{Editor’s Note: Part I left off with Roberto Duran going to the hospital.}

The next time I saw Roberto, was a few hours later, he was walking into the Anatole with Roberto Jr., Sugar Ray, Steve Crosson, and a couple of others. As I met them, he said to me, “Told you it wasn’t my heart.” “What was it?” “Arthritis. They gave me a shot and prescriptions…” He continued, but his voice trailed off in my mind. My subconscious was thinking, I guess all those thousands of left jabs and hooks finally caught up with him. I snapped back to reality when Roberto said for the third or fourth time, this time louder and with more force, “I’m hungry let’s go eat.”

Ayala, Duran, Leonard & Cokes.

Duran and Leonard mugging.

As I walked with these two legends (and the others) the thought struck me, these two don’t just walk. They have a gait…a stride…almost a swagger…as if they realize their position in life. I was thinking to myself, I’m privileged, I’d bet a million of boxing nerds would love to trade places with me right about now, when my thoughts were again interrupted. This time by Sugar Ray. He said one of the most astounding things I’ve ever heard boxing related. Looking straight ahead, as we walked, first he laughed then he said to no one in general, “Who’d a thought I’d be walking down a hall with Robert Duran?” Then he laughed again. At that moment, I was either thinking like a dumb boxing fan, or a wise boxing scribe, because a profuse amount of comments and questions popped in my head, but I kept my mouth shut. Those 12 words were enough in themselves. They spoke volumes.  [read more]

The Real Estate Council (TREC) Fight Night as I have written before, other than a Top Rank extravaganza (i.e. a Pacquiao world title bout) is the number one boxing event in North Texas, no scratch that, in Texas. TREC Fight Night is synonymous with the amazing Hilton Anatole, Steve Crosson, a WBC title bout, VIPs, a Cirque du Soleil facsimile, gorgeous hostesses, great service, great atmosphere, great food, even better drinks, good cigars, and the list goes on.

TREC Fight Night of course has boxing; the results from that night are as follows:

Lanardo Tyner (l).

Tyrese Hendrix (l).

Bout 4 / Main Event / WBC USA Welterweight Title / 12 Rds / 147 lbs
Lanardo Tyner def Tyrese Hendrix by TKO, Rd 12, 2:30

Medzhid Bektemirov (l).

Randy Griffin (r).

Bout 3 / Co-Main Event / WBC USA Light Heavyweight Title / 12 Rds / 175 lbs
Medzhid Bektemirov def Randy Griffin by Unanimous Decision

Bout 2 / 4 Rds / Cruiserweight / 190 lbs
Ladell Williams vs. Curtis Howell Majority Draw

Bout 1 / 4 Rds / Super Middleweight / 168 lbs
Jas Phipps def Jeffrey Spencer by Split Decision  [read more]

A day prior to Floyd "Money" Mayweather's unanimous decision win over Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero, Errol Spence, Jr. improved his record to 5-0, 4 KO's, stopping Brandon Hoskins at 2:35 of the very 1st round. The bout took place at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Chelsea Ballroom, and was televised live by FOX Sports.  [read more]

DALLAS (May 6, 2013) -- Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion MIKEY GARCIA (31-0, 26 KOs) of Oxnard, Calif., former WBO junior featherweight and WBO featherweight champion JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ (33-2, 30 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, two-time heavyweight champion GEORGE FOREMAN and Hall of Fame promoter BOB ARUM will host a Dallas news conference This Thursday!May 9, beginning at 1:00 p.m. CT, at the American Airlines Center (2500 Victory Ave., Dallas, TX 75219).  [read more]

Errol Spence (l) and trainer Derrick James.

Hoskins (16-4-1, 8 KOs) has fought on the undercards of several major fights; Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan vs. Danny Garcia, Devon Alexander vs. Randall Bailey and Mikey Garcia vs. Orlando Salido. In the process, Hoskins has faced the likes of Keith Thurman and Dmitriy Salita and will be the toughest opponent Spence (4-0, 3 KO's) has faced to date.  [read more]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FIGHTNIGHT CELEBRATES 25 YEARS ON MAY 9 WITH LEGENDS SUGAR RAY LEONARD
AND ROBERTO DURAN PLUS OLD-TIME VEGAS-STYLE BOXING AND CASINO GALA

FightNight honors founders whose “down but not out” philosophy brought to life one of
North Texas’ biggest philanthropic events, raising $21 million to date for revitalization projects  [read more]

On Friday, April 19 2013, Standing 8 Promotions presented “Welterweight Collision Course” sponsored by Bud Light Platinum at the Hurst Convention Center in Hurst, Texas. The show had five fantastic fights which displayed courage, heart, and back and forth action.

Milton Ramos (r).

Ramos (r) landing a left hook.

Ramos vs. De La Torre – The main event featured Milton Ramos (9-3) of Waco, Texas against Rogelio De la Torre (10-3) of Houston, Texas for the Welterweight Texas Title Belt.   [read more]

Luis Yanez (r).

