Northern California Notebook

By Mario Ortega Jr.

Unbeaten Martinez Meets Former Champ in Friant

Well regarded bantamweight prospect Raul Martinez is scheduled to defend his IBA Bantamweight title against reigning IBA Flyweight Champion Isidro Garcia in a twelve-round bout on July 25th, headlining a five-bout card at the Table Mountain Casino in Friant, California.

Martinez (23-0, 13 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas won the title in his last bout, an impressive ten-round decision over durable journeyman Benjamin Garcia in February. The Top Rank-promoted Martinez is currently ranked #8 at super flyweight by the WBO. Garcia (25-4-2, 8 KOs) of Los Angeles, California famously won the vacant WBO Flyweight title in 1999, when he was literally pulled from the crowd during the card and offered the bout with Jose Lopez. Garcia would go on to win the unlikely decision and make one successful defense, before dropping the title to Fernando Montiel via seventh-round knockout in December of 2000.

The six-round co-main event is a rare match of unbeaten heavyweights, as two Southern California-based prospects will meet up. 6’3” Hermann Binek (7-0, 6 KOs) of Long Beach, California by way of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany is slated to take on 6’6” Keith Spencer (4-0, 3 KOs) of Ventura, California. Binek, a former Australian National Amateur Champion, has not fought since 2003. Spencer last fought on June 5th, knocking out highly touted former amateur star Theron Johnson on a few days’ notice. Spencer won the Armed Forces Heavyweight Championship during his amateur run.

In a four-round super featherweight bout, former amateur standout Robert Vargas (0-0-1) of Santa Ana, California takes on Cesar Garcia (1-2-1, 1 KO) of Bell Gardens, California. Gabriel Talmajyan (1-0) of Glendale, California meets debuting Edgar Jauregui of Bakersfield, California in a four-round super featherweight contest. In the opening bout, Sergio Herrera (3-1) of Oxnard, California will take on debuting Jose Luis Mares of Lompoc, California in a four-round super flyweight clash.

A rematch of an exciting four-round majority draw between super flyweights David Gaspar (4-0-1, 4 KOs) of Los Angeles, California and Constancio Alvarado (1-1-4) of Salinas, California was originally pegged for this card, but Gaspar opted to take a bout in Mexico instead. Spectators at the Irvine Marriot in April threw crumpled dollar bills into the ring at the conclusion of their first bout, as is tradition at the venue when the crowd wants to show the fighters their appreciation. Alvarado will likely return to ring action in September.

Tickets for the event, dubbed “Melee on the Mountain” and promoted by Roy Englebrecht Events, are available online at ticketing.tmcasino.com.

Sacramento Prospects Back in Action on July 31st

Former amateur standouts Brandon Gonzales and Stan Martyniouk return to their co-featured roles at the Red Lion Hotel in Sacramento, California on July 31st. In a four-round super featherweight bout, Martyniouk (3-0, 1 KO) will meet Terrance Jett (3-10-2, 1 KO) of Las Vegas, Nevada. Gonzales (4-0, 4 KOs) is currently without an opponent for his four-round middleweight bout, after Thomas Rittenbaugh (3-2-2) recently withdrew. Both Gonzales and Martyniouk, based out of Sacramento, have looked impressive in their first two Red Lion Fight Night appearances this year.

Ultra-tough Ernesto Castaneda (10-7-1, 4 KOs) will meet once-beaten Billy Bailey (7-1, 2 KOs) in an eight-round light heavyweight bout. Castaneda is coming off one of his most impressive wins, a six-round decision of Christian Cruz in February. Bailey has reeled off seven straight wins since dropping his pro debut.

Two Vacaville natives, Geraldo Lopez and Maximilliano Becerra, will make their professional debuts on the 31st. Becerra meets Kith Kelly, who will also be making his pro debut, in a four-round lightweight contest. Lopez will take on John Red Tomahawk (3-4, 3 KOs) of Browning, Montana in a four-round welterweight bout.

Another of Sacramento’s fighting sons, Carlos Musquez (3-2-2, 3 KOs), gets a rare fight on his home turf in meeting Alex Viramontes (8-5, 3 KOs) of Riverside, California in a six-round light welterweight contest. Musquez is coming off a highly entertaining and disputable split decision loss to unbeaten Hector Serrano (7-0, 3 KOs). That bout took place near Serrano’s hometown. Viramontes is coming off a narrow points loss to well regarded Jesus “Chuy” Rodriguez (19-3, 5 KOs) in May.

