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Corrales
vs. Jose Luis Castillo
Las Vegas, Oct. 8th, 2005
I’d seen the first fight and
I was very disappointed no one in Corrales’ corner advised him to fight
Castillo differently. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, you can take the thug
out the street, but you can’t take the street out of the thug. As much as
Diego try's to come off as a nice guy, he’s a plain street dawg. Anyone
who’d beat his wife is a thug in my book. His disguise as a “nice guy” who
made a mistake doesn’t wash. I’ve said it many times, “you can’t be a
bad person and be a good boxer”. The life styles will eventually conflict.
I’m sure it seems like that isn’t true, but you’ll see, there’s been
hundreds of guys like Corrales. They come and go so quick it’s hard to
remember them. When you fight a person, you have to fight the whole person. You
can’t separate the fighter, from others roles as husband, father, thug, etc.
The whole person goes up there, as does all your history. I wanted to see
Corrales win, but I’m still not sure why, maybe because he’s form
Sacramento. I can’t respect anyone who’d beat a woman, no matter how good a
boxer he might be.
If I were Corrales, I’d be
pissed off at his so-called trainer, you know the guy who wears those weird
shirts and has a jaw like a pit bull. I’ve met this guy in person, and sorry
to say, he’d didn’t impress me. Maybe if he spent more time working on a
winning strategy rather than picking which ugly shirt to wear, he’d be a
better trainer. He’s gotta be 90 percent fool, to allow someone with
Corrales’ reach to fight on the inside. What for! Diego could have fought
Castillo easily from the outside, as everyone saw when he used his jab. It was
stupid, ego-driven, Mexican macho bullshit, to want to beat Castillo on the
inside. Fighting on the inside is what he does best. The point is to win, not
take a beating and need brain surgery afterwards. He sounded like he had a mouth
full of cheese after the last fight. My biggest question is why take such a
beating? For God’s sakes, smarten up Diego! Fire Gossen and get a trainer who
sees you as more than a money making machine. He doesn’t give a damn about you
personally, get some help.
I am not a fan of Jose Luis
Castillo, but I recognize a winner. Castillo used great strategy when he decided
not to drop the weight, but stay where he was. So what if he had to pay a fine.
What’s $10,000 of out the millions he earned and will continue to earn He came
back to beat Corrales. I don’t believe he gave a damn about the title. What
good is a title if everyone just watched you take a whupping? Everyone under
estimated Castillo, which is why he won. Rule number one in any fight, is never
under estimate your opponent. Rule number two, is use your tools to your
greatest advantage.
Goosen should be fired. Why
didn’t he tell Corrales to fight form the outside and use his jab? It’s like
having an arsenal, but only bringing a knife to a war. Goosen should be hung
upside down for making such a stupid mistake. I think his greed got in the way
of his better sense. Why subject your fighter to another beating if the belt was
not at stake. Castillo broke the contract. If you gonna make a concession, at
least get more money, a free car, and a trip to Europe thrown in for good
measure. Then just do enough to win, not risk your reputation as well. What an
idiot. Now, Diego holds a belt only worth a damn on paper. I gotta give Castillo
a thumbs up for his strategy. He’s taking his lead form Hopkins who guaranteed
himself at least two more big paydays by allowing himself to get beat. The third
Castillo-Corrales will be a super payday. Pretty smart for some poor guy form a
country where corruption is considered an art form. Oops, It sounds like ours.
The referee Joe Cortez made an
excellent call when he stopped the bout. As fired up as Castillo was he might
have killed Corrales, and there have been enough dead boxers in Nevada this
year. A real investigation would disrupt the billions that are made so I don’t
believe they’ll be one, but coaches and boxers should be weary. This is a very
tough, brutal game. Its sole purpose is to beat the crap out of your opponent.
