Bradley-Campbell fight draws capacity crowd
Rancho Mirage is best known for its broiling temperatures, its many golf courses, and for being the last residence of former President Gerald R. Ford.
After this past weekend, the town can now also boast of being host to world champion boxing as Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley took on Nate “The Galaxxy Warrior” Campbell for the WBO junior welterweight title at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort and Spa.
Making the two-hour trek from Los Angeles on the way to the fights, I saw several reminders of this highly-anticipated bout (with some hoping for a “Fight of the Year” candidate) beginning with billboards along the freeway, banners hanging from the parking garage, and posters both outside and inside the venue all touting the marquee matchup.
And if you somehow still missed out on the fact you were going to be part of a huge fight weekend, oversized cardboard cutouts of Bradley and Campbell staring back at you were strategically placed as you made your way around the casino floor. Since this was the first-ever major boxing match and Showtime broadcast for Agua Caliente, the promoters, hotel and casino certainly made the most out of their inaugural fight night featuring the nearby Palm Springs resident and hometown hero Bradley.
Before the action took place, we visited with Bradley’s co-promoter Ken Thompson, who was wearing a sharp track suit with a “Team Bradley” logo embroidered on the back of the jacket. I commented about his snazzy new outfit and the enthusiastic promoter said, “You should’ve seen us at the weigh-in when we all had them on. Timmy’s mom even wore one! It was great when we walked in together, like a little army!”
Co-promoter Gary Shaw was also nearby, and just like the whole Team Bradley camp, the friendly promoter appeared cool, calm and collected before the duel in the desert began.
I also ran into Bradley’s pretty fiancé Monica who told me she was excited about Tim being in front of an audience filled with family and friends in his own backyard. Since Bradley’s last fights were in Montreal, Mississippi, and the United Kingdom, Monica said it would be different to hear the cheers of the local crowd when Tim was introduced. She had her little daughter with her who was wearing a cute pint-sized T-shirt with “Thompson Boxing Promotions” emblazoned on the front of it.
The fight was held in the new “The Show” arena which was sold out with a reported 2,289 ticket holders filling the venue. It’s a small auditorium (that opened in February of this year) that offers an intimate atmosphere, with seemingly good views from anywhere in the building.
Bradley’s trainer Joel Diaz was ready and waiting for the fights to begin. I asked the Coachella fixture how he and his brothers (Julio and Antonio, both boxers) were doing since Julio had just fought in Florida the night before. “They’re doing good, they’re here somewhere,” said older brother Joel, as he motioned around the sold-out stands with a smile.
As the night got underway, the crowd watched seven fights before Saturday’s main event. Sitting next to me was “Wild” Bill Schrewsberry, a former drag racer who also has the distinction of being the driver of the famed Batmobile from the ’60s TV classic “Batman.” He told me interesting stories about the days with the Bat Car, explaining that there were only four Batmobiles in existence. Shrewsberry is from the Coachella Valley and commented that he enjoys seeing concerts (and now boxing) at The Show venue.
During the undercards, fans witnessed a little bit of everything including a female brawl between Kaliesha West and Rolanda Andrews (with West winning the close battle), a heavyweight upset by Demetrius King over Bowie Tupou, and Abraham Lopez’ 16-second knockout of his opponent Edward Utorov! The only thing predictable about boxing is that it’s unpredictable.
As if the undercards weren’t enough, you also had promoter Don King, with his hair, his denim jacket and his frantic flag waving amusing all the fans.
Ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. introduced celebrities in attendance including top heavyweight contender Chris Arreola, fighters Alfredo “Perro” Angulo, Cory Spinks (Devon Alexander’s sparring partner), and baseball’s Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench, who was a fan favorite. The Cincinnati Reds star and boyhood idol of many took time to pose with all who asked.
Also seen at the fights were Bradley’s WBO mandatory challenger Lamont Peterson, former boxer and current trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad and the towering MMA heavyweight and “Never Surrender” star Heath Herring (in his trademark cowboy hat). The outgoing Herring is a hoot; YouTube the self-proclaimed “The Texas Crazy Horse” if you want to be entertained.
Another big man, Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola, also got a lot of attention, and the down-to-earth slugger took time to meet his hordes of fans. “Yes, September 26,” replied the popular heavyweight when I asked him about his plans to face Vitali Klitschko. This showdown at the downtown Staples Center will be great for his L.A. boxing fans. “How’s the cardio coming along?” I inquire. Arreola tells me about his new resistance training and says it’s tough but he’s working hard.
Amateur standout and future champ Matthew Vasquez was happy to be part of the mix at Agua Caliente too. The talented teen said he just competed in the Desert Showdown and will soon be going to Nicaragua for a competition, but on Saturday night he was excited about watching the fights.
The entire crowd seemed excited and anxious waiting for the main event of Bradley (25-0, 12 KOs) vs. Campbell (33-6-1, 25 KOs) to start. They had to wait a little longer as the co-feature of the evening began between Junior Witter (37-3-2. 22 KOs) and Devon Alexander “The Great” (19-0, 12 KOs). The two squared off for a WBC belt with Alexander, the super lightweight from St. Louis, awarded the victory after Witter elected to remain on his stool after the eighth round. The young southpaw, receiving the green and gold belt from the WBC’s Rex Walker and Rudy Tellez, keeps his perfect record intact.
Then the audience got what they came for as Christian rapper Darren L. Hughes worked the crowd into a frenzy with a live performance that ushered in Tim Bradley. After weeks of trash talking, the two boxers finally got down to business. And after just three rounds of good action, Campbell is cut and tells the ref he cannot see. Confusion ensues as some think the cut was caused by a head butt, while others say it was due to a punch.
When the official announcement is made, the 25-year-old Bradley retains his 140-pound WBO title and celebrates in the ring as he’s hoisted into the air by his cornermen.
While it’s being said that Don King and Nate Campbell will challenge the decision–a confusing and controversial decision to many–the majority of the crowd celebrated Bradley’s win as they spilled out into the casino. While exiting the arena, a few guys decided to hold an impromptu “Ring Card Boy” audition as several young men took off their shirts to pose with the trio of ring card girls from the fights. It was a funny sight and maybe it’ll be the start of ring card boys, you never know!
After meeting up with some friends for dinner, we went to congratulate Thompson Boxing’s Ken Thompson and matchmaker Alex Camponovo. Team Thompson spent some quality time relishing Tim’s well-fought victory before readying for their next promotion, an upcoming fight card on August 14 at Omega Products International in Corona.
For the likable Bradley, his win had everybody celebrating. Thompson’s wife, Vera, and Camponovo mentioned that Timmy was mobbed by his fans and friends alike while making his way from the dressing room to the hotel. It got so crazy that the locals’ favorite champ had to be sneaked through the kitchen “rock star” style by the hotel staff just to get him back to his room. Bradley is one of the nicest and most sincere boxers you will ever meet and it’s understandable that everyone wanted to be around him, especially during this pinnacle moment in his career.
So any chance of a rematch between their champion Bradley and former lightweight champ Campbell? Co-promoter Thompson answered with confidence, “Well, Timmy would fight anyone again. And he’ll win again!” Indeed, in the three rounds he fought, Bradley was both sharp and strong, confident and convincing against the well-regarded veteran Campbell. I asked Camponovo what is next for Tim, and he said Bradley would probably face Lamont Peterson.
Speaking of Peterson, who made his way from his Memphis home to catch the fights, he seems like a nice, humble guy, just like Bradley. Peterson told our group that his younger brother, Anthony, will be fighting on August 15 at the Hard Rock in Vegas, so he’ll be on the West Coast for a little while.
We then stopped to chat with Alfredo Angulo and his trainer Clemente Medina. They had just finished their meal at the hotel’s Steakhouse and Medina was raving about his delicious steak. “Perro” has his comeback fight this Friday night and says he’s ready for the Stateline bout against Gabriel Rosado. I asked Angulo if he’s still watching his diet and the disciplined boxer says he’s just having “water and salad” for dinner. The junior middleweight also said he will turn in early, as he was heading toward Vegas the next day.
Meeting up with some more L.A. friends, we check out the live band in Agua Caliente’s The Lounge nightclub before heading up to the room.
Making the most of the weekend getaway, the next morning we went down to the pool after feasting at the casino’s buffet. The plush resort and spa, which opened just last year, was a terrific place for Tim’s homecoming fight. And grabbing a local paper to read poolside, I open it up to see homegrown hero on the front page.
After just nine minutes of work in the ring, the local boy Bradley is the talk of the town–a town now known for championship boxing!
Photos by Michele Chong and Steve Harpst