Pico Rivera & HBSA Host Annual Event
Here is my SPECIAL REPORT from the 2014 Boxing Superstars Round 4: Meet & Greet with the City of Pico Rivera Department of Parks and Recreation in association with Cleto Reyes and Heroes Boxing Sponsorship Agency that took place at Pico Park on Saturday night.
This annual gala is a free event for the community and a veritable fanfest for boxing aficionados and their families. I look forward to this yearly gathering each and every year and I’ve witnessed this celebration grow bigger and bigger every time. And this year’s installment featured a wall-to-wall room of champions, Olympians, rising stars and beloved veteran fighters. City officials and several boxing luminaries also joined the group all converging under one roof at Pico Park. Over 30 champions and fighters came out to meet the fans, who had lined up early, over an hour before the doors opened. The legion of fans continued to line the building as the 3-hour fan expo raged on. The fans told me it was well worth it and the line went by fast. The focal point for boxing fans was that they had the chance to meet over 30 fighters all in one place at the same time.
Senior Events Coordinator Efrain Lee and the City of Pico Rivera Department of Parks & Recreation worked tirelessly in making this bash a memorable one for all.
In attendance were the “Heroes Boxing” calendar stars Alfonso Gomez, Josesito Lopez, Efrain Esquivias Jr. and Sergio “Tarasco” Nunez plus champs and fighters Marco Antonio Rubio, Israel “El Magnifico” Vazquez, Miguel “El Titere” Vazquez, Ivan “The Terrible” Redkach, Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora, Mexican Olympian and unbeaten pro Oscar Molina, Carlos Molina, Emanuel “El Artista” Medina, Charles “Pride of Paramount” Huerta, Freddy “El Riel” Hernandez, Sindy Amador, Lissette Medel, Xavier Montelongo Jr., Alejandro Gonzalez, Christian Gonzalez, Shibata Flores, Art Frias, Paul Gonzales, Oscar Muniz, Chango Carmona, Hassan Chitsaz, Oscar Venegas, Seniesa Estrada, Angel Bojado, George Faavae, Jose Luis Hernandez and more.
Band members from Hy3rid (including Heroes Boxing President Robb Gomez), Councilmember Gustavo Camacho, District 58 Assembly Member Cristina Garcia, WBC Supervisor Rudy Tellez, officials Raul Caiz Sr. and Sergio Caiz, model Dulce Padilla, artist/trainer Steve Harpst, historian/author Gene Aguilera, Universal Boxing Hall of Fame’s Adolfo Perez, Capital Punishment Gym’s Willie Tubbs and boxing coach Javier Capetillo Jr. were also there greeting the hundreds of attendees who came from near and far to meet the champs in a one on one setting. At this SoCal function, Pico Park was the epicenter for local boxing fans.
Efrain Lee and Gustavo Camacho both mentioned the strong support from the champs who donated their time to meet their fans who got the chance to get free autographs and photos while shiny championship belts up close and personal. The prizefighters told me they enjoyed meeting their loyal supporters and were impressed with the large turnout at the weekend party.
Many families came out for an evening of fun which involved the autograph sessions, free giveaways (calendars, magnets, postcards, T-shirts) and free raffle prizes. A mini boxing ring and souvenir stand was featured with Cleto Reyes’ Mario Castaneda, who displayed the famed boxing gloves, gear and equipment.
And this year, I also noticed some brand new offerings at the fiesta including a taco bar and fresh-cooked food from Birrieria Guadalajara and Silvia’s Pupusas, complimentary products from boxer Victor Ortiz’s line of skin care (VO Platinum) including sunscreen and lip balm giveaways (courtesy of Candace from FaceLube for Men), the unveiling of sculptor Steve Harpst’s newest bronze “The Vanquished” and the big reveal of a new lineup of T-shirts by Sombra Apparel’s Joe Chavez. Stay tuned for more info about these collectible T-shirts in one of the “Chatter Box’s” upcoming columns!
Judging from the strong reaction, both the boxers and the fans were excited to see the new shirts. The graphics on the tees showcase the five boxers (Alfonso Gomez, Josesito Lopez, Daniel Ponce De Leon, Efrain Esquivias Jr. and Sergio Nunez) on the first-ever Heroes Boxing Sponsorship Agency wall calendar/poster. All fighters were there Saturday night with the exception of Ponce De Leon, who had told me earlier he would be training with a fighter during this time and wouldn’t be able to attend this year.
