Fighters training out of Goossen Gym
You never know what to expect in boxing.
At a recent fight night at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello, half of the matches fell out at the last minute as it so often happens in the sport. The event continued on featuring several spirited amateur MMA CAMO bouts, along with the pro boxing main event between Jose “Shibata” Flores 
vs. Ishwar “Diablo” Amador, which turned out to be quite a good scrap.
And the crowd still came out strong in support of the prospects who were originally slated to fight at this event, which was presented by All Star Promotions. I noticed one of the largest groups in attendance included many of SoCal’s contenders and up-and-comers from the famed Goossen Gym. They were there to see a pair of boxers on the card, Tyrell Hendrix and Oscar Chinchilla, who unfortunately were both left without an opponent on fight day.
But as they say, if you’re handed lemons, make lemonade. So this great group of guys salvaged the night by cheering on the amateur MMA fighters and the following boxing matches that remained. I had a chance to catch up with this fun bunch of fighters while they geared up in anticipation of their own upcoming bouts this month.
This fearsome foursome train together, eat together, and travel together as they share in their quest to reach the top. All in their 20s, meet the young guns who train out of the same Southern California stable: Lightweight John Molina Jr. (21-1, 17 KOs), Welterweight Jesus Soto Karass (24-4-3, 16 KOs), Junior Lightweight Stan Martyniouk (10-0) and super flyweight Matt Villanueva (3-0).
And as it naturally happens in many a gym, individuals fall into certain “roles” in the dynamics of a group. Some veteran pugs are deemed “leaders” or “big brother” types, while there’s also the “rookies,” the “quiet ones,” and the “pranksters” who all do their part to keep the gym competitive, strong and lively through all the grueling training.
I first chatted with John Molina and his pretty girlfriend Neda outside on the patio by the taco bar. Molina was also standing with southpaw Oscar Chinchilla, who was obviously disappointed that his fight against Robert “Scrappy Ortiz fell through. But the San Fernando Valley boxer hopes to get in the ring soon. His compadre Molina spoke of Oscar’s toughness while also giving me an update about his own future fight plans. In recent boxing news, the WBO NABO titlist was to have faced Raymundo Beltran on the special ESPN “Salute to America’s Heroes” telecast on November 8. But the highly-ranked lightweight had been sick, which he said affected his training camp. So while that fight is off, Molina says he’ll fight anyone–but he has vowed to never again fight sick like he did when the flu-stricken boxer battled Martin Honorio, which ended in his one lone blemish on a near-perfect ledger. And in due respect to Beltran, John told me, “He’s a great fighter, I’m not taking anything away from him. I would’ve loved to fight him.”
With his father John Molina Sr. and Joe Goossen as trainers, the Goossen Tutor star’s name has come up in boxing circles as possible next opponents for either the winner of this weekend’s Robert Guerrero-Vicente Escobedo or the victor of the November 27 Juan Manuel Marquez-Michael Katsidis collision. So look for this favorite SoCal warrior to be lacing up soon.
The power puncher also entertained us with hilarious stories about his boxing buddies, celebrity pals, and loyal stablemates. While it may seem like all fun and games, these athletes stay focused and train hard, even sparring each other at times. Molina has a lot of mutual respect for his fellow boxers, as the talk turns to the marquee matchup of Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito. “Margarito in the tenth by knockout!” John boldly predicts. “He’s got what it takes; He’s gonna be a juggernaut in the fight!” He further explains: “I grew up watching Oscar De La Hoya, he was my idol. I looked up to him; I still do. But I also put Margarito right up there. I got to know Margarito when I was at South El Monte training with Ben Lira. We hit it off; we’re real close.”
As fans requested photos with the boxer, I headed back into the venue to visit with the other guys. Matt Villanueva was with his father Joachin and his brother Jesse, an amateur boxer. The young man is new in the pros, but is already three for three with a perfect record of three knockouts in his professional foray. The guys tell me that the lanky flyweight may be fighting on the November 27 Andre Ward-Sakio Bika undercard in Oakland.
Stan “The Man” Martyniouk also shared some exciting news that his eleventh pro fight will also be on the same Ward-Bika undercard. The popular Sacramento boxer said they’re waiting on the opponent still to be named. Coming back to the Quiet Cannon and seeing promoter Ed Holmes and matchmaker Pete Hironaka was also a bit of a homecoming for Martyniouk and Molina as both had fought at the venue earlier in their careers. The Estonia-born boxer also greeted official David Denkin, who walked by our group. Denkin had worked earlier in the MMA bouts and joined us for a quick pic. As he raised the boxers’ hands in a victory pose, Stan chuckled as he reminded us, “If you look back at my photos, you’ll see this very same shot. It was my ninth fight at Home Depot and we posed just like this!”
