Tabile, Ruiz, Cross among victors on Ogden boxing card

 

On a surprisingly chilly summer night in Ogden, Utah, a healthy crowd at the Gold Spike Exhibition Hall saw six professional boxing matches on Saturday, June 21.

The main bout matched Bobby Tabile, 2-0 against 0-4 Jacob Diaz. Middleweight Tabile pressured Diaz from the outside, forcing him to the ropes and frequently landing left and right hooks. Diaz tried to keep Tabile off him with a jab but was overwhelmed. The referee stopped the bout at 2:04 of round two. There were no knockdowns.

Charles Presnell, of the Fight Chatter Substack, also covering the fights, suggested to this reporter that a Tabile match with veteran middleweight Christian Aguirre would be an action fight, give the aggressive styles of both. Something to think about if Tabile wins his next couple of bouts.

In another middleweight bout, Julian Ruiz, moved to 2-0 with a second round TKO over debuting William Wirthlin. Ruiz (seen in top photo at left against Wirthlin) overpowered his game opponent, who despite not being knocked down, was defenseless when the fight ended midway through round two.

Two featherweight prospects fought a competitive opening bout, with Mauro Angel Gutierrez, 1-1, winning a unanimous decision over Ogden's Jesus Saldana, making his debut.

After an even first round, Gutierrez (seen at right against Saldana in the above photo) swept rounds two and three, keeping Saldana off balance with feints and side to side movement. Gutierrez scored several body shots, particularly during the third round. Saldana rallied the final 90 seconds of round four. Scores were 40-36 (twice) for Gutierrez, and 39-37 for the unanimous decision. Utah Fight Game scored the bout 40-38 for Gutierrez.

Super welterweight Isaiah Velazco, who trains and spars with Ruiz, floored Dakota Highpine three times enroute to scoring a second-round TKO (2:26). Velazco, 1-0, counterpunched very well against the aggressive Highpine, 0-2.

A sloppy but entertaining slugfest resulted in debuting Emmanuel Aldair Gonzales scoring a majority decision over Cruz Carbajal, 0-5. This was a back-and forth even match with good moments for both boxers. Gonzales received 40-36 nods from two judges with another calling the bout 38-38, which matches Utah Fight Game's tally.

Shon Cross, 33, trainer at Factum gym, made his pro debut as a cruiserweight, winning a four round decision over Erik Lopez, 0-2. Cross fought a cautious but effective bout, narrowly winning round one with just his jab. Cross (seen in the photo above, at right, greeting Lopez prior to bout) gradually upped his offense against his wild-swinging opponent, adding right crosses and body shots to his tiring opponent. Cross nearly stopped Lopez, who was battered into the ropes at the end of round three. Lopez, to his credit, lasted the distance, even landing a solid right at the end of the bout. The tallies were 40-36 twice and one call of 39-37. Utah Fight Game scored the bout 40-35 for Cross.

A scheduled heavyweight bout between Bishop Le'i (3-0-1) and Trevor Kotara, 4-4-1, was a late scratch.

The All Heart Promotions team, promoter Monica DeCarlo, and matchmaker Jason DeCarlo, plan another card in Ogden in November.

-- Doug Gibson

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In other fight news, Jarome Hatch, a Texas MMA and bareknuckle fighter with Utah ties, scored a stoppage win on June 21 in Nashville, Tenn., over Cody East, previously No. 1 contender. It was voted Fight of the Night.

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According to former pro boxer and trainer Tim Carroll, there will be a 12-bout Fullmer amateur card Saturday, June 28, at 10960 South Park Road, South Jordan, UT 84095. The bouts start at 7 p.m. What's very interesting is Carroll, who is also a standup comedian, will entertain the crowd, along with other comedians. The comedy sets will take place between bouts with a top comedian honored at end of night. The above address is where the Fullmer Legacy Center is located. 

And on Saturday, July 5, at Crossfit gym in Clearfield, boxing trainer Pablo Padilla's birthday will be celebrated. There are lots of activities planned. All information is on flyer below.

Ruiz, Saldana among pros competing in Ogden boxing card June 21

 

Nearly three years ago, Salt Lake City's Julian Ruiz made his professional boxing debut a successful one. Middleweight Ruiz, (in above photo at left) scored a win over Najeeh Belcher. 

Ruiz has enjoyed a professional career in MMA, fighting on Professional Fighters League and Fierce Fighting Championship cards, compiling a pro record of 4-2, with a long amateur tenure.

