The Cyber Boxing Zone Newswire

Boxing Commission Keeps Grip on Wrestling Giants

Two giants of pro wrestling and an NBA mogul took a tag-team tumble in their upset defeat in the Oregon legislature this year. We predicted that the team of Vince McMahon's WWF, the rival World Championship Wrestling owned by Ted Turner, and Microsoft founder and TrailBlazer owner Paul Allen, would stomp their way through the Oregon lawmakers. Wrong, so wrong. The renegade state that legalized physician assisted suicide and medical marijuana surprised us again.

The WWF and the WCW declared that they would not bring their hugely profitable road shows to Oregon because the state boxing and wrestling commission requires drug screens as well as HIV and hepatitis testing. Anxious to bring in the big wrestling shows, Portland's Rose Garden Arena went political. The arena is owned by Paul Allen and is the home of Allen's NBA team the Trail Blazers. With all that clout the Rose Garden hired a prestigious lobbying firm and proposed amendments to the state law which would have exempted the two big East coast corporations from the drug and medical tests that are required for wrestlers in Oregon.

This infuriated Portland wrestling promoter Ivan Kafoury who runs a small road show that tours the high school auditoriums and national guard armories of small towns all over the state. Kafoury told us that the big wrestling outfits needed the exemption "because their guys can't pass the drug tests. But my guys can and do." Kafoury and any other in-state promoter would still be required to test under the proposed amendment. "I thought it was grossly unfair for them to be demanding this special treatment," says Kafoury.

The local promoter comes from a political clan and was not without resources. He lobbied and testified and raised a stink.

Oregon governor John Kitzhaber, a medical doctor, was also miffed at the notion of exemptions for the state medical requirements and did his own lobbying. The state legislature voted the wrestling exemptions down. No WWF or WCW shows are currently scheduled for the state of Oregon.

***************************

The Oregon State Police Boxing and Wrestling Commission has a new member. Former pro wrestler Art Crews performed on the mid-west and Northwest circuits in the early 1980's, and retired from the ring in 1987 to pursue a law enforcement career. Commissioner Crews is now a state corrections officer at the Powder River Corrections Facility in Baker, Oregon.

***************************

The next meeting of the Oregon Commission will be at 10 a.m., Thursday, September 9 at the Chinook Winds Casino (Convention Area 4) 1777 NW 44th St. in Lincoln City, Oregon.

Word is that the Siletz tribe, which runs Chinook Winds, has heard proposals from several boxing promoters over the past few years but is finally considering staging a pro fight card promoted by Patrick Ortiz of Ringside Ticket Inc. out of Santa Rosa, CA. Ortiz has promoted two successful shows each at Seven Feathers Casino in Canyonville, OR and at Legends Casino in Yakima, WA. No date for a Chinook Winds card has been announced. The Siletz tribe has its own professional athletic commission and would regulate its own boxing shows as allowed by the Federal law.

******************************

Oregon Pro Fight Schedule

Saturday, September 25--At the Salem Armory, Oregon Trail Promotions. A proposed but not yet finalized main event would feature Salem prospect Quandray "Candy" Robertson. Oregon Trail Promotions is also tentatively considering a card in October or November with possible locations in Bend, OR or in Portland.

Saturday, October 9--At the Seven Feathers Hotel & Casino in Canyonville, OR. Ringside Ticket Inc, returns with their third pro fight card at this location.

Washington Pro Fight Schedule

Saturday, October 2--The Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester, WA.

Saturday, October 9--The Mercer Arena, Seattle Center, Seattle, WA. The main event features undefeated Lightweight Martin O'Malley of Seattle vs Tito Tovar of Denver. On the undercard, a proposed male vs female match between Bremerton Washington woman lightweight, Margaret McGregor and Hector Morales of Vancouver, British Columbia.

***************************************

Northwest Amateur News

Amateur Club Moves--The remarkable volunteer saga of donated labor and materials that created Oregon's Dallas Boxing Club hit a bump recently when the gym building was sold for a strip mall. But the Dallas Boxing Club continues, with head coaches Wally Jorgenson and Ev Cozad conducting nightly seminars at The Hoop, next door to Gold's Gym in Salem, OR.

***********

Oregon Amateur Schedule

--September or October--Sunriver Boys & Girls Club Fundraiser, organized by Knott St. Boxing Club of Portland

--September or October--Oregon Seniors Tournament at the Knott St. Boxing Club, Matt Dishman Community Center in Portland. (Dates not yet announced for both events. Contact Coach Joel Caldera of Knott St. Boxing for specifics.)

--October 16--Bulldog Boxing Club Event, at Superior Athletic Club in Medford.

--October 30--Golden Gloves Club Event at the Portland Police Hall.

--November 6--Bulldog Boxing Event at the Jackson County Exposition Pavillion in Central Point.

--November 13--Grand Avenue Boxing Club Event at the Portland Police Hall

--November 20--Silver Gloves Tournament at the Doubletree Hotel in Medford.

ALSO:

September 1-5--The 1999 Junior Golden Glove National Tournament in Los Angeles, CA

Katherine Dunn