Gutierrez and Melendez Headline LA Fight Club Sept. 2

July 31, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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LA FIGHT CLUB will be kicking off Mexican Independence Day month by continuing to bring exciting match-up’s to Southern California on Friday, September 2. Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico native Antonio “La Joya” Gutierrez (20-2-1, 9 KOs)taking on Manati, Puerto Rico’s Jorge “Destroyer” Melendez (28-6-1, 26 KOs) in a 10-round classic Mexico vs. Puerto Rico middleweight main event. Live from Downtown Los Angeles’ Belasco Theater and transmitted nationally exclusively on Estrella TV’s Boxeo Estelar starting at 10:00 p.m. ET /7:00 p.m. PT, the popular L.A. based series will also feature some of the most exciting prospects to watch in the sport.

In the co-main event, Buena Park, California’s rising knockout artist Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez (14-0, 12 KOs) will square off against Phoenix, Arizona’s Jonathan “Johnny” Corrales (8-3-2, 3 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout sure to bring a lot of action to the evening. Also, part of the undercard, and part of the RingTVLive.com stream beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT, Lamont Roach Jr. (11-0, 3 KOs), of Washington D.C. will represent the East Coast in a schedule eight-round super featherweight fight against an opponent to be named shortly.

“Everyone loves a great Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry, which is why pride will be on the line for this edition of LA FIGHT CLUB. Antonio Gutierrez is stepping back in the ring to defend Tijuana against Puerto Rican knockout artist Jorge Melendez for an all-out fiesta on September 2nd. We will also have one of boxing’s fastest rising stars, C
hristian “Chimpa” Gonzalez as the co-main event to show off his talents and knockout abilities to his rapidly growing fan base,” said Oscar De La Hoya, chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “For all local fans looking to celebrate Mexican Independence pride this month, Golden Boy Promotions is offering Flex Passes starting at $20. Get your hands on a pass today because these will go fast!”

Tickets for LA FIGHT CLUB starting at only $20 with Flex Passes for multiple fight packages, Group Tickets and Knockout Experience upgrade are available for purchase now at www.goldenboypromotions.com, the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page, by calling 213-233-2957 or by emailing LAFightClub@goldenboypromotions.com. Mark your calendars and purchase tickets in advance before they sell out for the remaining dates taking place August 5, August 19, September 2, October 7, November 4 and December 2.

A true Tijuana fighter, Antonio “La Joya” Gutierrez’s relentless spirit has shown with his nearly perfect record, including a knockout over Mexican knockout artist Gilberto “Gil” Flores Hernandez. With 20 wins under his belt, Gutierrez can’t wait to get back into the ring and prove he has what it takes to move up to become a top contender in the middleweight division. Gutierrez was last in the ring taking on “King” Gabriel Rosado on the undercard of Fight of the Year candidate, Francisco Vargas vs. Orlando Salido. Although, result was not what the 22-year-old hoped for, but he won the hearts of the crowd that night and is now ready to get on the winners column as he headlines LA FIGHT CLUB on September 2.

A power puncher who delivers the knockouts Puerto Rican fight fans love, 27-year-old Jorge “Destroyer” Melendez has won several regional titles over the years. The fighter was last seen in the ring defeating Antonio Rodriguez in June 2015 via first round knockout and taking on Steve Martinez on December 2015. In his first fight of 2016, Melendez will be looking to start off with a victory when he faces his toughest opponent to date in Antonio Gutierrez on September 2.

Boxing’s next big thing, Buena Park’s Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez won his first seven bouts in Mexico by first-round knockout. Since then, he has defeated tough competition by way of knockout, including seasoned fighters David Rodela, Alejandro Ochoa, and Luis Ruiz Lizarraga Jr. On Saturday, June 4, “Chimpa” will had his fans on edge as he went the distance for the second time in his career defeating John Gemino via unanimous decision.

A professional since 2011, Jonathan “Jhonny” Corrales is riding a six-fight winning streak since 2014. Corrales is a battle tested fight than has fought all of his fights in Mexico thus far, and will be looking to make an impression in his U.S. debut on September 2. He was last seen in an exciting fight against Abraham Montoya in June 2016, which resulted in a split decision draw. Set to face a hard puncher in Christian Gonzalez, Corrales knows that winning would put him on the map for a chance at a title.

A stellar amateur who won multiple amateur titles before turning professional in 2014, 20-year-old Roach has barely lost a round on his way up the 130-pound ladder. 2015 was a busy year for Roach Jr. as he took on and defeated Herbert “Sensational” Quartey, Jose Miguel Castro, Christian Santibanez and Jose “Flash” Bustos. The super featherweight doesn’t plan to slow down as 2016 has already proven to be a good year with a victory over Jesus Lule on the under card of Luis Ortiz vs. Tony Thompson in March 2016 and an impressive unanimous decision victory Mexico’s Jose Arturo Esquivel on the non-televised under card of Canelo vs. Khan at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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Ramirez Returns Sept. 30

July 31, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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After two thrilling victories at his second home at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Andrew “El Chango” Cancio (17-3-2, 13 KOs) of Blythe, Calif. will return to on Saturday, September 30 to fight in a 10-round featherweight main event live transmitted nationally, exclusively on Estrella TV’s Boxeo Estelar. The 27-year old standout previously defeated Nicaraguan warrior Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado and former two-time world champion Hugo Fidel “El Increible” Cazares via knockout at the venue and excited the Coachella Valley boxing fans.

