2012 International Boxing Hall of Fame Ballot

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

This year I'm privileged to have a vote for the International Boxing Hall of Fame.  I have the choice of voting up to 10 candidates.  The ballots are due on October 31, 2012.  Three fighters will be elected.  Here are the names in the "Moderns" section of the ballot (last bout no earlier than 1943):

S.F.'s Mayfield Outslugs, Outpoints Herrera

Karim Mayfield clobbered fellow contender Mauricio Herrera in a 10-round unanimous decision win. (AP)

San Francisco’s Karim Mayfield continued his assault on the junior welterweight division, clobbering fellow contender Mauricio Herrera in a 10-round unanimous decision win Saturday night at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, N.Y.

Scores were 96-94, 98-92, and 97-93 in favor of the Fillmore native.  CSNBayArea.com also had Mayfield ahead by a 97-93 margin.

LINK TO FULL RECAP AND MAYFIELD'S POSTFIGHT REACTION: http://www.csnbayarea.com/fight-sports/news/sfs-mayfield-outslugs-outpoints-herrera?blockID=794449&feedID=5474

VIDEO: Andre Ward Discusses Pavlik Fight, NorCal P4P Top 10

Andre Ward was in studio Friday night to talk about his potential January clash with Kelly Pavlik, the new Northern California Pound-for-Pound Top 10 for October, and more!

Mayfield, Herrera Make Weight in Verona, N.Y.

By Ryan Maquiñana
CSNBayArea.com

San Francisco's Karim Mayfield (140 lbs., right) and Mauricio Herrera (139 lbs.) both made the junior welterweight limit ahead of their HBO showdown Saturday night at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y. (10:00 p.m. PT).  PHOTOS: Carlos Baeza

For more on Mayfield's remarkable journey from the Fillmore streets to HBO, click here: http://www.csnbayarea.com/fight-sports/news/Mayfield-graduates-from-SF-streets-to-HB?blockID=793087&feedID=8306

PHOTOS: Guerrero-Berto L.A. Press Conference

Gilroy's Robert Guerrero and Andre Berto met at The Grammy Theatre in L.A. Live Tuesday morning to announce their Nov. 24 fight at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario. (PHOTOS: Gene Blevins/Hoganphotos)

 

Garcia Floors Morales in Four, NorCal Notes

By Ryan Maquiñana
CSNBayArea.com

Coast-to-coast coverage from Comcast SportsNet Bay Area: Last weekend's NorCal roundup and Brooklyn boxing report. In this edition:

• Melissa Mcmorrow DEFENDS TITLE WITH TKO WIN
• Ava Knight-Salicka SEEKS UNIFICATION WITH McMORROW
• 52-YEAR-OLD Paul Nave BACK IN WIN COLUMN

• REGION 11 AMATEURS Gary Salazar, Daniel Valdivia, and Efren Lopez WIN NATIONAL PAL TITLES
• Robert Guerrero STARTS TRAINING CAMP IN LAS VEGAS TO PREPARE FOR BERTO
• Stan Martyniouk, Joe Gumina, Mario Ayala VICTORIOUS AT THUNDER VALLEY
• A summary of every fight on the Brooklyn boxing card at Barclays, including Danny Garcia's trouncing of Erik Morales, Peter Quillin's six-knockdown affair with Hassan N'Dam, Paulie Malignaggi's close call against Pablo Cesar Cano, and more!

LINK: http://www.csnbayarea.com/fight-sports/news/Garcia-floors-Morales-in-four-NorCal-not?blockID=791547&feedID=8306

McMorrow Stops Martinez in Nine, Retains Flyweight Title

By Ryan Maquiñana 
Norcalboxing.net 

San Jose's Melissa McMorrow (8-3-3, 1 KO) earned the first stoppage win of her career, successfully defending her WBO flyweight title with a ninth-round technical knockout of Yahaira Martinez (7-4, 4 KOs) in Kissimmee, Fla.

