Avila Perspective, Chap. 336: A Golden Boy Card Bleeds Into Another Busy Boxing Weekend

Golden Boy kicks off another busy week of summer boxing today.

Manny “Gucci” Flores (20-1, 16 KOs) a tall super bantamweight from Coachella meets San Diego’s undefeated Jorge Chavez (14-0, 8 KOs) in a showdown for a regional super bantamweight title on Thursday, July 24, at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, Calif.

DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card live.

For the past four years Flores (pictured on the left) and Chavez have headed down the same path toward this collision.

Golden Boy has built up a roster of young talent from the desert region. Another young firebrand entering the ring on Thursday’s card is Cayden Griffiths (5-0, 5 KOs) who literally grew up in the boxing ring.

Griffiths, with only five fights under his belt, is being cast into the deep waters against David “Lobo” Ramirez (18-5, 13 KOs) of Costa Rica in a welterweight match set for six rounds. Griffith is only 19 and Ramirez is 32.

Several other top prospects from the Golden Boy stable will be performing at Fantasy Springs. There’s a lot of boxing history at this casino. One of my favorite moments happened here 25 years ago when the late great Israel “Magnifico” Vazquez was at the casino about to eat a hot dog. He was there to support a stablemate when a fighter pulled out of a major scheduled fight . Someone saw Vazquez and asked him if he wanted to take that fighter’s spot. He said yes, dropped the hot dog and made weight after some desert running. He won the fight of course.

They don’t make fighters like Israel Vazquez any more.

Friday in Atlanta

Top female super welters Oshae Jones (8-0, 3 KOs) and Elia Carranza (11-1, 3 KOs) clash for the IBF and IBO world titles at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday, July 25. DAZN will stream the card that also features undefeated welterweights Morgan Griggie (8-0) and Maximus Garland (8-0) matching blows.

World Title Fight in Manhattan

Undefeated super welterweight Xander Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs) meets Jorge Garcia Perez (33-4, 26 KOs) for the vacant WBO world title on Saturday, July 26, at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York City.

ESPN will show the Top Rank card.

Puerto Rico’s Zayas faces the tricky Mexican Garcia Perez who managed to end Charles Conwell’s undefeated streak this past April in one of the upsets of the year.

It’s not an easy fight on paper, but Zayas has made most of his opponents look like tissue paper as he tears them apart. This is his biggest test and with a world title on the line it doesn’t get much bigger.

Puerto Rico is looking for a big man to win the world title and follow in the footsteps of Miguel Cotto and Felix Trinidad. Will Zayas be the one?

Also, Brooklyn’s Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) fights Mateus “the Beast” Heita (14-0, 9 KOs) of Namibia for the interim WBC featherweight title.

Carrington has been a solid draw but faces an unknown challenge in Heita. Anyone called the “Beast” has got to earn that nickname. Shu Shu will test him quickly.

Also on the same boxing card are undefeated Emiliano Vargas, Yan Santana-Guerrero, Steven Navarro and Rohan Polanco. There’s a lot of talent there.

Claressa in Detroit

Female’s top fighter pound for pound Claressa Shields (16-0, 3 KOs) meets New Zealand’s Lani Daniels (11-2-2, 1 KO) for all the heavyweight world titles on Saturday, July 26, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. DAZN will stream the Salita Promotion card.

“I have a very scary opponent in front of me. I have not taken her lightly and respect her. I have to rise to the occasion and bring out a different beast,” Shields said of Daniels.

Expect a sell-out at the arena. Aside from being the top woman fighter, her life story was featured in a motion picture called “The Fire Inside.” It tells of her tale to compete as a female in boxing and her journey toward becoming a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Shields entered the heavyweight division after finding it extremely difficult to find willing opponents in the super middleweight, middleweight and super welterweight divisions. Her manager Mark Taffet is credited in convincing her to enter the heavyweight division and it has opened up the door for more competition.

Daniels, a light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, threw down the gauntlet via social media and was answered by Shields. Now they are facing off.

“I am grateful to be here and have a voice. I am better at fighting than talking. I am about to fight the best woman on the planet. I am here for a reason and a purpose,” said Daniels.

This is Shields third fight in the heavyweight division. She has found her power while engaging with heavyweights. Her first heavyweight fight ended in a second-round knockout win against Vanessa LePage-Joanisse. Her second fight nearly ended in knockout too last February when she knocked down Danielle Perkins in the final round.

Also on the fight card is former world champion Tony Harrison (29-4-1) in a middleweight battle against Edward Ulloa Diaz (15-6) set for 10 rounds. Others on the fight card are super lightweights Samantha Worthington (11-0) versus Victoire Piteau (14-2); and featherweights Caroline Veyre (9-1) versus Licia Boudersa (24-3-2).

Fights to Watch (All times Pacific Time)

Thurs. DAZN 6 p.m. Manny Flores (20-1) vs Jorge Chavez (14-0).

Fri. DAZN 5 p.m. Oshae Jones (8-0) vs Elia Carranza (11-1).

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Claressa Shields (16-0) vs Lani Daniels (11-2-2).

Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Xander Zayas (22-0) vs Jorge Garcia Perez (33-4).

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