See L.A. County Sheriffs vs. LAPD duke it out for charity!
There’s gonna be a rumble tomorrow night in the city of Montebello as some of L.A.’s finest officers face off–against each other–at the annual “Fight for Life” boxing show!
On tap are nine bouts featuring Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department vs. the Los Angeles Police Department. I am looking forward to this charity event which benefits the City of Hope organization. I encourage boxing fans in the SoCal area to come out and support this worthwhile fight night. This year’s function will be held at a popular fight venue for local Angelenos, the Quiet Cannon, where tickets will be available at the door.
Since the fight is quickly approaching, I got in touch with the main man of the show, George Lopez (who is also appearing in the “Main Event” of the card), to get an update about the big show.
Lopez and the diligent “Fight for Life” committee have held these amateur boxing exhibitions since 1994. He was first inspired by the Police Olympics and later spurred on by an East Coast experience he happened upon. “I went to New York for a hockey game and happened to see a NYPD vs. Firefighter boxing event for charity,” recalls Lopez. “So when I came back home I got in touch with Isaac Gonzales to hold our own show. Now we have these two big agencies doing battle–with the funds going to all of the City of Hope’s needs and to find cures for cancer.”
The City of Hope organization has research and treatment centers around the Southland and is dedicated to finding new treatments and, hopefully someday, a cure for cancer, diabetes and other diseases. Fighting back against these deadly diseases is what keeps these “Fight for Life” boxing shows going strong. Lopez has seen the fight nights continue to gain strength through the years.
“The very first one we had, we had 4,000 people,” he remembers, “and it just got bigger and bigger!”
How has he kept the momentum going?
“I don’t like to take credit for it. This has just evolved as we went along,” the humble LAPD alum says. “God Bless our committee for all their hard work. The Sheriff’s committee really brings the firepower to get this off the ground every year.”
And if the name George Lopez sounds familiar, it may be because he does share the same name as that famous comedian, or it may also ring a bell if you watched the 1988 Olympic Games. You see this Lopez, a former LAPD officer, is also an Olympic boxer. Going by his given name of Jorge López, the athlete was a member of the Argentinean Olympic Boxing Team in 1988. As a dual citizen, he competed in the Seoul Olympic Games but was defeated by the eventual bronze medalist, Canadian Ray Downey. He had over 30 amateur fights while he also embarked in a career in law enforcement. During the ’80s, George also trained at-risk youth at the legendary Hollenbeck Youth Center in East L.A.
I asked Lopez if he’ll be fighting tomorrow night at light middleweight like he did in the Olympics.
“No, I was 28 years old back then,” he laughs heartily. “I’m not at middleweight anymore; we’re fighting at 200 pounds. I’m a heavyweight now!” The opponents are matched closely in both age and experience, and George is quick to remind me that “age is just a number.”
“I’m 50 years old now,” admits Lopez, “but I don’t think like a 50-year-old!” And Friday night, he’s hoping to turn back the clock and show the crowd some of his old-school boxing moves inside the ropes.
At this year’s show, setting down their shields but not their courage, you’ll see Lopez and the other brave warriors busting out of their corners ready to fight as their co-workers, friends and fans cheer them on. There shows sell out every year, so tomorrow night expect a packed house with an energetic audience.
There will be battles and brawls taking place, lots of punches in bunches, and maybe even a few bruised egos. But whether or not a combatants hand is raised in victory or not, the real winner of the 2010 “Fight for Life” is the City of Hope and all the patients they will be assisting.
See you at the fights!
“Fight for Life”
Friday March 26
Quiet Cannon
901 N. Via San Clemente
City of Montebello
323-724-4500
Doors open 5:30 p.m./ Bouts begin approximately 7:00 p.m.
Tickets are available at the door ($25 General Admission, $50 Reserved, $100 Ringside)
For more info: Sheriff’s Relief 562-946-7081 or the
L.A. Protective League 213-251-4554