Luis Yanez (l).

"Since I was a kid I wanted that belt; I told my dad I wanted the green belt of the World Boxing Council.” - Brandon Rios

"I'm going after the green belt. If he has the green belt, then I have to have it!” - Adrien Broner

"It's the WBC title, the green belt. This is a huge opportunity for me and you can't ask for better.” - Sakio Bika

Dating back to 1963, boxers short and tall, big and small, from far and wide have all wanted to fight for the "green belt", the World Boxing Council (W.B.C.) title. Legends like Julio Cesar Chavez, Muhammad Ali, Roberto Duran, Alexis Arguello, "Sugar" Ray Leonard, Salvador Sanchez, and "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler have all worn the W.B.C. strap around their waists, boldly daring opponents to come take it from them. On Friday, April 19, another legend joined the list of those to have won a "green belt"; the "Latin Legend" Luis Yanez.  [read more]

Saturday April 6, 2013 was a good night for North Texas boxing. Besides the fact that the area is home to the new Texas Super Middleweight Champion, there is a new and impressive boxing promoter to the area. Though, J (Derrick James) & G (Anthony Goins) Promotion(s) is new, neither is a newcomer to this squared circle of ours. Goins has been in and around boxing most of his life. His father fought in the Air Force and his fondest memories are of his post-fight chats with his dad after most televised events.

James had an illustrious amateur and professional career, fighting and winning his last pro bout May 31, 2008, at Fair Park in fact. Before Saturday, his boxing association was limited to being trainer to 2012 Olympian Errol Spence Jr., the new Texas Super Middleweight Champion Tony Mack, and super featherweight Jerry “The Corpus Christi Kid” Belmontes (17-1 5KOs). And if co-promoting a boxing event and working Mack’s corner the same night wasn’t enough, James will be working Belmontes’ corner, Saturday, April 13 down in Corpus on a Golden Boy show to be televised by Fox Sports Networks, Fox Deportes, & Fuel TV. Belmontes is the scheduled co-main event. Now James has again added promoter to his duties; he has previously promoted.

Mack (r) sizing up Howell.

Mack (l) seconds away from stopping Howell.

NFL great Steven Jackson (l) Mack and Derrick James.

Fights at the Fair Ground / Main Event / 6 Rds / 168 lbs / Texas Super Middleweight Title Bout
Tony Mack, (6-0 3KOs) defeated Curtis Howell (3-4 2KOs) by TKO, at 1:32 of the second round. What stood out the most about this fight to me was the look of fear in Howell’s eyes BEFORE the bell sounded for the first round. After watching Mack work out, someone overheard Howell telling the promoters he should be paid more money for taking the fight. At least he took the money offered and stepped into the ring with the ferocious Mack; you have to give him credit for that. After Mack’s first overhand right in the first minute of the first round, Howell spent the rest of the fight trying to stay out of range of Mack’s arsenal. But, like a Navy destroyer, it was only a matter of time before Mack scored a direct hit. He did and Howell was another notch on young Mack’s belt on his way to the top.  [read more]

2013 Texas State Golden Gloves Results
Dallas & San Antonio Share Team Title

Fight 1 / 108 lbs
Pablo Ramirez, Rio Grande Valley defeated Luis Delgado, San Antonio

Fight 2 / 114 lbs
Hector Tanajara, San Antonio defeated Arnold Alejandro, Dallas

Fight 3 / 123 lbs
Franciso Martinez, Dallas defeated Marc Torres, Houston

Fight 4 / 132 lbs
Cresencio Ramos, San Antonio defeated Abel Navarrete, Lubbock

Fight 5 / 141 lbs
George Rincon, Dallas defeated Antonio Castillo, Fort Worth

Fight 6 / 152 lbs
Steven Cardenas, San Antonio defeated Gilbert Vasquez, Lubbock

Fight 7 / 165 lbs
Kameron Jones, Dallas defeated Jazavian Palmer, Lubbock

Fight 8 / 178 lbs
Estevan Roman, Fort Worth defeated Alex Gayton, Rio Grande Valley

Fight 9 / 201 lbs
Adrian Taylor, Dallas defeated Phillip Schoonover, El Paso

Fight 10 / 201+ lbs
Kent Brinson, San Antonio defeated Robert Guiterrez, Corpus Christi

To put it mildly, 2012 wasn't very kind to North Texas area fighters.  At best, it was a rollercoaster 365 days as new boxers established themselves as pound for pound worthy, longtime incumbents suffered crushing defeats and others juggled injuries and/or inactivity.  Promoters hitched their wagons to guys who subsequently lost and more than a few of DFW's finest found their once sparkling records sullied.  Known as the "hurt business", Boxing in North Texas is hard pressed to recall another year of prizefighting as painful as 2012 was.  [read more]