So Cal Fight Chatter: Notes on a Crowded February

Gyms are heating up all over Southern California and the first fight card for February will take place in the Palm Springs area. Many more will follow this month.

A boxing fight card takes place Saturday Feb. 10, at Agua Caliente Resort and Casino in Rancho Mirage, Calif. It will not be televised. But it kicks off the year with both amateur and professional boxing in an all-night affair.

A nine-bout pro boxing card presented by World Fighting Championships will also feature six amateur bouts at the casino theater. In the past the promotion company has brought to the boxing ring hot prospect Devin Haney and two-division world champion Kaliesha West to perform on its cards.

Several of the fighters on this fight card come from the desert region including featherweight Javier Padilla from Coachella. Other fighters on the card will be Luis Cervantes, Adan Ochoa and Jacob Lerma. Doors open on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Lounge Theater.

For more information go to this link: www.hotwatercasino.com/wfc-boxing

Superfly 2 and Ancajas

The return of the Superfly tournament doesn’t take place until Feb. 24, but with the arrival of IBF super flyweight titlist Jerwin Ancajas to Southern California last week it quickly raised the question if he will be included in future showdowns between super flyweight world champions.

“No,” said Top Rank’s Bob Arum last week before the Filipino southpaw put on a sizzling display in Texas on a nationally televised show. He was quick, agile and packed power in both fists that led to a knockout win over Mexican challenger Israel Gonzalez.

Perhaps the emphatic win can convince the Top Rank think tank to go in another direction, but Arum said the matchmakers will be pairing Ancajas with credible but strategic fights.

“Perhaps down the road we would consider putting him in against those others,” said Arum.

Ancajas is promoted by Manny Pacquiao and comparisons are always made between him and any Filipino prizefighter. Style-wise it simply doesn’t exist. Both are lefties but other than that, they do not share the same fighting style or the same philosophy based on what I saw. Ancajas does indeed have talent, but only a few in history ever had that blazing speed and power that PacMan possessed.

Can Ancajas match blows with Japan’s Naoya Inoue or Thailand’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai? That’s a tremendous leap from Israel Gonzalez to the two monsters from Asia. But it would be worth it to see him against either in a winner-take-all tournament down the near future.

SoCal Fight Cards

Next week, boxing officially begins around the same time as Major League Baseball’s spring training. Boxing cards are lining up one after another.

Orange County kicks off the week when Roy Englebrecht Events brings boxing on Thursday Feb. 15, at the OC Hangar. Bantamweights to lightweights are featured on the popular fight cards in Costa Mesa, Calif. The doors open at 7 p.m. For more information call (949) 760-3131.

Ontario, Calif. is the next location for a fight card as Thompson Boxing Promotions opens up the year at the Doubletree Hotel once again. The Southern California-based company has tremendous success finding hidden talent. On Friday Feb. 16, they stage their first fight card of the year.

Some of the fighters scheduled on this Ontario fight card are Erick Ituarte, Isaac Zarate and Ruben Torres.

Doors open at 7 p.m. For more information call (714) 935-0900.

In Studio City, on Friday Feb. 16, Bash Promotions has their 2018 kickoff at Sportsmen’s Lodge. Slotted to fight on the card are Jessy Martinez, Michael Norato, and Miguel Alcantara. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Steve Bash, the promoter, has been putting on quality fight cards for a number of years in the San Fernando Valley and sometimes the San Gabriel Valley. The Sportsmen’s Lodge is a great venue to see fights. It’s located right next to Jerry’s Deli on Ventura Boulevard.

For tickets go to www.valleyfightnight.com

Jojo at Fantasy Springs

The following weekend continues a heavy duty continuation of boxing beginning with a fight card at Fantasy Springs on Thursday Feb. 22. Jojo Diaz is the main event and will be supported by Edgar Valerio and Vergil Ortiz (pictured with his well-known trainer Joel Diaz on his left). It’s the first show of the year at Fantasy Springs Casino which has provided some entertaining fight cards like last summer’s Mauricio Herrera vs. Jesus Soto Karass war.

Diaz, a former US Olympian, will be facing Mexico’s Victor Terrazas for the vacant NABO featherweight title in a 10-round bout. If successful, it looks like he will be slotted for a world title fight.

The rest of the card is packed with Golden Boy’s best prospects. ESPN will be televising. For more information call (800) 827-2946.

Superfly 2

The Forum will be the location for Superfly 2 on Saturday Feb. 24. The 360 Promotions and Zanfer event features some of the best super fly contenders and includes WBC super fly world titlist Srisaket Sor Rungvisai defending against Mexico’s talented Juan Francisco Estrada in the main event. It should be riveting.

In the first Superfly card that took place last summer there were some spectacular fights including the shocking knockout win by Rungvisai over Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez at the StubHub Center. Now the heavy-hitting Thai fighter faces Mexico’s best super fly Estrada who can take a punch as well as give a punch. It could be the Fight of the Year even though it’s probably too early in the year.

Two other world title fights are on the stacked card including Filipino Donnie Nietes defending the IBF flyweight belt against Argentina’s Juan Carlos Reveco. Also, veteran Brian Viloria shoots for the vacant WBA flyweight world title when he faces Ukraine’s Artem Dalakian.

The return of popular Carlos Cuadras takes place when he fights McWilliams Arroyo for the WBC Silver super fly title. That’s a lot of proven talent on one fight card.

For more information (800) 745-3000.

Final words

That’s about it for February. The month of March will be even crazier with the addition of Belasco fight cards and Leo Santa Cruz’s promotion company called Last Round Promotions doing boxing sets in Ontario, California.

