Martinez, Garcia Weigh-in
for IBA Title Bout
By Mario Ortega Jr. (scaleside)
Friday night at the Table
Mountain Casino in Friant, California, touted
prospect and reigning IBA Bantamweight Champion
Raul Martinez takes on former WBO Flyweight
Champion Isidro Garcia in a twelve-round bout
for the vacant IBA Super Flyweight title. The
Martinez-Garcia showdown headlines a five-bout
card. Fighters weighed-in Thursday afternoon
at the World Sports Café in Fresno, California.
Martinez (23-0, 13 KOs) of
San Antonio, Texas has been impressive in his
last two outings, scoring decision wins over
accomplished veteran Alex Baba and rugged journeyman
Benjamin Garcia to win the title. The Top Rank-promoted
Martinez has bounce between the bantamweight
and super flyweight divisions. Garcia (25-4-2,
8 KOs) of Los Angeles, California has gone 3-1
since returning to the ring from a four-year
layoff in 2007. His lone loss during that stretch
was to super prospect Abner Mares. Last April,
in only his second fight back, Garcia claimed
the IBA Flyweight title with a twelve-round
decision win over Cesar Lopez at the Table Mountain
Casino. Martinez weighed in at 114.8 pounds.
Garcia scaled 114.4.
In the intriguing co-main
event, undefeated heavyweights Hermann Binek
(7-0, 6 KOs) of Long Beach, California by way
of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany and Keith Spencer
(4-0, 3 KOs) of Ventura, California will clash
for six scheduled rounds. Binek, a former Australian
National Amateur Champion, has drawn a tough
opponent for his first bout since 2003. Spencer,
a former Armed Forces Heavyweight Champion,
is coming off a devastating second-round knockout
of touted prospect Theron Johnson in June. The
6’6” Spencer weighed in at 257.7.
The 6’3” Binek came in at 234.8.
In a four-round super featherweight
bout, 2004 National Junior Olympic Champion
Robert Vargas (0-0-1) of Santa Ana, California
takes on Cesar Garcia (1-2-1, 1 KO) of Bell
Gardens, California. Vargas weighed in at 131.
Garcia scaled 130.
Gabriel Talmajyan (1-0) of
Glendale, California meets debuting Edgar Jauregui
of Bakersfield, California in a four-round super
featherweight contest. Talmajyan weighed in
at 130. Jauregui came in at 129.6.
Sergio Herrera (3-1) of Oxnard,
California was scheduled to take on Jose Luis
Mares of Lompoc, California in a four-round
super flyweight clash, but Mares fell out after
failing his medical exam. A replacement has
yet to be found for Herrera. Herrera weighed
in at 117 unofficially, but will have to step
on the scale again if an opponent is found.
Tickets for the event, promoted
by Roy Englebrecht Events, are available online
at ticketing.tmcasino.com.
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached
at ortega15rds@lycos.com
Quick Weigh-In Results:
IBA Super Flyweight Championship, 12 Rounds:
Martinez 114.8
Garcia 114.4
Heavyweights, 6 Rounds:
Binek 234.8
Spencer 257.7
Super Featherweights, 4 Rounds:
Vargas 131
Garcia 130
Super Featherweights, 4 Rounds:
Talmajyan 130
Jauregui 129.6
Super Flyweights, 4 Rounds:
Herrera 117*
*will weigh-in if an
opponent is found
