SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – Former WBA Welterweight kingpin James Page is back after over eleven years away from the ring as he takes on journeyman Rahman Yusubov in the six-round main event at the Four Points by Sheraton Sacramento Airport tomorrow night. Fighters for the six-fight pro portion of the card weighed in Friday afternoon at the venue.
Page (25-4, 19 KOs) of Pittsburg, California was last in the ring in February of 2001, as he failed to reclaim his WBA title in a bout with Andrew “Six Heads” Lewis via seventh-round stoppage in Las Vegas, Nevada. The title had been vacated when Page failed to show up for a mandatory defense against Lewis. Page had claimed his title in October of 1998 with a win over Andrey Pestryaev in Bercy, France before making three successful defenses.
Unfortunately for Page his life took a curious turn in late 2001 as he was arrested for a series of completed or attempted bank robberies. At the still prime age of 32, Page was sent to prison with an eleven year sentence. Now 42-years-old, Page attempts an improbable comeback with Rahman Yusubov (8-9, 6 KOs) of Dallas, Texas by way of Baku, Azerbaijan as his first assignment.
On paper, Yusubov seems like an excellent selection for a fighter in Page’s position. Yusubov has dropped his last seven fights since returning from Azerbaijan to campaign in the United States. However, in fairness to Yusubov, four of those opponents were undefeated, two had only one previous defeat and the seventh is currently a world ranked contender in Carson Jones. Page weighed in at 153-pounds Friday, while Yusubov came in at 156.
Fighting within driving distance of his Hayward, California home for the first time as a professional is former amateur standout Aaron Coley (3-0, 2 KOs). Coley will take on Chad Dietmeyer (1-1) of Chula Vista, California in a four-round light middleweight bout. Coley, who turned pro in April, weighed in at 156-pounds. Dietmeyer, who has a reported MMA record of 8-2, also weighed in at 156-pounds.
Alberto Torres (1-0) of Sacramento will take on Christian Navarro (0-1) of Los Angeles, California in a four-round super featherweight bout. Torres turned pro with an exciting four-round decision over Christian Silva in Sacramento back in August. Fresh from getting his blood drawn across town, Navarro, who turned pro in July, weighed in at 128-pounds, as did Torres.
Fresh off a dominant performance in October, exciting light welterweight prospect Aldwayne Simpson (3-0, 2 KOs) of Richmond, California returns to the ring against Joaquin Chavez (1-4-2, 1 KO) of Los Angeles in a four-rounder. Simpson, who outboxed Jovanni Rubio en route to a wide four-round decision in San Rafael on October 19th, weighed in at 142-pounds. Chavez, who has a misleading record considering his previous opponents had combined for only one previous loss, came in at 141-pounds.
Emerging super bantamweight prospect John Abella (3-0, 2 KOs) of Sacramento fights in his hometown for the fourth straight time in his career as he takes on journeyman Salvador Cifuentez (1-4) of Chula Vista in a four-rounder. Abella turned pro in June and has already reeled off three wins in front of his supportive local fan base. Cifuentez finds himself across the ring from a legitimate prospect for the fifth time in his career. The four fighters with wins over Cifuentez are currently a combined 27-0. Abella and Cifuentez both weighed in at 124-pounds.
Starting off the pro card will be debuting Terri Lowe of Sacramento against Maricela Cornejo (1-0) of Las Vegas, Nevada in a four-round middleweight bout. Lowe, who teaches kindergarten at Foulks Ranch Elementary School in nearby Elk Grove, weighed in at 154-pounds. Cornejo, who made her debut in August with a four-round majority decision over Mia Henderson in Atlanta, Georgia, scaled 156-pounds Friday.
Three amateur contests are scheduled to open the show. Fighters for the amateur portion of the bill will weigh in tomorrow.
Tickets for the event, promoted by O.P.P., are available online at OPPBoxing.com.
Quick Weigh-in Results:
Light Middleweights, 6 Rounds
Page 153
Yusubov 156
Light Middleweights, 4 Rounds
Coley 156
Dietmeyer 156
Super Featherweights, 4 Rounds
Torres 128
Navarro 128
Light Welterweights, 4 Rounds
Simpson 142
Chavez 141
Super Bantamweights, 4 Rounds
Abella 124
Cifuentez 124
Middleweights, 4 Rounds
Lowe 156
Cornejo 158
Photo by Erik Killin
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.
