Fighters tee off at 6th Annual Tournament of Champions
Boxer Antonio Diaz is used to lacing up, putting on the gloves and getting ready to tee off against an opponent. Facing tough competitors is familiar for the Coachella fighter. So this past weekend, the veteran slugger got his “A game” ready once again.
Except this battle involved lacing up soft spike shoes, putting on just one glove, and wearing plaid shorts instead of satin boxing trunks. In place of a gym bag was a Callaway golf bag. No pivots, just divots. Going toe to toe? How ’bout matching stroke for stroke in this afternoon matchup. Instead of taking swings on the canvas, Diaz took swings on the green during Thompson Boxing Promotions 6th Annual Golf Tournament of Champions!
The event, hosted by fight promoter Ken Thompson, took place at the private Desert Princess Country Club and Resort in Cathedral City, near Palm Springs. Joining Diaz for a day in the California desert were champions Timothy Bradley Jr., Rodolfo “Gato” Gonzalez, unbeaten prospects Mauricio Herrera, Abraham Lopez, trainer/manager Willie Silva, and ring announcer Sonny Franco.
Antonio Diaz was there with his brother, former boxer and current trainer Joel Diaz. The two are part of a local boxing dynasty; younger brother Julio fought on the Edwin Valero undercard last month in Texas. And both siblings are also accustomed to a few rounds of golf amidst some worthy competition. As I say hello to Antonio (46-5-1, 29 KOs) by the line up of golf carts, I notice he has brought his own equipment including a golf head cover that’s a red boxing glove. I comment that he seems to enjoy the sport. Antonio tells me, “I’ve been golfing since 1998, for almost twelve years now. We played a lot back home in Mexico.”
After a three-year layoff, Diaz is back in the ring. I mention his comeback bout a few months ago at the outdoor venue at Omega Products International in Corona. The welterweight smiles and laughs, “I fought outside, I’ve fought inside…I’ve fought everywhere!” He’s just being modest–both he and brother Joel have fought for world titles and Antonio has fought the likes of Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito, Micky Ward, Cory Spinks, and Ivan Robinson. He’s certainly no hacker while on the golf course or in the boxing ring!
Promoter Thompson and matchmaker Alex Camponovo greeted all the event participants at the morning registration. While both men were too busy overseeing the tournament to play themselves, the Thompson Boxing Promotions logo was in the forefront with TBP limited-edition caps, golf balls, tees, ball markers and lip balm generously handed out to all the entry players. Both said the occasion brought out many out-of-town visitors. “The golfers came from all over to play in the tournament,” said Camponovo. “It’s a great turnout!” echoed Thompson. “We have people here from Cleveland, Ohio and Indiana. There are 178 golfers, beyond the maximum.”
Besides being a successful promoter, Thompson is founder of Thompson Building Materials and Omega Products International. Many of the golfers were sponsors, vendors, and customers in the construction business. Met by the sociable Ken Thompson and his Team Thompson of Camponovo, Art Olson and Jeanette Gonzales, the attendees were given goodie bags, photo ops with the boxers, and a chance to obtain mulligan tickets (a do-over) to erase those forgettable drives on the tee.
Fighter Tim Bradley got a hero’s welcome when he arrived at the tournament’s check-in area. “Timmy practically lives across the street,” says Thompson’s vivacious wife, Vera. Bradley is a Palm Springs resident whose nickname is “Desert Storm.” Her husband, Ken, is co-promoter (with Gary Shaw) of the WBO and WBC Champion. The registered golfers got the chance to admire Bradley’s heavy-duty hardware on his WBO belt and a nice opportunity for a meet-and-greet with all the boxers there.
Many of the fighters were recreational golfers, while some were trying their skill on the green for the first time. Abraham Lopez has golfed a little before and was looking forward to playing, “Yeah, I practiced at Pacific Palms (Industry Hills) by myself. It’s fun!” The 21-year-old featherweight, managed by Frank Espinoza and his son, Frankie, remains unbeaten with his 7-0, 6 KO record.
Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (10-0, 5 KOs), who fought on the April 17 Thompson Boxing card, was a little newer to handling the irons but said with a smile, “I’ll give it a try!” His next fight is on June 12th. The welterweight enjoys working with promoter Thompson, “He’s good guy–I trust him. He’s honest. I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else.”
Thompson Boxing Promotions was founded in 2000. Ken and Alex’s stable of fighters includes boxers/tournament golfers Tim Bradley, Mauricio Herrera, Abraham Lopez, and also Jose Lopez, Yonnhy Perez, and Dominic Salcido, among other talented young contenders. Matchmaker Camponovo will be traveling to South Africa for Yonnhy Perez’s May 29 bout against Silence Mabuza. And Thompson’s domestic fight calendar is always full: The next show is June 12 at Doubletree Hotel in Ontario with summer shows at Omega Products International in Corona scheduled for July 17 and August 14.
