AFTERMATH MONDAY: Avila Reflects On Mosley-Mayorga

Published

9 years ago

September 1, 2015

Our crew began early Saturday morning as we trekked from Riverside, Calif., to Inglewood – a distance of more than 80 miles. We left with the temperature hovering at 105 to the “cooler” climate of 95.

Katherine Rodriguez of La Prensa, Jeannie Avila of Uppercutmagazine.com and I loaded up the faded gold Mercedes and headed to our favorite watering hole, El Cholos, in downtown Los Angeles. On a regular basis you can see one or more of us at the restaurant that, I think, has the best margaritas in the world, pound-for-pound.

Once in a while you can spot a boxer, promoter or manager at El Cholos. Earlier in the year I ran into K2 Promotions managing director Tom Loeffler, trainer Abel Sanchez and writer Kevin Iole in the patio area. Before that it was boxing writers Igor Frank and Anna Dragost. No wonder El Cholos is my favorite place in L.A.

After one margarita and some lunch we headed toward The Forum via Manchester Avenue. It’s been decades since I took this route. I wanted to see if anything had changed. Not much, from what I could tell.

Readers and fellow journalists might wonder why I chose to cover Shane Mosley’s fight with Ricardo Mayorga. It’s very simple. Long ago, when I was a fledgling writer, Sugar Shane Mosley was a fast-rising star from Pomona. He had recently grabbed the lightweight world title and nearly everyone in the boxing world had dubbed him one of the most dangerous fighters out there. He had speed, power and stamina to go with a rock-steady chin. At the time I was working for a new magazine called Uppercut. We published out of East L.A., in the heart of the barrio on Whittier Boulevard.

Back in the 1990s Mosley was famous for his gym wars with guys like Zack Padilla, Genaro Hernandez and even Julio Cesar Chavez. He and his dad, Jack, were everyday figures in East L.A. at Bell and La Habra. Those wars were explosive with fans getting an eyeful for free. The famous Main Street Gym had recently closed because of the Northridge earthquake, so boxers were fanning out over the Southern California landscape.

I would talk with Jack a lot in those days while his son was duking it out with the entire world, it seemed. Shane reminded me of a pit bull with his willingness to match blows with anyone. His hand speed was blinding and his quickness afoot was equally dazzling.

It was the third year of Uppercut magazine and we had a small but hustling staff of people working all hours of the day. One of our staff had a side job working as a bodyguard for Oscar De La Hoya, who was a certified superstar. Our guy told us that Oscar read our magazine, so we decided to do a story on Mosley challenging De La Hoya.

Mosley knew us vaguely,but when we promised that Oscar would see the story we were planning, he decided to take a chance and come to our building.

One Sunday morning at 5 a.m. , Shane, Jack and Shane’s sister Serena drove from Pomona to the dark streets of East L.A. and met us before the sun came up. Shane was asleep in the back seat of a the car when Jack parked in front of our building. We needed to beat the Sunday traffic so we could pose Shane under the famous East L.A. sign on Whittier Boulevard. Ironically, De La Hoya lived a few blocks from that sign as a child and still had family members in the area.

Mosley posed for us in the early morning light when traffic was extremely light. It was so early that some guys were barely leaving the cantinas. They emerged from their dark havens with a weak morning sun greeting them, and Sugar Shane Mosley standing with us in the middle of the boulevard.

“Azucar!” shouted a few of the knowledgable barflies walking by us. They motioned, drunkenly, with their arms for him to come over. Our photographer that day was Carlos Puma, who worked for the Riverside Press-Enterprise at the time. We shot photos of Mosley in challenging poses under the East L.A. sign. The crowd seemed to get a kick out of it.

Our first copies of the magazine went directly to De La Hoya via our guy Alfredo. According to Alfredo, De La Hoya immediately decided to demand a fight with Mosley. I never got a chance to ask Oscar if this was indeed the case, but whether or not it’s true, the fight was made.

Mosley was appreciative, but we were more so. Here was Shane, an emerging megastar, willing to wake up at 4 a.m. to drive to East L.A. I never forgot that, and I always try to repay a favor whenever possible. So when Mosley decided to make this comeback fight with Mayorga, I was all in, no matter what.

I’m loyal to those who are loyal to me or helped me in some way. What Shane did for us 16 years ago was unforgettable.

The Fight

In my columns leading up to Shane Mosley’s fight card, I wondered if he could pull it off. It was like somebody placed one mine field after another in front of his promotional company, GoBox Promotions.

But Shane Mosley is no quitter.

Fights kept dropping out, he lost or fired the person handling media credentials, promoter tried to stop the main event and Premier Boxing Champions put on a competing card the same night at the Staples Center. Others would have meekly capitulated, but that is not in Mosley’s makeup.

Mayorga was the victor, by knockout, in his previous two fights and he has never been a pushover. At times, when Mayorga was fighting hard, Mosley took time off. It was a risk that some in the audience probably overlooked, but it was a risk nonetheless. Mayorga might be crazy, but he is plenty dangerous. Anybody who can claim to have defeated Vernon Forrest twice has to have talent. Ask Mosley.

The fight turned one-sided in Mosley’s favor, but Mayorga was always ready with his left hook cocked.

When Shane Mosley got popped and staggered backward in the sixth round, it looked like Mayorga – who calls himself “El Matador,” but is really more of a wild bull – had finally landed the big punch to turn things around. Instead, it was the beginning of the end for him.

Mosley let loose the one sure punch guaranteed to take out the Nicaraguan, the liver shot. Down went Mayorga. It made me believe that Mosley always knew he could dust off Mayorga with a body punch, but you never know.

Mayorga lost several teeth early in the bout. His mouth guard had broken and apparently he did not have another available. Mosley was cracking Mayorga with overhand rights in every round. Sometimes that was at the invitation of the macho Mayorga, who repeatedly pointed to his chin and invited Mosley to target it. It was Mayorga at his unhinged best. Who can forget him doing the same thing to Forrest or Felix Trinidad? Mayorga has a big heart and took his punishment like the warrior he is. No crying. No complaining. From what I hear, it was his wife who did the crying.

Here’s hoping the best for both Mosley and Mayorga with each early-morning sunrise.

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David A. Avila

Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City

Published

1 day ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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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 last 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, applied the exclamation point, 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

Published

1 day ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11^th 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 Brandon Figueroa should he defeat former Inoue foe Stephen Fulton next weekend. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa 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

Published

2 days ago

January 24, 2025

David A. Avila

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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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