Click Here for this RMB Exlusive post fight interview!

I know it has taken forever and it maybe an outdated subject but I hope you will be able to understand where I'm coming from.  So read on!

Click here for the WCAP Wildfire Mail Bag

Smitty continues to be a corner stone of the boxing scene here in Colorado.  His monthly cards have given many fighters their chance in boxing. For some it is the chance to live a dream.  For others it can be a way to help make ends meet.  I have seen many of Colorado's best fighters debut on his cards.  And if you are a boxer in Colorado, chances are you have fought on a card that Smitty has promoted at one time or another.  I believe his honesty, attitude and professional approach to the sport carry him along way.  He is a straight up kinda guy who is true to his word and he works with everyone, which is very admirable in this game.  Even more admirable is the reason behind it.  He simply puts his fighters first, not letting his own interests or issues stand in the way of his fighter's success, or payday.  He has been training Louis Monaco for quite some time, they have nearly ten years together I believe.  Monaco has been in with many of the heavyweight division's biggest names from Butterbean to Buster Douglas, he has seen some good and bad times.  He always comes to fight and gives his best regardless of the outcome or odds.  He beat Peter McNeeley and Michael Dokes and lost to current champions Vitaly Klitschko and Lamon Brewster. He is a true journey man fighter.  And speaking of journey man, you should follow Smitty around for a month or so, see if you can keep up with the 'old man'.  Smitty had his own card scheduled Sunday but still took Monaco to Billings, Montana Saturday night.  You see he had a title shot.  Monaco won the Canadian-American-Mexican belt in a battle with Shane Sutcliffe.  That team work and Smitty's selflessness is what got them there.  I know some may see that as very insignificant.  On a national or world scale, maybe it is, to some degree.  But to see how proudly Smitty smiled and to see Louis Monaco holding his head high like the champion he is, shows me the real significance.  Congratulations fella's.

Click Here for the full Fight Report and Photo Gallery

Golden Boy Promotions officially pulled the plug on putting their undefeated prospect,  'Mighty' Mike Anchondo, in with Anthony 'Smooth' Mora.  We reported on it here as it was happening.  The story goes like this.  Anthony and Adrian Mora were contacted by Golden Boy Promotions to fight on tonight's Boxeo De Oro card on HBO Latino.  Anthony signed on the dotted line to put his undefeated record up against Anchondo's.  Mora was very excited about the opportunity to showcase his skills against a true contender.  He went into training camp and worked hard.  About  two weeks ago they asked Mora to send out a fight tape, which he did.  Turned out to be a major mistake as they pulled out of the fight shortly thereafter.  They have replaced Anthony with "knockout artist Jose Luis Soto Karass".  His record is reported as 19-5 with 17 knock-outs according to the Golden Boy press release.  Well upon further examination into boxrec.com, his record stands at 0-2 with both losses coming by knock-out!  Not to say that boxrec.com is perfect but I don't think they could have possibly missed 22 of his 25 fights.  I believe the Anchondo camp got the tape realized that Mora is over 6 feet tall and got cold feet.  I believe "Mighty" Mike Anchondo is scared to fight Anthony Mora, period.  Until they provide believable reasoning for the change to a soft opponent, I believe all fight fans should and will feel the same.  So the burden of proof now lies on Team Anchondo.  Please tell your fans what is really going on and why you chose not to fight Anthony Mora.

Also as a side note I would like to answer a couple of e-mails I got on the subject.

That wasn't very smart to send Mike a fight tape under ANY circumtance, let his people do their OWN homework. Maybe Mora was being 'brave', but look what it cost him.  D. Dinkins

You are exactly  right.  He should have told them 'the tape is in the mail'.  Anthony felt he was doing the right thing and actually thought they might pull out if he didn't send a tape.  So you see he was actually trying to preserve the bout in sending the tape.  The problem lies in the fact that Anchondo is only 5'5" and through the tape they found that Mora is over 6' tall.  Maybe Anchondo can't handle tall fighters and his camp knows it.  Or maybe he is just plain scared to put his undefeated record on the line against another undefeated prospect.

Chris,

Get off of Anthony's nutsack!!!

Mora may be "One of Colorado's best" but what does that really amount to? Nada, nada, nada...Not-a-damn-thing! Face it. The kid is not marketable. Bring him to Cali to fight where $$$ and fighters abound.

The video tape of the fight simply showed Mora's style would make for a lousy fight. The kid may be the shit in Colorado but he is worthless in Cali.

So Chris, do us fans a favor and quit speaking on behalf of fans. Don't hide behind "Fans will assume" to shroud your opinion.

Oh by the way, that's some real quality work on this page. I can see Microsoft Front Page has been used to full effect. That coupled with workout video's that appear every 3 months will definite bring in the $$$. How about updating Amy Hayes' photos every week? Maybe that will bring in more $$$.

Stop hating on Max Boxing. G. Leon's Mailbag is very original.

Remember i called you out first!

H. Duarte

Well Mr. Duarte you are entitled to your opinion, ridiculous as it maybe.  First of all let's talk about Mora's marketablility, for this specific fight.  Mora is 12-0 with 9 knock-outs.  Granted it is against limited competition, just like Anchondo's record.  They pull an undefeated fighter out and replace him with a guy 0-2 with both losses by knock-out.  Which fight would you rather see?  I know where the real fight fans ticket money would go.  Oh and this fight is in Laredo, Texas.  Does that have anything to do with his marketability in Cali? Not really.

The tape showed a boring fight because of styles?  Now I gotta question your boxing knowledge, buddy.  Anchondo is a short, straight forward, pressure fighter, with one punch knock-out power.  Mora is a tall boxer and counter-puncher, with real pop in his punch as evidenced by his 75% KO ratio.  Boxer vs puncher?  To me this all adds up to fireworks for the fans.  Not anymore though. 

Believe me I don't need to hide my opinion behind a shroud of any kind.  If you go to my website RockyMountainBoxing.com you will see our motto.  'A Site For All Boxers and Their Fans' and 'The Voice of Boxing in Colorado.'  I speak as a fan, for the fans and fighters.

And talking shit about BoxingTalk.com?  Does it really matter what program is used?  You must be eating your words about the video comment as Ron was just saving them up.  And believe me there is more great stuff to come.

As for mail bags?  Tell Dougie Fishcher, who I personally like, to get off of Dear Abby's nutsack as that is one of the oldest mailbag concepts out there.  All Dougie did was apply it to boxing.  Original? No.  Ingenious?  Yes.  Greg took it a step further and does it daily, answering 10 times more e-mails in a week.  I guarantee your question has a better chance of getting answered by Greg than it does by Dougie. 

All this and you are telling me to stop hating on MaxBoxing?  You my friend are a sparkling example of hating at its finest.

I will bet that Anchondo knocks Karass out inside of three.  Put your money where your mouth is.  Now I'm calling you out!