Tickets for the event, promoted by Uppercut Promotions, are available online at Tickets.com.

Tony The Tiger Promotions Debuts

Popular former world champion Tony “The Tiger” Lopez will present his first professional boxing card August 8th at Raley Field in West Sacramento, California. In the main event, former title challenger Cosme Rivera (31-11-2, 22 KOs) of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico meets Bobby Joe Valdez (9-4-2, 4 KOs) of El Paso, Texas in a ten-round welterweight bout. Rivera is 1-2 in his last three bouts, but that includes solid efforts against highly touted prospects Andre Berto and Joel Julio, plus an eighth-round knockout of Raul Pinzon to win the WBA Fedecentro Welterweight title in his last fight. Valdez is a former Texas State Light Middleweight Champion.

Four-time California Golden Gloves Champion Michael Ortega of Sacramento is slated to make his long-awaited professional debut in a four-round welterweight bout on the undercard. Ortega, who trains out of the Mateen Boxing Club, was originally supposed to debut in June at the ARCO Arena, but opponents continually fell out. Ortega will take on Vazgen Simikyan of Glendale, California, who will also be making his pro debut. Word out of the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, where Simikyan trains, is that Ortega is in tough for his debut.

As of press time, the undercard was still being solidified. Colorful welterweight Hector Alatorre (15-4, 5 KOs) of Tulare, California is penciled in for a six-round bout. WBC #10 ranked super bantamweight/IFBA #8 ranked featherweight Jennifer Barber (7-0, 4 KOs) of Northridge, California is scheduled for a six-rounder as well. Leo Santa Cruz (5-0-1, 2 KOs) of Lincoln Heights, California is slated for a four-round bantamweight bout. Leo is the younger brother of former WBC Interim Lightweight Champion Jose Armando Santa Cruz. Ignacio Solorio (2-2) of Sacramento will take on Francisco Mora (1-0) of Baldwin Park, California a four-round super middleweight contest. Opponents and another pro bout will be added shortly. The card will also feature amateur boxing contests.

In an effort to make the event affordable for his hometown fight fans, Lopez has priced tickets as low as twenty dollars for general admission and ten dollars for children. Tickets for the event, dubbed “Night Out, Lights Out” and promoted by Tony The Tiger Promotions, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

Busy Julaton Eyes First Pro Title

Ana Julaton (4-0-1, 1 KO) of Daly City, California vies for her first professional title on August 21st at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California in taking on veteran Donna Biggers (19-8-1, 16 KOs) of Boiling Springs, South Carolina in an eight-round bout for the vacant WBC International Super Bantamweight title.

The road to the title fight led Julaton to two fights in ten days at the end of June and beginning of July. In the first bout, July 26th in Lemoore, Julaton made short work of Salina Jordan (2-5, 1 KO). Julaton dropped Jordan with an overhand right almost as soon as the opening bell rung. Jordan bravely rose to her feet, but did not have the defensive skills to keep Julaton off of her. The Jordan corner threw in the towel as the referee simultaneously came in to stop the bout, 37 seconds after it began. In the second bout, July 5th in Las Vegas, Julaton took on accomplished former amateur Johana Mendez (3-0-1, 1 KO). The bout would end in a split decision draw.

Despite the judges’ decision, Julaton was happy with her performance against Mendez. “I felt I did really well,” said Julaton days after the fight. “I had to initiate the offense. I felt I had most of the action. It feels good to say that I am still undefeated,” says Julaton. In fighting Mendez, Julaton had an opponent with a different strategy than any of her previous professional opponents had against her. “I give credit to my opponent. Whenever we were close, she would grab me,” says Julaton. Her advisor Angelo Reyes took exception to the scoring by the judge who had the fight for Mendez. “In my opinion, you could make an argument for a draw, but you can’t make one for Mendez winning,” said Reyes. “There is no way I saw it for Mendez. It is supposed to be effective aggressiveness and ring generalship [that wins a fight].”

