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Avila Perspective, Chap. 78: Adventures in the I.E., Favorite Moments and Tank

Perspective, Chap. 78: Adventures in the I.E., Favorite Moments and Tank Davis
Accidents happen but once in a while they produce surprisingly good results.
When Jermell Charlo defeated Tony Harrison by knockout to win back the WBC super welterweight world title last weekend in the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, it unexpectedly presented one of the best boxing cards of the year to fans in the Inland Empire; an area otherwise known as the “I.E.”
Despite a postponement due to injury and changes in venue, Premier Boxing Champions cobbled together a large boxing card filled with shocking upsets, turn-arounds and skilled prizefighting.
It was the best fight card by anyone all year that I attended.
The super welterweight world title fight was supposed to take place back in June in Las Vegas. But when Harrison hurt his ankle the fight was canceled and Charlo fought someone else in the casino town.
One of the people working with TGB told me that the rematch was headed for Dignity Health Sports Park formerly known as the StubHub Center. But a few opposed the idea and opted to go to Ontario where the late great Dan Goossen had presented multiple fight cards in the past.
It worked.
The Inland Empire has become the center of the world when it comes to prizefighting in my estimation.
Hear me out.
Three of the most powerful boxing training camps are situated in the Inland Empire: Robert Garcia Boxing Academy is in Riverside; Joel and Antonio Diaz have their gym in Indio; and Abel Sanchez has the Summit in Big Bear Mountain. All three gyms are located in the I.E.
That trio of gyms represents dozens of the best fighters in the world. And when you add about 30 more boxing gyms spread out in the same area it further emphasizes my point that the I.E. is the eye of the hurricane.
Fans in that area are rabid for boxing.
For me it represented an opportunity to drive for only 15 minutes instead of two to three hours on crowded freeways and stopped traffic. It was the same for the thousands of fans from the I.E. who showed up at the Toyota Arena. Usually the I.E. fans are forced to drive to Los Angeles or Las Vegas to watch boxing. But not on Dec. 21.
A couple of years ago a Las Vegas demography expert told me that the casino capital of the world charts which people are their bread and money. According to this expert from the MGM properties, the majority of its visitors arrive from the Inland Empire.
It makes sense.
Inland Empire residents are accustomed to driving for large chunks of time to get to work in Los Angeles or Orange County. They also are willing to attend sporting events in Los Angeles or Las Vegas; unlike residents of Los Angeles or Orange County who are basically spoiled and prefer to stay in their own counties.
So, when a marquee fight card was placed smack in the middle of the I.E., they willingly arrived despite little advertisement and even less reporting by local newspapers and television.
The TGB and PBC fight card was a success anyway.
My Best of the Year
It’s the end of 2019, the best year for boxing in my estimation in two decades. I consider 1999 one of the best in boxing for the last 20 years with multiple mega fights that included Felix Trinidad versus Oscar De La Hoya, Lennox Lewis versus Evander Holyfield twice and a few others.
Though mega fights were rare in 2019, one that did occur took place in Saudi Arabia with Anthony Joshua reclaiming the heavyweight title from Andy Ruiz. But there were many other electrifying fight cards on a smaller scale throughout the year worldwide that presented multiple candidates for Fight of the Year starting with the super featherweights Can Xu vs. Jesus M. Rojas; followed by super bantamweight battle between Danny Roman and TJ Doheny, plus the super flyweight rematch between Juan Francisco Estrada and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in Los Angeles. The following month of May saw super welterweights Julian Williams and Jarrett Hurd battle toe to toe for 12 rounds; in June the first heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz took place; welterweights Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter met in September; super lightweights Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor clashed in October; and Naoya Inoue and Nonito Donaire collided in December. All were tremendous fights and truly made 2019 one for the ages.
For me three fights in particular stood out and grabbed me.
