The CBZ Newswire

CHICAGO, IL, August 5, 2010 — Light welterweight Antonio “Aztec God of War” Canas is set to make his professional boxing debut tomorrow, August 6 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago on the undercard of ESPN2’s FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS, presented by Chicago’s 8 Count Productions in association with Vega Boxing.  The specificity is necessary, because Canas, a former Chicago Golden Gloves champion, is already a professional mixed martial artist. Both his confidence in the ring and his resume demonstrate that fighting is his passion. With several current contenders and former champions in his corner, his confidence both in himself and his team most likely will be borne out in the ring. Canas trains at the Chicago Fight Club, which is where I caught up with him last week after a sparring session with welterweight “King” David Estrada (who recently embarrassed a number of boxing pundits by beating previously undefeated Orlando Lora).  With trainer “Fearless” Fernando Hernandez giving pointers, Canas went six rounds with the bigger Estrada, adjusting as Hernandez shouted instructions and interjected the occasional wisecracks. Canas switched leads easily and put together combinations in the heated exchange. One of the things that struck me was the sense of camaraderie among Canas and his teammates. It was immediately clear that the Chicago Fight Club is a second home for Canas, Hernandez, and his fellow fighters. The impression was confirmed by my conversation with the soft-spoken and gracious Canas.

Antonio Canas holds mitts for a student at the Chicago Fight Club

By Kerstin Broockmann

Kerstin Broockmann: What is your background as a fighter?

Canas: I was always fighting. I was in a rough neighborhood. I started doing martial arts when I was eight. I did wrestling, judo, capoeira, but I wanted to do something more combative, so I started Tae Kwon Do. I did that for a while, doing competition. I wound up at Bob Shirmer’s gym, and then found my way to Sam Colonna’s Windy City Gym. I won the Chicago Golden Gloves in 2007 in the Senior Novice division, but I was already a pro in MMA, so they wouldn’t let me fight in the Gloves again the next year.

K.B.: What are your goals as a fighter?

Canas: I want to do more boxing, but I want to keep up with my other training. I just got back from Vegas, where I trained with John Lewis and Skipper Kelp. I’m also getting ready to do NAGA (North American Grappling Association tournament, where Canas has had success in the past). Just to fight. I’m not much of a talker. (continue reading…)

Adrian Granados (R) attacks Michael Anthony Culbert in the fight of the night

CHICAGO, IL, June 20, 2010 – Last night at the UIC Pavilion, several popular and successful Chicago-based  amateur boxers made their pro debuts at 8 Count Productions’ Windy City Fight Night 10, which also featured some up and coming young punchers. It was a sweep for the home team, with the host boxers winning every bout, but the evening featured some exciting matchups that kept the crowd cheering throughout as some of the visitors earned their respect as well with some scrappy performances in their quests for upsets.
 

Donatas Bondoravas (L) stands his ground against Keon Johnson

First in the ring were middleweights in a bout scheduled for six rounds: Gary, Indiana’s Keon ‘Neon’ Monte Johnson (157 lbs., 8-3-0) and Donatas Bondoravas of Chicago by way of Lithuania (157lbs., 6-1-1).  Johnson established his jab early, with Donatas looking for power shots. Bondoravas made short work of his Chicago debut, overwhelming Johnson, who looked more tentative as the round progressed, with powerful punches before landing the knockout right hook at 2:33 of the first round. (continue reading…)

Achour Esho (R) Gets Through the Guard of Robert Jones

By Kerstin Broockmann

Photos by Scott Dray

HAMMOND, IN, May 29, 2010 — Hitz Boxing returned to Hammond, Indiana’s Horseshoe Casino with a packed card headlined by Montell ‘Ice’ Griffin entering the ring for his 58th bout in his quest for 50 wins against Buffalo, NY’s Ross ‘The Boss’ Thompson.  The ‘Quest for 50’ also featured a packed undercard of Chicago fighters, including Henry Coyle returning to the ring after an injury to face Danville, VA’s Marcus Luck, and Achour Esho looking to maintain his unbeaten record against Ann Arbor, MI, veteran Robert Jones in what would be the Fight of the Night. The event featured lots of action in small quantities, as most of the fights ended early. The Main Events were disappointing. There was a respectable crowd (given the fact that another card was taking place just a few miles away at the UIC Pavilion and the Blackhawks were playing in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals). Hawks fans were mollified by the big screen broadcast of the game between bouts.