 

Colorado Pro boxer/college counselor Frankie “The Educator” Sanchez will be traveling to Beijing, China May 22-June 7, 2004. Sanchez will rejoin the American Scholars Program and represent the U.S.A in the people’s republic of China this summer. Sanchez who is currently working on his master’s degree in education was invited back to China by the President of Beijing Physical Education University to lecture at the University and work with the 2008 China Olympic Boxing Team. Sanchez will hold lectures on how to incorporate after school programs into schools for violence and drug prevention. He will also run training camps and work out clinics for the 2008 China Olympic Boxing Team. Sanchez first visit to China was in 2002. In making history, Sanchez became the first American ever to prepare for a professional boxing championship fight in China. Sanchez will represent higher education in the U.S.A for two weeks this summer in China.
This year Sanchez will take along and mentor college student Matt Martinez from Pueblo, Colorado. Matt is a junior at Colorado State University in Pueblo, Colorado and also an amateur boxer. In the professional world of boxing, Frankie Sanchez is known as “The Educator”. Sanchez has competed against some great professional boxers such as Kermit Cintron, Francisco Bojado, Chris Smith, Steve Martinez, Armando Velardez, David Diaz and Dimitriy Salita. Frankie will use his time in China to promote education and also prepare himself for his upcoming professional boxing match that will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania one week after his return from China. Sanchez will fight undefeated prospect Steve Ham Saturday June 19, 2004 at the Adams Mark Hotel in Philadelphia. Frankie Sanchez has volunteered thousands of hours and dollars to community groups, churches, clubs and schools worldwide, promoting the "Stay in School" and & "Say No To Drugs" Campaigns. He has been the guest speaker for National Minority Organizations, high school graduations, elementary and Jr. high school assemblies, churches and the DARE program.
Frankie Sanchez and Matt Martinez are accepting any money donations, t-shirts, hats, boxing equipment or sponsorship to help cover the cost of the over seas trip. A new diversity club called UMOJA United Minds Of Joint Action will help Frankie Sanchez with fundraising for the China trip. The federal tax ID number for donations is 840704120, and any donation is greatly appreciated. Frankie Sanchez can be contacted at 303-378-5014 for donation address and contact information. More information on Frankie Sanchez can be found on his web site at www.frankiesanchez.com

By Robert Padilla

Boxing is becoming a big sport in New Mexico as it is attracting large attendance at many of the functions and this fight should fill a place like the Tingley Coliseum as most think this is the fight of the year as Hector “The Hurricane” Munoz takes on State Welterweight Champion Bernardo Guereca. This will be for Guereca’s championship belt in a ten round fight. Munoz got the call from the El Paso’s matchmakers of Fresquez Promotions this week. Most boxing fans have been asking The Hurricane to step it up well this is a big step for Munoz as Guereca is known as the fighter that always comes to fight and with his title on the line it just means that Guereca is coming to war with Munoz. Munoz a well known Albuquerque resident that has plenty of fans that follow him no matter where he fights should have a sellout in any 2500 or less venue and will draw very good in any large venue too. This young man had very little amateur experience but has fought as a professional as if he had all the experience he needed. With his training team of Romero and Company behind him, Munoz has improved tremendously as he has finally settled down to one training team. Munoz said “This fight will be no easy fight but I feel strong and ready to win the State Title.” Gureca is from El Paso, Texas and is a very strong fighter as he has proved his strength with victories over some of New Mexico’s best welterweights. No date has been set for this war but June is the earliest Munoz will be ready and the location will be set by Promoter Fresquez.

BILLINGS, Montana (InsideBoxing.com-April 26, 2004) – Donald Camarena worked his way from a local prospect to national prospect and now by stopping former USBA Champion Lupe Gutierrez in the 4th round he becomes a champion and contender. Camarena defeats Gutierrez and wins the Canadian-American-Mexican Championship when Gutierrez, on the advice of the doctor, fails to answer the bell for the 5th round.

“I have no excuses, I trained hard for this fight, Donald will be world champion.” Said Gutierrez after the fight.

“Coming from a seasoned professional, former USBA Champion and a contender that fought for a world title on 2 occasions, this quote carries an awful lot of weight.” Said Aurelio Martinez, Camarena’s trainer and manager.

The first round was basically a feeling out round for both fighters with Camarena showing superiority as you can see the ring generalship was highly in his favor. Utilizing a stiff jab with quick combinations to score, then quickly moving out of harms way.

In the second round both fighters picked up the pace as Gutierrez attempted to become more aggressive. Camarena’s slick movement would only frustrate Gutierrez as he started to miss and force his punches. Camarena would take advantage as he countered with lightning fast combinations.

The third round started the beginning of the end for Gutierrez as Camarena added multiple power-shots to his offensive arsenal. Solid combination would hurt Gutierrez and make him back up into the ropes where Camarena would unleash 7-to-10 punch power-shot combinations.

At the end of the 4th round a bruised and battered Gutierrez finally succumbs and would not answer the bell to begin the 5th round.

In the co-main event Louis Monaco upset Shane Sutcliffe to win the CAM heavyweight title. Both fighters went strong in the first half of fight with Monaco landing the more damaging blows. The second half of the fight Monaco took total control as Sutcliffe would continually grab Monaco in a head lock and held on. Monaco wins by unanimous decision.

Undercard:

Brock Stodden KO’s Scott Lansdon in 2, Chad New Breast UD over Russell Briggs, John Sargent UD over Chauncy Welliver.

The show was held in Billings Montana at the Al Bedoo Shrine Auditorium, promoted by the Lyon Sports Group, Inc. Produced by Brought to you by Corona's World Class Championship Boxing, and produced by CSI Sports. Contest is scheduled to be aired on FOX Sports on Thursday, May 13th. Calling the fight was Al Bernstein, James Smith and Benny Ricardo doing his thing for the Spanish viewing audience.

Today at the Mountain High Casino, Poor Boys Professional Boxing and Jim 'Smitty' Smith continued the Melee on the Mountain series with another crowd pleasing fight card. The opening bout had Corey Alarcon defeating Eloy Varos by a shut out of 40-36 on all three cards.  In the second bout, a real barn burner for 2 rounds, Ray Mascarenas forced Corey Williams to quit on the stool after the second.  Alex Trottier beat tough veteran Berry Basler for a unanimous decision.  Felix Rios got the nod over the improving Danny Almanza and Glenn Mascarenas stopped Ricky Byrd in the first.  Mascarenas also donated his entire purse to the 40th Armored Brigade from Ft. Carson, very honorable. 

We will have a full fight report and photos, tomorrow night! 

Donald '2-Slick-2-Quick' Camarena and Louis Monaco were both victorious in their CAM belt bouts last night in Billings, Montana.  Camarena dominated Lupe 'Little Guns' Gutierrez for four rounds 'teeing off at will'.  Between the fourth and fifth the doctor checked on Gutierrez and he didn't answer the bell for the fifth.  Monaco won a grueling ten round decision over Shane Sutcliffe.  We will have more details later today.  The fight card will also be shown on Fox Sport, we will let you know the date and time.  Congratulations to both fighters.

