Rodriguez, Alexander, Tabile among winners at Syracuse pro boxing card

 

Recap from Doug Gibson

On Friday night, Feb. 21 at Warehouse 22 in Syracuse, Utah, All Heart Boxing Promotions put on its inaugural professional boxing card. A healthy crowd packed the small arena for 7 bouts, all scheduled for four rounds. There was excellent matchmaking, as six of the seven bouts were competitive.

In the main event, debuting middleweight Bobby Tabile, West Valley City, used consistent pressure to wear down game debuting boxer, Erick Sanchez, of Salt Lake City. It was an accumulation of punches that halted the fight 41 seconds into the third round.

In the semi-main bout between light heavyweights, Demetrius Alexander, Sandy, scored a unanimous decision over Slava Mayzus, of Phoenix, Ariz. The unorthodox Mayzus, 1-2-1, often fighting from a southpaw stance, gave Alexander, 3-3, trouble for two rounds. But Alexander took the last two rounds, scoring a knockdown in the fourth. Scores were 40-35, 39-36 and 38-37. Utah Fight Game scored the bout 39-36 for Alexander. (Above is a photo of Alexander after the bout.)

Ogden super-bantamweight Isaiah Rodriguez improved to 3-3 with a majority decision of debuting Mauro Angel Gutierrez. Rodriguez used ring generalship, a good jab, counterpunching and strong body shots to keep a consistent edge on his aggressive opponent. Scores were 39-37 twice and 38-38. Utah Fight Game, noting it was a competitive match, scored it 40-36 for Rodriguez. (The photo below shows Rodriguez (at left) and Gutierrez in action.)

In a middleweight bout, Eligio Hernandes Jr. 1-1, was more agressive in outpointing Jacob Diaz, 0-3. The fourth round started with a rally from Diaz, of Salt Lake City, but Ogden's Hernandez finished strongly. Scores were 40-36 twice and 38-38. Utah Fight Game scored the bout 40-36 for Hernandez.

In an action-packed fight between lightweights, Dyllon Cervantes Alvarado, of Salt Lake City, 4-4-1, scored a majority decision over Michael Allredge (AKA Castle Noir), 1-1, of West Jordan. The first two rounds were even, but Alvarado controlled the third, scoring a knockdown. Allredge, to his credit, fought on near-even terms in the final round. Scores were 38-38, 39-36, and 38-37. Utah Fight Game scored the bout 40-37 for Cervantes.

In a super-middleweight bout, Clearfield's Joshua Pirela, 2-0, received a TKO win after the first round when his opponent, Keithon Turner, 1-5, Las Vegas, Nev., retired. Pirela controlled the first round.

In the opening bout, Jesus Marin, 1-3, of El Paso, Texas, wore down debuting Gianni Madrid, Salt Lake City. In the bout between lightweights, Marin used his experience advantage with effective aggression. Madrid fought gamely, but the fight was stopped after a left hook dropped Madrid in round four.

According to Jason DeCarlo of All Heart, the promotion plans pro boxing cards on June 11 and November 22. They will be at the Golden Spike exhibition hall in Ogden.

Ogden's Rodriguez among boxers at seven-bout pro card in Syracuse Feb. 21

Ogden pro boxer Isaiah Rodriquez is among 14 boxers who will compete in seven bouts on Friday, Feb. 21 at Warehouse 22 in Syracuse, located at 1068 W 350 South STE A. 

It’s the first promotion for Ogden-based ALL HEART Promotions, although more bouts this year are scheduled. All Heart also has a boxing gym in Farr West.

“Fights start at 7 p.m.,” said Jason DeCarlo of All Heart. The arena opens at 6 p.m. Ticket prices are $65 general admission and $85 VIP." The complete card can be viewed at the BoxRec website.

“We will also be having a show June 21 and November 22. Both will be held at the Golden Spike exhibition hall (in Ogden). The plan going forward is three to four shows a year,” DeCarlo added.

In his young pro career, super bantamweight Isaiah Rodriguez has fought bouts in Utah, Arizona and California. He meets debuting Mauro Angel Gutierrez on Friday night. (In the photo above Rodriguez (at right) is shown winning a decision over Chris Bojorquez on Sept. 9, 2023 in Glendale, Ariz.)

Utah Fight Game chatted with the young prospect prior to this weekend’s bout.

UTAH FIGHT GAME: How is your training going for the bout?

Rodriguez: Training has been great, rough and tough so we are ready for whatever tactics or adjustments we need to make.

UTAH FIGHT GAME: What do you know about your opponent? Any strategy you can share?

