Stephen Reid’s Night of Boxing at the former Las Vegas Hilton

Published

5 years ago

February 14, 2020

Stephen-Reid's-Night-of-Boxing-at-the-former-Las-Vegas-Hilton

The convention area of the Las Vegas Hilton – the hotel is now called the Westgate – harbored some of the greatest fights of the 20^th century. Mike Tyson captured his first title here and subsequently became the undisputed world heavyweight champion in this space. In 1990 (Chavez-Taylor I) and again in 1993 (Carbajal-Gonzalez I) this spartan arena was the setting for what became The Ring magazine Fight of the Year.

Boxing returned to the hotel’s convention area last night (Thursday, Feb. 13) with a show that in no way resembled the aforementioned. Stephen Reid, a 34-year-old Las Vegas attorney and transplanted Brit – he earned his law degree at Oxford – was the catalyst. It was his first venture as a boxing promoter. We were there.

Reid’s inaugural debut, in the words of ring announcer Sonny Franco, was a five-bout card topped by an 8-round welterweight contest between Ravshan Hudaynazarov and Cameron Kreal (aka Krael). The advance pub for the card on social media bespoke a deeper undercard, but filling in the “TBA blanks” proved problematic.

This reporter has a soft spot for grassroots promoters. Plus, a boxing promoter’s first venture is often a comedy of errors and there’s an inherent fascination in that.

There were a few glitches. The lines at the two box office windows moved at a snail’s pace because the freebies also picked up their admission passes there and the ladies working the booth were constantly on a cell phone checking with someone inside the arena to see if so-and-so was legit. The congestion created the illusion of a strong walk-up sale but the crowd could not have numbered more than 300.

Those that ponied up $25 to see the show got their money’s worth. “There won’t be ‘A sides’ and ‘B sides’ on my shows,” promoter Reid told me at the previous day’s weigh-in. That’s standard promoter-talk, a promise that’s invariably hollow, but on this particular night, it proved true. None of the 10 contestants was protected. Four of the five fights were both entertaining and competitive.

Two of the bouts, including the main event, produced a split decision. Another, a six-round middleweight contest, was ruled a draw. The stalemate speeded up the show as Lisa King, the attractive young lady hired to interview the winner of each bout in the ring, had no winner to interview and took a pass.

From a matchmaking standpoint, Stephen Reid’s “inaugural debut” earned a grade of “A.”

Back in October of 2017, a story on these pages identified Cameron Kreal as the sport’s best 23-year-old journeyman. At the time, his record stood at 12-12-3. The Las Vegas boxer is 26 now and his record heading into last night was 16-15-3, but the label still fits. He doesn’t pack a hard punch, but this kid can fight.

Kreal has been matched tough since the onset of his career. His former foes include Maurice Hooker, Jamal James, Egidijus Kavaliauskas and Keith Hunter, all of whom were undefeated at the time that he fought them. His opponent, who had his early fights in his native Uzbekistan, was likewise battle-tested. Hudaynazarov had lost three straight coming in, dipping his record to 17-3, but his opponents in those three fights were a combined 49-2.

Kreal knocked Hudaynazarov off his pins with a hard right in the third round, and although the Uzbekistani recovered nicely, that proved pivotal. In a fight that could have gone either way, the “due factor” kicked in for Cameron Kreal who finally finished on the right side of a razor-thin decision.

As this reporter sat watching the fights, he kept thinking of Royce Feour. The longtime Las Vegas Review-Journal scribe, who died at age 79 in December of 2018, covered every show in town, no matter how small, during his 25 years on the R-J boxing beat. A publicist for a small-fry Las Vegas promoter would reach out to Feour first as his patronage was the most highly prized.

Neither of the town’s two daily papers had a correspondent at last night’s show. The two big boxing journalists who make Las Vegas their home – Yahoo’s Kevin Iole and Tim Dahlberg of the Associated Press — were likewise no-shows although one would not have expected to see them there. But times have changed, of course, and the traditional print media doesn’t move the needle anymore, not to the same extent as the leading social media sites.

Stephen Reid boxed as an amateur in England. He sparred with Billy Joe Saunders, among others. “He was way better than me,” Reid concedes, “although Billy Joe was several years younger.” Before moving to Las Vegas in 2011 Reid made the acquaintance of Hall of Fame referee Richard Steele who has become a close confidant. Steele is listed as the president of Reid Promotions; Stephen holds the title of CEO.

Reid says he was inspired to become a boxing promoter when he realized that the local kids in the gyms weren’t getting many opportunities to display their wares.