Some do it with pose, technique and superior ability; others just wanna go in
there and beat each other down like two mountain gorillas. Either way, it’s a
hurting business. I also hope someone will slap Jim Gray, the announcer who
continues to ask stupid, disrespectful questions of the fighters. When did he
ever have the courage to step into the ring? I hate this guy. Larry Merchant is
full of shit, but this guy deserves to get a beating. I wonder if it’s against
the law to slug an announcer in the ring. As stupid as this jerk is, I’d dare
him to come into our locker room and ask such disrespectful questions. His
plastic smile is as phony as the act he puts on in front of the camera. I knew
this guy when he was kissing ass in Sacramento Arco Arena. I’ve also seen how
this guy acts when the cameras are not rolling. The only time he’ll talk to
Mexicans is when he’s steps on one. He’s just trying to stir up controversy
because he believes he’ll get a pay rise. Or that it’ll somehow make him
famous, punk. What a jerk. Anti-social and dysfunctional must be used to
describe this piece of work.
Could someone also talk with
whoever hires the translators and get someone who speaks the language. Anyone
who speaks Mexican Spanish can tell you, the translators sucked. There are a lot
of differences, just like every other language; there are dialects, and regional
phrases. They left so much out it’s ridiculous. The audience is missing out on
a lot of information, which I find very interesting. One of the Mexican fighters
made a statement, which if it had been translated would have stirred up plenty
of controversy. He spoke of using magic to win. He clearly said thanks to his
wife, who’d sent him some magical powders that worked, as he never got hit in
the face. This opens up a whole lot of interesting questions. Like did he use
black magic to win his fight? Were the powders illegal substances? Did his wife,
whom he said, sent the powders, do a Mo-joe on his opponent? You know like in
the movies. Does the Nevada Boxing Commission permit the use of “magical
powders”? I’ll bet that jerk Jim Gray could have plenty to say, if he was
smart enough to also speak Spanish. Unfortunately, he demonstrated as much
disrespect for that fighter as he did everyone else and the voice they used in
the voice- over, was a joke. The poor guy sounded like some kind of
stereotypical bandito, it was clearly intended to be so. It made
Spanish-speaking people sound stupid. It was very disrespectful and racist. I
was offended, and I never let assholes offend me. Thanks to Bush, racism and
elitism are back in vogue. I’m glad I’m not of draft age, if he’s gonna
keep fighting the war, he’ll need to also draft rich people’s kids,
that’ll never happen. I’ll bet Jim Gray never talks to anyone he’s not
paid to talk with. He appears to be 100% asshole. The station managers,
promoters and maybe God himself should be petitioned to drop a ton of shit on
him and end his evil reign. I would personally thank whomever lights a couple of
magic candles and prays that the same deity that helped the Mexican fighter win,
take care of Jim Gray. They should ask that he be turned into a fire hydrant, so
dogs can piss on him. Or maybe that he’ll just get a less offensive
personality.
All joking aside. As much as I
hate jerks and fools, I gotta say Thank God for Boxing!...... I’ll see you
ring side.
Mr. Jorge A. Martinez
Editor; Jorge’s Corner, The Voice of Boxing in Central and Northern
California
Email: dancingskyhorse@earthlink.net
Stockton
Civic Auditorium
Stockton, Ca. September 23, 2005
Boxing returned to Stockton’s
Civic Auditorium, thanks to the youngest promoter in the state James Grunsky.
Without entrepreneurs like James willing to risk so much, there wouldn’t be
any fisticuffs in Stockton. Local fight fans are as whimsical as a prom queen.
One can never be certain what it is that makes them wanna get out and witness
live boxing. Thanks to one of these whimsical quirks my boxer Major Mendoza’s
fight was canceled. The business of boxing has nothing to do with pride or
courage, it’s about ticket sales. Without them, nothing works.
