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Avila Perspective, Chap. 103: The 50th Anniversary of East L.A. Riots

Avila Perspective, Chap. 103: The 50th Anniversary of East L.A. Riots
When steely-eyed Jose Carlos Ramirez defends the WBC and WBO super lightweight titles against Ukraine’s human tentacle Viktor Postol on Saturday, it marks an important date for a large segment of the population that loves boxing.
On August 29, this Saturday, it’s the 50th anniversary of the East Los Angeles Riots that took place along the Whittier Boulevard corridor in the heart of “East Los.”
When Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) meets the taller Postol (31-2, 12 KOs) on Saturday at the MGM Grand Bubble in Las Vegas, it will be exactly 50 years since a peaceful anti-war demonstration was met with police violence at Laguna Park. Several lives were lost.
Here we are a half century later and excessive police violence remains a problem.
That date, August 29th, is burned in memory of thousands and resulted in me taking the long-winding course that led me here to boxing. It’s a very long story.
Back in 1970 anti-war demonstrations against American participation in Vietnam were occurring all over the country. Some say it mushroomed due to one man, Muhammad Ali, a heavyweight world champion, who refused induction to the U.S. Military in 1966 because of religious beliefs. He was stripped of his boxing titles and unable to earn a living in the prize ring. All states banned him.
Ali would not return to the prize ring until October 26, 1970 when he fought Southern California’s Jerry Quarry.
Unrest was taking place throughout the 50 states especially after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Most large urban cities like Detroit, Washington D.C. and New York City experienced rioting when King was killed on April 4, 1968. Los Angeles also rioted and had endured earlier riots in Black neighborhoods like Watts in 1965. The violence started because of police brutality.
There are always a few bad apples in every occupation including law enforcement.
Anti-war demonstrations were common in 1970 when more than 10,000 people marched several miles through East Los Angeles from Belvedere Park to Laguna Park on August 29, 1970. I remember it well.
As they passed by Eagle Street and Atlantic Boulevard near the infamous Kennedy Hall, marchers of all races and ethnicities were joyful and unaware that they would be under attack later that day. It was the furthest thing from their mind. I remember their faces.
East L.A. has always been a “Chicano” neighborhood. That’s a term used by Mexican-Americans to describe themselves for the past 80 years. After days of burning and violence, the riots subsided, then ignited again during the Mexican Independence Day celebrations.
Los Angeles County and the rest of California finally realized a large segment of the population truly mattered. Things began to change in education and employment opportunities. Significant changes.
Among those with East L.A. ties during the riots are brothers Oscar De La Hoya and Joel De La Hoya, and also their neighborhood friend Eric Gomez. All of them lived blocks away from Whittier Boulevard within the heart of the uprising but were not born yet.
Chicanos are comprised of many ethnicities, not just Mexicans. They also consist of every Latin American country with the common thread being Native American blood. Chicanos are mestizos, mixed Latinos living in the USA. Not everyone calls themselves a Chicano, only those that really know their roots and understand they are part of America. It’s a political statement and a way of thinking.
One thing about Chicanos, they love to fight and they love watching fights.
Professional boxing has always been popular in Los Angeles. Even while most newspapers refuse to acknowledge it, prizefighting continues to thrive without support from major media. Latinos love prizefighting whether they consider themselves Chicano or otherwise.
Here’s another secret; whether they live in East Los Angeles or the East Coast, Latinos as a whole love boxing.
Top Rank on ESPN+
Whether Ramirez calls himself Chicano, Mexican or Latino, one thing is certain the prizefighter from Avenal, California has not fought in over a year despite being red hot.
“After the big win against Hooker, I am ready to go and continue my journey to become undisputed champion. I know Viktor Postol stands in the way of that, and he is a very experienced fighter,” said Ramirez, whose last fight was a knockout win over Maurice Hooker for the WBO super lightweight title.
Earlier this year Ramirez was expected to defend the WBC and WBO titles against Postol but the coronavirus pandemic forced two postponements,
Postol has been lurking like a vampire. He’s got that boa constrictor style to cause problems for anyone with his penchant for holding.
“Jose is a good fighter. He is a good champion, but I know I have a good chance to win this fight. I have the motivation because this fight is for two belts. I’ll be ready,” said Postol who’s trained by Freddie Roach.
It’s one of the best male fights so far this year. So far, female fights have dominated male fights in terms of quality matchups. This Ramirez-Postol match is a true elite clash.
Other fighters on the card are Southern California’s Arnold Barboza (23-0, 10 KOs) another super lightweight contender zeroing in toward challenging for a world title. His foe will be Canada’s Tony Luis (29-3, 10 KOs) a 32-year-old fighting for his own place in line.
Barboza seems to have found his power and has four knockouts in his last five fights.
The Top Rank fight card can be seen on ESPN+ at 4:30 p.m. PT.
PBC on FS1
Cuba’s slick Erislandy Lara and Mexico’s Alfredo Angulo meet in the boxing ring at Microsoft Center in Los Angeles, but not at the same time. Too bad. Television coverage begins at 3 p.m. PT on FS1.
The last time they engaged Angulo forced Lara to stand and fight at the StubHub Center back in 2013. Lara was floored twice in their bloody and brutal fight but rallied to stop Angulo in the 10th round in a crazy encounter. It was probably the last time Lara was in a 50/50 fight until he ran into Jarrett Hurd in 2018.
Aside from the Hurd and Angulo fights, Lara never could attract a large following due to his non-fighting style learned in the amateurs. It’s ingrained in him. That served him well in the amateurs but fans attending a pro fight want to see some fisticuffs.
Lately, some are saying he has finally learned how to fight in the pro style. Is it too late?
Lara defends the WBA super welterweight title against Greg Vendetti (22-3-1, 10 KOs) who upset Japan’s Yoshehiro Kamegai two years ago and won’t be a pushover.
In the semi-main event, “El Perro” Angulo (26-7, 21 KOs) meets Caleb Truax (31-4-2, 19 KOs) the former super middleweight world champion. If fans were allowed the Los Angeles arena would be packed with spectators.
Angulo always had a very rabid fan base. Even when it seemed he was heading to the scrap heap during losses to Freddie Hernandez and James De La Rosa, the fans still showed up. When he lost to Sergio “the Latin Snake” Mora after falling behind early, the rally he drummed up convinced his promoter that he still had something left. He did.
Angulo knocked out Evert Bravo in his next fight and then upset Peter “Chocolate Kid” Quillen by split decision in one of the great comebacks in boxing.
Now here we are.
Mexicali-born Angulo just loves to fight and now trains with Abel Sanchez in Big Bear. He’s also proof that whether Mexican or Chicano, fighting is one of the things we love to do. Whether on the streets or in the prize ring you can count on fists flying.
Here’s a toast to all the Chicanos and especially to the memory of slain L.A. Times journalist Ruben Salazar who died 50 years ago during the East L.A. Riots.
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Ringside at the Fontainebleau where Mikaela Mayer Won her Rematch with Sandy Ryan

LAS VEGAS, NV — The first meeting between Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan last September at Madison Square Garden was punctuated with drama before the first punch was thrown. When the smoke cleared, Mayer had become a world-title-holder in a second weight class, taking away Ryan’s WBO welterweight belt via a majority decision in a fan-friendly fight.
The rematch tonight at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas was another fan-friendly fight. There were furious exchanges in several rounds and the crowd awarded both gladiators a standing ovation at the finish.
Mayer dominated the first half of the fight and held on to win by a unanimous decision. But Sandy Ryan came on strong beginning in round seven, and although Mayer was the deserving winner, the scores favoring her (98-92 and 97-93 twice) fail to reflect the competitiveness of the match-up. This is the best rivalry in women’s boxing aside from Taylor-Serrano.
Mayer, 34, improved to 21-2 (5). Up next, she hopes, in a unification fight with Lauren Price who outclassed Natasha Jonas earlier this month and currently holds the other meaningful pieces of the 147-pound puzzle. Sandy Ryan, 31, the pride of Derby, England, falls to 7-3-1.
Co-Feature
In his first defense of his WBO world welterweight title (acquired with a brutal knockout of Giovani Santillan after the title was vacated by Terence Crawford), Atlanta’s Brian Norman Jr knocked out Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas in the third round. A three-punch combination climaxed by a short left hook sent Cuevas staggering into a corner post. He got to his feet before referee Thomas Taylor started the count, but Taylor looked in Cuevas’s eyes and didn’t like what he saw and brought the bout to a halt.
The stoppage, which struck some as premature, came with one second remaining in the third stanza.
A second-generation prizefighter (his father was a fringe contender at super middleweight), the 24-year-old Norman (27-0, 21 KOs) is currently boxing’s youngest male title-holder. It was only the second pro loss for Cuevas (27-2-1) whose lone previous defeat had come early in his career in a 6-rounder he lost by split decision.
Other Bouts
In a career-best performance, 27-year-old Brooklyn featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) blasted out Jose Enrique Vivas (23-4) in the third round.
Carrington, who was named the Most Outstanding Boxer at the 2019 U.S. Olympic Trials despite being the lowest-seeded boxer in his weight class, decked Vivas with a right-left combination near the end of the second round. Vivas barely survived the round and was on a short leash when the third stanza began. After 53 seconds of round three, referee Raul Caiz Jr had seen enough and waived it off. Vivas hadn’t previously been stopped.
Cleveland welterweight Tiger Johnson, a Tokyo Olympian, scored a fifth-round stoppage over San Antonio’s Kendo Castaneda. Johnson assumed control in the fourth round and sent Castaneda to his knees twice with body punches in the next frame. The second knockdown terminated the match. The official time was 2:00 of round five.
Johnson advanced to 15-0 (7 KOs). Castenada declined to 21-9.
Las Vegas junior welterweight Emiliano Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs) blasted out Stockton, California’s Giovanni Gonzalez in the second round. Vargas brought the bout to a sudden conclusion with a sweeping left hook that knocked Gonzalez out cold. The end came at the 2:00 minute mark of round two.
Gonzalez brought a 20-7-2 record which was misleading as 18 of his fights were in Tijuana where fights are frequently prearranged. However, he wasn’t afraid to trade with Vargas and paid the price.
Emiliano Vargas, with his matinee idol good looks and his boxing pedigree – he is the son of former U.S. Olympian and two-weight world title-holder “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas – is highly marketable and has the potential to be a cross-over star.
Eighteen-year-old Newark bantamweight Emmanuel “Manny” Chance, one of Top Rank’s newest signees, won his pro debut with a four-round decision over So Cal’s Miguel Guzman. Chance won all four rounds on all three cards, but this was no runaway. He left a lot of room for improvement.
There was a long intermission before the co-main and again before the main event, but the tedium was assuaged by a moving video tribute to George Foreman.
Photos credit: Al Applerose
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William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0

William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0
No surprise, once again William Zepeda eked out a win over the clever and resilient Tevin Farmer to remain undefeated and retain a regional lightweight title on Saturday.
There were no knockdowns in this rematch.
The Mexican punching machine Zepeda (33-0, 17 KOs) once more sought to overwhelm Farmer (33-8-1, 9 KOs) with a deluge of blows. This rematch by Golden Boy Promotions took place in the famous beach resort area of Cancun, Mexico.
It was a mere four months ago that both first clashed in Saudi Arabia with their vastly difference styles. This time the tropical setting served as the background which suited Zepeda and his lawnmower assaults. The Mexican fans were pleased.
Nothing changed in their second meeting.
Zepeda revved up the body assault and Farmer moved around casually to his right while fending off the Mexican fighter’s attacks. By the fourth round Zepeda was able to cut off Farmer’s escape routes and targeted the body with punishing shots.
The blows came in bunches.
In the fifth round Zepeda blasted away at Farmer who looked frantic for an escape. The body assault continued with the Mexican fighter pouring it on and Farmer seeming to look ready to quit. When the round ended, he waved off his corner’s appeals to stop.
Zepeda continued to dominate the next few rounds and then Farmer began rallying. At first, he cleverly smothered Zepeda’s body attacks and then began moving and hitting sporadically. It forced the Mexican fighter to pause and figure out the strategy.
Farmer, a Philadelphia fighter, showed resiliency especially when it was revealed he had suffered a hand injury.
During the last three rounds Farmer dug down deep and found ways to score and not get hit. It was Boxing 101 and the Philly fighter made it work.
But too many rounds had been put in the bank by Zepeda. Despite the late rally by Farmer one judge saw it 114-114, but two others scored it 116-112 and 115-113 for Zepeda who retains his interim lightweight title and place at the top of the WBC rankings.
“I knew he was a difficult fighter. This time he was even more difficult,” said Zepeda.
Farmer was downtrodden about another loss but realistic about the outcome and starting slow.
“But I dominated the last rounds,” said Farmer.
Zepeda shrugged at the similar outcome as their first encounter.
“I’m glad we both put on a great show,” said Zepeda.
Female Flyweight Battle
Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle edged past Texas fighter Marlen Esparza to win their showdown at flyweight by split decision after 10 rounds.
Valle moved up two weight divisions to meet Esparza who was slightly above the weight limit. Both showed off their contrasting styles and world class talent.
Esparza, a former unified flyweight world titlist, stayed in the pocket and was largely successful with well-placed jabs and left hooks. She repeatedly caught Valle in-between her flurries.
The current minimumweight world titlist changed tactics and found more success in the second half of the fight. She forced Esparza to make the first moves and that forced changes that benefited her style.
Neither fighter could take over the fight.
After 10 rounds one judge saw Esparza the winner 96-94, but two others saw Valle the winner 97-93 twice.
Will Valle move up and challenge the current undisputed flyweight world champion Gabriela Fundora? That’s the question.
Valle currently holds the WBC minimumweight world title.
Puerto Rico vs Mexico
Oscar Collazo (12-0, 9 KOs), the WBO, WBA minimumweight titlist, knocked out Mexico’s Edwin Cano (13-3-1, 4 KOs) with a flurry of body shots at 1:12 of the fifth round.