In the televised co-main event, Julian “El Camaron” Ramirez (16-1, 8 KOs) of East Los Angeles will make his highly anticipated return after a exhilarating battle on the Francisco Vargas vs. Orlando Salido undercard on June 4. The stellar featherweight fighter, who has already garnered a huge fan base in Southern California, will return to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino for the second time in his career in a sure non-stop action 10-round featherweight event.

“Fight fans can get ready for another thrilling night of action-packed boxing events featuring rising stars in the sport,” said Oscar De La Hoya, chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Andrew Cancio has been on a knockout streak for the past year, taking down powerful opponents such as Hugo Fidel Cazares and Rene Alvarado. We expect to see great things from this talented fighter when he fights as the main event. Co-headlining this card, we have fan favorite Julian Ramirez, a tough, ruthless fighter who is eager to get back in the ring and put on a spectacular show to make a name for himself come September 30 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.”

Golden Boy Promotions has also put together top boxing prospects for the non-televised undercard, which will stream live on RingTVLive.com. First, Bastie Samir (14-0-1, 14 KOs) of Las Vegas will fight in a six-round super middleweight match and East LA’s Jonathan “Thunder” Navarro (6-0, 5 KOs) will participate in a six-round super lightweight fight. Opponents will be announced shortly.

Tickets go on sale, Friday, August 5 at 10:00 a.m. PT and are priced at $25, $35 and $45 and available for purchase now at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Blythe, Calif. native Andrew “Chango” Cancio made his professional debut in 2006, remaining undefeated for ten bouts before his first loss. Cancio’s power has brought him thirteen of seventeen wins by way of knockout, a strength he brought to the ring against Hugo Fidel “El Increible” Cazares in March by taking the knockout victory in the third round. With this impressive win, Cancio hopes to pursue his goal of becoming a featherweight world champion as he fights at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino for the eighth time in his professional boxing career.

The great nephew of boxing legend Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez, East LA’s Julian “El Camaron” Ramirez picked up the family business as a youngster and quickly made a name for himself on the amateur scene. Yet despite his amateur success, it was clear from the moment that he made his professional debut in 2012 that his destiny was to become a world champion. After a heart wrenching loss this past June for the NABF title to Abraham “El Chamaco” Lopez as the co-main event to Francisco Vargas vs. Orlando Salido on HBO Boxing After Dark®, Ramirez will be returning to the ring with a vengeance to gain a victory and prove he is one of the best fighters in the featherweight division.

Hailing all the way from Ghana, Bastie Samir now calls Las Vegas his home and is eager to make a name for himself as a powerful super middleweight fighter. So far, Samir has maintained an undefeated status and is hopeful to keep it that way as he fights for the second time at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, when he knocked out opponent Greg Hackett in the first round. With a 93% knockout record, fight fans can expect to see Samir’s power and strength come September 30.

Jonathan “Thunder” Navarro representing East Los Angeles has lived up to his nickname thus far, as the 19-year-old has ended five of his six wins by knockout. Having most recently taken down Marc Torres by way of technical knockout on June 4 at The StubHub Center on the undercard of Francisco Vargas vs. Orlando Salido, this fan favorite is hungry to make a name for himself in the boxing scene by fighting at Fantasy Spring Resort Casino for the very first time. As the nephew of former boxing Olympian Jose Navarro, “Thunder” has boxing his in his blood and hopes to keep up the family tradition of big victories and sensational knockouts come September 30.

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Both Orozco & Diaz Stay Undefeated

July 31, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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The Coachella Valley was treated to night of action at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino featuring number one rated super lightweight contender by the WBC, “Relentless” Antonio Orozco (25-0, 16 KOs) taking on Abner “Jaeger” Lopez (25-6, 19 KOs), of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico in a 10-round super lightweight main event live on HBO Latino® Boxing.

The fight was an all-out slug fest as the fighters each displayed their dominance in the ring. In the first two rounds, Orozco landed intense power shots that hurt Lopez. Lopez was not deterred as he came after Orozco with renewed energy in the third round, aggressively cornering Orozco against the ropes. The fourth through sixth rounds kept the same momentum as Orozco began to use the ring more to keep his distance. In the seventh round, Orozco’s right eye began to close but he continued to attack Lopez’ body with effective counter punches. The final rounds continued with the same intensity from Orozco regardless of the new cuts over the right and left eyes. As the fight went to the cards, the judges awarded the victory to Orozco with scores of 99-91, 99-91, and 97-93.