Watching
such events in Stockton is interesting, or it is for me. I’m not from the
Central Valley; I don’t understand the subtleties that move people here. I
don’t pick up on the vibes, nor sense the tribal winds that seem to
mysteriously move amongst the natives. I don’t respond to the unheard tribal
drums whose unheard rhythms seem to stir these people into a frenzy. I am
contiguously amazed at how much the mood of the people changes, depending on
whose fighting. I noted a more peaceful mood amongst the tribes when Tony
Dominguez, the over 40 fighter from Manteca, doesn't fight. He’s never left
the valley to fight, but has a crowd gathering appeal like no one else in
Stockton, accept for David Martinez. Tony’s supporters come to Stockton to
party. They seem to guzzle more beer and misbehave more regularly than other
fight fans. I’ve not taken a scientific poll, so please don’t quote me, but
sitting ringside, it seemed less hostile. The other local boxer who seemed to
attract a rowdy crowd was Kenny Lopez. His supporters were openly hostile,
threatening, and didn’t give a damn who knew it. I sat ringside the night
Kenny got knocked out, aside form his son’s screams, the entire auditorium was
silent. Like the lull before a storm. Thank God for the large number of security
and police officers. I’ve learned never to under estimate the power of large
numbers of stupid people. I was in Barcelona during the riots. I was also in
Paris during the student riots. It was not fun, and many innocent people were
killed and injured.
As I write this, one of
Stockton’s least known boxers, Rodney Jones is preparing for several very
important matches. Rodney is a class act. He is a genuinely good human being and
living proof that life is not fair. Although I heard say he is somewhat of a
tight wad, and hates to spend money. Rodney’s had a pretty good professional
career, yet he has zero crowd appeal in Stockton. I wonder what kind of career
he might have had if he’d had a better trainer. Local promoters won’t put
him on the card because he wants too much money, and he is not popular. But he
has no fan base. It seems black sports fans don’t care to spend money to come
watch on of their own. This phenomena was first pointed out to me by Fred Lewis,
a once upon a time promoter whose disappeared. For some reason, black sports
fans don’t like to spend money to watch something in person, when they could
watch it on TV for free. I’ve never taken a poll, but I’ve noted the lack of
black faces at boxing events. He should have gotten a better trainer and moved
to the East Coast. His trainer hasn’t taught him a new move in years.
Latino’s are the best boxing fans in the world I can only feel for Rodney
Jones, he should have taken my advice and changed his name to Gomez, or Garcia,
right before he turned pro. . He’d have become another Tony Dominguez, over
forty, and still able to earn a paycheck, doing something he loves. I wish
Rodney all the luck in the world. You’d think Rodney would hire a press agent,
or someone to beat the drum for him. I don’t know why he hasn’t. Like I
said, rumor is he hates to spend money. He should be doing better.
Talking about unfair. The dark
side of boxing is always of interest. I recently learned another of my former
boxers, who did not pack the gear to make it in the game. Russell Green is
coaching his brother. Russell is a big guy, about 250 and stands about six foot.
He wears a fu-man-chu goat tee and a Mongolian ponytail. He looks dangerous, but
as soon as he smiles, you’d bet he was the nicest guy in the world. The
problem is he didn’t like to train. He didn’t like to ran and would ran out
of gas after one round. He had fast hands, but no gas. I tried everything I
could to motivate him, including taking him to King’s Gym in Oakland where he
took a beating for one round. He sparred a kid about 80 pounds lighter than
himself. The kids took several hard shots from Russell during the first minute,
and then unleashed a vicious body attack that broke two ribs on Russell. He
faded away and I did not hear form him for over a year. He showed up again
wanting to box. Against my better judgment I thought I’d give him a chance. He
couldn’t afford to pay me so I let him work it off; trouble was he didn’t
have transportation and all sorts of family problems. The truth is that Russell
was simply lazy. He would not train. Not wanting to just cut him off, without
any hope of redeeming himself, I placed him on a 90-day suspension. I was
completely honest with him and gave him a clear written evaluation of his
performance. I hoped it would wake him up, and he’d worker harder. Instead of
making corrections, and recommitting himself to boxing, he took offense at my
observations. He was insulted. His delusional self-image blinded him and got
upset that I had placed him on a suspension. We parted ways on less than good
terms. That was December 2003. I did not hear from him again. He also left
owning me money.