Donald '2-Slick-2-Quick' Camarena and Louis Monaco travel to Billings, Montana this weekend to fight in Slugfest II.    Monaco will be fighting Shane Sutcliffe for the Canadian-American-Mexican (CAM) belt.  Camarena will be fighting for the CAM belt as well.  He will be taking on the come-backing Lupe 'Little Guns' Gutierrez.  Gutierrez is a former USBA champion and fought for the world title twice in his career.  He fought Jorge Paez in 1989 and Tony 'The Tiger' Lopez in 1991.  He was stopped in both bouts.  Camarena was chosen by the Gutierrez camp because he was seen as the top prospect out of Colorado, and Gutierrez is on a fast time line having just turned 40, nearly twice Camarena's age.  Camarena will have his hands full as Gutierrez is tough, having won 21 of his 28 victories by knock-out.  RMB wishes both Monaco and Camarena the best of luck and hopefully they can bring the belts back to Colorado.  The card will be televised on Fox Sports next Sunday but we will have the results tonight, immediately following the fight card, so be sure to check in later tonight!

Vangie Abeyta is scheduled to fight on the NBC card featuring Rocky Juarez.  Unfortuantely I have been unable to find the name of her opponent, although I do know she is from the camp of Juarez.  We will have the results later tonight!

Lupe 'Little Guns' Gutierrez takes on Donald Camarena Saturday in Billings, Montana. 

Click Here to hear this exclusive interview!

I’m sorry guys. I’ve tried to think of a good way to approach this, but I am finding the best route is the straight forward, direct approach.

Let me state first that I have met better people in boxing than I have ever ran across anywhere else in life. That goes across the board. Boxers, trainers, and yes, judges and refs. You are all salt of the earth. Your dedication and sacrifice is above reproach. What I am about to write is not a personal attack.

The success of this sport, amateur boxing, hinges in large part, on the judges and the referees. All of it? Of course not. Think of this. No matter how well a boxer trains, no matter how well that boxer is coached, a majority of the time the outcome of the match will rest in your hands. You are neither receiving or giving the blow, nor are you sweating and bleeding, but you are deciding whether that boxer wins or loses. Pretty awesome responsibility, huh?

Considering that responsibility, I think it is of the utmost importance that those decisions be fair and more importantly, consistent.

Consistency is where I feel the main problem lies. I will point out some examples:

POINT SCORING:

My understanding of the rules, is that amateur boxing is scored on the basis of clean punches landed. That being punches landed with the knuckle area of the glove with the full force of the arm and shoulder. The punch must be legal and land in the scoring area, the waist to the head and in the anterior region, having the medial line being formed by an imaginary line running the length of the body with the ears being the fulcrum. In other words, the ears form the Mason/Dixon line between a legal and an illegal blow. Also a punch landed with such force as to cause the referee to inflict an eight count on the receiving party will count no differently than any other scoring blow. Such as a jab. Is this standard really being adhered to? Not in my experience.

Point in case. If you are returning from the USA Nationals, where computer scoring is used, and you enter the state Golden Gloves, are you going to have your boxer box the same? Hell no! You're going to instruct them to "throw like hell", because it seems to be an unwritten rule that at the gloves judging is based on aggression. I know the Golden Gloves is a franchise, and a separate entity, but I believe the rules of USA Boxing should still apply. At least in the coaches meetings they never mentioned a change in the scoring criterion. We had one boxer who received what we felt was a horrible decision, we instructed him to box, use the jab, move in and out. Upon reviewing the film, our boxer had been on the receiving end of two legal scoring blows all night. When we asked for an explanation we were told our boxer had missed a lot. I still have not found the rule that states that misses are counted as a deduction of points in USA Boxing. Another thing, if your boxer receives an eight count what do you feel the chances are he or she is going to win the round? Me neither.

The point is this. We may not like USA Boxing’s scoring criteria, but if it is the rule then let’s adhere to it consistently. If we are going to use our own personal standards then we might as well be judging a dog show.

REFEREEING:

Guys fouls are fouls. Some of you may be stricter than others and that is cool, but call it the same for all the boxers. It seems that some boxers are allowed to get away certain rule infractions over and over again, and inexplicably it never is called. When they go to the next level it is, but not at the state level. You may deny this, but I guarantee you I have a boatload of coaches that will back me on this claim.

Another area of consternation, women boxing. This is relatively new, but I want let you in on something. These women are warriors just like the men. Do not halt bouts any quicker with them than you would with the men. We had two bouts at this last Golden Gloves tournament stopped, one by a referee who I normally consider one of the best, without even looking at the girl before stopping the bout. In one of the bouts the opposing coach said it was one of the most ridiculous stoppages he had seen. In both bouts the girls were battling relatively equally. Women in boxing are here to stay, I know the temptation is to protect them, but they are in there to fight. A hint, not that I am an expert, but women tend to shed tears as an expression of emotion. As one of my female boxers said, "Don’t worry if I cry during my match, I always cry when I get fired up."

One last point. Alex (Trottier) and I have cornered hundreds of matches together since we started four years ago, all but three of those matches are on film. We film every match we participate in and review the film with our boxers. Do you judges and referees do the same? If so, I commend you. If not I recommend it.

There is no guarantee for a boxer, no matter how diligent their efforts, that they will succeed in the ring. What they need to be assured of is that they will receive, fair, equitable, and most of all consistent judging and refereeing.

What should be remembered from these tournaments are the performances of the boxers, not the decisions of the judges and referees. By striving to consistently enforce and judge by the standards set out by USA Boxing we will be taking big steps in achieving that.

Brett Blaney

Impact Boxing

Questions or Comments?  Contact Brett by e-mail or post it on the Fight Fans Forum

It turns out that local prospect Mike Alvarado did indeed fight.  He suffered a cut due to a head butt and proceeded to knock Rudy Cruz out at 2:18 of the first.  Great job Mike!

Davarryl 'Touch of Sleep' Williamson of Aurora won the NABF heavyweight title last night in Tampa, Florida.  He got the nod in a majority decision (113-113, 115-111 x 2) over Eliecer Castillo.  Williamson was put down in the eighth but showed his true heart in picking himself up and winning the bout.  Castillo was penalized a point in the twelfth for hitting on the break.  This win should put Williamson right back into the heavyweight mix, as it is wide open because Lennox Lewis' retirement.

