Chats with Larry Gomez, Christian Aguirre, Francisco Alcantara

On Saturday, May 26, Imperial Boxing Promotions, headed by Trifon Petrov, of California,  returns to the Davis Conference Center, 1651 N, 700 West, in Layton, for a night of boxing. The main event matches undefeated Utahns Larry Gomez and Christian Aguirre for state middleweight rights. The pair will also be fighting for another title, the AmericanBoxing Organization’s regional middleweight title, according to Juan Curiel of the ABO.

A bout between Aguirre (winning a bout, at left, below) and Gomez (scoring a KO above) has been long anticipated and has gyms across the state buzzing with talk of who will prevail. Aguirre, in a recent state super-middleweight title fight, took a close nod over previously undefeated Bladimir Estrada. Gomez, who had an impressive amateur career, won a state title recently, stopping a previously undefeated opponent, Donald Griffin.

Utah Fight Game blog will be ringside for the card, which starts at 6 p.m. I’ll be reporting on the bouts, and Charles Presnell will be taking pictures. At the end of this article we have comments from both Gomez and Aguirre, as well as comments from local boxer and MMA pro, Francisco Alcantara, who also fights on the card.

According to Josh Morales, of Imperial, here is an update of the card 9 days before fight night. Amateurs: Jonathen Montalogo vs Rena Mendoza is one bout. Mateo Holt and Jay Wright are scheduled to meet opponents. Rocky Mountain Golden Gloves champs  Michelle Maya and Jon Bryant are scheduled to meet opponents.

Here’s the pro show: 122 pounds, Julio Martinez vs Jair Nava; 170 pounds, Enrique Ojeda vs Francisco Alacantara; 147lbs Anthony Ayala vs Justin Morales; and the main title belt between Gomez and Aguirre.

STEELFIST MMA FRIDAY NIGHT: Before we get to the interviews with Aguirre, Gomez and Alcantara, SteelFist MMA has a good pro/am card on Friday, May 18, in Salt Lake City. The doors open at 6 p.m. at the Union Event Center with heavyweights Eric Iman and Samuel Sprauer in the main event. A very intriguing co-main matches flyweights Miles Welk and Nicholas Clem for the professional promotional belt. A pro lightweight bout matches Nathan Kearsley against Idaho’s Kerry Lattimer (fighting for the third time in three weeks). There’s a whole night’s worth of bouts. It’s at 235 N. 500 West. The card, without Lattimer as replacement noted, is here.

BACK TO INTERVIEWS: Both Aguirre and Gomez were presented with the same questions. Gomez chose to be more brief in his responses. They are both good fighters and great individuals and we wish them the best.

CHRISTIAN AGUIRRE:

The most important reason why this fight means everything to me is because I get to show of my Heavenly Fathers name (CRISTO) in front of a big crowd. What motivates me most about this fight is that the odds are against me because my opponent hits super hard so it motivates me to wake up and run up the mountains. I just want to shock everyone once again because I know I work harder than he does. He may hit harder but I know I work harder.  (Photo below shows Aguirre, at right, sparring at the gym)

My fighting style is more old school like great legends such as Gene Fullmer, Roberto Duran. Marvin Hagler, Julio César Chavez Sr, Jake LaMotta, and Rocky Marciano. My opponent’s strengths are his speed and power but … I know I have more heart than him to make him quit ... I only had one amateur bout but he’s had a little bit over 60 amateur fights. I used to spar him and he’s the real deal but I know that I won’t be alone in the ring that night. 

My training consists of waking up early in the morning and running up at the state capital and up the Ensign Peak. I do a lot of sprints to mimic the intensity of the bout and countless workouts later in the day. I’m also sparring with a few people for this bout such as Shilo Platts, Francisco Lopez, Julian Ruiz, and Nate Kearsley. I’m literally putting everything I have into this and I know the results will be good this May 26th. Huge shoutout to gyms such as BFit, Lights Out Boxing, Fullmer’s Boxing, UFC Gym, UCTC, Hidden Valley, KO Reyes Boxing, and Louie’s Boxing for molding me into the fighter I am today. 