Last week, September 27th 2005,
he shows up, states he is training his younger brother Rosairo, and wanted to
know if I’d let one of my boxers spar with his brother. He also tells me he
knew Rail Talamantes was going to violate our contract and fight in Oregon,
without my knowledge. However, he felt no need to inform me about this event and
had even considered accompanying him. He had not unable to do so, because the
second’s license, which I had loaned him the money for, had expired. Rual
trained with me for over six years. I had to advance him the money for the
license. I had to intervene between him and his wife. I spent hours counseling
and trying to help him get it together. I even picked him up and drove him to
Sacramento for his license and blood work. When I questioned Russell about this
he blatantly told me, it had not been his role to address Rual’s misbehavior.
He did say, he wanted his brother to spar with the best-trained boxers in the
area, which is why he came to me. He stated the boy’s from the PAL team were
not any good, nor were the boxers from Pacific Karate School. I must have a soft
spot for losers. I agreed to let his brother spar with one of my boxers. Russell
showed up smelling of booze, no gear, no water bottle, and not even a towel. I
had to loan him equipment and give him water. My boxer did as I expected and
punished his brother, until I told him to stop. It should have been a clear
indication that he did not know what he was doing and that he had no business
coaching. However, Russell was happy with the results. As I said, I am not from
the Valley and I don’t understand these people. I don’t understand betrayal,
disloyalty, or blatant disregard for someone who has gone out of their way to be
helpful. I don’t understand someone who believes his own bullshit. Because if
he believes he knows how to coach boxing, then he is lying to himself. I am
disappointed with Rual, but not surprised. He’s always been a street dawg,
without boundaries, loyalties or restraints. I am more troubled neither Rual nor
Russell have no inner barometer that indicates right form wrong. With such lack
of boundaries, I foresee a dark future for both of them. These guys are the last
“street” guys I’ll ever accept into my program. Street thugs lack the
mettle to make it in this very tough game, and not worth the trouble it takes to
try and teach them how to be good people. I’ve file a formal a grievance with
the boxing commission, but it won’t do any good, you can’t change people.
Like I’ve said many times, boxing has many dark secrets.
The event in Stockton was, and
I’m sorry to say terrible. The level of professional boxing has dropped one
hundred percent. The last good fight I saw here was David Martinez. It was
simply awful. I’ve not seen so much brawling since hosting the Tough Man Show
here several years ago. I have no idea who is training these alleged boxers, but
they should have their heads examined. From the first to the last, the fights
were little more than brawling matches, reflecting nothing of the sweet science
and very little of anything else. You would not be surprised the fans loved it.
The average Stockton Boxing fan has no idea what constitutes good boxing. They
wanna see blood, broken noses and teeth. They like nothing better than to watch
someone be hauled off by the ambulance. Its disturbing, however as The Godfather
said. ³its the business we’ve chosen”.
The first bout was with Everado
Lopez, who’d fought like a crazy man against Nick Brooks on the last card.
Thank God, promoter James Grunsky had the smarts to find each of them a
different opponent. I think they might have killed each other this time.
Unfortunately, Everado looked worse, if that was possible than last time. They
say that a good opponent will make a bad boxer look better. Well, the opposite
is also true; a bad boxer will make a worse one look awful. Lopez, who has as
much courage as anyone could ask, has no idea how to box? His foot position is
ridiculous, his hand position is terrible. He has no defensive techniques and he
punches like he’s trying to chop down a tree. He stomps around the ring like
he’s working in the fields and takes punishment like a piñata. I’ve seen piñatas
take less beatings than this poor guy does. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, he
has a Mexican Chin and a heart as big as Texas. His opponent was actually worse,
if that is possible. Emanuel Marreor of Las Vegas took a pounding and went back
to sin city a bit more repented, as he paid for all his transgressions.
The next bout matched Nick
Brooks of Stockton and Jose Grace of Oakland. It was another horrible event.
