They’re promising fireworks at La Tormenta Boxing Show in Tijuana
On Friday, at Xochicalco University, the people from Medina/Quinones Promotions along with an assist from El Mexicano, Tecate Beer, Jack Rabbit Express and Mora’s Tortilleras held a press conference to announce their inaugural boxing show, “La Tormenta” at Auditorio de Tijuana Friday, July 8 at 7:30 p.m.
On hand for Friday’s Press Conference, you have (from left to right) promoter Gabriel Quinones, Javier Mendoza’s trainer, Victor Godoy, boxer Javier Mendoza, boxer Oswaldo Ibarra, the former world champion, now boxing promoter, Manuel “Mantecas” Medina, the World Boxing Federation’s Latin American Coordinator, Sergio Sotelo, boxer Sergio Nunez, Nunez’s trainer, Monica Abedith Rico, and Abedith’s father, former boxer Kid Melo, who also helps train Nunez.
The brand new promotion group, led by Juan Manuel Rubio Medina, better known as Manuel “Mantecas” Medina, the five time world featherweight champion and Gabriel Quinones, owner of the Chula Vista Boxing Gym are planning great things for the plethora of talent within our local Tijuana and San Diego borders.
Manuel Medina (r) poses for a photo at a recent USA Amateur Boxing Show in Lakeside, CA with (from the left) boxer/ring announcer Steve Macomber, boxer Lamont Williams and former featherweight champ, now boxing coach Priest "Tiger" Smalls. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Being a promoter should be a piece of cake for Medina who began his pro boxing career at the age of 14 and fought against some of the toughest fighters in the sport, people like Troy Dorsey, Tom Johnson, John John Molina, Luisito Espinoza, Naseem Hamed, Derrick Gainer, Hector Lizarraga, Victor Polo, Paul Ingle, Frank Toledo, Johnny Tapia, Scott Harrison and Juan Manuel Marquez.
A boxing writer once called Medina the gambler’s nightmare, because of his tendency to win a world title, lose it, then regain it back just as quickly. He’s held versions of the World Featherweight title five times (IBF three times, WBC once, and WBO once), between 1991 and 2003.
Since his retirement in 2008, Medina, who finished with a record of 67 wins, 16 losses, one draw with 31 KOs, has been working with local South Bay and Tijuana youth helping them become as proficient as he was.
Gabriel Quinones (l) and Francesco Isais (r) are shown in the corner helping one of their amateur boxers, Edgar Armenta (c) who was competing in the USA Amateur Show at Swiss Park in Chula Vista back on April 16. Photo: J. Wyatt
Like Medina, Gabriel Quinones, a small business owner, is in the gym daily working with the local wannabe champions and then almost every weekend he’s on the road chauffeuring his troops to the various USA Boxing Shows and Tournaments.
Now to the combatants in Friday nights show: In the main event they have two local fan favorites flyweights Sergio “Elegante” Nunez going up against Oswaldo “Drakys” Ibarra. In the Co-feature they have southpaw super-flyweight sensation Javier “the Cobra” Mendoza (13-1-1) of Tijuana being challenged by Jorge Guerreo (4-6-0, 3 KOs) from Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. They’ve also added Jesse Isais (1-1-1) of Chula Vista, CA facing Juan Pablo Bojorquez of Tijuana and lightweight German Perez (4-0-2) of Baja California going up against a fighter to be announced.
And making their debuts are Jose Luis “Zurdo” Ramirez going up against Ramon Avilez and Reynaldo “El Rey” Russell going up against Francisco Hernandez.
Both Ramirez and Russell were outstanding amateurs with a combined record of 120 fights and only 4 losses. Russell ended up in a tie last year against the national amateur champion at the finals in Mexico City, but in the end, the judges awarded his rival the win.
