Media Day in Indio: GGG, Belasco, and Lucas Matthysse at the Forum

A new year brings new tidings about mega fights, old venues and an upcoming televised fight card this month.

Deep in the Coachella Desert a few prizefighters from the Golden Boy Promotions stable gathered with the media at the Indio Boys and Girls Club on Thursday, Jan. 11. Also in attendance was Golden Boy’s president Eric Gomez.

The titular head of Golden Boy told various media outlets that the rematch between Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has percolated to the degree that an announcement should be made very soon.

“We’re undecided about the venue,” said Gomez, adding that in the running is Las Vegas, New York and possibly Los Angeles. “But it looks like this May.”

However he added it’s not 100 percent. An announcement is forthcoming.

The last time GGG and Canelo faced off was in September 16 in Las Vegas. After 12 back and forth rounds the middleweight championship fight ended in a split draw. Both fighters are anxious for the rematch.

Belasco

Another question lingering among Los Angeles fight fans has been the possible return of local fighting at Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles. The venue has proven to be one of the most popular among fight fans since it was first opened to Golden Boy boxing three years ago.

“We’re almost done negotiating with Estrella TV,” said Gomez about the media outlet that had previous covered the boxing cards held at Belasco for the past three years. “We’re not going to do the same schedule as last time. We’re probably going to begin in March and end in October from now on. It seems to work for us. Doing it every month proved too much.”

Aside from Belasco, the other venue used regularly will continue to be Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio. The next show will probably be in February.

Forum Card

Smack in the middle of the media throng was Argentina’s Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (pictured) meeting reporters one by one inside the gym headed by the brothers Joel and Antonio Diaz. Matthysse is the main event at the Forum on Jan. 24.

Matthysse had previously trained with Diaz at the Southern California desert gym but it was forced upon him. This time coercion was not needed.

“I wanted to come here to prepare,” said Matthysse (38-4, 35 KOs) whose most recent fight took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He knocked out Emmanuel Taylor in five rounds on the Canelo-Chavez Jr. undercard on Cinco de Mayo. “I felt a lot better and stronger when I trained here before.”

Matthysse, 35, faces young gun Tewa Kiram (38-0, 28 KOs) a hard-hitting welterweight from Thailand who is only 25 years old.

“You never know what’s going to happen,” said Matthysse.

Also on the same card will be fellow Argentine Marcelino Nicolas Lopez, a super lightweight from Arribenos, Buenos Aires, who fought last October at the Fantasy Springs Casino against Mexico’s Pablo Cano.

“He’s the guy that knocked Pablo Cano out in two rounds,” said Joel Diaz who trains Lopez and Matthysse. “He’s got a big punch.”

Lopez (33-2-1, 18 KOs) is scheduled to fight on the Jan. 27 fight card at the Forum in Inglewood, but an opponent has not been named.

Photo credit: Tom Hogan / Hogan Photos /GBP

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