Being a fighter has improved my life by keeping me disciplined and away from trouble. I used to street fight a lot growing up in Jalisco, Mexico. I used to fight for money and beat kids up in order to buy chips or soda. I also got my first knockout as a 4-year-old against a bigger kid than me when we would fight in the broken-down bricked houses. 

I grew up very poor and hungry but also angry because my biological father left me when I was just two years old. I would fight in elementary school all the way through high school until I ended up at the hospital once because my own friends jumped me but I made sure they ended up at the hospital also. After all that drama happened I decided to go into boxing and I don’t regret a single minute of it. I know I was born for this and I’m not afraid of any man with two arms and a chin.

After winning this fight against Larry Gomez 6-0-0 (6KOs) I will show off my Heavenly Father’s name to the world because I know my purpose is greater than money and fame. I used to be the weakest one in the gym. They used to drop me and bully me in that ring but it only made me stronger. I’m just ready to show the lake that Goliath is just a man. I’m just ready to become a world champion after this Great War with Larry. I give my God all the glory and I thank my family and everyone who is supporting me or has helped me in the past. This one’s for the underdogs! 

... Tony Fulilangi and Rick Manzanares are training me. Tony fought Big George Foreman.

LARRY GOMEZ: 

I don’t really want to give out my information  but … I’m training harder than ever and I’m 100 percent ready. I’ve never wanted to knock someone out more in my life after all the crap he talks. He’s finally gonna’ get what he’s got coming. Team Gomez is finally back and I always go for the knockout; that’s my style -- knockout punching. (photo below shows Gomez with handlers after winning state title)

ALSO HERE’S OUR CONVERSATION WITH FRANCISCO ALCANTARA

I’m stepping back in the ring because I want to try and make something happen; … I love fighting and I’ve been a striker in my MMA fights. My style will be the same, an aggressive approach and everything will be thrown with bad intentions.

I’m training with Danny Garcia and getting my sparring sessions in with The Pack members at Foley’s gym as well as Justin Roberts, my longtime friend. ... I don’t know much about my opponent but I just see him like any other opponent I’m coming to put him out.

I've enjoyed watching Cisco Alcantara fight for a long time. The best of luck to him and all the boxers that night. It’ll be great to see professional boxing back north of Salt Lake City. There’s another pro/am boxing card in SLC on June 1 from Flash Academy at The Complex. Bladimir Estrada will be on the card.

Steven Siler readies for WSOF MMA bout, more fight news

Just a note to our readers: Utah Fight Game blog has a lot of offerings over the next few weeks. We've conducted several interviews and have several more planned for the future. Our goal is to prepare fight fans for local cards. I've interviewed individuals associated with the upcoming South Valley Slam in May, Fitcon and SteelFist in April and Flash Newman's boxing card on April 1. You'll see some of that effort in today's blog, and more in the weeks ahead. Thanks for your support.

And now, on with today's "show." We start with an interview with Ogden MMA pro Steven Siler, who has a World Series of Fighting 35 bout scheduled for March 18 in Verona, N.Y.  Siler  (seen below) will meet undefeated Hakeem Dawodo in a featherweight preliminary bout. The card will be televised, with Siler's bout either online or on the main TV card.

I chatted with Siler earlier this week:

WHY WAS THERE A LATE OPPONENT SWITCH? (SILER WAS ORIGINALLY TAPPED TO MEET ALEXANDRE ALMEIDA). 

SILER: I couldn't tell you why I  had an opponent switch, I was driving home from practice and looked in my email and saw I had a new bout agreement. I  figured Alexandre got hurt but then a few days later saw he was fighting someone else. No one told me anything I just signed the new one. 

ON HIS OPPONENT: Hakeem is much different than what I was training for but also I think (he) works better for my style so I'll just go in do what I do and get the win.

ON TRAINING: I've had an awesome camp with Court McGee and Josh Burkman who is fighting this weekend. I've also been working up with the Ultimate Combat Training Center fight team to help me prepare.  ... (Sparring) depends on how far into the camp I'm in, usually 5x5 rounds but I also went a few weeks with no sparring and just kept it to drilling.

LONG-TERM:  Original goal when I was fighting Alexandre was a number 1 contender fight so I'm hoping it's the same with Hakeem. But either way I'm gonna take as many fights as I need to get that belt.