This observation is spot-on. Las Vegas, the so-called Boxing Capitol of the World, is bursting with boxers and aspiring boxers who are hungry to fight but can’t get a booking. Only Floyd Mayweather’s company was promoting club shows here on a regular basis and kids who were not part of The Money Team stable were largely locked out. (In a touch of irony, however, Stephen Reid’s maiden show included boxers from Oregon, Ohio, Texas, and Mississippi.)

It’s not our custom to tell anyone how to run his business, but it so happens that we had lunch yesterday with an old friend who visits the Westgate Sports and Race Book every day and had no clue that a boxing event was taking place on the property that very night. There was no signage, either outside on the marquee or inside in a prominent place. The Westgate has nearly 3,000 hotel rooms and although last night’s show was pitched at locals with word-of-mouth the key to a good turnout, signage may have roped in a few strays. And in a low budget production, needless to say, every little dollar helps.

Reid, who has a small law practice specializing in personal injury, immigration, and criminal defense, told me that his nut was $65,000. A realist, he had no expectation of recouping his investment. “The goal is to lose a little less the next time, and then break even the third,” he said of his intention to promote shows on a monthly basis.

That may be optimistic. But grassroots promoters are the lifeblood of the sport and we wish him well.

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Arne K. Lang

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Skylar Lacy Blocked for Lamar Jackson before Making his Mark in Boxing

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Skylar Lacy, a six-foot-seven heavyweight, returns to the ring on Sunday, Feb. 2, opposing Brandon Moore on a card in Flint, Michigan, airing worldwide on DAZN.

As this is being written, the bookmakers hadn’t yet posted a line on the bout, but one couldn’t be accused of false coloring by calling the 10-round contest a 50/50 fight. And if his frustrating history is any guide, Lacy will have another draw appended to his record or come out on the wrong side of a split decision.

This should not be construed as a tip to wager on Moore. “Close fights just don’t seem to go my way,” says the boxer who played alongside future multi-year NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at the University of Louisville.

A 2021 National Golden Gloves champion, Skylar Lacy came up short in his final amateur bout, losing a split decision to future U.S. Olympian Joshua Edwards. His last Team Combat League assignment resulted in another loss by split decision and he was held to a draw in both instances when stepping up in class as a pro. “In my mind, I’m still undefeated,” says Lacy (8-0-2, 6 KOs). “No one has ever kicked my ass.”

Lacy was the B-side in both of those draws, the first coming in a 6-rounder against Top Rank fighter Antonio Mireles on a Top Rank show in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and the second in an 8-rounder against George Arias, a Lou DiBella fighter on a DiBella-promoted card in Philadelphia.

Lacy had the Mireles fight in hand when he faded in the homestretch. The altitude was a factor. Lake Tahoe, Nevada (officially Stateline) sits 6,225 feet above sea level. The fight with Arias took an opposite tack. Lacy came on strong after a slow start to stave off defeat.

Skylar will be the B-side once again in Michigan. The card’s promoter, former world title challenger Dmitriy Salita, inked Brandon Moore (16-1, 10 KOs) in January. “A capable American heavyweight with charisma, athleticism and skills is rare in today’s day and age. Brandon has got all these ingredients…”, said Salita in the press release announcing the signing. (Salita has an option on Skylar Lacy’s next pro fight in the event that Skylar should win, but the promoter has a larger investment in Moore who was previously signed to Top Rank, a multi-fight deal that evaporated after only one fight.)

Both Lacy and Moore excelled in other sports. The six-foot-six Moore was an outstanding basketball player in high school in Fort Lauderdale and at the NAIA level in college. Lacy was an all-state football lineman in Indiana before going on to the University of Louisville where he started as an offensive guard as a redshirt sophomore, blocking for freshman phenom Lamar Jackson. “Lamar was hard-working and humble,” says Lacy about the player who is now one of the world’s highest-paid professional athletes.

When Lacy committed to Louisville, the head coach was Charlie Strong who went on to become the head coach at the University of Texas. Lacy was never comfortable with Strong’s successor Bobby Petrino and transferred to San Jose State. Having earned his degree in only three years (a BA in communications) he was eligible immediately but never played a down because of injuries.

Returning to Indianapolis where he was raised by his truck dispatcher father, a single parent, Lacy gravitated to Pat McPherson’s IBG (Indy Boxing and Grappling) Gym on the city’s east side where he was the rare college graduate pounding the bags alongside at-risk kids from the city’s poorer neighborhoods.