When Julaton takes on Biggers in August, she will be in the ring with a vastly more experienced pro. “A fighter with five pro fights, fighting a fighter with 28 pro fights, you have to respect that,” says Reyes. Julaton’s recent bout with Mendez may serve her well in the Biggers fight. “I expect my opponent is going to have the same style as Mendez,” said Julaton. In any event, with the recent stretch behind her, Julaton sounds more prepared than ever for what lies ahead. “I felt it was a challenge, facing two different styles of fighting,” said Julaton. “I am real fortunate to have had the experience, it benefits me.”

Loaded Card Set For Tachi Palace in August

In addition to the Julaton-Biggers title bout, four ten round fights, including two for titles, and two other preliminary bouts are currently slated for the August 21st card in Lemoore.

Women’s pound-for-pound entrant Carina Moreno will defend her WBC Minimumweight title, and attempt to add the vacant WIBA Minimumweight title, against Yahaira Martinez (7-2) of Puerto Rico in a ten-round fight. Moreno (18-1, 5 KOs) of Watsonville, California recently went up to light flyweight to add the vacant IFBA title to her growing collection of belts, earning a decision win over former amateur teammate Eileen Olszewski in June. She drops back down to her natural weight class against Martinez, who recently lost a competitive decision to reigning WIBF Light Flyweight Champion Julia Sahin in Germany.

In the other title bout on the card, Don Juan Futrell (21-3-2, 10 KOs) of St. Louis, Missouri will take on Lowell Brownfield (10-4-1, 3 KOs) of San Fernando, California in a ten-round rematch for the vacant WBC USNBC Light Welterweight title. They first met on July 26th at the Tachi Palace in a bout that ended in a split decision. With the draw verdict, Futrell’s regional title was declared vacant.

In an interesting ten-round heavyweight fight, Manuel Quezada (23-4, 15 KOs) of Wasco, California looks to climb the rankings in taking on his toughest opponent to date, Teke Oruh (14-1-1, 6 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada. They were originally slated to meet on June 5th in San Jose, California, but Oruh fell ill the week of the fight. Quezada went on to decision late replacement John Clark.

Tachi favorite Dewey Cooper (16-1-3, 10 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada meets well traveled journeyman J.J. Corn (47-19-2, 26 KOs) of Menominee, Wisconsin in a ten-round cruiserweight bout. Cooper is coming off of a disappointing draw with sub .500 Terrance Smith at the Tachi Palace in July. Corn was stopped in two rounds by Armand Krajnc in a failed attempt at the WBO Middleweight title in 2000 and would seem to be fighting well out of his ideal weight class.

U.S. Olympic Trials finalist Aaron Alafa (1-0) of Visalia, California will take a second stab at making an impression as a pro, taking on Jose Pacheco (0-1-4) of Cudahy, California in a four-round bantamweight fight. Alafa came off the mat in his debut to scrape out a draw with winless Harvey Phillips in April. While Pacheco too is winless, he has been matched pretty tough in his early career.

Another U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier, Mike Dallas Jr. (4-0) of Bakersfield, California, will take on an opponent to be named in a four-round light welterweight bout. Dallas took on a fellow promising prospect last week in Artemio Reyes Jr., earning a unanimous decision. Tachi regular James Ventry (6-4-1, 6 KOs) of Niagara Falls, New York will take on an opponent to be announced in a six-round light welterweight bout.

Tickets for the event are available online at Tickets.com

Perez Homecoming on Hold

Super featherweight prospect Eloy Perez (11-0-2, 2 KOs) fights out of Salinas, California, but was born in Rainier, Washington. While his first nine fights took place in his home state, he was not fought in Washington since February of last year. Plans were for him to fight August 28th near Seattle, but the card has been scrapped. His next bout will likely land on August 27th at the Irvine Marriott Hotel in Irvine, California, although nothing is set.

Perez was dominant in his last ring appearance, outclassing Mexican slugger Jorge Pimentel over eight rounds in San Jose in June. As manager Kathy Garcia recently told the Monterey County Herald’s Dennis Taylor, plans are to move Perez towards bigger fights. “We expect him to be fighting for smaller titles, like an NABO or an NABF belt, within a year,” said Garcia. “And if everything goes right, we believe he'll be in position to fight for a world title within the next two years."

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com