Norcalboxing.net's Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his weekly column for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, his archive for BoxingScene.com, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

*This is a legal waiver. By copying and using the material from this article, you agree to give full credit to Norcalboxing.net or provide a link to the original article.

VIDEOS: S.F.'s Mayfield Vows That Herrera's 'Gotta Go'

By Ryan Maquiñana
CSNBayArea.com

Karim Mayfield spoke to CSN Bay Area ahead of his Oct. 27 HBO debut against Mauricio Herrera, both 1-on-1 with Ryan Maquiñana and in studio on Chronicle Live.  Check out the videos below and meet him at his public workout Saturday from 1-3 p.m. at Champ Nation in West Oakland (2635 Magnolia St.).

NorCal Notes: McMorrow Defends Title, Martyniouk Returns, and More

By Ryan Maquiñana

Norcalboxing.net

WBO flyweight titleholder Melissa McMorrow makes the first defense of her belt Friday night at the Civic Center in Kissimmee, Fla., against Yahaira Martinez.

McMorrow (7-3-3), a San Jose native, is coming off a massive upset in May over Susi Kentikian (29-1, 16 KOs), whom she dethroned in Germany by majority decision.  While she has gone from the hunter to the hunted, she has embraced the challenge.

“It’s a different place to be, but my approach hasn’t really changed,” the 31-year-old McMorrow told BoxingScene.com.  “It’s a little more motivating to know that someone’s coming after something you’ve won, so that makes it more exciting.”

Trainer Eddie Croft of B Street Boxing in San Mateo, a former three-time world title challenger, has helped to hone his fighter’s craft at one weapon in particular.

“My right hand,” she said.  “I have always been a predominantly left-handed fighter.  I prefer the hook over most other punches, so I’ve been working on my right hand, especially against a southpaw.”

Croft discussed the pitfalls of fighting a lefty like Martinez (7-3, 4 KOs), who hails from Aguadilla, P.R.

“She’s fighting a southpaw, her first time as a pro,” he said.  “That might give her a little bit of an issue in the beginning, but Melissa gets stronger as the fight goes on.”

The reigning champion then lauded her challenger’s skills.

“[Martinez] seems to shoot the left hand pretty well and has kind of a looping right hook,” McMorrow said.  “She seems pretty strong, but I’ve been training hard for her.”

McMorrow is expected to defend her title successfully, but Croft is unwilling to discard their underdog mentality in order to maintain a psychological edge.

“We always feel that way,” he said.  “We always feel a little underestimated and that we have a lot to prove, and she’s going out there to give her best performance to date.  The last fight, she fought the best she has fought, but I know she has more to give.”

McMorrow came in at 110.75 pounds, while Martinez weighed 111.75.

KNIGHT POUNDS JUAREZ, WANTS McMORROW NEXT

On the heels of her landmark points victory over WBC flyweight boss Mariana Juarez (35-6-3, 16 KOs) in Mexico City, unified flyweight champion Ava Knight (left, with belt) is enjoying some rest and relaxation in her hometown of Chico.

“I definitely took the fight to her,” Knight (NorCal No. 7; 10-1-3, 5 KOs) said.  “She's a great champion, but I knew I had done enough to win before they announced the scores.”

Knight’s trainer, Ben Bautista of West Oakland’s Champ Nation, was more than pleased with his fighter’s performance.

“I told you she would do what we said we’d do,” Bautista said.  “Mariana was getting older and just ran into a young lion queen.”

With Knight the de facto IBF and WBC champion, and Melissa McMorrow the virtual WBO and WBA boss after beating Susi Kentikian (only the WBO was technically on the line), is a “unification” bout between two local stars in the cards?

“I think that would be the next fight I’d want,” Knight said.  “To have all the belts at flyweight would be a great achievement.  I want to be the first.”

Her potential foil was just as eager to make the women’s superfight happen.

