Promoter and Fighters Attend Ceremony
California boxing promoter Ken Thompson along with a group from his full stable of champions and contenders came out to represent at the 2013 California Boxing Hall of Fame (CBHOF) Induction Ceremony held this past Saturday, October 19 at the famed Sportsmen’s Lodge Events Center in Studio City.
Here’s my exclusive look at Team Thompson attending the awards gala hosted by CBHOF President Don Fraser that honored some of the best in the west. Joining Thompson, Founder/President of Thompson Boxing Promotions (TBP), was a fierce foursome of Mauricio Herrera, Efrain Esquivias, Artemio Reyes Jr. and Aaron Martinez. Fight fans recognize these athletes who have all fought on the popular “Locked ‘N Loaded” and “Path to Glory” live shows held at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario and the outdoor Omega Products International in Corona.
Thompson first launched his promotional company in 2000 and since then, he and General Manager/Matchmaker Alex Camponovo (both previous CBHOF inductees) have made their mark in the Inland Empire and beyond. They have their homegrown champs in Josesito Lopez and Mauricio Herrera and also boast a lineup of up-and-comers cracking the scene. Juan Carlos Burgos and Jhonatan Romero are also part of their stable.
Team Thompson had a busy 24 hours with their latest show taking place on Friday night (including a barn burner co-main of Juanito Reyes vs. Daniel Roman that everyone was still buzzing about) and the boxing luncheon on Saturday morning. Catching up with the boxers, it was clear they all can’t wait to step into the ring again soon.
Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera just fought Miguel Angel Huerta on September 27, adding another victory to his pro record. The Riverside warrior fought both Ruslan Provodnikov and Mike Alvarado and he and his wife Vanessa told me they were looking forward to watching the Provodnikov-Alvarado matchup that very night. Having beaten Ruslan (who just defeated Alvarado on Saturday), fans are already talking about a Herrera-Provodnikov rematch. Herrera was also there with his trainer and 2011 CBHOF Inductee Willy Silva. With his blood-and-guts style, Mauricio is never gonna be in a boring fight. He hopes to return to the ring soon.
Carson fighter Efrain Esquivias is still receiving accolades for his biggest career win to date in his victory over Mexican legend Rafael Marquez in their September 7 showdown. Reunited with his early trainer in Dennis Heffner, Efrain may fight again before the year is over. Before his Marquez win, people had trouble pronouncing his name. Now he’s been a special guest in his hometown parade, a trend in the Twitterverse and a new face to watch in the boxing scene. He says he’d love to take on Leo Santa Cruz or Kiko Martinez in the future. The super bantamweight also reconnected with those who knew him from his days as an amateur including Ray Chavez (accepting the award for Fabela Chavez), Ricky Romero and Martin Carrera. Esquivias is enjoying all the new attention and signed autographs for the fans (his action photo was on the back cover of the awards program).
I chatted next with Aaron “El Asesino” Martinez, whose last fight was a win in his rematch against Alberto Herrera (Mauricio Herrera’s brother) on April 26. Martinez was scheduled to face Thompson stablemate Josesito Lopez (originally slated for September 6) but the bout was scrapped after Lopez suffered an injury while in training camp. Now the East L.A. fighter will look to head into battle again soon. Aaron has faced Jessie Vargas, Prenice Brewer, Joseph Elegele, Vito Gasparyan, Pavel Miranda and many others during his time inside the ropes.
I also caught up with welterweight Artemio “King” Reyes Jr. who was attending the banquet with his girlfriend Analizia. It was the first time the pair came to the awards bash and they 
were both very impressed with the large turnout and boxing heroes at every corner. The Colton slugger will be squaring off on the next Thompson show scheduled for next month. The knockout king’s last clash was in July and the fighter is really looking forward to next month’s “New Blood” bout. “Yes, I’m headlining the Doubletree on November 22,” Junior confirmed to me. “No opponent yet but that’s the next date!”
Southland fight fans know of “King” Reyes’ walkouts with busloads of supporters traveling to the fights to cheer on their favorite boxer. Artemio’s mom Fatima is also known for his spirited props, team gear, flags, headbands and more that make a splash at her son’s fights. One night they had drums to bang on, another time they blew noisemakers into the crowd. So what’s planned for November 22?
“It’s always a surprise,” Artemio says with a laugh. “It’s always something different! She’s been thinking of ideas for a while now.”
During the boxing luncheon, Team Thompson (including Jeanette Gonzales and Al Avalos) had “ringside” seats sitting front and center as they applauded the parade of new inductees joining the history books.
Heavyweight Chris Arreola was in this new class of 2013 awardees and gave a special shout out to promoter Ken Thompson. Arreola fought on several Thompson Boxing cards back in 2003 and 2004 at both the Doubletree and Omega. The WBC champ thanked Thompson for giving him these opportunities and seeing his potential early on. “I’d like to thank Mr. Thompson who gave me a chance,” Chris said at the podium. “My first fight was for $700 and it was in a tent…But then I fought for Mr. Thompson–who paid me $1,500–and I was ballin’!”
After the ceremony, Thompson (a former President of the World Boxing Hall of Fame) and his young fighters met with those in the boxing fraternity, past and present. Efrain Esquivias got to visit with former world champ Bobby “Schoolboy” Chacon while light welter Mauricio Herrera had the chance to meet ex-welterweight titleholder Carlos Palomino.
Check out the Thompson crew at the 2013 California Boxing Hall of Fame and be on the lookout as Artemio Reyes, Giovanni Santillan and other TBP gladiators go to battle on November 22!
Photos by Michele Chong
