-0, 10 KOs) scored his career-best win with a second-round knockout of 35-year-old Dutch globetrotter Stephen Danyo (23-7-3).
A native Floridian of Haitian descent, the 22-year-old Valsaint was making his eighth start in Plant City. He rocked Danyo with a chopping right hand high on the temple and then, as Danyo slumped forward, delivered the coup-de-gras, a short left uppercut. The official time was 2:17 of round two.
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Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim
Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.
Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.
Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.
Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is the winner of the Feb. 2 match between Brandon Figueroa and Stephen Fulton. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa/Fulton have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.
Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”
Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.
Semi-wind-up
In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.
Also
In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.
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Eric Priest Wins Handily on Thursday’s Golden Boy card at the Commerce Casino
Model turned fighter Eric Priest jabbed and jolted his way into the super middleweight rankings with a shutout decision win over veteran Tyler Howard on Thursday.
In his first main event Priest (15-0, 8 KOs) proved ready for contender status by defusing every attack Tennessee’s Howard (20-3, 11 KOs) could muster at Commerce Casino, the second fight in six days at the LA County venue.
All ticket monies collected on the Folden Boy Promotions card were contributed to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation as they battle wildfires sprouting all over Los Angeles County due to high winds.
Priest, 26, had never fought anyone near Howard’s caliber but used a ramrod jab to keep the veteran off-balance and unable to muster a forceful counter-attack. Round after round the Korean-American fighter pumped left jabs while circling his opposition.
Though hit with power shots, none seemed to faze Howard but his own blows were unable to put a dent in Priest. After 10 rounds of the same repetitive action all three judges scored the fight 100-90 for Priest who now wins a regional super middleweight title.
Priest also joins the top 15 rankings of the WBA organization.
In a fight between evenly matched middleweights, Jordan Panthen (11-0, 9 KOs) remained undefeated after 10 rounds versus DeAundre Pettus (12-4, 7 KOs). Though equally skilled, Panthen simply out-worked the South Caroliina fighter to win by unanimous decision. No knockdowns were scored.
Other Bouts
Grant Flores (8-0, 6 KOs) knocked out Costa Rica’s David Lobo Ramirez (17-4, 12 KOs) with two successive right uppercuts at 2:59 of the second round of the super welterweight fight.
Cayden Griffith (3-0, 3 KOs) used a left hook to the body to stop Mark Misiura at 1:43 of the second round in a super welterweight bout.
Jordan Fuentes (3-0) floored Brandon Badillo (0-3-1) in the third round and proceeded to win by decision after four rounds in a super bantamweight fight.
A super featherweight match saw Leonardo Sanchez (8-0) win by decision over Joseph Cruz Brown (10-12) after six rounds.
Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy
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