“Of course I would love that fight,” McMorrow said.  “Ava and I have very different styles, so for one, it would a good fight.  While making a fight like that is never easy because of the politics of boxing, I think I would win it.” 

MARTYNIOUK FIGHTS FRAZIER ON THUNDER VALLEY CARD

Lightweight prospect Stan Martyniouk (right, with Amir Khan) of Antelope is ready to make his return on this Saturday’s main event against Johnny Frazier (2-9-4) at Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring,” Martyniouk (11-1, 2 KOs) told BoxingScene.com on Monday afternoon.  “From what I’ve seen, Frazier’s a counter-puncher so I’ve been getting ready for him and his style.”

Holding training camp in Hayward with reigning Trainer of the Year Virgil Hunter, Martyniouk has fully recovered from a separated rib cartilage injury that forced him to pull out of a fight with Javier “Pelos” Garcia (8-2-1, 7 KOs), the nephew of celebrated cornerman Robert Garcia.

“The injury was so bad it hurt when I moved from side-to-side, ran, or did anything,” Martyniouk said.  “Now I’m back and I feel good.  I sparred 18 rounds this week, and I’ve been getting sharp.”

Since his charge Andre Ward’s late-round stoppage of Chad Dawson, Hunter has become a hot commodity in the fight game, as Fernando Guerrero, Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo, and Amir Khan have all stated that they would join the Bay Area trainer’s stable.  At first, Martyniouk was concerned that Hunter would be spread too thin, but has since grown accustomed to the new additions.

“Having all these great fighters around and seeing what they’ve done drives me to work even harder,” Martyniouk said.  “I was already getting good work with Karim [Mayfield] and Mike Dallas, and I can’t wait to work with Khan when he gets here.”

Exciting slugger Joe Gumina (2-1, 2 KOs) will also appear on the show.  The San Bruno cruiserweight has already been in two brawls that have been nominated for NorCal Fight of the Year.

Tickets start at $50 and can be purchased at Showclix.com.

SACRAMENTO’S AYALA MAKES PRO DEBUT

Sacramento bantamweight Mario Ayala will enter the squared circle for the first time as a pro on the Thunder Valley undercard.

Ayala (right, with trainer Marty Chima), a bronze medalist at last year’s National PAL and quarterfinalist at the USA Boxing National Championships, is a fan-friendly slugger who has built a name in the region for his propensity to fight inside.

“I just love to fight,” said Ayala, a Grant High alum who will be facing Don Jose.  “I’m tall for my weight class, but I like to fight inside and trade.”

Chima, of Dogg Pound Boxing, would like to transform Ayala into more of an all-around fighter.

“His strength is fighting inside, kind of like the way Diego Corrales used to fight, but we’ve been working on teaching him how to box, too,” Chima said.  “He showed a little of that in the Adidas Championships at Oxnard, when he won silver and we thought he deserved gold.”

The bout will take place at 119 pounds, as Ayala has descended from his amateur weight of 123.

“I’ve been sparring with a lot of good fighters, like John Abella, Matthew Guerrero, and others,” Ayala said.  “I’m just ready to go and to give the fans a good show.”

San Francisco heavyweight LaRon Mitchell, a silver medalist at last year’s National Championships and Olympic Trials in the 201-plus-pound division, had his debut postponed until December when his opponent pulled out.

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52-YEAR-OLD NAVE RETURNS IN SAN RAFAEL SHOW

San Anselmo’s Paul Nave (right), all of 52 years young, will add the latest notch to his remarkable career in San Rafael’s Albert Park on Friday when he trades leather with Justin Danforth (6-18, 1 KO) in an eight-rounder.

In his last outing 13 months ago, Nave (19-9-2, 8 KOs) gave then-unbeaten 25-year-old Brandon Hoskins all he could handle, eventually falling by majority decision.  Now the “Marin County Assassin” has a chance to get back in the win column , and he doesn’t plan on slowing down.