Bringing more laughs to the mix was Jesus Soto Karass, a friendly sort who is always joking and smiling. But inside the ropes,
the Top Rank fighter is all business. The boxer from Los Mochis is known for his warrior mentality in over 30 bouts against the likes of Alfonso Gomez, David Estrada, Yuri Foreman and Freddy Hernandez. Next on tap for the welter is the unbeaten Mike Jones (22-0, 18 KOs), which is sure to be a crowd pleaser of a fight as Jesus vies for the Philly fighter’s NABA and WBO/NABO straps on November 13. “Yes! I’m fighting in Texas next,” Soto Karass said with a big grin. “Mike Jones is undefeated but I’m gonna beat him!” The Sinaloa slugger, with new trainer Joe Goossen, will be showcased on a world-class stage as their undercard will be featured before the Pacquiao-Margarito showdown.
But the boxer is also vying for braggin’ rights as the most humorous boxer of the bunch. As a friend of mine passes by, I introduce her to the pugilists. Marie, a big boxing aficionado, is there with her husband Michael Manliguis and has fun meeting the crew as we talk about their November matchups. With the camera aimed at them, Jesus cheerfully mugs, hugging Marie for the lens and making everyone laugh as he hams it up.
Soto Karass and Molina will have to battle it out as to who’s voted “The Funniest” guy in the group. Both men keep things moving with their humor and quips. John tells me that Stan’s new nickname is “Stan The Van” since he has been shuttling around the gang lately as Martyniouk shoots a look, saying he’ll get him back. “And at the gym, it’s ‘RUSSIANS vs. MEXICANS'” the boys add cracking up as they joke around. The pranksters always have everyone on their toes at the legendary Van Nuys gym.
Through all the good-natured ribbing, there is a true sense of loyalty and camaraderie that is apparent as I hang out with the guys.
After visiting with them at the Montebello card, I later caught up with someone who knows all the dudes very well, cornerman and Team Molina member Javier Adame. As a big brother-like mentor to the guys, he can also confirm the stories the fellows told me as well as cement the labels they’ve earned in the endless hours and countless days of training together side by side.
One of the funniest things John Molina revealed during our earlier conversation was that he requests that Adame stay in the same room together on the eve of his fights. Now anyone who knows the amiable Adame knows that he is a rugged linebacker type so I found this pre-fight ritual a little amusing. “Yeah, no doubt!” Javier agrees. “But yes…I stay with John in his room (TWO BEDS, he points out with a laugh) the night before all his fights. He can usually get a suite with one bed but chooses two beds in a standard room, to stay loose and joke around.
“I know he doesn’t like being alone, and I’m pretty sure it’s because of the nerves–that’s normal. So I mentally prepare him for the fight, like a football coach would do! No, I don’t yell or smack the walls; I look him in the eye and remind him of everything we’ve done in camp to prepare for the fight. I let him know he has to turn on the switch in his head and do his thing. Let him know he is better, bigger, stronger, and our team is better looking than the other team!” He laughs and continues, “And there is no way he loses tonight!”
With a pep talk like that, it’s no wonder the young charge has amassed 21 victories with 17 knockouts.
And what about Joe Goossen’s busy gym, brimming with all this energy and talent of the hungry fighters?
“Yeah, with that group of guys it is always very interesting!” Adame confirms. “They are a GREAT group of guys. They love to have fun, BUT at the same time they work very hard!”
And reinforcing what we all learned while meeting with the athletes. “John and Soto Karass ARE the clowns of the group; you can always count on them for a good laugh!” Javier adds, with one caveat. “You can joke with them–but you better watch your back!” He laughs again. “And Stan and Matt are more like ‘students of the game.’ They are learning the tricks of the trade. They keep a low profile since they don’t want John or Karass to play tricks on them!”
He continues, “The Goossen Gym IS serious business…but when you walk in it’s like the begining of a joke, ‘I walked into this gym and there’s a Mexican, a Russian, and an American!” He chuckles about the boys and their mock “Russian-Mexican” rivalry. Javier says of the champs and future belt holders in regards to training, “But no jokes here! It’s all serious business!”
Keep our eye on the Goossen guys as they gear up for their November bouts.
See you at the fights!
Photos by Michele Chong