So Cal Fight Chatter: Notes on a Crowded February

Gyms are heating up all over Southern California and the first fight card for February will take place in the Palm Springs area. Many more will follow this month.

A boxing fight card takes place Saturday Feb. 10, at Agua Caliente Resort and Casino in Rancho Mirage, Calif. It will not be televised. But it kicks off the year with both amateur and professional boxing in an all-night affair.

A nine-bout pro boxing card presented by World Fighting Championships will also feature six amateur bouts at the casino theater. In the past the promotion company has brought to the boxing ring hot prospect Devin Haney and two-division world champion Kaliesha West to perform on its cards.

Several of the fighters on this fight card come from the desert region including featherweight Javier Padilla from Coachella. Other fighters on the card will be Luis Cervantes, Adan Ochoa and Jacob Lerma. Doors open on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Lounge Theater.

For more information go to this link: www.hotwatercasino.com/wfc-boxing

Superfly 2 and Ancajas

The return of the Superfly tournament doesn’t take place until Feb. 24, but with the arrival of IBF super flyweight titlist Jerwin Ancajas to Southern California last week it quickly raised the question if he will be included in future showdowns between super flyweight world champions.

“No,” said Top Rank’s Bob Arum last week before the Filipino southpaw put on a sizzling display in Texas on a nationally televised show. He was quick, agile and packed power in both fists that led to a knockout win over Mexican challenger Israel Gonzalez.

Perhaps the emphatic win can convince the Top Rank think tank to go in another direction, but Arum said the matchmakers will be pairing Ancajas with credible but strategic fights.

“Perhaps down the road we would consider putting him in against those others,” said Arum.

Ancajas is promoted by Manny Pacquiao and comparisons are always made between him and any Filipino prizefighter. Style-wise it simply doesn’t exist. Both are lefties but other than that, they do not share the same fighting style or the same philosophy based on what I saw. Ancajas does indeed have talent, but only a few in history ever had that blazing speed and power that PacMan possessed.

Can Ancajas match blows with Japan’s Naoya Inoue or Thailand’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai? That’s a tremendous leap from Israel Gonzalez to the two monsters from Asia. But it would be worth it to see him against either in a winner-take-all tournament down the near future.

SoCal Fight Cards

Next week, boxing officially begins around the same time as Major League Baseball’s spring training. Boxing cards are lining up one after another.

Orange County kicks off the week when Roy Englebrecht Events brings boxing on Thursday Feb. 15, at the OC Hangar. Bantamweights to lightweights are featured on the popular fight cards in Costa Mesa, Calif. The doors open at 7 p.m. For more information call (949) 760-3131.

Ontario, Calif. is the next location for a fight card as Thompson Boxing Promotions opens up the year at the Doubletree Hotel once again. The Southern California-based company has tremendous success finding hidden talent. On Friday Feb. 16, they stage their first fight card of the year.

Some of the fighters scheduled on this Ontario fight card are Erick Ituarte, Isaac Zarate and Ruben Torres.

Doors open at 7 p.m. For more information call (714) 935-0900.

In Studio City, on Friday Feb. 16, Bash Promotions has their 2018 kickoff at Sportsmen’s Lodge. Slotted to fight on the card are Jessy Martinez, Michael Norato, and Miguel Alcantara. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Steve Bash, the promoter, has been putting on quality fight cards for a number of years in the San Fernando Valley and sometimes the San Gabriel Valley. The Sportsmen’s Lodge is a great venue to see fights. It’s located right next to Jerry’s Deli on Ventura Boulevard.

For tickets go to www.valleyfightnight.com

Jojo at Fantasy Springs

The following weekend continues a heavy duty continuation of boxing beginning with a fight card at Fantasy Springs on Thursday Feb. 22. Jojo Diaz is the main event and will be supported by Edgar Valerio and Vergil Ortiz (pictured with his famous trainer Joel Diaz on his left). It’s the first show of the year at Fantasy Springs Casino which has provided some entertaining fight cards like last summer’s Mauricio Herrera vs. Jesus Soto Karass war.

Diaz, a former US Olympian, will be facing Mexico’s Victor Terrazas for the vacant NABO featherweight title in a 10-round bout. If successful, it looks like he will be slotted for a world title fight.

The rest of the card is packed with Golden Boy’s best prospects. ESPN will be televising. For more information call (800) 827-2946.

Superfly 2

The Forum will be the location for Superfly 2 on Saturday Feb. 24. The 360 Promotions and Zanfer event features some of the best super fly contenders and includes WBC super fly world titlist Srisaket Sor Rungvisai defending against Mexico’s talented Juan Francisco Estrada in the main event. It should be riveting.

In the first Superfly card that took place last summer there were some spectacular fights including the shocking knockout win by Rungvisai over Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez at the StubHub Center. Now the heavy-hitting Thai fighter faces Mexico’s best super fly Estrada who can take a punch as well as give a punch. It could be the Fight of the Year even though it’s probably too early in the year.

Two other world title fights are on the stacked card including Filipino Donnie Nietes defending the IBF flyweight belt against Argentina’s Juan Carlos Reveco. Also, veteran Brian Viloria shoots for the vacant WBA flyweight world title when he faces Ukraine’s Artem Dalakian.

The return of popular Carlos Cuadras takes place when he fights McWilliams Arroyo for the WBC Silver super fly title. That’s a lot of proven talent on one fight card.

For more information (800) 745-3000.

Final words

That’s about it for February. The month of March will be even crazier with the addition of Belasco fight cards and Leo Santa Cruz’s promotion company called Last Round Promotions doing boxing sets in Ontario, California.

Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel.

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