The regional Golden Glove Tournament was held yesterday in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Here are the results:

106lbs- Rick Lopez, Co (walkover)
112lbs-Michael Santistevan, Co def   Eric Davila, NM
119lbs - Torrence Daniels, Co, def Robbie Vialpondo, NM 
125lbs - Matthew Esquibel, NM (Walkover)
132lbs-Jairo Delgado,Co def Suanitu Hogue, NM  
141lbs-Keith Mason, Co def Angel Madrid, NM
152lbs- Austin Trout ,NM def Marvin Cordova, Co
165lbs- Siju Shabazz, NM def. Anthony Turner, Co
178lbs-DeAndrey Abron, Co def Adrian Lopez, NM.  
201lbs- Jason Grimaldo, Co def Charles Thomas, NM
201+- Reginald Jackson, def NM Nico Garcia, Co 

I want to thank Chris for extending me the opportunity to contribute to this website. I anticipate my contributions will mainly be editorial in content. My musings, or some would say rambling, will pertain to certain aspects of the fight game, in one way or another. It is my hope that some will find those thoughts amusing, entertaining, or possibly irritating. My aim is to keep them from being boring. At any rate you all are stuck with me until Chris pulls the plug.

One of the things Chris mentioned when he proposed the idea of me writing articles for Rocky Mountain Boxing was the use of an alias. I told him, "no". I said I would stand behind my words regardless of the repercussions. Bottom line, if I piss anyone off I’ll probably see you sooner or later, and I’ll have to face the music. For the most part that is not my intent.

My perspective will be as a trainer, sometimes a director, and always as a person who loves this game. For all it’s good and bad. Being involved with boxing is kind of like being married to a stripper. When you have her alone and she is in the bedroom "doin her thing" it’s awesome. But when she is being, well a stripper, it’s heartbreaking, infuriating, and downright embarrassing.

One thing it never is, and that’s boring.

Brett Blaney

Impact Boxing

Click Here for Brett's Page and last article

Mike Alvarado was scheduled to fight Rudy Cruz yesterday on the NBC afternoon card.  Cruz came in at 148 lbs while Mike made contracted weight at 140.  Cruz was to be made to lose 2 lbs.  He must not have made weight so I don't think Mike got his bout.  Anyone who knows, let me know please.

Vicente 'El Picosito' Garcia, the talented 17 year old from New Mexico, stopped his man, Josh Burns in the very first round.  He runs his record to 2-0 with both wins by knock-out.  Definitely one to watch for.

By Blackbull
 

You have been reading about him, you’ve heard about how he is a legitimate prospect, now you will be able to see for yourself. On April 24th. , Billings Montana at the Al Bedoo Shrine Auditorium, KO Sports Promotions & Entertainment presents “Slugfest III”.

National prospect Donald Camarena will face veteran Lupe Gutierrez in a 10 round main event for the Canadian-American-Mexican (CAM) Championship. Brought to you by Corona's World Class Championship Boxing, and produced by CSI Sports. Contest will be aired on FOX.
Camarena will have the task of offsetting years of experience that Gutierrez brings to the ring. Gutierrez a former USBA champion and has fought for world titles on two occasions. First against Jorge Paez then again versus Tony “the Tiger” Lopez, Gutierrez came up short on both challenges but feels he ready to give it another go.

Gutierrez could not have picked a more dangerous opponent than Camarena but feels his ring experience of 34 fights (27-7) will overcome the upcoming Camarena (10-1) and be the difference in the fight.

Camarena is coming off a 3rd. round knock out of New Mexico’s Tommy Aragon and is ready to continue his journey to become a world champion. “This will be an inter-continental belt and will lead to a world title.” Said Camarena.

Gutierrez is the promoter’s fighter so why fight him on the promoters fight card? “It was a tough decision but the benefits of a win and the opportunity for Donald to showcase his skills on national television made the difference.” Said trainer and manager Aurelio Martinez. “We have every intention of bringing the title to Denver. In time we want the entire world to know who Donald is but for now we want Colorado to know they have a champion!”

For more information and fighter interviews:

Camarena: Aurelio Martinez 720.297.7654 www.insideboxing.com/camarena
Gutierrez: Ryan Madden 406.671.9750

Photography by Colorado's best Michael V. Ornelas

Steve Maestas, Bobby Dunlap and the Air Tight Boxing crew put on a great benefit show at the Denver Athletic Club (DAC).  There was a prime rib and lobster dinner served before the card.  There were also several boxing items auctioned off, from a signed and framed Muhammed Ali robe to autographed gloves to a ride in a jet airplane!  The beneficiary of the auctioned items is the Cox-Lyle Red Shield Boxing Program, headed by boxing legend Ron Lyle.  The program is only a year old and has gone from three boxers to over 60!  Great job they are doing down there.  The show was a first class fundraiser and the boxing was action packed as well.

Here are the quick results from last night's card.  Ayo Fadeyi dominated Earl Allen for six rounds after dropping him with a 1-2 in the first.  Rob Frankel passed the 'vet' test in beating Danny Almanza for a unanimous decision over four.  Angela Poe fought hard and won a majority decision over Sarina Hayden.  Miguel Pasillas looked good in his TKO win at 1:05 of the second over Mike Estrada.  Augustine Trujillo battered Jose Beltran around the ring for the better part of three rounds before Curtis Thrasher mercifully stopped it at :36 of the fourth.  In the opening bout Jose 'Goose' Ramirez won a majority decision over Barry Basler.

Click Here for the complete report and Photo Gallery

Steve Maestas and Air Tight Boxing are back tonight at the Denver Athletic Club at 1325 Glenarm Street.  Unfortunately for fight fans, it's sold-out and has been for awhile.  There are some great match-ups on this card.  The main event will feature Ayo Fadeyi taking on Earl Jackson.  Berry Basler will have last minute replacement Jose "Goose" Ramirez.  Angela Poe will take on pro debuter Serena Hayden, Auggie Sanchez will fight Jose Beltran, Miguel Pasillas will square off with Mike Estrada.  Poe-Hayden could be a war as I have heard that Hayden 'punches like a man.'  And Poe is strong and tough enough to take one.  The match-up I most anticipate is Rob Frankel vs Daniel Almanza.  Frankel has stayed busy and quietly gotten much better in the ring.  This is a perfect little step-up fight for him.  Almanza comes to fight and is very durable.  He is also a 'vet' and will test Frankel in every regard.  Should be a great show and we will have full results tomorrow.

Andres 'Panda' Pacheco was stopped last night in the ninth round by Rodney 'Smooth' Jones.  Jones improves 33-3 (22) while Pacheco suffers the first loss of his professional career.  The referee stopped the bout in the ninth after deciding Pacheco had absorbed too much punishment.