“We knew that Lopez was going to be a tough opponent,” said Antonio Orozco. “He was a come forward type of fighter and although I was willing to engage with him, I had to box him. That is something that we have been working on, when to be smart, box the fighter and be effective with counter punches.”

“I know I won this fight,” said Abner Lopez. “But this isn’t the first time this has happened to me. I was the better fighter tonight and the fans know it.”

In the televised co-main event of the night, undefeated featherweight sensation and NABF Featherweight Champion Joseph “Jojo” Diaz, Jr. (21-0, 12 KOs) displayed his power in a 10-round fight against Victor “Pitufo” Proa (28-2-2, 21 KOs) of Monterey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Diaz, Jr. wasted no time in dictating the pace of the fight as he landed power shots early in the first round. By the second round, Diaz, Jr. caught Proa with a left hook to the chin that sent him to the mat. Making the count, Proa was not afraid of Diaz, Jr. as he bravely tried to land some shots; however, Diaz, Jr. took advantage of the shaken Proa and overwhelmed him against the neutral corner. Diaz, Jr. continued to relentlessly attack Proa and not being able to defend himself any longer, the referee stepped into to stop the fight and Diaz, Jr. was awarded another victory via technical knockout.

“I wanted to come out tonight and show my power,” said Joseph Diaz, Jr. “When I landed that left hook that dropped him I knew I had him and decided to finish him. I knew he was hurt and I wanted to make sure I made a statement; that I am a serious contender in the 126 pound division. I am not hurt and am looking forward to fighting again soon, hopefully in the Canelo-Smith undercard in September.”

“He caught me by surprise,” said Victor Proa. “I had prepared to face Diaz, Jr., we knew he was going to be a tough fighter, but the hook caught me off guard and I wasn’t able to shake it off.”

Opening up the RingTvLive.com live stream, Roy “Pitbull” Tapia (12-1-2, 6 KOs) of East Los Angeles took on Jairo “Roca” Hernandez (17-10, 9 KOs) of Torreon, Coahulia, Mexico in a scheduled eight-round super bantamweight fight. The fight turned into a classic brawl as both fighters fought from the inside willing to take punches to land punches. In the third round, Hernandez took a knee as Tapia landed a right hook that stunned him and Tapia continued to dominate the action throughout the fight. The judges award a unanimous decision victory to Tapia, as the “Pitbull” claimed his 12th victory.

“I felt 100 percent today, I was sharp and I was in sync with my trainer,” said Roy Tapia. “When I dropped him in the third round I thought I could finish him. I was looking to set up the punch, but I was skimming. I did counter when he came in wide but he was very resilient, my respects to him as a fighter. I want to thank my team for this victory, especially my cutman Sergio Estrada, he was able to keep me in the fight.”

Los Angeles’ fan favorite Nick “La Calavera” Arce (8-1, 6 KOs) really brought with him a fan base as the “marching skulls” cheered him on in a thrilling six-round super featherweight fight against Jesus Aguinaga (5-4-1) of Phoenix. The fight went the distance with both trading blows in a high-action event. In the end it was Aguinaga that was able to secure the victory with scores of 59-55 by all three judges.

“I am so grateful to the judges for the unanimous decision victory,” said Jesus Aguinaga. “I have been fighting tough guys my entire career, and I think I have found my weight, 130 pounds suits me and I feel strong. I have a new team and I am grateful for all the hard work and the confidence they have in me and next step is to continue winning and improve my record to get to become a serious contender in the division.”

Newly signed Golden Boy Promotions fighter Vergil Ortiz (1-0, 1 KO) of Dallas made his professional debut in stellar fashion, knocking down his Julio Rodas (0-3) of Flagstaff, Ariz, with an overhead right, ending the fight at the 1:37 mark.

“I didn’t expect to win via first round knockout, I saw that I hurt him and I decided to take advantage of it,” said Vergil Ortiz. “I am looking forward to my next fight on the Canelo-Smith undercard. I can’t wait to fight in front of my hometown crowd.”

Kicking off the action, Palmdale, California’s Cesar Diaz (2-0, 2 KOs) took on Ramiro Ruiz (0-4) of Monterrey, Mexico, in a scheduled four-round featherweight fight. In the first round, both fighters tested each other as they kept their distance while using their jabs. The fighters picked up the pace in the second round and in the third round Diaz cornered Ruiz on the ropes and unleashed a flurry of punches. Ruiz couldn’t shake Diaz off and the referee stepped in and stopped the fight, giving Diaz his second professional victory via TKO.

“After my first fight I was ready to come back and when the offer came to come back to Fantasy Springs I didn’t hesitate,” said Cesar Diaz. “I am glad I was able gain another victory and am looking forward to continuing my journey to becoming a world champion.”

Photos Courtesy of Tom Hogan – HoganPhotos/Golden Boy Promotions

 

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