But he's returning to the boxing ring Saturday June 21, in Ogden. At the Golden Spike Event Center, 1000 N, 1200 West, Ogden, Utah. Gates open at 6 p.m. Fights start at 7 p.m. Ruiz meets debuting William Wirthlin. There are eight bouts scheduled, all featuring prospects and scheduled for four rounds. It's the second fight card from All Heart Promotions. Promoter is Monica DeCarlo. Matchmaker is Jason DeCarlo.

As he returns to boxing, Ruiz told Utah Fight Game there are key differences between boxing and MMA. It can be tougher to throw boxing-quality punches in an MMA bout, he says. "What I mean by that is they get tired and don’t know how to set things up. Some can throw hard and are good punchers. But boxing is a lot more than that. Huge difference, two different sports. I always say you can train boxing getting ready for an MMA fight. But you can’t train MMA getting ready for a boxing match," adds Ruiz.

"There a lot more muscles and body parts involved. That’s why I like to take (boxing) matches because it sharpens your hands which are the most vital weapons you can have in MMA. "(There's)a lot of grappling, kicking, weight lifting. 

"The strength and conditioning is completely different. The timing is slightly different. The pace is not the same. MMA training camp is a lot more brutal, and makes the boxing seem like an active rest to be honest," adds Ruiz.

Also fighting on the card Saturday is Ogden's Jesus Saldana. The super-featherweight makes his pro debut against Mauro Angel Gutierrez, 0-1. Gutierrez lost a competitive decision earlier this year to Ogden's Isaiah Rodriquez, who is also fighting on the June 21 card.

Saldana (in photo below)  has been an amateur fighter for more than a decade. Utah Fight Game asked him if he has a long-term boxing goal, which he enthusiastically answered with a yes.

Saldana, who jusggles a career in real estate with the "sweet science," saw his opponent's fight earlier this year and with his trainers has a game plan he intends to follow. 

"My training schedule consists of a lot of running, 5-6 miles daily, and lots of sparring with the best boxers from Ogden to Salt Lake City. My love for boxing started 13 years ago when I first stepped foot inside a boxing gym (Marshall White). Some of my favorite boxers include Marvin Hagler, Manny Pacquiao, Julio Cesar Chavez and Erik Morales," said Saldana.

TRAINING

Ruiz is training hard for the bout. "Right now I have Gary Gomez and Sione Pouha as my head coaches. And I train with both pretty much every day, so I’ve been training twice a day. But I work and get help from others, guys that are close friends, even like family to me. Jalel Lopez, Joe Bish and Aaron Garcia have been helping me a lot."

Ruiz' main sparring partner is Isaiah "Chais" Velazco -- also fighting on the card -- but he also spars with boxers Jon Bryant and Aaron Garcia Jr.

"I got so much love for each one of these guys and I look up to each one of them, on top of that they know there stuff. That’s why this is an opportunity to really level up and elevate my game!" Ruiz adds. 

As for his opponent Wirthlin, Ruiz has trained with him in past and says he respects him.

OTHERS ON CARD

There are some intriguing matchups on the Ogden card. Shon Cross, trainer at Factum gym, makes his pro debut at age 33 in a light heavyweight bout. He meets Erik Lopez, 0-1. Also, an interesting heavyweight bout matches Bishop Le'i (3-0-1) versus Trevor Kotara, 4-4-1. 

Isaiah Velazco, debut, meets Dakota Highpine, 0-1, super welterweights; Emmanuel Aldair Gonzales Secion, debut, meet Cruz Guadalupe Carbajal, 0-4, super lightweights; Middleweight Bobby Tabile, 1-0, -- who won on an earlier card this year from All Heart Promotions, fights Jacob Diaz, 0-3. 

As mentioned, featherweight Ogden pro boxer Isaiah Rodriguez, 3-3, also fights Saturday. He meets Jeremiah Lozano, 0-3.

"We are ready for war. Training hard to make the fight easy," Rodriguez said.

Ruiz has shown lots of talent in the cage and ring. He's optimistic about a boxing future.

"I do see myself building my record and having a big super-fight down the road. And I would love to be back on for November (All Heart Promotions card), I already have an opponent in mind. But I have to play it by ear and just see how everything goes!"

Tickets can be bought on fight day or earlier by contacting boxers on card or visiting All Heart Boxing gym, 1968 N. 2000 West, in Farr City, Utah. The boxing event is titled Rival Series II.

-- Doug Gibson

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.