 Thanks Steve, and good luck on March 18. As Siler mentioned, Salt Lake City MMA pro Josh Burkman is fight this Saturday on a UFC card in Fortaleza, Brazil. He meets Michel Prazeres in a featured preliminary bout that will be on Fox Sports.

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ON TO BOXING: The big local news is that two fighters, Jose Haro and Larry Gomez, are slated to fight April 1 in Salt Lake City. Opponents are still unnamed so keep your fingers crossed that the fights occur. I chatted with Gomez and Ignacio Chairez, both undefeated Utah pros who are tabbed as good prospects. (Gomez seen below after scoring a recent win).

GOMEZ: I had fights coming up but these guys passed me up so now I'm trying to get an opponent to come here on April 1. (Gomez is referring to a Chicago boxing card that he hoped he would be included in.)

THE SLC CARD: "... We're having a hard time getting someone here ... so I'm waiting on a word."

Ignacio Chairez, undefeated lightweight, is also struggling to find fights locally.

CHAIREZ: I'm not satisfied with how my career has unfolded because of how inactive it's been. Hopefully this year that all changes and I can get busy and get in the top 10-15 in my weigh class. 

FUTURE: I got a few fights in the works here for the next upcoming month or so. I'm just waiting on confirmation and seeing how I heal. 

TRAINING: I'm in training right now. I'm always in the gym working out. It's where I feel at peace. My brother, Gabriel, is my main training partner. We've trained each other since we've been in boxing and we're each other's main sparring partners when we are getting ready for fights. (Chairez also thanks his teammates Luis and Uriel for their help).

MORE "... When we have a fight scheduled and confirmed Matt Pena takes control of camp and starts to go over the game plan. He's coached me my last three fights.

We wish the best of luck to Haro, Chairez and Gomez. They are among Utah's best pugilists and we'd love to see all, and others, in the boxing ring often.

ABO TO COME TO UTAH

I chatted with Juan Curiel of the American Boxing Organization, and he says that the ABO will take it efforts to boost boxing in cities to the Salt Lake area in May. He says Haro, who is an ABO regional title holder, will be there lending support. 

Curiel said that they hope to have human services professionals and government authorities at the events, which will include a boxing card, amateur or pro, with ceremonies during intermissions and an after party as well. The ABO recently had a fundraising event in Illinois.

As Curiel notes, the events are designed to raise money for local gyms to keep them financially healthy ad making sure that young boxers have locations to learn the sport and be mentored.

We'll have more on the SLC event as it draws nearer. The ABO, by the way, has regional title belt fights scheduled in Texas and North Dakota the next few weeks.

ONE MORE THING:

I mentioned that we've had several interviews that will soon be published on the blog and others I'm preparing for. Fighters we plan to publish chats with include Jon Neal and Skyler Frazier, Daniel Stratton and James Russell Francis, Kerry Lattimer and Jordan Chandler, John Valentine, and Rowdy Akers and AJ Garcia. This weekend will provide an update on how Josh Burkman's UFC bout went.

Jose Haro closer to boxing date; Munoz to fight in SLC

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I chatted with featherweight boxer Jose Haro, of West Jordan, Utah. He's an American featherweight champ of the American Boxing Association. Haro's training after being on the mend from foot surgery. It looks like he maybe fighting later this month or in April. (The photo above of Haro (left) in a bout is courtesy of Justin Hughes).

Haro: "I'm supposed to fight March 25 in Kansas. If not, I should be fighting April 7 in California."

Haro added that the April promotion, he thinks, may be with Thompson Boxing Promotions, and it may involve his connection with the American Boxing Association.

Speaking of the ABO, Juan Curiel, chief executive officer of that organization, told me that the ABO has future plans in Utah. Hopefully, we'll have more about that next week.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

Locally, MMA amateur 185-pounder Eric Munoz, who trains at Foley's gym in Ogden with Pat Reeves' team The Pack, will fight Scott Foster in the Salt Palace on April 21 at a Jeremy Horn's card. I asked Munoz to comment on his preparation:

Munoz: "Always props to Pat Reeves and Dave Foley as well as The Pack, Ben Guymon, Giovani, and Justin Roberts." (Below, Munoz (at left) is seen training with Guymon and being coached by Reeves at Foley's gym.)