Collazo dominated with a relentless body attack the Mexican fighter could not defend. It was the Puerto Rican fighter’s fifth consecutive title defense.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 319: Rematches in Las Vegas, Cancun and More

Rematches are the bedrock for prizefighting.
Return battles between rival boxers always means their first encounter was riveting and successful at the box office.
Six months after their first brutal battle Mikaela Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs) and Sandy Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs) will slug it out again for the WBO welterweight world title this time on Saturday, March 29, at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.
ESPN will show the Top Rank card live.
“It’s important for women’s boxing to have these rivalries and this is definitely up there as one of the top ones,” Mayer told the BBC.
If you follow Mayer’s career you know that somehow drama follows. Whether its back-and-forth beefs with fellow American fighters or controversial judging due to nationalism in countries abroad. The Southern California native who now trains in Las Vegas knows how to create the drama.
For female fighters self-promotion is a necessity.
Most boxing promoters refuse to step out of the usual process set for male boxers, not for female boxers. Things remain the same and have been for the last 70 years. Social media has brought changes but that has made promoters do even less.
No longer are there press conferences, instead announcements are made on social media to be drowned among the billions of other posts. It is not killing but diluting interest in the sport.
Women innately present a different advantage that few if any promoters are recognizing. So far in the past 25 years I have only seen two or three promoters actually ignite interest in female fighters. They saw the advantages and properly boosted interest in the women.
The fight breakdown
Mayer has won world titles in the super featherweight and now the welterweight division. Those are two vastly different weight classes and prove her fighting abilities are based on skill not power or size.
Coaching Mayer since amateurs remains Al Mitchell and now Kofi Jantuah who replaced Kay Koroma the current trainer for Sandy Ryan.
That was the reason drama ignited during their first battle. Then came someone tossing paint at Ryan the day of their first fight.
More drama.
During their first fight both battled to control the initiative with Mayer out-punching the British fighter by a slender margin. It was a back-and-forth struggle with each absorbing blows and retaliating immediately.
New York City got its money’s worth.
Ryan had risen to the elite level rapidly since losing to Erica Farias three years ago. Though she was physically bigger and younger, she was out-maneuvered and defeated by the wily veteran from Argentina. In the rematch, however, Ryan made adjustments and won convincingly.
Can she make adjustments from her defeat to Mayer?
“I wanted the rematch straight away,” said Ryan on social media. “I’ve come to America again.”
Both fighters have size and reach. In their first clash it was evident that conditioning was not a concern as blows were fired nonstop in bunches. Mayer had the number of punches landed advantage and it unfolded with the judges giving her a majority decision win.
That was six months ago. Can she repeat the outcome?
Mayer has always had boiler-oven intensity. It’s not fake. Since her amateur days the slender Southern California blonde changes disposition all the way to red when lacing up the gloves. It’s something that can’t be taught.
Can she draw enough of that fire out again?
“I didn’t have to give her this rematch. I could have just sat it out, waited for Lauren Price to unify and fought for undisputed or faced someone else,” said Mayer to BBC. “That’s not the fighter I am though.”
Co-Main in Las Vegas
The co-main event pits Brian Norman Jr. (26-0, 20 KOs) facing Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KOs) in a contest for the WBO welterweight title.
Norman, 24, was last seen a year ago dissecting a very good welterweight in Giovani Santillan for a knockout win in San Diego. He showed speed, skill and power in defeating Santillan in his hometown.
Cuevas has beaten some solid veteran talent but this will be his big test against Norman and his first attempt at winning a world title.
Also on the Top Rank card will be Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and Emiliano Vargas, the son of Fernando Vargas, in separate bouts.
Golden Boy in Cancun
A rematch between undefeated William “Camaron” Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) and ex-champ Tevin Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) headlines the lightweight match on Saturday March 29, at Cancun, Mexico.
In their first encounter Zepeda was knocked down in the fourth round but rallied to win a split-decision over Farmer. It showed the flaws in Zepeda’s tornado style.
DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also includes a clash between Yokasta Valle the WBC minimumweight world titlist who is moving up to flyweight to face former flyweight champion Marlen Esparza.
Both Valle and Esparza have fast hands.
Valle is excellent darting in and out while Esparza has learned how to fight inside. It’s a toss-up fight.
Fights to Watch
Fri. DAZN 12 p.m. Cameron Vuong (7-0) vs Jordan Flynn (11-0-1); Pat Brown (0-0) vs Federico Grandone (7-4-2).
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. William Zepeda (32-0) vs Tevin Farmer (33-7-1); Yokasta Valle (32-3) vs Marlen Esparza (15-2).
Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Mikaela Mayer (20-2) vs Sandy Ryan (7-2-1); Brian Norman Jr. (26-0) vs Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1).
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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