“It's not really the result (of the fight), I know I have the talent,” Nave told the Marin Independent Journal. “I have a son that's 9, not only that, but you can't do it forever. I enjoy proving people wrong. I just know that with all the variables in life that I'm in the twilight of my career.”

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The undercard also features promising local prospect Aldwayne Simpson (2-0), a welterweight from Richmond who clashes with Santa Rosa’s Jovanni Rubio (7-15, 4 KOs).  Amateur star Rudy Macedo of Novato will fight in an exhibition bout against San Francisco’s David Lopez.

“HARD HITTA” HOLDS PUBLIC WORKOUT SATURDAY

S.F. jr. welterweight contender Karim “Hard Hitta” Mayfield (left) will hold a public workout Saturday in West Oakland’s Champ Nation Gym (2635 Magnolia St.) from 1-3 p.m.

Mayfield (16-0-1, 10 KOs), currently ranked sixth in both the WBA and WBO 140-pound rankings, will make his Oct. 27 HBO debut against Mauricio Herrera (18-2, 7 KOs) at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, N.Y.

“I’ve been training and gaining, not just training and maintaining,” Mayfield told CSNBayArea.com.  “I’ve been grinding, not at the club, but at 24 Hour Fitness.  I’m ready to put the world on notice.  Herrera’s gotta go!”

CENTRAL TRIFECTA WIN NATIONAL PAL TITLES

Region 11 took home three National PAL title belts last weekend, with all of them coming from Central California boxers.

In the Open division, bantamweight Gary Salazar of Fresno (far right, with his father and Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields) cruised to a 36-20 decision over Orlando’s Dennis Galarza to take top honors at 123 pounds, while Bakersfield middleweight Daniel Valdivia captured his third straight crown with a 21-17 victory over New York’s Peter Reyes in the 165-pound title bout.

The J.O. division saw 119-pound Efren Lopez of Fresno Main Event edging out Cincinnati’s Duke Ragan, 23-22.

With Jose Ramirez deciding to turn pro following London 2012, the future looks bright as far as finding candidates to be Region 11’s next Olympian in 2016.

CSN Bay Area Boxing Insider Ryan Maquiñana is a voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and panelist for Ring Magazine’s Ratings Board.  E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

Weights from Carson: Donaire 121.6, Nishioka 121.8

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

San Leandro's Nonito Donaire (right) came in at 121.6 pounds, while challenger Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan weighed 121.8 ahead of their Saturday junior featherweight main event at Carson's Home Depot Center.

In the co-feature, junior welterweight Brandon Rios tipped the scales at 140 pounds even, while opponent Mike Alvarado came in a shade under the limit at 139.8.

HBO will televise the bouts in their latest installment of the Boxing After Dark series at 10 p.m. PT. (PHOTOS: Chris Farina/Top Rank)

CSN Insider Video: Ava Knight Enters 'Barbie' Juarez's Dollhouse

By Ryan Maquiñana
CSNBayArea.com/BoxingScene.com

 
Flyweight world titleholder Ava Knight has long lamented her anonymity in America.

“Women’s boxing isn’t that popular here, so I can walk the streets here and not get noticed,” the Oakland resident told CSNBayArea.com/BoxingScene.com before Saturday’s encounter with Mariana Juarez.

While fellow Northern California fighter Nonito Donaire has been garnering most of the stateside headlines this week for his title fight in Carson, Knight will travel to Juarez’s hometown of Mexico City to appear on a Televisa broadcast that will be viewed by millions south of the border.

“This is definitely the biggest fight of my career,” the 24-year-old Knight (9-1-3, 5 KOs) said.  “Juarez has a belt, too, but she’s the top flyweight in the world right now, and I want to beat the best.”

Known as “La Barbie,” Juarez (35-5-3, 16 KOs) is a household name in Mexico not only for her prizefighting accomplishments, but her extracurricular endeavors, having recently posed for the cover for Mexican Playboy magazine.