In January a super featherweight world title fight saw China’s Can Xu out-slug Puerto Rico’s punching machine Jesus M. Rojas in Houston, Texas that proved to be the opening salvo for 2019. Xu won that fight with a tireless abundance of strategic punching in bunches seldom seen. Both fighters were a blur of fists and fury. Xu won the fight and became a national hero in China.
In April, the super bantamweight unification clash between Roman and Doheny in the Inglewood Forum was a slam bam affair that just grew fiercer by the round. Roman took the lead and when it looked like Doheny was done he suddenly put on the reverse brakes and an all-out war commenced. Roman eventually won but both gave a cup of their soul in their 12-round battle. On the same card, Mexico’s Estrada’s rematch with Thailand’s Sor Rungvisai resulted in a perfect example of how to diffuse a bully of a puncher with the science of boxing. It was memorable stuff on the same night in the same boxing ring.
The month of May saw a formerly undefeated super welterweight titlist Jarrett Hurd engage Philadelphia’s Julian Williams in a rarely seen battle of inside fighting that harkened back to the 1950s and 60s. It was inside fighting at its best with both exhibiting a high art form of fighting close quarters with neither fighter clinching or grabbing. It also showed how a good referee can also contribute to a wonderful display of boxing. The sweet science was never sweeter than that fight held in Fairfax, Virginia. It’s the type of fight that James Toney made famous.
Though many may not agree I just have to pick Williams and Hurd as the Best Fight of 2019 in my eyes. It should be shown to fighters, trainers, promoters, matchmakers, referees and judges everywhere on the art of fighting inside. Beautiful stuff.
The year 2019 was also in my estimation the best in 20 years for its pure number of memorable fights.
Gervonta vs Gamboa in Last Hurrah for 2019
Gervonta “Tank” Davis meets Yuri Gamboa on Saturday Dec. 28, at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Showtime will televise the battle for the vacant WBA lightweight world title.
Davis (22-0, 21 KOs) left the super featherweight division and meets former featherweight champion Gamboa (30-2, 18 KOs) to try out the heavier weight division.
One thing about Cuba’s Gamboa has always been his desire to entertain fans. Unlike other Cuban fighters he never puts fans to sleep with a defensive first strategy. He goes for broke.
Last year Gamboa put up his own money to salvage his career by self-promoting a boxing card in Florida. It paid off. Now he’s set to meet one of the most dynamic punchers below 147 pounds in Davis. It won’t be easy but you can never count out Gamboa. He can whack too.
“I’m very appreciative to have this opportunity to fight for the world title on Saturday night. I have to make the best of this position that I’m in. I’m still at the level where I know that I can compete and beat the best fighters in the sport,” said Gamboa. “I’ve faced stronger fighters than Gervonta and I’ve been able to beat them. He’s not going to bring anything I haven’t seen.”
Davis has always possessed power and speed in abundance. Let’s face it. The man has no neck. You can’t hurt a man with no neck. Just kidding. But Davis has shown a considerable chin though he’s rarely had to prove it.
If you haven’t seen Davis or Gamboa before, well, you are in for a treat. They don’t play around.
“Saturday night it’s going to be an action-packed fight and we’ll see who’s got what it takes,” said Davis. “I know that Gamboa is a tough opponent and he’ll lay it all on the line. If it goes 12 rounds, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m looking to make this a great fight for me and also for the fans.”
Fights to Watch
Sat. Showtime 6 p.m. Gervonta Davis (22-0) vs Yuri Gamboa (30-2); Badou Jack (22-2-3) vs Jean Pascal (34-6-1).
Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel
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Mercito Gesta Victorious Over Jojo Diaz at the Long Beach Pyramid

LONG BEACH, CA.-Those in the know knew Mercito Gesta and Jojo Diaz would be a fight to watch and they delivered.
Gesta emerged the winner in a super lightweight clash between southpaws that saw the judges favor his busier style over Diaz’s body attack and bigger shots and win by split decision on Saturday.
Despite losing the main event because the star was overweight, Gesta (34-3-3, 17 KOs) used an outside method of tactic to edge past former world champion Diaz (32-4-1, 15 KOs) in front of more than 5,000 fans at the Pyramid.