Neither of these guys has any idea what it means to box. Or at least neither of
them displayed any knowledge in my eyes. It’s too bad because Nick has the
tools to be great. He’s got heart, and strength, but he has no idea how to use
them. Nick reminded me of Opey Taylor on Mayberry. He was completely lost, and
confused. It would have been funny, if it hadn’t been so tragic. He is being
trained miserably. His trainers must be teaching him how to park cars or
something, because they are not teaching boxing. If he were my boxer, I’d be
ashamed of such a miserable performance. He lacks everything. The poor guy has
no footwork, no defensive technique, no counter punching, no head movement, no
nothing. He needs helps desperately. I foresee terrible beatings and a very
short career. I would urge him to fire his trainers immediately. If I were him,
I’d get on the next bus out of town if I had too. I have no idea what
qualifications they think they have, but they must be suffering form a brain
tumors or something. His opponent was twice as horrible as he, and he still
lost. Jose Grace was a clown who thought he was performing in a circus, cause he
sure didn’t do much boxing, yet he brawled his way to a victory. I have no
idea where James found this guy, but he must be paying him in peanuts. I have to
say, the quality of boxing is difficult to predict, unless you’ve seen them.
So its not James’s fault. Nick Brooks brought back memories of Fat City, the
movie about bad boxers, bad coaching and Stockton as a place filled with losers.
It was horrible. Stockton has been called Mud Ville. Tomato Can Factory would
not be far from the mark, at least as far as these boxers are concerned. I’ve
not seen such terrible display since I watched tough man boxing on TV. Unless
Nick gets some real training, he should take up bus driving or managing a Jack
in the Box. So far he sucks as a fighter. Its too bad he seems like a good kid.
I’d come to watch the local boys get into the mix. I’d hoped all of them had
gotten a little smarter and some real training. It was not to be. Andreas
Zapata, the prison guard looked worse than last time. I have no idea who his
trainers are, but they must be smoking crack, because he looked horrible. His
opponent James Holmes had no hand technique, no footwork, and no idea what the
hell he was doing. It seemed like he was trying to imitate Roy Jones or Prince
Hamed. Both have faded away due to their own brand of arrogance. He did have
fast hands, and great balance. Zapata had no idea what to do with him. He seemed
puzzled, lost, and stunned by the crazy man, who bounced around in a random
manner without purpose. It’s too bad these guys can’t see. Because they are
gonna go no where. They might end up like Tony Dominguez, a hometown hero, and
not much anywhere else. I guess its good enough for some people. Fight fans here
don’t care how bad they are, they just want an excuse to raise hell, get
drunk, act out in public, and watch someone take a beating. As long as guys like
Zapata and Brooks keep boxing, fight fans in Stockton will pay to watch them.
Without better training, they’ll join the thousands of other tomato cans that
exist in boxing. I wish there was a standard, or a state test requiring trainers
to have some basic knowledge of the sport. There seems to be an over abundance
of fools and idiots out there calling themselves trainers. Its too bad, Stockton
is getting a reputation for producing tomato cans and not much more. As far as I
can tell, the only thing we can claim is to be able to take a beating.
The Stockton Record continues
to disrespect boxing. It offers very little coverage, no photos and puts in no
effort what so ever. I’m very disappointed with their coverage. You’d think
in a town with so little to brag about would get the only paper to take more
interest in boxing events. I’m sure it’s about money. I’ll bet the Record
doesn’t cover boxing, because most fight fans don’t take the paper.
It was a very disappointing
event. The card girls have gotten better looking but the boxing has gone down
hill. Unless something happens we may become known as the Tomato Can Factory,
instead of just famous for gangs, shootings floods and corrupt politicians.
I usually end my coverage with
“Thank God for Boxing”, let’s hope he’s listening and he’ll send
enlightenment to the knuckleheads calling themselves coaches.
See You Ringside,
Mr. Jorge A. Martinez
Editor; Jorge’s Corner, The Voice of Boxing in Central and Northern
California
Email: dancingskyhorse@earthlink.net
HP
Pavilion
San Jose, CA
Sept. 16, 2005
Once again like a religious
crusader on a holy pilgrimage, I ventured over mountains and valleys, making the
two hundred mile round trip to San Jose for another Fight Night At The Tank. Ron
Rios and Mario Garcia accompanied me on my journey. We pooled our resources in
order to manage the outrages gas prices. It seems the War in Iraq has not
improved the price of gas and the egg on Bush’s face has changed to mud,
thanks to Katrina. His credibility as a leader is zero. So is the fool he picked
to lead FEMA.
