Northern California Notebook - Boxing's-Number-one Podcast and Website

It has been both a great and busy time to be a Northern California fight aficionado or roving fight scribe in 2011. After years of sporadic events and a club scene that was almost nonexistent, professional boxing is thriving again in the region, thanks in large part to Don Chargin and his team of co-promoters, with additional shows being put on by fight promoters both new and old as well. The trend continues this week, with several other shows in the offing in the not too distant future.

Banks-Martinez II, Becerra Featured in Sacramento

One of the promoters that has been active in the region over the years, Nasser Niavaroni of Uppercut Promotions, will host his first event of the year at the Red Lion Hotel in Sacramento, California this Friday. In the featured attractions, local heavyweight Hector Martinez will look to even up the score against Yohan Banks in a six-round rematch and rising lightweight prospect Maximilliano Becerra will take on Christian Gonzalez in the four-round co-feature.

Banks (4-4-3, 2 KOs) of Redwood City, California took a highly competitive four-round split decision over Martinez (5-5, 4 KOs) of Broderick, California at the Feather Falls Casino & Lodge in Oroville, California back in March of last year. Banks scored a second-round knockdown that proved to be the difference in a wildly action-packed heavyweight slugfest. Martinez has fought once since, dropping a hard-fought four-round split decision to Lamont Williams this past January. Banks was last in the ring this past September, as he weathered three rounds against hyped former football player Quadtrine Hill, before scoring the come-from-behind stoppage in the fourth round of a pay-per-view undercard bout at the Las Vegas Hilton in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Becerra (4-0-1, 2 KOs) of Vacaville, California returns to the intimate venue at which he fought his first three pro bouts against the unknown Gonzalez (2-0, 1 KO) of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico in the four-round co-feature. Becerra, who proved to be a solid ticket seller, pleased his local following with a dominant four-round unanimous decision over Omar Sanchez at the Fairfield Sports Center in nearby Fairfield, California this past January. Gonzalez has no fights reported since 2009, but it is likely he has fought during that time in Mexico.

In another intriguing bout, former toughman and Badge VS. Badge competitor Larry Ward of Sacramento will make his pro debut against former amateur standout Joshua Landers of the Bronx, New York. Landers, who currently trains out of the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California, is also making his professional debut.

Three other boxing matches and two mixed martial arts fights will round out the card. Tickets for the event are available by calling the Red Lion Hotel at 916-922-8041.

Sanchez Back in Action June 3rd

Locally popular welterweight Alan Sanchez (7-2-1, 2 KOs) will return to the Fairfield Sports Center for the third straight time in his career as the main event on June 3rd. Sanchez, who trains out of the JL Tepito Boxing Club in Fairfield, had been scheduled to fight at the venue on March 25th, but had to pull out with a minor arm injury. Sanchez packed the Sports Center for his two fights there, and will likely do the same in June.

Sanchez’ gym mate Lamont Williams (4-1, 1 KO) of Fairfield will be featured on the card in a four-round cruiserweight bout. Williams fought just this past Friday in San Francisco, California, as he rose from a first-round knockdown to drop Juan Hernandez twice and cruise to a four-round unanimous decision.

Exciting lightweight prospect Guy Robb (3-0, 1 KO) of Sacramento will also be on the bill in Fairfield in June. Robb thrilled his local following last time out at the Sports Center, as he went toe-to-toe with relentless Manuel Morales for four-rounds en route to a majority decision victory. Robb, who is slated to take to the ring one week prior in Reno, Nevada, drew large crowds in Fairfield in both February and March. In his previous outing, Robb dominated Fairfield’s Omar Sanchez, scoring two knockdowns on his way to a four-round unanimous decision.

When tickets go on sale for the event, promoted by Don Chargin Productions, Golden Boy Promotions, Jorge Marron Productions and Paco Presents, they will be made available by calling Paco’s Mexican Restaurant at 530-669-7946.

Griffin Gets another Shot

World ranked light heavyweight Otis Griffin (23-7-2, 9 KOs) of Sacramento came up short in a recent IBF title eliminator against Yusaf Mack, but will not have to wait long to get right back in the mix at 175-pounds. Griffin has signed to fight IBF #9 ranked Karo Murat, with the IBF #2 position at stake, on May 7th in Germany.

“After the Yusaf Mack fight, I didn’t take much time off and I was right back in the gym,” Griffin told 15rounds.com Wednesday. “I didn’t have any injuries or anything, so I need to go out and take advantage of this opportunity.”

In scouting Murat (23-1, 13 KOs) of Kitzingen, Bayern, Germany, Griffin has come to expect an action-packed encounter. “I expect him to come forward and bring a high pressure style, much like Arthur Abraham,” says Griffin, the IBF #7 ranked light heavyweight. “He is going to try and put a dent in me or hurt me and finish me off. So that is pretty much what we are preparing for.”

Rarely do two opportunities, such as the fights with Mack and Murat, come back-to-back. This is something that is not lost on the 33-year-old Griffin. “I am tremendously looking forward to this fight,” said Griffin, who has been sparring USA Boxing #3 ranked amateur super heavyweight O’Jayland Brown. “It is an opportunity for redemption. It’s my third world title eliminator. So we are praying it turns out victoriously this time around.”

The light heavyweight elimination bout, which will be Griffin’s second career bout in Germany, serves as one of main undercard attractions to the IBF Middleweight title bout between champion Sebastian Sylvester and mandatory challenger Daniel Geale.

Notes

-Plans are coming together for a July 3rd event at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in Burlingame, California. WBO #2 ranked super featherweight Eloy Perez (21-0-2, 5 KOs) of Salinas, California would be in the main event. Local unbeatens Bruno Escalante Jr. (3-0-1, 2 KOs) and Joe Gumina (2-0, 2 KOs) are already pegged to fight in separate bouts on the undercard. All three fighters notched wins last Friday in San Francisco.

-According to eyewitnesses, perhaps not the most unbiased, but eyewitnesses nonetheless, longtime San Francisco-based prospect Karim Mayfield has been giving Manny Pacquiao excellent work in training camp down at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood. Promoters of last Friday’s event in San Francisco made attempts to get Mayfield (13-0-1, 8 KOs) on the bill, but had trouble finding an available opponent. Mayfield made a quick trip up to the City anyway to cheer on fellow Straight Forward Club fighter Jonathan Chicas, who was making his pro debut. Chicas (1-0, 1 KO) stopped debuting Maja Khali in just over a minute.

-Another Straight Forward Club fighter, Miguel Lopez of Oakland, California, returns to the ring next Friday on the undercard of Jesse Brinkley-Peter Quillin at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada. Lopez (2-0, 1 KO) will take on former nationally ranked amateur Jose “Chuy” Elizondo of Reno, who will be making his pro debut in a four-round light middleweight bout. Despite turning pro back in May 2009, Lopez has only two pro fights under his belt even though he is always in shape, should his phone ring. Elizondo has been trying to turn pro for about the last two years, but has had injuries flare up at inopportune times.

-Former amateur standout Jason Montgomery (2-1-1) of Hayward, California returns to the ring for the first time since suffering his lone loss against another well regarded young pro in Alejandro Galarza (1-0, 1 KO) as part of a private show at the Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank, California on May 19th. Montgomery, who trains under Arvin Jugarap at the Kennel Boxing Club in San Leandro, California, dropped a hard-fought four-round unanimous decision to prospect Cleven Ishe on March 5th. Also on the card, cruiserweight Tony Johnson (4-0, 1 KO) of San Jose, California takes a step up in class against Brent Urban (7-3-1, 5 KOs) of Dallas, Texas in a four-rounder.

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected].