EL FEROZ WANTS MORE SUGAR
RINGSIDE LA WITH JOHNNY ORTIZ
JULY 14, 2006
“EL FEROZ” WANTS MORE SUGAR
This Saturday night, July 7, 2006, at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, “The Ferocious One,” Fernando Vargas, will attempt to even the score when he faces an old friend and adversary, “Sugar Shane” Mosley. The last time they met on February 25, 2006, Fernando was on the wrong end of a tenth round TKO due to badly closed left eye, an eye that required a little attention after the very first round. When it began to swell early in the bout, the prognosis was not good for the Oxnard Kid. Shane, the professional fighter that he is, began to zero in on the eye whenever he had it in his gunsights. Even Fernando said after the fight that if it were Shane with the puffy eye, he would have targeted the abrasion with a passion. It’s a brutal sport, but that’s boxing, “To the Victor goes the Spoils.” Fernando claimed that the eye was the result of a headbutt, Shane said it was from a right hand, a right hand he would continue to land with frequency on the eye, causing it to swell even more. Either way, we, the fight fans are going to see a great rematch. It was a shame their first fight had to end the way it did, Shane, the slicker boxer of the two was doing well in the early going, but Fernando, the warrior that he is, never stopped moving forward, always applying constant pressure. It started to pay off for Fernando, he was winning the later rounds, Shane was never able to back him off, Fernando’s natural size seemed to be become a big factor as the fight entered the late stages, that is until he became a one-eyed fighter. A fighter can have the biggest heart in the world, but you cannot spot the other guy an eye.
With Shane attacking the left eye with his educated right hand, I was faced with the realization that it was becoming abundantly clear that it would only be a matter of time before the fight would be stopped. When it was, Fernando vehemently protested the stoppage, his warrior heart would fight on even with only one good eye, alas, it was not to be. I hated to see it end the way that it did. I wrote before their fight that I picked Fernando to win, I felt he was the bigger, more natural guy at 154 pounds. I figured he would wear the smaller, tough Sugarman down over a twelve round fight. Had the eye incident not happened, I think Fernando with two good eyes would have won the fight. As it was, at the end of ten rounds, one judge saw it for Fernando by one point while the other two had Shane ahead by a point. So you see, if the fight were that close at the end of ten rounds, Fernando with the proper vision in both eyes, and his overall strength, it is my belief that he would have eventually wore down the smaller man. Shane at 34 years of age, has been quoted as saying that after this fight he intends to go back to being a welterweight at 147 pounds. Fernando, age 28, on the other hand, has said that this will be his last fight at 154 pounds, he wants to let his body grow, that would mean he will be moving up to the elite middleweight division. In just those two statements, one can easily figure out who the bigger man really is. Aside from an eye injury to either fighter, this is going to be a classic confrontation, a fight between two “never say die” warriors. Shane will be out to prove that winning their first fight was no fluke, Fernando intends to prove that it was. It is a bout that no real fight fan should miss. I found it interesting that Shane is the only fighter of Fernando’s three losses to give him a rematch, the other two, Tito Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya never gave Fernando the return go he so yearned for, although both Tito and Oscar were gracious enough to say that Fernando gave them their toughest fight. Fernando knows it will take the fight of his life to beat Shane, the same applies to Shane, he must avoid backing up by moving from side to side in an effort to keep from tiring from the constant pressure he knows Fernando will be bringing. Fernando’s health guy, Robert Furguson has said that Fernando is stronger than he has ever been, I just hope that the bulging disk in his back will not resurrect as he claims it did late in his fight with Oscar. It will most definitely be a war of wills, who wants it the most will emerge victorious, injuries not withstanding. I have known both Fernando and Shane from their beginning, I’ve had them on my radio boxing show numerous times, I am extremely fond and proud of them both, speaking as a fight fan, they have given me great pleasure throughout their careers, and personally speaking, they are without a doubt, two of the classiest young men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. They will both be… forever Champions! I will again pick “El Feroz” to win, I have always gone with a good big man over a good smaller man. I also think that Fernando is not given the credit he should for being an excellent boxer, one only has to remember the Ike Quarty fight. Make no mistake about it, Fernando Vargas and Shane Mosley will fight their hearts out, they have been doing it for a long time…it’s the only way “El Feroz” and “Sugar Shane” know how to do it.
The fight can be seen on HBO PPV. It is being promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events
PATH TO GLORY RETURNS!!!
JOSE LOPEZ READY TO MAKE A STATEMENT IN SOLD OUT EVENT!