The flamboyant Juarez has also fired several shots at Knight through the media, vowing to knock her out and taking pictures with her thumb down as she watched a video of the NorCal champion in action.

“I got a chance to see [Juarez] in person, and she don’t have no power to me at all,” said Ben Bautista, Knight’s trainer and manager.  “She takes a lot of punches. I look at her record, [and] she’s got almost like 50 fights.

“She’s been stopped before a couple times, she’s been fighting since the 90s and she’s about 32 now.  She’s going into the ring with a young lion queen.”

The added attention or the attempted mind games don’t faze Knight, who will now be traveling to Mexico to fight for the third straight time and has the support of Mexican promoter Hector Garcia.

“What she’s doing doesn’t concern me,” Knight said of Juarez’s antics.  “If it puts more light on the fight, that’s great.  Everything that I do, I make sure I’m there to win.

“Her job is to either intimidate me or make me look bad, and I don’t see a problem with what she’s doing.  It doesn’t bother me at all, because at the end of the day, we’re getting in the ring and talking with our fists.”

Spending her time between the new Champ Nation gym in West Oakland and Big Bear to build her endurance in a high-altitude environment, Knight is leaving nothing to chance.

“I’ve been sparring with Kaliesha West, and she’s not only a world champion, she fights two weight classes heavier than Juarez, so I’m definitely ready for October 13^th,” Knight said.

Since drawing with West at the 118-pound bantamweight limit last year, Knight has steamrolled the competition back at 112 pounds, impressively stopping Arely Mucino and Hongfah Tor Buamas, while outslugging Susana Vazquez by decision in June.

By comparison, Juarez’s experience cannot be denied; she has almost as many wins as Knight’s three last opponents combined.

“Getting in the ring with a counter-puncher is no different,” Knight said.  “Kaliesha was a counter-puncher and I think a stronger fighter [than Juarez], so I don’t think we’ll have a problem.”

“Ava’s hungry, and she wants what Mariana has,” Bautista said.  “She’s been waiting for this fight for a long time…so now that it’s happening, we’ll see at the end of the day who’s going to be raising their hands.”

The sign outside Knight’s hometown of Chico, Calif., reads, “Home of Aaron Rodgers.”  If she can pull off yet another upset against Juarez, the city council might have to order a new placard soon.

LINK: http://www.boxingscene.com/ava-knight-enters-barbie-juarezs-dollhouse-saturday--58087

CSN Bay Area Boxing Insider Ryan Maquiñana is a voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and panelist for Ring Magazine’s Ratings Board.  E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

Weights from Mexico City: Knight 111.9, Juarez 111.1

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Chico's Ava Knight (left) came in at 111.9 pounds, while Mexico's Mariana Juarez weighed 111.1 ahead of their Saturday flyweight title fight in Mexico City.  Televisa will handle the broadcast, which will be available online at wbcboxing.tv.

National PAL Results, Day Five: Trio of Central Fighters Advance to Finals

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.com

 Valdivia is one win away from a National PAL title belt.

Region 11 sent three boxers to Saturday's finals at the National PAL in Toledo, Ohio.

In a 123-pound Open semifinal, Gary Salazar defeated New York's D'Andres Hockerson, 36-21.  The Fresno native meets Florida's Dennis Galarza for the bantamweight title belt.

Joining him will be Open 165-pounder Daniel Valdivia, who outpointed Georgia's Carlos Monroe via tiebreaker following an 18-18 tie.  The Bakersfield product takes on New York's Peter Reyes for middleweight top honors.

119-pound Efren Lopez has already advanced to the Junior Olympic division final against Ohio's Duke Ragan.

Ryan Maquiñana was the boxing producer for NBCOlympics.com during London 2012 and writes a weekly column for CSNBayArea.com.  He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Ratings Panel for Ring Magazine. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

National PAL Results, Day Four: Salazar and Valdivia In, Correa Out

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Gary Salazar continues his march toward the Open 123-pound final.

