Getting you caught up on the latest & greatest in the fighting sports
The Muaythai show, Saturday evening, May 6, on the rooftop of the Grand Hotel in Tijuana will no doubt be memorable with local fighters Bruno Borges and Team Valor in a supporting roll. Muaythai fighters are a different breed.
Friday, May 19, 2017
Once again we have the undefeated, 25-year-old welterweight Giovanni “Gallo de Oro” Santillan (21-0, 11 KOs) in the Main Event of another Thompson Boxing Promotions Show at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif. In his sixth year as a professional boxer, Santillan, a boxing/fitness instructor at the Art of Eight Fitness and Training Center here in San Diego, has yet to be tripped up in his quest to be a World Champion. His opponent on May 19, the 25-year-old Juan Garcia “Tortas” Mendez from Mexicali, B. C., Mexico (19-2-1, 12 KOs), is coming off a loss to an undefeated lightweight, South African Xolisani Ndongeni (22-0, 11 KOs). With Garcia’s two losses, first to a super featherweight by the name of Enrique Tinoco and then to Ndongeni, a lightweight, you have to figure he’s now being offered up as a sacrificial lamb. Only once did Garcia compete as a welterweight and that performance was against Roman Mendez who is currently 0-15. 
Saturday, May 6th, WCK Muaythai fights on the roof of the Grand Hotel in Tijuana.
As advertised, In Sync Productions, Inc. has arranged to have some of the best fighters in the sport of Muay Thai battle it out on the roof top of Tijuana’s Grand Hotel & Casino. One of the headliners is heavyweight Virgil “Rez Dog” Zwicker a legend in both MMA and Muaythai. As I can attest, this fight card is stacked with the best of USA challenging the best from Mexico … Josh Aragon, Travis Clay, Francisco Garcia, Antonio Arango, Charles Williams, Bruno Borges, James Gregory, etc. throwing down against Mexico’s finest to include Jose Ruelas, Richard Cruz, Brian Hernandez, Alejandro Salazar, Ernesto Galan and Mexico’s newest sensation Ian Reyes. Also, WCK Muaythai will be honoring WCK champion/Boxing great Jackie Nava and legendary trainer the late Bob Chaney by inducting them into the WCK Hall of Fame.
The battle cry coming from our local fighters/coaches concerning this memorable show: “You can bet, we’ll be ready. Our guys are all hyped up and getting in the work. So far, we’re happy with their output, but they know there’s still a lot of time left before it’s go time! The fighting on May 6 is just window dressing. The real work is always done prior to the fight, in the gym. If you’re going to this show on Saturday, you won’t be disappointed. Great match-ups for these top quality fighters who always give it everything they have.
Tickets are still available on line at wckmuaythai.com or from your local fighters.
May 2nd
Pro Boxing: the following boxers with local ties battled on PBC on Fox Sports 1 Deportes:
Under the heading: “Why don’t you pick on Someone Your Own Size?
Luis Adrian Bello (left) and his opponent Jose Luis “Tapitas” Araiza (right).
On Tuesday night at the Sportsmans Lodge, Studio City, Calif., the 38-year-old, 5’4″ tall Jose Luis “Tapitas” Araiza (32-20-2, 22 KOs) from Tecate, B. C., Mexico, a one-time featherweight standout (weigh-in range 122-126 lbs.) who won 29 of his first 30 bouts, went just two rounds of a scheduled 8 round junior welterweight match versus 23-year-old southpaw Luis Adrian Bello (9-4, 5 KOs) who at 23 years of age is 15 years younger, a natural welterweight and 8 inches taller. Among the local talent that Araiza has fought: he battled both Chris Martin and Benji Garcia at the Four Points By Sheraton in 2007, plus Randy Caballero at Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, Calif. in 2010.
Under the heading: “Why are you always cherry picking your opponents?
(left to right) Funez
On that same fight card, the daring Juan Funez (9-0-1, 3 KOs) from Reseda, Calif. was originally scheduled to fight the 38-year-old Mario Angeles (1-9-2) from San Diego in a 4 round, junior lightweight contest but ended up settling for 24-year-old Matt Murphy (2-12-1) from St. Louis, Missouri. After 10 bouts, Funez has now faced just two boxers with a winning record.
On Monday, May 1st, co-promoters Saul Rios and Lou Messina of the Borizteca Boxing Management Group announced their fighter, 27-year-old Kevin Ottley (3-0-1, 2 KOs) would be fighting a six rounder versus Armenian tough guy Ferdinand Kerobyan (3-0, 1 KO) at the Quiet Cannon, Montebello, Calif.
At the prior day’s weigh-in (l to r) Jaime Munguia from Tijuana and Johnny Navarrete from San Juan Zitlaltepec, México, Mexico faced off.
On Saturday evening, April 29th, 20-year-old super-welterweight Jaime Munguia (23-0, 19 KOs) defeated 29-year-old Johnny “Vaquero” Navarrete (33-9-1, 15 KOs) on the undercard of that Ramon Alvarez (Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s older brother) versus Omar Chavez (the youngest son of legendary boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez) fight card. Chavez, a middleweight, (now 36-3-1, 24 KOs) won this rematch by stopping Alvarez (now 24-6-2, 16 KOs) at the 2:05 mark of round two. Revenge is sweet. It was a totally different story back on September 27, 2014 when they first met. The shorter Alvarez won a 10 round, unanimous decision victory to win the WBO NABO Super Welterweight title.
This powerful left hook had Alvarez in serious trouble. From that point on, Chavez went on the attack, clobbering Alvarez with solid rights. One of them cracked his jaw and had Alvarez virtually out on his feet, totally defenseless.
On Saturday, May 6, 2017, their brothers, Omar’s older brother, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Ramon’s younger brother, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, will be battling at a catch-weight of 164.5-pounds. This HBO Pay-Per-View event will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
