Boxing Stars at Orange County Gala
There was a pound-for-pound crew of punchers in attendance at the 2013 “Night of Champions” private boxing show presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions. Held this month at the Doubletree Hotel in Orange, California, this annual gala is always the hottest ticket in town as the SoCal promotional team puts on a spirited live boxing show along with a gourmet dinner for guests in attendance.
This yearly gathering is also a charity function with Thompson Boxing donating funds to worthwhile organizations and designated nonprofits. Thompson Boxing’s Founder/President Ken Thompson and General Manager/Matchmaker Alex Camponovo have been promoting fights in the Southland and beyond for over a decade. Their “Path to Glory” and “Locked N’ Loaded” fight cards have been thrilling fight fans for years at both the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario and the outdoor arena at Omega Products International.
Promoter Ken Thompson told me he really enjoys this special dinner show that featured some new faces lacing up in the ring. Both Thompson and Camponovo are inductees of the California Boxing Hall of Fame and both are immersed in the sweet science. And both men have already had an exceptional 2013 in traveling between the West Coast (their February 22 show in Ontario) to the East Coast (Juan Carlos Burgos) to down south in Mexico (Jonathan Romero) to watch their champs fight during the last couple of months. And right after this year’s “Night of Champions” ended, Thompson boarded a plane to China for business and Camponovo jetted off to Bolivia for a family get-together.
But before these two hardworking jet setters took off, they greeted the attendees–both in and out of the ring–on March 9. If you think you know who is going to win the latest fight then check out the ‘bwin boxing‘ odds.
Who was at this Orange County bash?
Josesito Lopez, Mauricio Herrera, Alejandro Perez, Artemio Reyes Jr., Efrain Esquivias, Aaron Martinez, Alex Theran, Chris Martin, Danny Hernandez, Matt Villanueva, Jesse Villanueva, Evgeny Gradovich, Andy Nance and Martin Castillo were just some of the fighters who joined the crowd. Also in attendance was actor Enrique Castillo (“Blood In Blood Out”), commentator Carlos Avilas, and WBC Supervisor and boxing manager Dr. Joe Noriega.
And in homage to Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie,” the guys showed up lookin’ slick and dressed in their best evening attire. Donning suits instead of sweats, the fighters were happy for a change of pace. Most of the time, you see the boxers sweaty in their trunks and slugging it out in the ring. This time around, the pugs were able to relax and just take in the action. And the ticket holders had time to chat with their heroes while getting a glove signed or a photo snapped.
Before the fights got underway, the patrons mingled during a social hour with live Mariachi performances as entertainment. Ring card girls Lindsi and Ashley also made the rounds greeting the guests and handing out raffle tickets for a treasure trove of gifts courtesy of Thompson Building Materials.
The champs were a big draw in the ballroom foyer. Some of the boxers at the show have their own fights coming up in the next few months. Josesito Lopez (the “Riverside Rocky”) will be facing Marcos Maidana in June and Aaron Martinez mentioned he’ll be fighting on the next Thompson show in April. And a lot of the guys were coming off recent victories like Artemio Reyes Jr. (who scored a KO in his February fight) and Alejandro “El Alacran” Perez, who captured the fans’ attention with his win over Art Hovhannisyan last month. Perez became the new WBO NABO Super Featherweight champ and hopes to return to the ring soon–possibly in April.
Chatting with the fighters, many told me this annual show is one of their favorites. Others were excited to attend for the very first time. And all were looking forward to a great night of fisticuffs.
Opening the show was a very competitive sparring match between local talents Daniel Roman and Isaac Zarate in a special exhibition between these young lions. Even though it was an exhibition, neither slugger held back as the crowd cheered their efforts in two rounds of high-octane action.
Next up was a heavyweight scrap between LaRon Mitchell (1-0, 1 KO), victorious in his pro debut over Michael Dennis (now 0-2). The Mitchell-Dennis clash was followed by a bout between Louis Rose (6-1, 2 KOs) and Gino McClellan. Los Angeles fighter Rose upset the previously unbeaten Gino “G-Man” McClellan (9-1, 3 KOs) handing the Tampa boxer his first loss with a second-round KO.
Then it was time for the big boys. The main event was a heavyweight rumble between Javier “Monster” Torres (5-0-1, 3 KOs) and Enrique Lobatos (4-3-2, 2 KOs). The southpaw Lobatos used his jab to keep the “Monster” at bay and later connecting with big left hands during this four-round feud that had the crowd yelling for more. Torres (a World Series of Boxing star) came out strong and finished strong against his shorter, scrappy foe. Lobatos was the perennial underdog who stayed in the game, absorbing punches in his belly while giving as good as he got. At the end of their punch out, the official scores from the three judges at 
ingside declared it a majority draw (38-38 twice and 39-37 for Lobatos).
After the show, Lobatos said he was thrilled with his performance and said he plans on getting back in the gym with his new trainer Eddie Gonzalez. Enrique also plans on shedding more weight in his next camp.
While he is not in the Thompson stable, Enrique said he was very honored to fight in this “Night of Champions” event and that Thompson Boxing Promotions is a class act. “Tonight was a great experience,” the burly heavyweight said. “I think everyone enjoyed the fight and I hope to fight on another Thompson show soon.”
The next Thompson show will be on April 26 at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario.
The promotional outfit is always adding promising athletes to their growing stable and recently signed several Colombian fighters to the mix. During the dinner show, I met Alex Theran, an up-and-comer who’s fighting in April at Chumash Casino. This likable southpaw is one to keep your eye on. Theran said he had a fun time at the boxing show and enjoyed meeting all his fellow fighters and fans.
Going global, Ken Thompson and Alex Camponovo continue to build their stock of homegrown champions, contenders and young prospects all hoping for a title shot in the future.
And gatherings like their “Night of Champions” gives the promoters and fighters a chance to celebrate their success in the ring.
Here’s an exclusive look at what this year’s bash was like!
Photos by Michele Chong