Region 11 fighters went 3-1 on Thursday at the National PAL in Toledo, Ohio.

In the Open division, flyweight Eros Correa of San Jose PAL was eliminated by Chicago's Christian Williams, 16-13.

Open Middleweight Daniel Valdivia of Bakersfield PAL moved on with an 18-9 victory over New York City's Peter Dobson.

Fresno's Gary Salazar emerged victorious in his Open bantamweight matchup with Dallas's Hector Valdez, 28-18.

The lone J.O. entrant, 119-pounder Efren Lopez of Fresno Main Event, defeated Florida's Antonio Williams, 19-13.

Ryan Maquiñana was the boxing producer for NBCOlympics.com during London 2012 and writes a weekly column for CSNBayArea.com.  He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Ratings Panel for Ring Magazine. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

Donaire Inspired By Ward, Vows 'Old' Nonito's Return

By Ryan Maquiñana
CSNBayArea.com

My latest for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area on Nonito Donaire Jr., who has been inspired by Andre Ward and vows that the "Old Nonito" will return on Saturday against Toshiaki Nishioka.

LINK: http://www.csnbayarea.com/fight-sports/news/donaire-inspired-by-ward-vows-old-nonito?blockID=787317&feedID=5474

Andre Ward Throws Out First Pitch at A's-Tigers Game 4

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Super middleweight champion and Oakland native Andre Ward threw out the first pitch at O.co Coliseum before Game 4 of the Athletics-Tigers American League Division Series. (AP)

National PAL Results, Day Three: Correa, Valdivia Win

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Valdivia edged out a decision on Wednesday.

San Jose PAL's Eros Correa continued to get acquainted with his new weight class, advancing to the Open division flyweight quarterfinals at the National PAL in Toledo, Ohio, with a 17-12 win over Colorado's Charles Williams.  Correa now faces Chicago's Christian Williams.

In his Open division middleweight opener, Bakersfield's Daniel Valdivia defeated Ohio's Russell Scott 13-11.  Valdivia will now take on New York's Peter Dobson.

The Fresno pair of Efren Lopez (119-pound J.O.) and Gary Salazar (123-pound Open) will see action on Thursday as well.  Lopez fights Florida's Antonio Williams while Salazar gets Texas's Hector Valdez.

Ryan Maquiñana was the boxing producer for NBCOlympics.com during London 2012 and writes a weekly column for CSNBayArea.com.  He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Ratings Panel for Ring Magazine. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

National PAL Results, Day Two: Salazar Beats Ruiz, Correa and Saldivia Fight Wednesday

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

  
Fresno's Gary Salazar won his National PAL opener in Toledo, Ohio, with a 19-12 victory over San Diego's Jorge Ruiz in the Open 123-pound division.

In Wednesday's Open division action, flyweight Eros Correa of San Jose faces Charles Williams of Region 14, while Bakersfield middleweight Daniel Valdivia fights Ohio's Russell Scott.

Ryan Maquiñana was the boxing producer for NBCOlympics.com during London 2012 and writes a weekly column for CSNBayArea.com.  He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Ratings Panel for Ring Magazine. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

PHOTOS: Ava Knight, Mariana Juarez Final Presser

By Ryan Maquiñana
Norcalboxing.net

Ava Knight (NorCal No. 7; 9-1-3, 5 KOs) and Mariana Juarez (35-5-3, 16 KOs) held their final press conference before their flyweight world title fight this Saturday in Mexico City.  Televisa will broadcast the event in what will be a de facto unification battle.  Photos by Pepe Rodriguez/WBC.

Ryan Maquiñana was the boxing producer for NBCOlympics.com during London 2012 and writes a weekly column for CSNBayArea.com.  He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Ratings Panel for Ring Magazine. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

National PAL Results, Day One: Correa, Lopez Advance

By Ryan Maquiñana

Norcalboxing.net

Eros Correa advanced in the first day of National PAL action.