During the Meet & Greet, all the special guests were called up into the ring and introduced to the growing audience. Cristina Garcia (California State Assembly) and former Mayor and current Councilman Gustavo Camacho presented each recipient with a beautiful Medallion of Recognition and a Certificate of Appreciation signed by the legislature.
The champs were the heroes of the night, signing hundreds of autographs, posing with babies and fist bumping amateur boxers who got invaluable advice from the pro fighters. I made my way around the room, saying hello to many of the first-time attendees featured in the booths.
A pair of female champs, Sindy “La Alacrana” Amador and Lissette “La Chivita” Medel wowed the crowd with their bright white and gold IFBA belts, facing off in a mock staredown for the cameras. Undefeated Ukrainian puncher Ivan Redkach also joined the group for the first time. The unbeaten KO artist just fought on January 17 on Showtime.
And another fan favorite surprising the fans was Josesito Lopez, who came straight from the airport after flying back from the ESPN Friday Night Fights in Washington. The “Riverside Rocky” put his signature on countless items as the flashbulbs continued through the night.
Some of the fighters are currently in camp for upcoming fights, but still honored their commitment in coming out to meet the fans. Miguel “El Titere” Vazquez will be fighting for his 34th victory as a pro on February 22 in Macau. The lanky fighter is a true champ who has held the IBF lightweight title since 2010. Miguel will be defending his belt when he faces Denis Shafikov at the Venetian Resort in China. Vazquez had taken part in the previous Meet & Greets and wanted to show his support once again.
And Marco Antonio Rubio also has an important battle coming up in April. The Mexican warrior nicknamed “El Veneno” will be squaring off against Domenico Spada on April 5 for the interim WBC middleweight title. While appearing for the first time at this show, Rubio also reconnected with “The Contender” combatants Sergio Mora and Alfonso Gomez while they all greeted the masses.
During the bash, there were many highlights including a bittersweet 10 Count to honor the World Boxing Council’s President Jose Sulaiman, who passed away on January 16. Many of the men in the room had won the legendary WBC green and gold belts and all expressed heartfelt sorrow at the veteran’s passing.
Heroes Boxing President Robb Gomez and brother Alfonso Gomez also talked about their own personal highlights. The guys were the first to arrive and the last to leave the venue, working throughout the show with City of Pico Rivera to ensure an impressive evening.
Robb said he especially liked Alejandro “La Cobrita” Gonzalez’s speech. The former WBC champ got emotional during his time at the podium. He talked about how he never got the chance to officially announce his retirement from the ring, so being on the stage and receiving all the accolades meant the world to the ex-belt holder.
And adding levity to the night was Freddy “El Riel” Hernandez, who was at the show with his wife Alma and their son Freddy Jr. Hernandez joked with everyone, bringing chuckles from the audience.
Many of the boxers had their spouses and children with them, making a festive night for all. I visited with 6-year-old Charlene Huerta, daughter of pro fighter Charles Huerta and wife Martha. Little Charlene stole the show at the very first “Meet & Greet: Round 1” back in 2011. The children of Alfonso Gomez, Israel Vazquez, Enrique Ornelas were also at the event, making their parents proud.
It was nice to see all the boxers and their families reconnecting as every commented how they kids have grown in a year. And this Pico Rivera fan festival has also really grown since its first inception by Team Gomez and the City of Pico. The guys told me how they’ve watched this event grow immensely through the years, with this 2014 session the biggest and best to date. “Each year just keeps getting better and better,” Robb and Alfonso said. “We already have plans and surprises for next year too!”
Their new company Heroes Boxing Sponsorship Agency (with Team Gomez, Vice President Melissa DeVolentine and Sales Agent Alex Cornejo) continues to gain steam. Their 2014 calendar is on schedule to already sell out of its first printing and the Gomez brothers are also excited about Sombra’s new line of T-shirts with the fighters.
So many exciting plans for 2014. And no better way to celebrate than at their annual Boxing Superstars Meet & Greet with the champs with free offerings for the fans, courtesy of Team Gomez, the City of Pico Rivera, Cleto Reyes and all of this year’s sponsors.
CHECK OUT MY SNAPSHOTS FROM THE NIGHT AND CONGRATS TO ALL!
PHOTOS BY MICHELE CHONG