The speedy Gesta opened up the fight with combination punching up and down against the peek-a-boo style of Diaz. For the first two rounds the San Diego fighter overwhelmed Diaz though none of the blows were impactful.
In the third round Diaz finally began unloading his own combinations and displaying the fast hands that helped him win world titles in two divisions. Gesta seemed stunned by the blows, but his chin held up. The counter right hook was Diaz’s best weapon and snapped Gesta’s head back several times.
Gesta regained control in the fifth round after absorbing big blows from Diaz. He seemed to get angry that he was hurt and opened up with even more blows to send Diaz backpedaling.
Diaz targeted his attack to Gesta’s body and that seemed to slow down Gesta. But only for a round.
From the seventh until the 10th each fighter tried to impose their style with Gesta opening up with fast flurries and Diaz using right hooks to connect with solid shots. They continued their method of attack until the final bell. All that mattered was what the judges preferred.
After 10 rounds one judge saw Diaz the winner 97-93 but two others saw Gesta the winner 99-91, 98-92. It was a close and interesting fight.
“I was expecting nothing. I was the victor in this fight and we gave a good fight,” said Gesta. “It’s not an easy fight and Jojo gave his best.”
Diaz was surprised by the outcome but accepted the verdict.
Everything was going good. I thought I was landing good body shots,” said Diaz. “I was pretty comfortable.”
Other Bouts
Mexico’s Oscar Duarte (25-1-1, 20 KOs) knocked out Chicago’s Alex Martin (18-5, 6 KOs) with a counter right hand after dropping him earlier in the fourth round. The super lightweight fight was stopped at 1:14 of the round.
A battle between undefeated super welterweights saw Florida’s Eric Tudor (8-0, 6 KOs) emerge the winner by unanimous decision after eight rounds versus Oakland’s Damoni Cato-Cain.
The taller Tudor showed polished skill and was not bothered by a large cut on his forehead caused by an accidental clash of heads. He used his jab and lead rights to defuse the attacks of the quick-fisted southpaw Cato-Cain. The judges scored the fight 80-72 and 78-74 twice for Tudor.
San Diego’s Jorge Chavez (5-0, 4 KOs) needed less than one round to figure out Nicaragua’s Bryan Perez (12-17-1, 11 KOs) and send him into dreamland with a three-punch combination. No need to count as referee Ray Corona waved the fight over. Perez shot a vicious right followed by another right and then a see-you-later left hook at 3.00 of the first round of the super featherweight match.
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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Jojo Diaz’s Slump Continues; Mercito Gesta Prevails on a Split Decision

At age 30, Jojo Diaz’s career is on the skids. The 2012 U.S. Olympian, a former world title holder at 126 and 130 pounds and an interim title holder at 135, Diaz suffered his third straight loss tonight, upset by Mercito Gesta who won a split decision at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, CA.. The scoring was strange with Gesta winning nine of the 10 rounds on one of the cards and only three rounds on another. The tie-breaker, as it were, was a 98-92 tally for Gesta and even that didn’t capture the flavor of what was a closely-contested fight.
Originally listed as a 12-rounder, the match was reduced to 10 and that, it turned out, did Diaz no favors. However, it’s hard to feel sorry for the former Olympian as he came in overweight once again, having lost his 130-pound title on the scales in February of 2021.
Diaz also has issues outside the ropes. Best elucidated by prominent boxing writer Jake Donovan, they include a cluster of legal problems stemming from an arrest for drunk driving on Feb. 27 in the LA suburb of Claremont.
With the defeat, Diaz’s ledger declined to 32-4-1. His prior losses came at the hands of Gary Russell Jr, Devin Haney, and William Zepeda, boxers who are collectively 83-2. Mercito Gesta, a 35-year-old San Diego-based Filipino, improved to 34-3-3.