There is little which can
compare to the festive atmosphere and excitement before a fight. I’ve had more
than my share of excitement. I’ve been a part of many adventures. I’ve
crossed oceans, climbed mountains in Pakistan, swam rivers in Germany, marched
across the Iranian desert and helped invade Iraq. Few events outside of a combat
zone can compare to the excitement of boxing. I thank God, I am a part of it.
I was looking forward to
watching The Salinas Wonder Boy, Jose Celaya redeem himself after taking a
terrible beating at Spider Webb’s hands. I’d sat ringside and witnessed an
unknown fighter punished Jose mercilessly. It was painful to watch. I knew
Jose’s chances at stardom were being thrashed. Everything I’ve said for
years slapped me in the face. I hated being right. I’ve been saying he’s had
too many easy wins. He’s been overly protected in order to build his record by
fighting tomato cans. Now it come back to haunt him. Every item on my long list
of “needs to Improve ³, was highlighted and drastically confirmed. He
suffered an humiliating defeat. Making a long story short, Jose had had too many
easy wins, over unworthy opponents, which taught him nothing, except over
confidence. He never learned to pivot and shift his weight into his punches. His
fast hands have no power behind them. The money seemed more important than
learning the necessary skills. I’ve seen this happen many times, there are
many examples.
Take Jose Perez Jr., “The
Punisher", for example. Jose is managed and trained by his father. Sadly, a
proven formula for disaster. Many of you will scoff at my observations, yet
experience proves me correct. Yes, its true a father will protect his son. The
problem is fathers are too often unable to be objective about their children’s
capabilities. They don’t merely see a boxer, they see their son. As detached
as a father / trainer might be, he’ll never be detached enough to point out
his own shortcomings. In most cases he won’t see them because his son is a
reflection of himself. A parent’s pride is a dangerous thing. Ego always gets
in the way of sound judgment. How many people do you know that can step back,
and point out their own defects? Imagine having to tell your son, who trusted
you, you screwed up. Worse, that you’ve given him an over inflated,
misconception of him. Imagine having to explain to your son, you over estimated
your own abilities, and need help, but are too proud, or stupid to ask for it.
That you are risking his life, in order to achieve goals, you were unable to
reach on your own. Perhaps the worse scenario played out by many father/
trainers, is that most simply don’t know enough to act in that role. Few
people seem to know what good boxing is. Now add the normal conflicts that take
place within a father-son relationship. You have a proven formula for disaster.
Few fathers are able to be
objective about their sons, fewer can recognize their own shortcomings, and
fewer still have the strength of character to know when to step back, and let a
better qualified trainer step in. End result, Jose Perez, “The Punisher”,
got knocked out by an unknown fighter from Mexico. Hector Manuel Leyve, a
nobody, who was beaten a month latter by another unknown. What terrible events
must have preceded Jose’s devastating knock out? The referee who described the
fight said it plainly, “it was ugly”. Who is responsible? What kind of
excuses will we hear? Was it the boxer, or the trainer? I’d say it was daddy
dearest, who led his son into a fight with a boxer from a third world country,
where it is almost impossible to verify records. The same daddy that’s allowed
Jose to use sloppy defensive techniques and failed to make corrections.
The lesson for Jose Perez and
Jose Celaya is clear, too many easy fights in order to build a winning record
are not only dangerous. It’s an unwise use of resources. Doing so is one of
boxing’s dark secrets, yet it’s done all the time. With a little effort you
can arrange to fight unworthy opponents, but eventually you will meet real
warriors. Boxers who have worked hard, are hungry, and are angry at their own
lack of accomplishments. Boxers like Vicente Escobedo, who returned form the
Olympics in shame and defeat. The experience lit a fire within him. He returned
enraged for having failed. In his journey to make amends, he trains like a man
possessed and, fights like he is avenging a terrible sin. He not only defeats
his opponents, he destroys them. I love that kid, he’s gonna be a champion
someday, I’d bet.