ORANGE, CA – Continuing with its success, Thompson Boxing Promotions will feature yet again another sold-out event this coming Friday, July 14, from Omega Products International in the City of Corona, CA. If there is a theme that will light up the night, it will be the desire to find a way to get back into the limelight, as three fighters will return to the ring to redeem their selves and jump-start their careers. In the main event current WBC Continental Americas champion Josesito Lopez will defend his title against former featherweight champ Samuel Ventura. Lopez (16-2, 9 KOs) from Riverside, CA, is coming off a controversial loss to Wes Ferguson back in April 8 in Las Vegas. Lopez will try to put away the frustration of a night where he saw a long string of victories slither away from his hands as the judges gave him a loss that many at ringside deemed unfair. Before that fight, Lopez enjoyed an unbelievable ascension into the super featherweight ranks when he put together fourteen straight victories, including a WBC Youth and a WBC Mundo Hispano titles; and his most recent belt, a WBC Continental Americas lightweight championship. Samuel Ventura (23-16, 18 KOs) from Tabasco, Mexico, is coming off a spectacular ninth-round knock out victory over Ricardo Barrera and will bring to the ring all his experience. Ventura was the former WBC Continental Americas featherweight champion, and has faced such opponents as Oscar Larios and Marcos Licona. In the semi main event of the evening, Adam Carrera (17-1, 8 KOs), from Cathedral City, CA, will face the experienced power puncher Gerardo Espinoza (28-10, 26 KOs) from Tijuana, BC, Mexico. Carrera is coming off a 12-month lay-off after he kayoed Julio Gamboa in the seventh round for the NABF super bantamweight title. In the opposite corner, Espinoza will not only be a heavy-handed foe but he will be the boxer that has fought the equally talented Genaro Garcia and Cruz Carbajal. This eight round special attraction will be in the featherweight division. Another former champion will get back under the bright lights and the open Corona sky. Kahren Haratyunyan (13-3-3) from Glendale, CA, will face Larry Olvera (6-5-2, 4 KOs) from Los Angeles, CA. Haratyunyan, an accomplished violinist and UCLA alumni, is the former NABO super flyweight champion. His opponent, Larry Olvera, is known for his unstoppable will and relentless attack. Olvera was an amateur standout that left the game and finally turned professional at the age of 27 years old. He has delighted crowds with the sheer volume of punches he throws and his never-back-down style. This will be a six round bantamweight battle. Two more bouts round up the sold-out “Path to Glory” event as jr. welterweight Angel Flores (4-1) will face Beto Ibarra (1-3); plus super featherweights Alejandro Cortez (0-1) against Hector Roman (0-1), both will be four round fights. This outstanding fight card will be Thompson Boxing Promotions first outdoor fight card of the summer, believe me when I tell you that there is nothing like watching a competitive fight program under the stars.
Omega Products International, the host of this event, is located on 1681 California Ave., Corona, CA. Off the 15 freeway, exit Magnolia Ave. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., first bell will be at 7:30 p.m.
Contact: Alex Camponovo TBP (714) 935-0900
Thompson Boxing Promotions exciting Path To Glory series of outstanding fight cards will continue in the same month of July when it ventures into the Los Angeles area where it will host another great fight night at the legendary Los Angeles Athletic Club on July 20th. The LAAC is where it all began in LA. Just visiting the place is a trip back in time. A look back at its history, the LAAC was founded on September 8, 1880, it was recently selected as one of the best private clubs in America. It is the home of the John R. Wooden Award. It is also the home of the great, legendary Richard “Duke” Llwellyn, a USC graduate, professional football player and former sports and recreation expert with the city of Los Angeles. He was appointed Director of the LAAC Athletic Department in 1956. I not in awe of many men, but I am most certainly in awe of Duke Llwellyn, not only as a great man, but one of the nicest, most honorable men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I have known Duke the better part of my life, he was a great friend of my oldest brother Phil. I do not believe I have ever respected a man more than I do Duke Llwellyn. He will be at the fight on July 20th, please say hello to him, you will be meeting a living legend and a man who would sincerely like to make your acquaintance.
As of this writing, I do not have the information regarding the lineup of this fight card, all I can say is that if Kenneth Thompson, president of TBP boxing operations and outstanding matchmaker Alex Camponovo are involved, you can take it to the bank that it will be yet another exciting night of boxing.
The address is: The Los Angeles Athletic Club 431 West Seventh Street Los Angeles, CA. For tickets you can call the LAAC at (213) 625-2211 or contact Alex Camponovo at (714) 935-0900
UNTIL THE NEXT ROUND…PEACE AND GOD BLESS!
JOHNNY ORTIZ IS A MEMBER OF THE WORLD BOXING HALL OF FAME BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JOHNNY ORTIZ IS A MEMBER OF THE GOLDEN STATE BOXERS ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JOHNNY ORTIZ IS A MEDIA ADVISOR FOR THOMPSON BOXING PROMOTIONS
JOHNNY ORTIZ IS A FORMER CO-OWNER OF THE WORLD FAMOUS, LEGENDARY MAIN ST. GYM IN LOS ANGELES