Ogden professional MMA featherweight Steven Siler will be fighting in April on a World Series of Fighting card. Whom he will fight is still to be released but we expect to have a chat with Siler in next week's blog.

Also, former main-bout MMA professional Daniel Stratton of Vernal announced on social media that he will be back in the cage on May 13 at the South Valley Slam, which will be at Sand Hollow in Hurricane. He'll fight James Russell Francis. It'll be a rematch of a bout Francis won.

And ,,, Here's a link to the upcoming events on the state athletic commission. It looks like Flash Academy will have a pro boxing card in SLC on April 1. We'll find out more about that and report.

The February SteelFist MMA card; about the American Boxing Organization

UPDATE: We just learned that Farmington fighter Trever Bradshaw is fighting a professional boxing match in Phoenix tonight at the Celebrity Theater. Trever will be boxing Texan Adrian Taylor at 185 pounds. MORE BELOW

The American Boxing Organization is a regional organization that has been very active of late, trying its best to bring boxing to many cities and develop a sort of farm system for up and coming fighters to gain a title and hopefully move up further. Utah's Jose Haro won an ABO title in Layton last year.

The photo above is of the newest ABA champion Achour Esho, 13-0, who won an ABO junior middleweight title Jan. 21 in Chicago. They have fights planned next month as well. I chatted with Juan Curiel, the CEO of the ABO, and asked him to tell our readers a little about the organization:

CURIEL: All we want to do is make a difference. I have the only organization in the world with former Olympian, world champions and hall of famers on the board. We have a program that will help indigent fighters and at-risk youth get back into society with relationship in social services and law enforcement. ...

("Among those involved are) Ernie Brown former amateur boxer, Leeroy Murphy former Gold Medalist and former IBF Cruiserweight World Champion Luis Mateo."

MORE FROM CURIEL: "Achour Esho fought Anthony Abruzzesse for the American ABO region Jr. Middleweight Championship crown January 21st at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago Illinois in front of great boxing fans. Future cards are  February 10th in Tijuana Mexico, with Ron Cruz from California fighting for the American ABO InterContinental Super Middleweight Championship crown. Also, February 24th Austin, Texas, to be announced."

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The ABO championship fight card in Layton with Haro last year was a great night for boxing. Also, we forgot to mention, as a reader commented, that former Olympic medalist and world champ pro boxer Montell Griffin is also associated with the ABO.

MMA news: The next SteelFist MMA card is Feb. 18 in Farmington, There's three pro title bouts: Trever Carlson versus Eric Wahlin, Anthony Johnson versus Jeremiah Guzman, and Carl Dieckmann versus Ed Whitmore. Dieckmann is making a comeback after a while off and Whitmore is a very tough opponent. All three bouts are excellent matchups. A couple of amateur title bouts include Justin Oswald versus Cole Shafer and Derrick Bates verses Michael O'Laskey.

Ben Guymon, a Top of Utah amateur, faces Kyle Frazier, and a women's amateur bout matches Lyza Hermosillo versus Heidi Wollebaek. There's several more scheduled bouts. More information at the promotion's website. I'll try to interview a couple of the fighters as the date draws near.

ONE MORE THING: MMA amateur woman Aubree Thompson, who used to fight out of Utah, has been in Salem, Ore., a while and has remained successful in the cage. She fights this Saturday in Eugene, Ore., in an amateur title fight against Cheyanne Vlismas. The 130-pound Thompson is hearing impaired and goes by the nickname The Silent Assassin.

BACK TO THE UPDATE NEWS: I chatted with Trever Bradshaw today. This will be his second boxing bout, although MMA is his main concern. "My focus is clearly on MMA but I like to stay active," he told me in a phone conversation from Phoenix. In his sole boxing match earlier this year, Trever stopped Utahn Mike Crisman in Layton, a veteran MMA fighter who has also boxes professionally. Taylor is 3-0 as a pro.

Bradshaw is a striker in MMA so moving to boxing is not difficult for him. He was offered the fight only about 24 hours ago and after blood tests hopped on a plane for Phoenix. We wish him the best of luck tonight.