Let’s hope Jose’s loss will
spark a fire within him. Lets hope he will release his demons, feed his anger,
and vent that rage upon his opponents. Lets hope his father/ trainer will take a
step back and accept the fact he is not as good as he believed. A trainer must
be objective, detached, and above all pragmatic. I’ve not personally known of
any father-son boxing teams to work. Eventually the son will rebel against his
father’s control, just like he’s suppose to happen. It would be healthier to
set him free, rather than risk aliening him. An Eagle builds his nest high on a
mountain peak in order to help his children learn how to fly. Its dangerous, but
a necessary evil. The height will give them a better chance at success. When he
feels they are ready, he encourages them to leap into space, spread their wings
and fly. He stands back as they succeed and soar into the heavens, or watches as
they silently fall to their deaths. There is little else he can do, its part of
being a parent.
I’ve not met Jose Perez Jr.,
or his father. I’ve watched them. I think he turned pro too soon. Jose needs
to mature. I think his father has taught him all he knows and should let someone
else take over. Jose should be allowed to sow some wild oats, and raise a little
hell. He has plenty of time. He is young enough to make a few mistakes, recover,
and still become a champion. He will stumble and have to get back up on his own.
It is the only way to discover what he’s made of. An over protective father
will stifle his son’s growth. Every man must be allowed to make his own
choices. A father should be an advisor, not CEO, or commander in chief. Nothing
is more harmful for a young man, than to be raised as a lion, then not allow him
to make his way amongst the beasts. What goes on outside the ring is just as
important. The card that sells the tickets is not the one you get to see. This
was no exception. I have no complaints. A bad day of boxing is still better than
the best day a work. The first bout matched a young lion out of Modesto. No
matter what else can be said about guys form the valley, they are tough as
nails. Osvaldo Sarabio was no exception. He lacked polish. It seemed he had
little amateur experience. His method of attack was simply to walk straight at
his opponent, ignore anything coming at him, and swing as if chopping down a
tree. This may have been nerves or just over zealousness. This method of attack
works with inexperienced brawlers. It will just get him hurt with more
experienced boxers. He attacked his opponent Noe Inzunza, mercilessly. Noe made
a half feeble attempt to fight back, but was unable to mount much of a fight.
Osvaldo Sarabio is trained by Joey Garza and Tony Availa, both are friends of
mine. I’m cautious if I write about boxers when I know their coaches. Very few
are able to take my observations in the light in which I offer them. I am a firm
believer in correct fundamentals. Few coaches know what those are. I focus on
details and subtleties of the sport. The difference between a champion and an
brawler is what goes on in his head, and a great jab. I’d suggest more time in
the gym learning fundamentals. I’d suggest better defensive movements and
counter punching techniques. I’d advise Joey to tap into his connections and
get help. I would error on the side of caution when taking calls from promoters.
The role of coach / trainer is complex and requires detachment. Too many coaches
are trying to relive their glory days via their boxers. Others talk nonsense and
say stupid things. I’ve met old timers who’ve claimed “to have forgotten
more about boxing, than most people will ever know” If someone could explain
how this is something to brag about, I’d like to know.
The next bout featured Joe
Bradley 3-7, 1 K0, whose had a rough time of it. I gotta give Joe credit for
trying. I’ve known Joe since his first bout in Stockton when he out pointed
Raul Talamantes, a street dog, wanna be hero, who thought he was tough enough to
step into the ring. I remember several days before the fight, Rual showed up at
my home to review the contracts, carrying a gun in his waist ban. He’d been in
and out of jail since I’d known him. I should have cut him loose on the spot.
I hoped he’d change. He hasn’t, no matter how much I tried to help Raul, he
never reflected any of what I gave him. His reaction to kindness was as
indifferent as his reaction to reason. He was like an bottomless caravan, no
matter how much you put into it, it was never enough. His trips in out of jail
continue to this day, while Joe has managed to maintain a professional career.