A pair of Region 11 fighters won their opening bouts on Monday, as San Jose PAL's Eros Correa and Fresno Main Event's Efren Lopez had their hands raised at the National PAL in Toledo, Ohio.

Correa, a 114-pounder in the Open division, defeated Emilio Ruiz of Kansas City, Kan., by walkover.  In the 15/16-year-old Junior Olympic division, the 119-pound Lopez outpointed Mack Allison of Baltimore, Md., 23-7.

Tuesday's action has Fresno's Gary Salazar in the 123-pound Open division against Jorge Ruiz.

Martyniouk on Oct. 20 Fight, Training with Virgil Hunter

By Ryan Maquiñana
BoxingScene.com

Lightweight prospect Stan Martyniouk (11-1, 2 KOs) of Antelope, Calif., is preparing for an Oct. 20 main event against Johnny Frazier (2-9-4) at Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln, Calif., which is located in the Sacramento area.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring,” Martyniouk told BoxingScene.com on Monday afternoon.  “From what I’ve seen, Frazier’s a counter-puncher so I’ve been getting ready for him and his style.”

Holding training camp in Hayward, Calif., with reigning Trainer of the Year Virgil Hunter, Martyniouk has fully recovered from a separated rib cartilage injury that forced him to pull out of a fight with Javier “Pelos” Garcia (8-2-1, 7 KOs), the nephew of celebrated cornerman Robert Garcia.

“The injury was so bad it hurt when I moved from side-to-side, ran, or did anything,” Martyniouk said.  “Now I’m back and I feel good.  I sparred 18 rounds this week, and I’ve been getting sharp.”

Since his charge Andre Ward’s late-round stoppage of Chad Dawson, Hunter has become a hot commodity in the fight game, as Fernando Guerrero, Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo, and Amir Khan have all stated that they would join the Bay Area trainer’s stable.  At first, Martyniouk was concerned that Hunter would be spread too thin, but has since grown accustomed to the new additions.

“Having all these great fighters around and seeing what they’ve done drives me to work even harder,” Martyniouk said.  “I was already getting good work with Karim [Mayfield] and Mike Dallas, and I can’t wait to work with Khan when he gets here.”

The Oct. 20 card will feature exciting cruiserweight brawler Joe Gumina (3-1, 2 KOs) as well as the pro debuts of 2011 Olympic Trials super heavyweight runner-up LaRon Mitchell of San Francisco and local amateur star Mario Ayala, a national quarterfinalist at 123 pounds.  Tickets start at $50 and can be purchased at Showclix.com.

Ryan Maquiñana was the boxing producer for NBCOlympics.com during London 2012 and writes a weekly column for CSNBayArea.com.  He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Ratings Panel for Ring Magazine. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

VIDEO: Postfight Interviews from Sacramento

By Ryan Maquiñana
CSNBayArea.com

Postfight interviews and some behind-the-scenes action from last Saturday's card at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium with Yoshihiro Kamegai, Jorge Silva, Jorge Linares, Guy Robb, Andy Vences, Jonathan Chicas, Preston Freeman, John Abella, and Hugo Centeno.

FULL RESULTS: Kamegai Draws with Silva, Linares Outpoints Velazquez

By Ryan Maquiñana
BoxingScene.com

LINK: http://www.boxingscene.com/kamegai-linares-provide-thrills-fight-fans-sactown--57922

Sacramento fight fans reacquainted themselves with an old friend as the Memorial Auditorium played host to welterweight sensation Yoshihiro Kamegai’s American television debut, a majority draw with Jorge Silva.

In a compelling brawl, Kamegai (21-0-1, 18 KOs) made good on his reputation as an action fighter, continuously exchanging onslaughts with Silva (18-2-2, 14 KOs), who gave an equally thrilling performance in a very close bout that could have tipped in either direction.

