The Avila Perspective Chap. 11: Busy Weekend, Title Fights and Old Warriors

It’s beginning to be a cliché.

Southern California and its neighboring state Arizona are staging a gang of fight cards beginning Thursday and continuing through Saturday. Once again boxing cards are stacking up like cars during rush hour in downtown L.A.

A pipeline of boxers continues its stream from Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America to places like Phoenix, Rancho Mirage, Ontario, Corona and Costa Mesa this week to join local fighters in the sport of prizefighting.

Let those fight parties begin.

Costa Mesa

On Thursday, Aug. 23, Roy Englebrecht Events stages a fight card featuring Uzbekistan boxer Murodjon Akhmadaliev (3-0) meeting Chile’s Ramon Contreras (15-6) in a 12- round fight for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental super bantamweight title at the OC Hangar in Costa Mesa, Calif.

Several other fights are planned on the boxing card that begins at 7 p.m. For more information go to: www.Socafights.com.

Englebrecht has been promoting fight cards for more than 20 years now. His team also works with Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions, GGG Promotions and K2 Promotions. They have a strong conduit with European prizefighters. The next Gennady Golovkin might be one of those guys fighting on Thursday. You just never know.

Heavyweights in Corona, Calif.

On Friday Aug. 24, Thompson Boxing Promotions provides its now annual outdoor boxing card at Omega Products International in Corona.

Headlining the event will be Russian heavyweight Andrey Fedosov (30-3, 25 KOs) meeting Mexico’s Miguel Cubos (11-18, 8 KOs) in an eight round bout.

Despite winning the ESPN Boxcino heavyweight tournament back in May 2015, and capturing the WBA Fedelatin title in 2016, Fedosov can’t seem to find someone willing to face him. Enter Thompson Boxing which has the heavyweight headlining the card. The Russian’s last loss was to Bryant Jennings in 2013 due to a cut.

Heavyweights are a valuable commodity and always have been. With the heavyweight division wide open more than a few promoters are jumping into the action. Thompson Boxing wants in too. Fedosov has six consecutive knockout wins.

Also on the same card, another heavyweight match showcases Elvis Garcia (3-0) versus Oswaldo Ortega (3-8). For more information call (714) 935-0900. The fight card begins at 7:45 p.m.

Top Rank – ESPN+

Two world championship bouts take place on Saturday Aug. 25, in Glendale, Arizona as WBO lightweight titlist Raymundo Beltran (35-7-1, 21 KOs) makes his first title defense against Puerto Rico’s Jose Pedraza (24-1, 12 KOs). Pedraza (pictured) is a sharpshooting former world titlist who lost to Gervonta Davis. It’s not an easy fight for either.

Beltran’s road to the world title has been a long arduous journey filled with disappointments and sadness. When he fought Ricky Burns in Scotland to a draw in 2013, many, even those from that country felt Beltran had done more than enough to win. Then, his failure to make weight against Takahro Ao in 2015 for the world title was further clouded despite winning when he failed a drug test. Now 37, does Beltran still have enough?

The other world title clash pits WBO super bantamweight titlist Isaac Dogboe (19-0, 13 KOs) in his first title defense against Japan’s Hidenori Otake (31-2-3, 14 KOs). This is Otake’s second attempt at a world title. He lost to Scott Quigg in 2014 and at age 37 it’s probably his last try at a strap. Meanwhile Dogboe, 23, got off the canvas to beat up and take the title from Jessie Magdaleno last April.

Both world title bouts take place at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona and will be shown on ESPN+.

Also on the same card will be super talented Mikaela Mayer (6-0) versus Edina Kiss (14-7) in a six round super featherweight clash.

Rancho Mirage

On Saturday, Aug. 5, World Fighting Championships brings another boxing card to the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, Calif. and features almost a dozen pro bouts and several amateur bouts.

The main event pits undefeated Francisco Ochoa (11-0) versus Eduardo Reyes (9-13) in a six round super bantamweight battle.

Most of the prizefighters are young prospects from the Inland Empire region that stretches from Pomona, California to the desert areas of Coachella, Calif. There’s plenty of boxing talent.

Desert Action

Speaking of desert casinos, what is it about Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio that brings out the best fight in prizefighting?

Last week’s battle of machismo between Andrew Cancio and Dardan Zenunaj in a super featherweight clash was epic. It was a year ago in August that another such battle took place when Mauricio Herrera and Jesus Soto Karass engaged in a similar fistic war. Crowds actually stood and cheered for both fighters in this year’s and last year’s affair.

Also on last week’s same Fantasy Springs fight card was Japan’s Yoshihiro Kamegai who received a very warm welcome from fight fans before he fought. It’s a marked example that warriors are never forgotten by real fight fans.

Kamegai gave his heart and soul to the fans when he fought Miguel Cotto and Jesus Soto Karass the past two years. Though he lost to Greg Vendetti by decision, fans gathered around the tunnel to sign autographs with the Japanese warrior.

Fighters like Kamegai, Zenunaj, and Cancio carry the torch passed on by other warriors from the past such as Cantu Robleto, Speedy Dado and Midget Wolgast in the 1930s to Gaspar Ortega, Jerry Quarry, and Scrap Iron Johnson in the late 1960s. None of these were world champions, but they fought with every fiber and it’s a reason that Southern California has become the world’s heart and soul of boxing.

Speaking of Scrap Iron Johnson, aside from having one of the coolest nicknames, if you ever saw him fight he was like a human tree stump. He could take a punch and many a heavyweight knew that. Johnson fought almost everyone in the heavyweight division except Muhammad Ali. Though he had more losses than wins in his career, anyone who fought and defeated old Scrap Iron knew they had passed a major test. Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Quarry in particular had major clashes with Johnson.

Sadly, Johnson passed away two years ago in Oklahoma City. He was a true warrior and his legions of fans still remember him. As mentioned before, warriors are never forgotten.

Photo credit: Peter Amador / Top Rank

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