Rodriguez: (I don’t know) too much on our opponent. He is also a pro MMA fighter, so we know he will be durable and ready to put up a fight. He seems to be a shorter fellow so we need to utilize our range and really use our boxing to our advantage.

UTAH FIGHT GAME: What are your boxing plans after this bout?

Rodriguez: We plan to keep training hard, staying busy by getting more fights this year and give not only ourselves but the next up-and coming-fighters a light into the reason why we need to work hard in life and in the ring to make all these dreams that we have come true.

Another pro boxer on the card is light heavyweight Demetrius Alexander. The 29 year old fights out of Salt Lake City. He fights Slava Mayzus Friday night. 

Utah Fight Game also interviewed Alexander. (Above is a photo of Alexander (at right) after his Nov. 22, 2024 stoppage win, in Salt Lake City, over Cruz Guadalupe Carbajal.) 

UTAH FIGHT GAME: How is your training going for the bout?

Alexander: My training for this bout has been the best for any bout I’ve ever had. I’ve been locked in for this camp and it’s helped that this is my third fight in six months so I’ve just been staying sharp.

UTAH FIGHT GAME: What do you know about your opponent? Any strategy you can share?

Alexander: I know he’s coming up a couple weight classes but I know he comes out aggressive. I’m prepared to box but I’m also prepared to bang if I have to.

UTAH FIGHT GAME: What are your boxing plans after this bout?

Alexander: I’ll be (taking a) little break from boxing. My first child is due at the end of June and I’ve been training and fighting consistently so it’s time to take a break and spend some time with my family. I do plan on fighting again by the end of the year but I want to take some time to be a good dad.

Tickets are available at the door Friday night. Fighters on the cards can be contacted to get tickets earlier, said DeCarlo.

“The goal is to bring boxing back to Ogden. Ogden’s a great fight town and I’d like to get it there regularly," he added.

Top of Utah heavyweight Gary Cobia to fight former world champ Oliver McCall

 

Despite turning 51, Top of Utah heavyweight boxer Gary Cobia has stayed fit. He's 6 foor 4 inches tall and weights 260 pounds. His last professional fight was in 2015; that same year he scored a win on the undercard of the Mitt Romney versus Evander Holyfield exhibition "boxing match." 

Gary earned a decision win that night, knocking his durable opponent, Fred Spitzenberg, down. After his next fight, a loss to fellow Utahn Jesse West, Cobia retired. He'd enjoyed an extended amateur and pro career. But the fight game never left him and, as mentioned, he was looking for another chance.

And got an extraordinary opportunity. On Tuesday, February 4, in Nashville, Tenn, at the Texas Troubadour Theater, Cobia, who lives in Clearfield, meets former world heavyweight champion Oliver McCall. Thirty years ago, McCall shocked the world by scoring a second-round TKO over Lennox Lewis. He defended the title once before losing it to Frank Bruno. McCall stayed in the heavyweight picture for a couple of decades before retiring. Now, at the age of 59, he is attempting his own comeback. A few months ago he stopped veteran heavyweight Stacy Frazier.

I recently interviewed Cobia, (Seen above, at left, with his trainer, Denys Chernei, a former Ukrainian amateur boxer.) We talked about about his upcoming bout with McCall.  

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How did this opportunity to fight Oliver McCall come about?

Cobia: The opportunity came up when I reached out to his manager, Jimmy Adams, to see if Oliver had opponents. I watched his last fight with Stacy Frazier and after the fight Oliver stated he was going to fight regularly.

When did you start thinking, I'd like to start boxing again?

Cobia: I went through a rough divorce and was dealing with raising my children and I always wanted to redeem myself from my last fight in Wendover. My children are older and in a better place, so that provided a better opportunity now!

Tell  us about your training, and your trainer? Where are you training? 

Cobia: My training consists of alternating days endurance and strength, and then boxing techniques and boxing stamina! A lot of times we just train at VASA in the aerobics room or ar my house in the garage! (I have seen live footage of Gary training with Denys, and the photo above was taken at another gym, Junction City Boxing, in Riverdale.)

Do you have a particular strategy against McCall?

Cobia: Yes, we do have a strategy for McCall. It's' to let him be the aggressor in the first three rounds, I need to move and counter off his punches and just win by (scoring) more points. We're hoping him being (near) 60 years old, after three rounds he may start to tire and then start making mistakes. I'm hoping to capitalize on those mistakes. But, at the end of the day, anything can happen. (The bout is scheduled for six rounds)

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Despite being the younger fighter in the upcoming bout, Cobia acknowledges 51 is a late age for boxing. But the LDS Church Sunday School teacher is in shape, and boasts an impressive physical appearance.