The Regional Golden Gloves Tournament will be held this Saturday in New Mexico at the Rio Rancho Mid-High School.  Here are the match-ups:

Michael Santistevan (20th St. HOP) vs Eric Davila  112#

Torrence Daniels (WCAP) vs Robbie Villapondo 119#

Robert Vigil (Atencio's) vs Matthew Esquibel (Esquibel's Boxing) 125#

Jairo Delgado (Cox-Lyle Red Shield) vs Suanitu Hogue (Badoni's) 132#

Keith Mason (WCAP) vs Angel Madrid  141#

Marvin Cordova (Cordova Boxing) vs Austin Trout (Las Cruces PAL) 152#

Anthony Turner (T's KO Fight Club) vs Siju Shabazz (Las Cruces PAL) 165#

DeAndrey Abron (WCAP) vs Adrian Lopez (Socorro) 178#

Jason Grimaldo (Hard Knocks) vs Charles Thomas (Las Cruces PAL) 201#

Nico Garcia (Hard Knocks) vs Reginald Jackson (Bloomfield) 201+

Ricky Lopez of the 20th Street HOP will have a walk-over at 106 lbs.  There are some great match-ups at 165 and 178 but the 'fight of the night' should be #10 ranked Marvin Cordova taking on the best amateur in New Mexico Austin Trout, who is an alternate on the Olympic Team.  Remember Trout was in the middle of the controversy at the trials between Andre Berto and Juan McPherson.  He to the championship round, one fight from the Olympics,  before being eliminated by Vanes Martirosyan.  Should be a great night of boxing.  Bouts begin at 7pm.

Click Here for the complete results from the Colorado State Tourney

Thank You Jeanne!

I hear it all the time, 'yeah he's good, but who has he fought?'  Then you hear the fighter 'nobody will fight me!' and you think 'yeah right, whatever.'  Well all of the above is true in this case. 

Anthony 'Smooth' Mora signed on the dotted line to fight Oscar De LaHoya's prospect, 'Mighty' Mike Anchondo as a co-main event on Boxeo de Oro on HBO Latino, April 29th.  Anchondo is 23-0 with 18 knock-outs but he is suddenly unwilling to put his undefeated record on the line against one of Colorado's best, Anthony Mora who is 12-0.  The problem started about a week ago.  Anchondo's team asked Mora for a fight tape.  Mora, trying to be as professional as possible in addition to showing that he isn't afraid,  sent out a tape.  The next phone call came to inform him that Anchondo has decided to pull out of the fight.  Are they scared to fight Mora?  It certainly seems so, since there is absolutely no medical excuse involved.  Did they realize after seeing Mora in action that it was not a 'winnable' fight for Anchondo? 

Anthony is very upset about it.  He told me moments ago "I just want to fight and show the world my skills.  I am willing to fight anyone from 130-140 pounds, anybody. I'm not calling anyone out, but I will not back down from any fight on the table.   I have been training hard to prepare for this fight and I'm ready to go.  It's just so disappointing"  Promoters take note, here is the attitude you are looking for.  Fearless, with real skills. 

I want to personally ask Anchondo's camp for a solid reason for pulling out.  If you have one, please speak up.  If not admit you are afraid to fight Mora after seeing the fight tape.  Until you speak up, fans will assume the tape scared you out of the fight! 

We will try to get Mora's thoughts about the situation on video so he can tell the world how he feels, from the horses mouth.

We will keep you posted and remember where you heard it first! 

Contact Chris at RockyMountainBoxing.com

Ray talks about his hands, his future and LEE MONTOYA'S CHALLENGE!

Click here for this RMB Exclusive Video!

Click Here for the full fight report and the photo gallery.  Pictures by Mike V Ornales.

 Most of you know him already, either through the amateur boxing scene or the Fight Fans Forum.  He is truly one of the 'good guys' in boxing.  We will soon have a bio's page on all of our suddenly growing staff. Bret is an Irishman so his titles will be done in, green of course.  Here is his first article, please let us know what you think of Brett and his first piece. 

By B. Blaney

Several things happened this weekend that brought the subject of "heart" to the forefront of my attention. First I was watching Sportscenter and it was announced that Phil Mickelson had won his first career major. Mickelson, or Lefty as he is affectionately referred to by his followers, had long been lamented for his inability to win the "big one". Well this weekend after sinking a crucial putt on the final hole, he was able to capture the granddaddy of them all, the Masters. His win in Augusta will now dispel the claims that he lacks fortitude or heart.  In other words, the ability to win in clutch situations. For all of us Bronco fans this has to bring back memories of the criticisms that Elway endured until his Super Bowl win over Green Bay dispelled all doubters.

Later I was reading an article in Sports Illustrated on the subject of hitting in the clutch. The subject of the article concerned the validity of the term, "clutch hitter". It seems that the statisticians with all their newly found data, due to the continual advancement of computers, dispute the very existence of such an anomaly. They claim that over the course of a baseball season good hitters hit good and poor hitters hit poor , regardless of the situation. They claim that most hitters will hit at about the same average in a clutch situation as they do in any other at bat. Now baseball insiders, that being managers and players, and in my opinion, anyone who has played the game, will dispute the statisticians. If you have ever played baseball you know there are certain players who seem to excel when the stakes are the highest. Guys you love to see come to the plate when the game is on the line. It seems as though their concentration and focus reaches it's zenith in those moments. I guess you would have to say they have great heart. A stronger desire to win.

Now we come to boxing. Early Sunday morning my brother called me. His urgency made me think that he must have some un reimbursed expense related to the gym. Being the Executive Director for Impact Boxing that is usually what urgent calls derive from, especially from my brother. To my surprise though, he asked if I had seen the Klitschko fight. I told him no that I had decided to reacquaint myself with my wife, being that the boxing business was taking a toll on our marriage and that a short sabbatical was in order. He went on, seemingly unconcerned over my marital strife, that Klitschko had just collapsed after giving Brewster a beating for the first three rounds of the fight. Brook went on to say that he felt the problem was that Klitschko wasn't breathing properly and that Steward should have instructed him to take deep breaths between rounds versus spending his time instructing him on strategy. This conversation stirred my curiosity. Of course, being a good boxing man I said to hell with marital concerns and abandoned my self-induced sabbatical. Finally after an in-depth search on the channel guide I was able to find a rebroadcast on one of the myriad of HBO channels. I must say Jones is a great improvement over George. Now we need to get rid of Harold Lederman. At any rate, after watching Klitschko's untimely demise I was left with only one conclusion. That being, Klitschko's problem didn't lie within his lungs but instead the muscular organ that lies behind them, that of course being the heart. My conclusion was based on the fact that Brewster had picked himself up from the canvas after sustaining a brutal shellacking and Klitschko in return collapsed like a house of cards upon Brewster returning the favor. How could anyone conclude anything else?

The preceding events brings to mind a statement my late father once told me. He said that there is really only black and white in this world. A statement to this day I vehemently disagree with. In my mind the world is made up varying shades of grey. It seems that when we think we know something to be cold hard fact, something comes along, almost divinely to show us that our knowledge may not be so secure. As I am writing this article I came across breaking news that Klitschko's blood sugar level was four times the normal level, giving possible explanation to his collapse. So his collapse may have more to do with his pancreas than it does his heart. Thus the theory of shades of grey. Nothing is as it appears.

We move on to the local level and the fight between Ray Sanchez III and 'Bam-Bam' Conchas. After all of Bam-Bam's boasting he went on to unceremoniously surrender to Sanchez's assault under the glaring eyes of the New Mexico faithful. One has to ask how could Conchas give in so easy after laying out such a gauntlet in the pre-flight hype? I don't know. Has anyone checked his blood sugar levels?

One of my boxers asked me once what makes a good chin. I replied, "there are two kinds of chins". "The first", I said while taking my index finger and touching his chin, "is here". "The second", I continued while placing that same index finger on his sternum, "lies here". I went on to tell him of my trap door theory. I said, "some fighters have a chin like a trap door. When they take a hard shot, the door trips and their heart falls to their feet." Of course there are other fighters who would rather face death than go down. A novice boxer once asked me about taking a knockdown. I told him if you need to ask yourself if you should go down, you better damn well not go down. I went on to tell him when you get knocked down, you usually hear a loud bang and the next thing you know you are on the canvas wondering how you got there.

When dealing with a fighter, there is no worse criticism you can lay on them than saying, "they ain't got no heart". You can question their manhood, or even their mother's moral fiber. Neither will raise their hackles more than the former criticism.

In conclusion, a boxer will be judged his entire career by those who have done less and in the end possess much less heart than the boxer himself. He will still endure those questions of heart and courage. That is the price they pay for the right to call themselves a fighter. In the end each fighter has to stand in front of the mirror and ask himself, "did I fight the good fight?, Did I show heart?" I would imagine Klitscho and Conchas are have those conversation with themselves today.

Brett Blaney
Impact Boxing

The Border War Score Board was tipped heavily towards New Mexico this weekend as Colorado went 1-4 on Saturday's card in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  In the main-event 'Bam-Bam' Conchas said he "Gave Ray Sanchez III the win".  He was clipped with a sharp left hand in the first round and choose not to continue.  In the co-main Janae Romero was overwhelmed and stopped in the first round by Holly Holm, who I believe is the 'real deal' and will be making some 'national noise' very soon.  Robert Manore showed he has a true warrior's heart as he went 6 hard rounds with 'Hurricane' Hector Munoz before being stopped late in the last round.  I believe Manore broke a hand some where along the way in the bout as well, but you would never know it by his performance.  Munoz showed a high level of skill and ring intelligence in the form of patience.  Everyone has heard the 'we got robbed on the road' stories from fighters who lose.  Since you won't hear it from Mercury Mercedes, you will hear it and soon see it from RockyMountainBoxing.com.  She refused to make excuses or complain about the decision but believe me, she lost the worst decision I have ever witnessed live.  She beat Jackie Chavez from pillar to post for the entire 6 rounds and lost a terrible split-decision.  The two judges who scored the bout for Chavez must be held accountable for their score cards.  I must know what rounds they 'gave' to Chavez.  We have two great camera angles and I am currently working on the punch stats, you will be amazed.  We will be posting the video, round by round, so you, the fans can judge for yourselves.  I personally believe an immediate rematch is in order, though I doubt, and understandably,  the Chavez camp has any desire to put her back in with M&M.  The high light of the night for Colorado was Larry 'The Pitt Bull' Gonzalez' 1:15 annihilation of New Mexico's version of 'Bam-Bam' Conchas, Joey Brixx.  The tough loud mouth brawler.  Gonzalez timed a perfect right hand on the chin of Brixx and he went down.  Like a ton of Brixx.  There was a bit of a scare as Brixx lay motionless for about 20 seconds, before coming to.  Gonzalez showed his true colors as he quickly said a prayer for Brixx and went to be sure he was OK, consumate professional in every aspect.  We will have a full fight report and picture gallery tomorrow!  Ohh and we may be able to make the blockbuster announcement tomorrow, so stay tuned!

I have received several e-mails and FFF postings regarding the two subjects covered in the Golden Gloves article, officiating and the WCAP.  Go to the Fight Fans Forum to see most of them. It's great to see others who are passionate about this great sport.  I am off to New Mexico for this weekend's 'Border War' but I will have a Counter-Punch Mail Bag about both when I get back.  So send in your comments and support, or post them directly on the Fight Fans Forum.! 

Boxing, Boxing, Boxing.  That's what's going on in Colorado!  First up is Steve Maestas and  AirTight Boxing's show next Friday, April 16th at the Denver Athletic Club.  The main event features Ayo Fadeyi vs Earl Allen.  The undercard is as follows, Berry Basler vs Fredrick Hatch, Auggie Sanchez vs Jose Beltran, Miguel Pasillas vs Mike Estrada, Angela Poe vs Serena Hayden and what I feel will be the 'fight of the night' Rob Frankel vs Daniel Almanza.  I would give ticket information but, it's already sold-out!  Too bad fight fans, you got to get 'em early.  The Cinco de Mayo show will sell out early as well so get tickets now! 

Next up is Jim 'Smitty' Smith and PoorBoys Professional Boxing.  The Melee at the Mountain High Casino continues on Sunday April, 25 (one day before my birthday, send money-no presents) at 2 pm.  The card is still in the works but scheduled thus far are Glenn Mascarenas vs Porfirio Urbina with Sean Blaney and Alex Trottier of Team Impact scheduled against TBA's.  Also Felix Rios maybe on the card.  We will have more information has the card solidifies.  Tickets are available by calling Smitty at 303-450-9763.  Get 'em early as Colorado Boxing is making it's comeback.

This weekend will kick off another card featuring 'The Border War:  Colorado vs New Mexico".  This one will be held at the Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Saturday the 10th.  It is promoted by Prize Fight Boxing and North Star.  The main event will feature 'The Pride of Albuquerque' Ray Sanchez III taking on Colorado's Bad Boy,  Richard 'Bam-Bam' Conchas.  Conchas has been in with some of the divisions top prospects including Dmitry Salita and Cristian Bejarano Benitez and Sanchez will be no exception as he is a highly touted prospect himself.  Sanchez brings an impressive amateur pedigree to the ring having won 9 national titles before turning pro in March of 2001.  He reeled of six straight victories by knock-out before being taken the distance in his 7th and 8th fights.  Then it all went sour as he lost to journeyman Jose Juan Mendez in November of 2002.  He was shelved for nine months then hurt his hand in the comeback fight against Richard Ueding in August of 2003.  He will end his second nine month layoff Saturday against Conchas.  The co-main features Janae Archuleta against arguably the best female fighter in New Mexico in Holly Holm who has quickly moved to 6-0-1 against limited competition.  Archuleta on the other hand has taken a hard road to .500 having been in with Michele Nielson who is ranked #11, Belinda Laracuente who is  #4 and the ever sexy Mia St. John.  This will be Holm's first real 'step-up' fight.  Archuleta will look to derail her streak.  The undercard has some hot bouts as well featuring amateur star and local prospect Larry 'The Pitbull' Gonzales taking on debuter Joey Brixx.  Robert Manore is matched with Hector Munoz,  Mercedes Mercury takes on Jackie Chavez and Donald Cerrone will square off with Carlos Condit. That's 5 Colorado fighters taking on 5 New Mexico fighters.  The Border War is on!  Dan Christison will fight Jimmy Westfall and in an NHB bout Joe Trujillo takes on undefeated Diego Sanchez.  There will also be several amateur bouts preceding the professional portion of the show.