Kermit Bayless and Bruce Rasmussen scored the bout 95-95, while Steve Morrow had it 96-94 for Kamegai.

“The scoring is done by the judges,” Kamegai said.  “To me, I just had to do more to get better scores.  I would like to go back and start from scratch, watch the video, and decide from there [if I want a rematch].”

Silva was more adamant about garnering a return bout.

“I thought I won the fight.  It was well-fought,” Silva said.  “Definitely, I would want a rematch.  Either that or something better.”

In the co-feature, former titleholder Jorge Linares (32-3, 20 KOs) broke a two-bout losing streak with a bruising unanimous decision over faded but rugged veteran Hector Velazquez (52-18-3, 35 KOs) in the second half of a twinbill that was televised by Fox Sports.

In his first fight back with trainer Sendai Tanaka after parting ways with Freddie Roach, Linares captured a classic battle of boxer versus brawler by using his movement and pinpoint punching to outwork his foe over 10 rounds.

Kermit Bayless scored the bout 100-89, Steve Morrow 98-91, and Bruce Rasmussen 97-91 for Linares, who returned to the win column and is looking to fight again in December before pursuing a title fight in 2013.

“I’m really happy and it was a good win for me,” Linares said.  “I was happy to come out with the victory.  Out of a scale from one to 100, I give myself an 80.”

Several local legends were in attendance, including three-time world champion Tony “The Tiger” Lopez, his brother Sal Lopez,  former 140-pound titlist Loreto Garza, and state champion Richard “Mr. KO” Savala, who all fought under the auspices of promoter Don Chargin.  The Hall of Famer held the event in association with Golden Boy, Paco Presents, and Jorge Marron.

Photos and Weights from Sacramento

By Ryan Maquiñana 
BoxingScene.com

LINK: http://www.boxingscene.com/photos-weights-kamegai-silva-linares-velasquez--57864

MAIN EVENT: 

Yoshihiro Kamegai (21-0, 18 KOs) – 147 vs. Jorge Silva (18-2-1, 14 KOs) – 147.6

CO-MAIN:

Jorge Linares (31-3, 20 KOs) – 135.5 vs. Hector Velazquez (52-17-3, 35 KOs) – 134.4

UNDERCARD:

Hugo Centeno (15-0, 8 KOs) - 153 vs. Justin Williams (4-5-2, 2 KOs) – 154.4

Sacramento's Guy Robb (9-1, 4 KOs) – 125.8 vs. Adolfo Landeros (22-27-2, 10 KOs) – 126.4

S.F.'s Jonathan Chicas (7-0, 3 KOs) – 139.5 vs. Ralph Prescott (2-6) – 139

Sacramento's John Abella (2-0, 1 KO) – 123.6 vs. Pablo Cupul (6-8, 4 KOs) – 122.8

San Jose's Andy Vences (debut) – 130.8 vs. Carlos Gonzalez (1-1) - 131

Salinas's Preston Freeman (debut) – 142.5 vs. Jose Mendoza (7-7, 3 KOs) - 143

Chris Pearson (5-0, 4 KOs) vs. Frank Gedeon (4-0, 3 KOs) was cancelled when Gedeon did not get medical clearance in time.

Photos: Erik Killin
Fight Date: Oct. 6, 2012

Location: Sacramento, Calif. (Memorial Auditorium)

TV: Fox Sports Net

First Fight: 4 p.m. PT

Promoter: Don Chargin/Paco Presents/Golden Boy/Jorge Marron

Tickets: pacopresentsboxing.com, Sacramento Convention Center Box Office ($35-60; $20 sold out)

Ryan Maquiñana writes a weekly boxing column for CSNBayArea.com.  He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Ratings Panel for Ring Magazine. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

LINK: http://www.boxingscene.com/photos-weights-kamegai-silva-linares-velasquez--57864