"But I look like I'm 30 because I keep the Word of Wisdom," he said with a smile.

PFL's Collard competes in Salt Lake City MMA bout

 

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Some hooks and jabs involving Utah boxing and MMA: Utahn Clay Collard will be in Utah for the second round of this year's PFL MMA tournament. The Jon Huntsman Center in SLC will host next card June 21. It was also be televised and streamed on ESPN. Collard, in the lightweight division, fights Mads Burnell.

Foley's gym in Ogden will have an amateur boxing card Saturday May 11. The gym is 375 31st St in Ogden. Doors open at 3 pm. Fights start at 4 pm. Cost is $15 for adults, $10 for kids 5 to 12. Undefeated heavyweight Shakeem Barnwell, who is returning after a long layoff, is on the card.

SteelFist MMA has a card scheduled Saturday, June 8, at the Union Event Center. On the card will be pro middleweight Hayden Brown, also resuming his career after a long layoff. In a SteelFist card in SLC on April 27, Justin McDonald defeated Rusty Pearson in a main bout. Entire card results are here.

Fierce Fighting Championships will have an MMA card May 31 at The Maverik Center. On the card will be pros Eric Iman and Joel Haro, and amateur Ammon Garcia. On April 20, in Orem, Mike Jones successfully defended his FFC pro middleweight title, stopping Trent Miller in first round. In a FFC light heavyweight title bout, Hamza Salim took a split decision over Jarome Hatch. Entire card results are here. I heard recently that former FFC amateur champ Hannah Silva is slated for a title bout with the promotion this summer.

The May 25 pro/am boxing match at the Salt Air in Magna is taking shape. The card is here. Pro fighters competing include Francisco Jalel Lopez, Bishop Le'i, Isiah Rodriquez, Joshua Pirela and Armando Heurta. Ticket information is here.

Some results: Jesus Haro, minimum weight, lost a 12-round decision, in a bout in Puerto Rico, to former world title holder Wilfredo Mendez; Northern Utah featherweight pro boxer Brandon Douglas won a decision over Raymond Chacon on April 27. The fight was in Maumelle, Ark.; On April 4 in Costa Mesa, Calif., Provo-based cruiserweight pro boxer Juan Higuera scored a decision over Ricky Frausto; And Utah MMA pro, 135-pounder Thomas Prestreidge lost a decison to undefeated Amari Sengsavanh on April 20 in Phoenix, Ariz; Former national amateur standout boxer Aaron Maximus Garcia Jr., of Payson, will look to go 2-0 as a pro when he boxes June 15 in Tijuana, Mexico.

Collard, Raddon, Garcia score fighting wins, update on future cards, fights

 

Last weekend brought some success to local fighters. In a nationally televised MMA bout on ESPN2, Utah native Clay Collard stalked and wore down Bellator veteran Patricky Pitbull at PFL 2 card in Las Vegas on April 12. The 155-pounders competed in the first round of a yearlong tournament. Pitbull knocked down Collard in the first round but by the end of the round Collard was in control of the bout, frequently cutting off his opponent. The bout ended roughly 90 seconds into round two, with Collard pummelling a near-defenseless Pitbull. Collard recently attended an MMA card in Ogden.

In Atlantic City on the same day, in a bout of 155-pound MMA pros, former local fighter, Kaecy Raddon, who now fights out of Denver, scored a submission early in the third round over Armando Gjetga. A rear naked choke ended the bout. The card was streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

In boxing (also on Friday), standout Payson boxer Aaron Maximus Garcia, who was consistently a top-ranked national amateur, made a successful pro debut in Ensenada, Mexico, stopping Moises Cortez in round 2. 

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Upcoming fight cards in Northern Utah include Fierce Fighting Championship on April 24 at UCC  Center in Orem. Fights start at 5 pm. Headlining in separate bouts are established pros Mike Jones and Jarome Hatch. More information on card, tickets, address, is here.

On April 27 SteelFist Fight Night will have a card at The Union Event Center in Salt Lake City. It's a 7 pm start. Main bout matches 170 pounders Justin McDonald versus Rusty Pearson. More information, including tickets, address, card, is here.

On May 25, 801 Productions is having a pro/amateur boxing card at The Great Salt Air in Magna. It starts at 7 p.m. I learned recently that Ogden featherweight pro boxer Isaiah Rodriguez is scheduled to fight on the card.