Co-Feature
Chihuahua, Mexico super lightweight Oscar Duarte has now won nine straight inside the distance after stopping 33-year-old Chicago southpaw Alex Martin in the eighth frame. Duarte, the busier fighter, had Martin on the deck twice in round eight before the fight was waived off.
Duarte improved to 25-1-1 (20). Martin, who reportedly won six national titles as an amateur and was once looked upon as a promising prospect, declined to 18-5.
Other Bouts of Note
New Golden Boy signee Eric Tudor, a 21-year-old super welterweight from Fort Lauderdale, overcame a bad laceration over his right eye, the result of an accidental clash of heads in round four, to stay unbeaten, advancing to 8-0 (6) with a hard-fought unanimous 8-round decision over Oakland’s Damoni Cato-Cain. The judges had it 80-72 and 78-74 twice. It was the first pro loss for Cato-Cain (7-1-1) who had his first five fights in Tijuana.
In the DAZN opener, lanky Hawaian lightweight Dalis Kaleiopu went the distance for the first time in his young career, improving to 4-0 (3) with a unanimous decision over 36-year-old Colombian trial horse Jonathan Perez (40-35). The scores were 60-52 across the board. There were no knockdowns, but Perez, who gave up almost six inches in height, had a point deducted for a rabbit punch and another point for deducted for holding.
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‘Big Baby’ Wins the Battle of Behemoths; TKOs ‘Big Daddy’ in 6

Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne weighed in at a career-high 277 pounds for today’s battle in Dubai with Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, but he was the lighter man by 56 pounds. It figured that one or both would gas out if the bout lasted more than a few stanzas.
It was a war of attrition with both men looking exhausted at times, and when the end came it was Miller, at age 34 the younger man by nine years, who had his hand raised.
Browne was the busier man, but Miller, whose physique invites comparison with a rhinoceros, hardly blinked as he was tattooed with an assortment of punches. He hurt ‘Bid Daddy’ in round four, but the Aussie held his own in the next frame, perhaps even forging ahead on the cards, but only postponing the inevitable.
In round six, a succession of right hands knocked Browne on the seat of his pants. He beat the count, but another barrage from Miller impelled the referee to intervene. The official time was 2:33. It was the 21st straight win for Miller (26-0-1, 22 KOs). Browne declined to 31-4 and, for his own sake, ought not fight again. All four of his losses have come inside the distance, some brutally.
The consensus of those that caught the livestream was that Floyd Mayweather Jr’s commentary was an annoying distraction that marred what was otherwise an entertaining show.
As for what’s next for “Big Baby” Miller, that’s hard to decipher as he has burned his bridges with the sport’s most powerful promoters. One possibility is Mahmoud Charr who, like Miller, has a big gap in his boxing timeline. Now 38 years old, Charr – who has a tenuous claim on a WBA world title (don’t we all?) — has reportedly taken up residence in Dubai.
Other Bouts of Note
In a 10-round cruiserweight affair, Suslan Asbarov, a 30-year-old Russian, advanced to 4-0 (1) with a hard-fought majority decision over Brandon Glanton. The judges had it 98-92, 97-93, and a more reasonable 95-95.
Asbarov was 12-9 in documented amateur fights and 1-0 in a sanctioned bare-knuckle fight, all in Moscow, entering this match. He bears watching, however, as Glanton (18-2) would be a tough out for almost anyone in his weight class. In his previous fight, at Plant City, Florida, Glanton lost a controversial decision to David Light, an undefeated Australian who challenges WBO world title-holder Lawrence Okolie at Manchester, England next week.
A 10-round super featherweight match between former world title challengers Jono Carroll and Miguel Marriaga preceded the semi-windup. Carroll, a 30-year-old Dublin southpaw, overcame a cut over his left eye suffered in the second round to win a wide unanimous decision in a fairly entertaining fight.
It was the sixth straight win for Carroll (24-2-1, 7 KOs) who elevated his game after serving as a sparring partner for Devin Haney. Marriaga, a 36-year-old Colombian, lost for the fourth time in his last five outings, declining to 30-7.
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