Rafael Murphy (L) looks for an opening against Quinton Smith

The first bout of the evening featured the Cruiserweight professional debut of Chicagoan Rafael Murphy (200 lbs.) against Covington, TN’s Quinton Smith (2-6-0, 0 KO’s, 201 lbs.). The slightly paunchy Smith came out strong and landed a few punches. However, Murphy withstood the first onslaught and countered. Smith charged in again, but with his head low, he found himself eating an uppercut, followed by a barrage of punches from Murphy, none of which he could not see to counter. Smith found himself on the canvas at :49 seconds into Round 1, and Referee Celestino Ruiz waved off the fight, giving Murphy his first professional victory by knockout.

Murphy wins by knockout

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By Kerstin Broockmann

April 19, 2010 — Early this morning, Venezuelan boxing sensation Edwin Valero was found hanging in his jail cell by another inmate after his arrest on charges of killing his wife, Jennifer Viera de Valero, and died shortly afterwards. Valero’s suicide ended an explosive and troubled life and career.  He fought most recently in February, stopping Antonio DeMarco in the ninth in the second successful defense of his WBC Lightweight title, his 27th knockout in 27 professional bouts.  Previously, Valero had held and defended the WBA World Super Featherweight title, which he had given up to campaign in the higher weight class. After beating DeMarco, Valero called out Manny Pacquiao, a proposed match that many in the boxing media found intriguing as a potential future bout.

After amassing an 86-6 record in a highly regarded amateur career, Valero turned pro in 2002. He won his first 18 bouts by first round knockout, which attracted the attention of the boxing world. When the usual (and, in this case, justified) accusations of handpicked opponents arose, Valero stepped up to prove his accusers wrong. While some of his early wins were clearly against overmatched competition, every step up in opponents resulted in a similar outcome. Valero did not know how to put on the brakes, sometimes eating hard punches in the process, but eventually overwhelming anyone willing to step in the ring with him with fast, hard, and remarkably well-targeted punches. (continue reading…)

Blood and Sweat Fly as Windy City Warriors Give their All

Andrej Fonfara (R) drives Adan Leal back into the ropes

By Kerstin Broockmann

Photos by Scott Dray

CHICAGO, IL, January 29, 2010 – The cold and snow showers outside the UIC Pavilion could not lower the temperature inside, as fans were treated to a truly exciting evening of fights.  With several luminaries on hand to witness the action, including former Lightweight Champion David Diaz, Alderwoman Dorothy Brown, Chicago Bears Defensive Lineman Alex Brown, and heavyweight David Latoria, whose scheduled bout was cancelled due to a pre-existing medical condition that prevented his opponent from entering the ring.  It was a bloody, brutal night of boxing, with all the fighters showing plenty of heart and skill, from 50-plus fight veterans to 1-fight boxers hoping to kick-start their careers.  There were boxers and brawlers, cerebral and visceral strategists, offensive aggressors and slick counterpunchers. While obviously the range of experience and styles meant that some bouts appealed to some tastes more than others, few could be disappointed by the overall quality of the evening’s battles.

Kenny Galarza vs. Ilido Manuel Julio

Kenny Galarza (L) avoids a hook from Ilido Julio

The evening kicked off with an entertaining bout by two boxers who traveled some distance to make their mark in Chicago, as Kenny Galarza, 142 lbs., 11(11)-0-0, of Juan Diaz, Puerto Rico, set out to keep the ”0″ in his loss column against durable, battle-tested veteran Ilido Manuel Julio, 141 lbs., 39(35)-16(7)-1, of Cartegena, Columbia.

The game 38-year-old Ilido Julio did his best to keep the pressure on his younger, taller opponent, lunging in to land some stinging punches through the center of 24-year-old Kenny Galarza’s guard, but he was a bit flat-footed in the first round, and found himself struggling to stand in the wake of Galarza’s combinations.  Julio found himself down twice in the first round. The first time he appeared to lose his balance after an uppercut, which Galarza exploited by landing a hook as Julio fell to his knees. He was up quickly, but again fell after an uppercut later in the round—again appearing less hurt than off balance on impact.  Galarza picked his shots from the outside, coming over the top of Julio’s somewhat low guard with straight punches, and using effective hooks to the body and uppercuts whenever Julio pushed the action.

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