Tickets are priced from $15 to $50 (ringside)  for the "Pride of Albuquerque" card April 10 at the Convention Center. You can purchase them at the Fox and Hound, located 4301 the Lane at I-25 (call 344-9430).

At the Greystone Castle.  Yeah, the venue with the balcony view, I think judges should judge from up there.  There isn't a better view, for fans in my opinion, other than absolute ringside, maybe. There will be announcements after this weekend's fights about the line up.   Colorado will be going to New Mexico this weekend with Contracts In Hand! to sign bouts for the card.  And one Block Buster Deal is already in the works, could be signed as soon as tomorrow!  You will not believe who is coming!  You won't want to miss this card Real Denver Fight Fans.  You will be hearing about it for awhile to come, I promise!    The motto for "The Border War" will be 'no set-ups'.  There will be evenly matched-action packed bouts, Fights For The Fans!  Speaking of Fight Fans be sure to join The Fight Fans Forum and send in an e-mail to enter our ticket giveaway.  We will be giving away 4 front row reserved seating, Balcony Seats!  The package will also include Autographed photos with the fighters, from picture to be taken at the fights! A copy of the fight on DVD!  A Limo Ride to and from the fights-or-a night's stay at the Castle!  And much more to come!

Get your tickets now right here on RockyMountainBoxing.com. They Will Not Last! It Will Be a Sell-Out!

17 year old Garcia of Albuquerque, N.M. will take on 25 year old Josh Burns of Garland, Texas in a four rounder in San Antonio, Texas April 17^{th, after representing New Mexico at Santa Ana Star Casino for his pro debut in February.'}

^{'El Picosito' says, “ It is time to fight again and I have the opportunity to represent New Mexico in Texas with Tony Ayala Sr. working for me in this fight I feel good and strong.  Tony Ayala has been in boxing forever and then some.” said Garcia. Ayala has been helping with Vicente’s boxing future in one way or another and has scheduled this fight for Garcia. Garcia also said ”KOX Promotion helped get my start and I have to thank them because they made my dream come true of doing my pro debut in New Mexico and Santa Ana Casino of course was the main force to make it happen also.   I want to do the best I can in Texas for myself and of course for the boxing fans of New Mexico.” Garcia dedicates this fight to all the employees at Jack Candelaria Community Center for their support and encouragement in the start of his boxing career. Garcia was to be in San Antonio this week but decided he wanted to see the fights this weekend at the Convention Center in Albuquerque.}

Colorado's Best at 119 pounds, Tommy Atencio!

The Colorado State Golden Gloves Tournament came to a close last night as champions were crowned in seven A-class bouts.  They will move on to the regional tournament in New Mexico, April 17th.  Before the bouts began, Larry 'The Pit Bull' Gonzales, Donald '2-Slick-2-Quick' Camarena and Russell 'Stoner' Jones were called into the ring.  Gonzales will be taking on Joey Brixx in New Mexico this weekend in Albuquerque, April 10th.  Camarena has his first title shot for the Canadian-American-Mexican regional belt against a come backing Lupe Gutierrez.  He will be fighting the main event of a Fox Sports televised card in Billings, Montana on April 24th.  Jones will be fighting an up and coming prospect in New York later this month.

There were two female championships to start the A Class championships.  Chantel Cordova beat Natalie Gray in a very close one that many felt Gray may have won.  Amarena Baca continued her winning ways beating Melissa Barela.

At 119lbs Torrence Daniels, of the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) in Colorado Springs, used his experience and speed to win a decision over Tommy Atencio of Atencio Boxing Club.  Daniels finished 2003 ranked #4 in the US and just missed a bid to represent the USA in the Olympics.  Daniels used his jab and speed combos to get Atencio into his game plan.  Atencio did very well in holding his own against the vet even winning the third round on the RMB card, but the experience was just too much to overcome, as Daniels began 'teeing off' on Tommy in the corner forcing Ric Ericsson to give him a standing eight count in the final round.  Atencio has very sound fundamentals and I was impressed with how many punches he caught and blocked on his arms and elbows,  but could definitely use more head movement to complete his defensive package.  Atencio is a great amateur prospect and will continue to improve with time and experience. 

The 125lb bout was evenly matched and featured Ricardo Sandoval and Robert Vigil, also of Atencio Boxing Club.  Sandoval looked committed to going to the body and did well with it.  Vigil on the other hand used 'punches in bunches' to slow Sandoval's attack and win each round on the RMB card. 

At 141lbs there was a mismatch as newly turned open Matthew Chavez took on Keith Mason of WCAP.  Mason finished 2003 ranked 3rd in the US and has been at it awhile.  Chavez, who fights for St. Joe's PAL Boxing Team, has been boxing less than two years and showed real skill and determination in his semi-final bout.  Mason was just too much for him, at this point and stopped him in the first round.

Marvin Cordova dominated Brad Jackson, of Touch 'Em Up, over four rounds for an easy decision victory.  Early on Cordova found a home for his left hook and landed it time and time again throughout the bout, giving Jackson a standing eight early in the round.  I thought after the first that it would be over early in the second, but to Jackson's credit he showed heart and determination in making it to the final bell.  Not to mention a rock solid chin, as Cordova landed very heavy shots all night.  Cordova has real talent and skills, he is definitely one to watch for and I believe he will go very deep into the national tournament.  He could join Larry Gonzales as Coloradoans with National Golden Gloves titles. 

And just an observation, my humble opinion, because honestly I didn't even notice, and it surely didn't matter, but someone at the show asked my opinion about it.  No one who is related to the boxer in the ring, in any way, should be asked to be involved in the official's side of the bout.  They should be extended the respect to cheer for their boxer freely from the crowd because I think family involvement is essential in amateur boxing, as you will see later.  I also believe this should include trainers, coaches and their significant other as well, i.e., I don't believe Mr. V-How's wife should be forced to officiate any bouts involving boxers trained by Shann or the 20th Street House of Pain, any more than Marvin Cordova's mother should be put on the spot as an official for her son's bouts.  I believe they are both great officials but I think we are hanging the officials out to dry by exposing them to the inherent criticism.  I can only imagine the problems it may cause on the ride home.  Anyone who knows Mr. V-How knows how passionate he is about the sport.  If he felt one of his boxers got a raw decision, in an advancing tournament with his wife judging the bout, that could become a long ride home.  I think we should avoid the entire controversy by eliminating the problem.  I personally think that in these situations, the officials are probably more critical on their own boxers, which can create a prejudice of sorts against their own fighter!  I think it honestly puts the boxer's at a disadvantage and can essentially jeopardize the integrity of the entire tournament.  Just my opinion.