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More jabs and hooks: Utah pro 135-pounder MMA Thomas Prestriedge, on a three-bout winning streak, travels to Phoenix, Ariz., this Saturday to fight undefeated Amari Sensavanh. More info on the card is here. ... Jesus Haro, a California/Nevada-based pro boxer who is related to former world-ranked featherweight Jose Haro, travels to Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico to fight Wilfredo Mendez Saturday night for the 105-pound World Boxing Association Gold Title. ... And former Utahn, veteran super middleweight boxer Christian Aguirre, lost a six-round decision to undefeated Justin Figuerora in San Antonio on March 30.

Ruiz, Owens, Silva among winners at Fierce Fighting MMA card

 

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Julian Ruiz, Ha'va Owens and Hannah Silva were among winners at the Fierce Fighting Challenger Series MMA card in Ogden on Matrch 23.

Before a large crowd that filled the Bonneville High School gymnasium, Ruiz, a 4-0 pro featherweight, wore down Desmond Manabat, 3-5, earning a TKO win by strikes in the first round.

The co-main pro bout matched two young veteran welterweights, Ogden's Ha'va Owens and Stephen Stirewalt. Owens, 4-4, (see bout photo below) dominated all three rounds, punishing a game Stirewalt, 4-6, the entire bout. Scores were 30-27 and two calls of 30-26.

The rest of the bouts matched amateurs. In the top amateur bout, Brendon Meyers, 4-2, caught Jordan Munoz, 3-8, with a triangle choke, bringing an early end to the flyweight bout.

In the co-main amateur, St. George's Hannah Silva, 5-3 (see photo above of Silva's cage walk in) used a strong ground game to wear down Hailey Hoard, 3-6. The bout was stopped in round 2.

In perhaps the most competitive bout of the night, between lightweights, Sidney Blackwood, 3-1, took a narrow 28-27 unanimous decision over Brenden Ferreira, 2-3. Blackwood controlled rounds one and three on the ground. Ferreira took round two, fought mostly boxing style. (see bout photo below article)

In a welterweight bout, one punch abruptly ended a competive match, with RJ Wilgar, 3-1, KOing Nick Jackson, 1-2, in round one. Welterweight Spencer Hansen, 1-1, submitted Arjhan Jahromi, 0-2, in round one. In a lightweight bout, Austin Munoz, 2-0, stopped Isaac Allen, 1-1, in round 2.

Also, a competitive bout between welterweights Austin Cardon, 1-0, and Skyler Burnasconi, 1-1, ended dramatically in round 2 when a right hand from Cardon dropped Burnasconi, who remained on the cage floor for several minutes. In a bout between debuting welterweights, Nico Suescon submitted Michael Trunzo in round one.

In two amateur kickboxing bouts, welterweight Brandon Ramirez stopped Tyler Harris in round two. Both were debuting. And in a women's catchweight 120-pound bout, Makia August, 1-1, used ring generalship to score a unanimous decision over debuting Mallori Melling.

The card was well promoted, with fights starting soon after the 5 pm announced time. The night was finished by 9 p.m. Fighters names and records were provided by promotional program.

-- Doug Gibson, at the fights.

Johansson boxing biography hearkens back to a different culture

 

Review by Doug Gibson

It’s probably a safe bet that if you’re not a pretty strong boxing fan, the name Ingemar Johansson will escape you. He’s mostly forgotten today, but nearly 60 years ago he was more than a sports star. He was a cultural icon. A husky, 200-pound Swede who swooped into staid America for a couple of years with an estranged wife in Sweden and a girlfriend, Birgit Lundgren, on his arm … and in his bedroom suite.

And, of course, he had a strong right cross punch, one he used to KO Floyd Patterson in the third round and briefly hold the world heavyweight boxing championship. Ingemar was extremely likeable, and America warmed to him. He was on TV often, on “What’s My Line,” Jackie Gleason’s show, and more; he even had substantial roles in a couple of motion pictures. 

As author Ken Brooks reminds readers in “Ingemar Johansson: Swedish Heavyweight Boxing Champion” (McFarland), 1959, the year Ingemar KOd Patterson, was an era where a heavyweight boxing championship fight was the biggest event in sports. It was global, bigger than an NFL championship. There was an electricity of excitement that moved through crowds, radio broadcasts, closed-circuit telecasts, newsrooms and wire services. As Brooks notes, for older sports fans, the night Ingemar won his title was the first time Howard Cosell was a broadcaster for a fight. Forget Ingemar for a moment; who remembers Cosell?

Continue reading this review at the Standard-Examiner StandardNET website.