Lacy built a 12-6 record across his two seasons in Team Combat League while representing the Las Vegas Hustle (2023) and the Boston Butchers (2024).

For the uninitiated, a Team Combat League (TCL) event typically consists of 24 fights, each consisting of one three-minute round. The concept finds no favor with traditionalists, but Lacy is a fan. It’s an incentive for professional boxers to keep in shape between bouts without disturbing their professional record and, notes Lacy, it’s useful in exposing a competitor to different styles.

“It paid the bills and kept me from just sitting around the house,” says Lacy whose 12-6 record was forged against 13 different opponents.

As a sparring partner, Lacy has shared the ring with some of the top heavyweights of his generation, e.g., Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He was one of Fury’s regular sparring partners during the Gypsy King’s trilogy with Deontay Wilder. He worked with Joshua at Derrick James’ gym in Dallas and at Ben Davison’s gym in England, helping Joshua prepare for his date in Saudi Arabia with Francis Ngannou and had previously sparred with Ngannou at the UFC Performance Center in Las Vegas. Skylar names traveling to new places as one of his hobbies and he got to scratch that itch when he joined Whyte’s camp in Portugal.

As to the hardest puncher he ever faced, he has no hesitation: “Ngannou,” he says. “I negotiated a nice price to spend a week in his camp and the first time he hit me I knew I should have asked for more.”

Lacy is confident that having shared the ring with some of the sport’s elite heavyweights will get him over the hump in what will be his first 10-rounder (Brandon Moore has never had to fight beyond eight rounds, having won his three 10-rounders inside the distance). Lacy vs. Moore is the co-feature to Claressa Shields’ homecoming fight with Danielle Perkins. Shields, basking in the favorable reviews accorded the big-screen biopic based on her first Olympic journey (“The Fire Inside”) will attempt to capture a title in yet another weight class at the expense of the 42-year-old Perkins, a former professional basketball player.

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Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce

Published

5 days ago

January 18, 2025

David A. Avila

Mizuki-Hiruta-Dominates-in-her-U.S.-Debut-and-Trinidad-Wins-Too-at-Commerce

Japan’s Mizuki Hiruta smashed through Mexico’s Maribel Ramirez with ease in winning by technical decision and local hero Omar Trinidad continued his assault on the featherweight division on Friday.

Hiruta (7-0, 2 KOs), who prefers to be called “Mimi,” made her American debut with an impressive performance against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez (15-11-4) and retained the WBO super flyweight world title by unanimous decision at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

The pink-haired Japanese southpaw champion quickly proved to be quicker, stronger and even better than advertised. In the opening round Ramirez landed on the floor twice after throwing errant blows. On one instance, it could have been ruled a knockdown but it was not a convincing blow.

In the second round, Ramirez again attacked and again was met with a Hiruta check right hook and down went the Mexican. This time referee Ray Corona gave the eight-count and the fight resumed.

It was Hiruta’s third title defense but this time it was on American soil. She seemed nervous by the prospect of getting a favorable review from the more than 700 fans inside the casino tent.

For more than a year Hiruta has been training off and on with Manny Robles in the L.A. area. Now that she has a visa, she has spent considerable time this year learning the tricks of the trade. They proved explosively effective.

Though Mexico City’s Ramirez has considerable experience against world champions, she discovered that Hiruta was not easy to hit. Often, the Japanese champion would slip and counter with precision.

It was an impressive American debut, though the fight was stopped in the eighth round after a collision of heads. The scores were tallied and all three saw Hiruta the winner by scores of 80-71 twice and 79-72.

“I’m so happy. I could have done much more,” said Hiruta through interpreter Yuriko Miyata. “I wanted to do more things that Manny Robles taught me.”

Trinidad Wins Too

Omar Trinidad (18-0-1, 13 KOs) discovered that challenger Mike Plania (31-5, 18 KOs) has a very good chin and staying power. But over 10 rounds Trinidad proved to be too fast and too busy for the Filipino challenger.

Immediately it was evident that the East L.A. featherweight was too quick and too busy for Plania who preferred a counter-puncher attack that never worked.

“He was strong,” said Trinidad. “He took everything.”

After 10 redundant rounds all three judges scored for Trinidad 100-90 twice and 99-91. He retains the WBC Continental Americas title.

Other Bouts

Ali Akhmedov (23-1, 17 KOs) blasted out Malcolm Jones (17-5-1) in less than two rounds. A dozen punches by Akhmedov forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the super middleweight fight.

Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco (3-0) bloodied Lindsey Ellis in the first round and continued the speedy assault in the next two rounds. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the fight in favor of Verduzco at 1:34 of the third round.

Gloria Munguilla (7-1) and Brook Sibrian (5-2) lit up the boxing ring with a nonstop clash for eight rounds in their light flyweight fight. Munguilla proved effective with a slip-and-counter attack. Sibrian adjusted and made the fight closer in the last four rounds but all three judges favored Munguilla.

More Winners

Joshua Anton, Tayden Beltran, Adan Palma, and Alexander Gueche all won their bouts.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Published

6 days ago

January 16, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Best wishes to the survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires that took place last week and are still ongoing in small locales.

Most of the heavy damage took place in the western part of L.A. near the ocean due to Santa Ana winds. Another very hot spot was in Altadena just north of the Rose Bowl. It was a horrific tragedy.

Hopefully the worst is over.

Pro boxing returns with 360 Boxing Promotions spotlighting East L.A.’s Omar Trinidad (17-0-1, 13 KOs) defending a regional featherweight title against Mike Plania (31-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

“I’m the king of L.A. boxing and I’ll be ready to put on a show headlining again in the main event. This is my year, I’m ready to challenge and defeat any of the featherweight world champions,” said Trinidad.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the Hollywood Night fight card that includes a female world championship fight and other intriguing match-ups.

Tom Loeffler heads 360 Promotions and once again comes full force with a hot prospect in Trinidad. If you’re not familiar with Loeffler’s history of success, he introduced America to Oleksandr Usyk, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and the brothers Wladimir and Vitaly Kltischko.

“We’ve got a wealth of international talent and local favorites to kick off our 2025 in grand style,” said Loeffler.

He knows talent.

Trinidad hails from the Boyle Heights area of East L.A. near the Los Angeles riverbed. Several fighters from the past came from that exact area including the first Golden Boy, Art Aragon.

Aragon was a huge gate attraction during the late 1940s until 1960. He was known as a lady’s man and dated several Hollywood starlets in his time. Though he never won a world title he did fight world champions Carmen Basilio, Jimmy Carter and Lauro Salas. He was more or less the king of the Olympic Auditorium and Los Angeles boxing during his career.

Other famous boxers from the Boyle Heights area were notorious gangster Mickey Cohen and former world champion Joey Olivo.

Can Trinidad reach world title status?

Facing Trinidad will be Filipino fighter Plania who’s knocked off a couple of prospects during his career including Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer and Giovanni Gutierrez. The fighter from General Santos in the Philippines can crack and hold his own in the boxing ring.

It’s a very strong fight card and includes WBO world titlist Mizuki Hiruta of Japan who defends the super flyweight title against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez. It’s a tough matchup for Hiruta who makes her American debut. You can’t miss her with that pink hair and she has all the physical tools to make a splash in this country.

Mizukii Hiruta

Two other female bouts are also planned, including light flyweight banger L.A.’s Gloria Munguilla (6-1) against Coachella’s Brook Sibrian (5-1) in a match set for six rounds. Both are talented fighters. Another female fight includes super featherweights Iyana “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco (2-0) versus Lindsey Ellis (2-1) in another six-rounder. Ellis can crack with all her wins coming via knockout. Verduzco is a multi-national titlist as an amateur.

Others scheduled to perform are Ali Akhmedov, Joshua Anton, Adan Palma and more.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Boxing and the Media

The sport of professional boxing is currently in flux. It’s always in flux but no matter what people may say or write, boxing will survive.

Whether you like Jake Paul or not, he proved boxing has worldwide appeal with monstrous success in his last show. He has media companies looking at the numbers and imagining what they can do with the sport.

Sure, UFC is negotiating a massive billion dollar deal with media companies, as is WWE, both are very similar in that they provide combat entertainment. You don’t need to know the champions because they really don’t matter. Its about the attractions.

Boxing is different. The good champions last and build a following that endures even beyond their careers a la Mike Tyson.

MMA can’t provide that longevity, but it does provide entertainment.

Currently, there is talk of establishing a boxing league again. It’s been done over and over but we shall see if it sticks this time.

Pro boxing is the true warrior’s path and that means a solo adventure. It’s a one-on-one sport and that appeals to people everywhere. It’s the oldest sport that can be traced to prehistoric times. You don’t need classes in Brazilian Jiujitsu, judo, kick boxing or wrestling. Just show up in a boxing gym and they can put you to work.

It’s a poor person’s path that can lead to better things and most importantly discipline.

Photos credit: Lina Baker

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