The 165lb bout featured Anthony Turner (AT) 'duking it out' with Ricardo Reyes of the Pueblo Stylers.  AT is trained by one of Colorado's best in Trevor Wittman and will be making some waves in the pro ranks after finishing his Golden Gloves run.  Reyes came out in the first and did very well, winning the round as he was both accurate and busy.  AT looked to be 'loading up' for big shots.  In the second AT got on track and his power took over.  He began trapping Reyes on the ropes and in corners while unleashing furious flurries to the body and head, leading Muggsy Berzoza to give Reyes a standing eight count in the third.  When asked if he wanted to continue Reyes shook his head no, stopping the assault.  AT has a professional style so his chances in the national tourney could be limited.  As a side note, this bout was the last for long time official Muggsy Berzoza who has given over thirty years to boxing, he will surely be missed.  Thank You Mr. Berzoza.  Also be sure to watch his show on DCTV-59, 'Pound-4-Pound' on Wednesday nights.

The 178lb bout really got my blood boiling.  DeAndrey Abron, who is always ranked in the US and is an excellent fighter, showed absolutely no class in winning his bout over Maurice Louishomme.  The first round was mostly 'feeling out' as both boxers were very cautious.  They got going in the second and Abron quickly took over with power shots.  In the second Abron hit Louishomme in the back of the head sending him to the canvass.  Before referee Don Ericsson could get between them, Abron hits him with another vicious punch, only it was to the middle of his back while Louishomme was down on one knee, but wait it gets worse.  In the third Louishomme looks determined and comes out and does very well even stunning Abron with a nicely timed overhand right.  Abron finished the bout with right hand of his own, a crusher really, and was able to land a hard body shot before gravity could get Louishomme to the floor, very impressive.  What got me hot was after the bout Louishomme goes to Abron's corner offering congratulations and Abron deliberately turned his back and refused to shake his hand.  I first thought maybe it wasn't intentional but later when Louishomme walked across the ring a second time with his hand extended I saw Abron do it again, very intentional!   I couldn't believe the unsportsmanlike conduct from Abron, a military man.  ABSOLUTELY NO CLASS AT ALL, PERIOD.   This simply has no place in sports and especially in the respect driven fight game.  I personally hope he finds an early exit from the tournament and from the Colorado amateur boxing scene.  If there was something I missed please accept my apologies.

The last bout of the evening was at 201lbs, with Augustine (Auggie) Bautista, from the Dream Team,  matched up against Jason Grimaldo of Hard Knocks boxing in Longmont.  The first round saw Bautista land a hard right hand that stunned Grimaldo, momentarily.  Grimaldo fought back tough and won the round on the RMB card.  The second was a better round for Bautista as he was busier and landed the more effective blows in winning the round.  Despite Grimaldo's sound skills I thought Bautista might take over as he was beating him to the punch early in the round.  Grimaldo came back strong and landed a hard right hand left hook combo that was perfection.  Both men utilized the jab in the fourth and Bautista made his final stand in landing a right to the body followed by a hard hook to the head.  Grimaldo shook it off and stayed busy enough to win the round and bout., despite the loud 'Auggie, Auggie' chants.  Auggie has nothing to hang his head about as he has really come a long way since that first day he came down to St. Joe's, I remember like it was yesterday.  He was outta shape and well over 250lbs or somewhere there about.  He has since dedicated himself to boxing and it really shows.  He is now fighting under 201lbs and his skill level has improved tremendously.  His time will come, believe me, the hard work will pay off  Auggie.

The Outstanding Junior boxer was Hank Borunda, the Outstanding Novice was Vincent Castillo, the Outstanding B-Class boxer was William Thalley, The Outstanding A-Class was Marvin Cordova, the Outstanding female was Chantel Cordova, the Sportsmanship award went to Jesus Noriega and the team trophy was taken by Hard Knocks Boxing out of Longmont.  Mr. V-How and the 20th Street House of Pain had a very good tournament as well.

I also wanted to take a moment to give my own personal opinion about something, just an observation mind you.  I have to say that I believe the boxers here in Colorado are having their opportunities taken away unfairly and are being hindered in their progress as boxers because of the World Class Athlete Program, WCAP, in Colorado Springs.  I couldn't help but be sad and feel sorry about  a young, very talented and truly the best COLORADO had to offer this year, Tommy Atencio.  Tommy has boxed his entire career here in Colorado and represented Colorado at every level of competition from local club financing and supporting 'smokers' (yeah I know they are now called shows but I like 'smokers' better) , to every national tournament you can imagine, with the exception of the class he entered this year, Open or A class the tier.  He has helped finance this local boxing chapter, LBC, in exchange for gaining his experience to make it to the national level.  I feel he was 'robbed' of this opportunity that he has earned, so to speak.

I do not take any thing away from Torrence Daniels or any of the WCAP athletes they are all very talented boxers and represent the Army extremely well, although I did not like the 'unsportsmanlike like conduct' by Abron.   They do their job.  Which by the way I have to say I feel makes them, in my humble opinion, Professional Boxers by trade, financed and promoted by the government, who nonetheless seems to be reluctant to try to clean up the sport, apparently on any level.  Maybe I am wrong but I believe their primary job in the military is the WCAP, and like I said I could be mistaken so please correct me if I'm wrong.

Each year the WCAP 'invades' the Colorado tournaments and takes away the opportunities that our boxers deserve.   They fight from eight years old  to seventeen and 'Go Open,' and then get their chance taken by someone who is really from some far away state and is here on assignment of sorts.  Like I said I do not want to take any thing from the WCAP and I have a very simple solution.  Why not just give the entire team an automatic bid to the national tournament?  Eleven weight classes only and if you participate in the WCAP trials you can not box in Colorado's tournament.   Allow these boxers to go back to their home state's tournaments as every one should be allowed to compete.  And no residency issues if you are in the military.  If the boxer doesn't claim a home state then  wherever the boxer was from before entering the military can be used.  I think it's simple.  More importantly I think it's very fair, especially to our home grown Colorado boxers.  If not maybe some Colorado boxers who live closer to the Wyoming border should think about invading that tournament.  But what do I know?

If anyone knows how to reach Jeanne DePriest or John Ulibarri please ask them to send me the complete results.

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Photo by Tom Hernandez

Colorado had three fighters on the card in New Mexico this weekend.  We went 0-2-1, evening the score at 2-2-1.  Martha Orozco/Deitchman lost a decision to Crystal Hickerson.  Allen Medina was on his way to victory when he was stopped late in his bout by Jason Cordova.  Stevie Marquez had to settle for a draw with Al Salinas.  For complete results, here is a link to NewMexicoSports.com., Thanks Andy.