Joe squared off with Chandray Johnson; Joe’s addiction to weight lifting has
been his biggest obstacle. He’s too short for his weight. Johnson must have
been a foot and a half taller. With a lot help Johnson might actually be an
average fighter someday, but on this night he looked awful. If Joe had learned
fundamentals he might have been able to chop his taller opponent down. Johnson
looked weak, and awkward yet, Joe lacked the skills to take him out. I gotta
question Joe’s commitment. His timing, and conditioning are also in doubt. The
booing crowd grew louder as the fight got duller. My love of the game was the
only thing that kept me focused. It was an awful display. An insult to the sweet
science. There is no way this could be called boxing. I would suggest Joe find
another trainer immediately, or quit. His surrender to mediocrity thus far has
been heartbreaking. He’s got to make a decision to step up and learn the art
of boxing, or resign himself to being a tomato can. I still remember him the
first time we met; his eyes were full of fire. I hope he can rekindle that
flame. Johnson got the decision.
I was very disappointed to
discover Martha Salazar’s bout had been canceled. I had seen the last fight
she had with Marsha Valley. I was honestly surprised Marsha would consider
fighting her again. As I wrote in my last article, Martha does not look like a
fighter, but when the bell rings, she is transformed into an impressive punching
machine.
I would have loved to seen
Valley and Salazar mix it up again. Too bad. I’d not seen Ricardo Cortes fight
for a very long time. I wondered if he’d quit, or gotten married, which is
often just as bad. I was happy to seen his name on the announcement. I got a
laugh out of the change in his ring name. He went from ³the White Guy”, to ³El
Guerrero”, the Warrior. It was about time, his handlers renamed him. Thank
God, he also got a new trainer. Ricardo has made tremendous improvements since
the first time I saw him. He’s always had a great chin and conditioning. What
he lacked in fundamentals he made up for in fury. His brand of aggression is
usually only found in pit bulls. I’ve always admired his straightforward
approach. He’s not interested in endearing himself to the audience. Or in
providing entertainment for the crowd. He’s only goal is to beat the
stuffing's out of anyone who stands before him. His performance was the best
fight of the night and made the two hundred mile trip worthwhile. It’s hard to
complain about because as I’ve said, he’s made a lot of improvement. I guess
I’m a dreamer. I can imagine him as a properly trained, going out there and
dismantling his opposition as proficiently as a young Julio Caesar Chavez once
did. I hope he gets the professional training he still needs. His no nonsense
attack proved effective as he beat his more experienced opponent Rene Arostegui
without much effort. It only took Ricardo three rounds to the job.
The main event was a
disappointment. I’d come to watch Jose Celaya, The Salinas Wonder Boy, avenge
his last defeat. I’d sat ringside and watched him take a beating. I’d seen
him out of gas, out of tricks, and unable to stop Spider Webb’s attack. Webb,
who had absolutely no boxing skills, attacked straight in and took every shot
Jose could give. Spider ignored Jose’s weak counter punches and simply beat
him down. I’d been six inches from Jose when he landed on the canvas right
before my eyes. I expected to see an enraged, boxer on a mission to restart his
path towards greatness, but it was not so. The main event was reduced form ten
to eight rounds. It was little more than a sparring match. Jose played it safe
and might as well have been wearing a business suit, he was so cautious. He
fought just enough to win a decision and little more. He never took any risks
and never attempted to finish his opponent. It was little more than a glorified
sparring match, not worth the two hundred mile round trip.
What can I say? I wanted to see
Jose win, but not by compromising so much. I’ve been asking him to keep his
hands up, learn defensive techniques and put his weight into this punches, but
he isn't listening. The beating Webb gave him has not been enough to convince
him he needs better trainers. His problems with making weight speak volumes
about his life style and says little about his self-discipline. The business of
boxing is about money, but it did not start there. At one time he wanted to be
the best boxer possible. I think it was a worthwhile objective, one still
possible to obtain, if he is willing to put in the work. Nothing comes easy, and
everyone is afraid of something. The problem is, being afraid will not change
reality, or make the wolves stopping clawing at the door.
Winter will soon be upon us,
the changing season is a time of endings and new beginnings. Lets hope our boys
in Iraq and Afghanistan will be removed form harm’s way. I ask you to join me
in sending up a prayer for their well-being. In the mean time, I gotta say Thank
God for Boxing!
Always in Your Corner,
Jorge A. Martinez
Sportswriter/Trainer/Manager
dancingskyhorse@earthlink.net
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