Their golf tournament rules called for a four-person scramble. Due to one pair not showing up, my boyfriend and I are asked to participate in the tournament! We were originally there to visit with the Thompsons and the fighters in attendance, and we were excited to take part in our spur-of-the-moment competition. And even though everyone wanted to win, it was a very friendly atmosphere during the 18-hole competition on the premier golf course.
So here is an exclusive bird’s eye view from the front lines!
As the nearly 200 registrants enjoyed their lunch while awaiting the shotgun start, we’re all gearing up for a memorable day on the course’s beautiful 400 acres. Two pretty girls greet the golfers and pass out beads, keychains, and lip balm to make the start a festive occasion. There was even a hole-in-one chance to win a car (courtesy of Richard Perry).
Joining Martin Mendez’s team, I must say that our teammates (in the architect business from Carlsbad) were more than patient and great sports while giving me some pointers on my grip, swing and everything else in between! Pro female golfer Michelle Wie has absolutely nothing to worry about. The only thing I share with the talented phenom is the same name! Golfing is one of the most difficult sports around. I thought boxing was tough, but golf is just as tough. My personal highlight and team contribution was making a putt for par. That little dimpled white ball is a formidable opponent! But our “Fearsome Foursome” is awesome and we have a blast under the blazing sun.
I gamely spend hours on the lush desert course–and I loved every minute of it! I understand why people are obsessed with golf. The Desert Princess Country Club is only two hours from Los Angeles, but worlds away from the hustle and bustle of busy L.A. Feeling a warm Inland Empire breeze while driving from hole to hole is a great way to spend the afternoon.
Our foursome played nine holes on the Lagos course and nine on the Cielo layout that boasted gorgeous rolling hills, water hazards, large carp in the surrounding ponds, and friendly ducks making appearances on the fairways. Since it was a best-ball scramble, our very last hole was actually Cielo’s Hole #1 on the whitewater wash. A bit windy in the dry Palm Springs air, but that first hole offers an absolutely stunning view of the desert that you just have to see to believe.
At the end of 18 holes, I never did find out what our final score was on the par 72 course. Perhaps that’s for the best. My golf handicap? High. Make that way high!
But no matter the skill level, the annual golf classic features a good time had by all. The Thompson tournament is a first-class affair that offered instant camaraderie amongst the registered duffers. There were rated players, scratch golfers, and as one spirited player told me around the 9th hole, “We’re just a bunch of ham ‘n eggers!”
Combining the two sports of boxing and golf is a natural since the sports both involve finding good angles, getting off great power shots, having intense focus and concentration, and performing under pressure. And both rely on the mental game sometimes more than the physical game itself. Hitting the ball hundreds of yards is no easy feat, while getting the ball in the cup from just a few inches can prove to be even more difficult! The dreaded “Bogie Man” visited me more than a couple of times during our play.
Directly following the tournament is a social hour and awards ceremony. At this intimate dinner of just 200, the first and second place winners were revealed as plaques were given out, and most importantly, “bragging rights” were announced. Thompson Building Materials’ Gilbert Torres from the Lomita location picked up first place awards for his team who had a final score of 57, the birdie and eagle kings in a field of 178! Our dinner table companions, the foursome from Roy’s Masonry, came in second with a score of 59.
The boxers’ efforts paid off and new titles were awarded. When the scorecards were tallied, first and second place finishers in the Celebrity Golf Division were Tim Bradley and Julio Diaz who went the distance and were declared the victors.
I ask Bradley–coming off his April 4th victory over Kendall Holt–who he wants to fight next. Rumors have it that he wants the winner of the upcoming June bout between Amir Khan and Andreas Kotelnik. The WBO Light Welterweight Champion answers quickly, “Amir Khan! I want the better fighter and he’s the best of the two.” The amiable boxer is then asked by promoter and host Thompson to lead the crowd in a dinner blessing as the meal gets underway.
Ken Thompson takes the mike to thank everyone for coming out and introduces two special guests of honor, Dr. Joe and Nelly Noriega. Joe is a former WBHF President and current member of the WBC Advisory Committee. Thompson jokingly announced to the audience that today’s tournament broke a record: 750 beers and 300 sodas were consumed! Then again, maybe he wasn’t kidding as the 104-degree temperature sure made everybody thirsty. And a little beer can definitely help soothe the memory of any bad shot!
During the delicious steak dinner, a huge prize raffle was held with boxers Bradley, Herrera, Lopez, and Diaz all assisting with presenting the coveted prizes to the lucky winners. Signed fight posters, autographed boxing gloves, ringside tickets, golf bags, a Vegas vacation with $500 in casino chips, Toyota Speedway at Irwindale passes, Glen Ivy spa certificates, Thompson Boxing caps and shirts were just some of the bounty up for grabs.
And while my raffle numbers never came up, we did sit at one very lucky table: the second-place finishers from Roy’s Masonry also won some 
cool raffle prizes! One guy won a couple of golf clubs (a nice pitching wedge and a new iron) along with Thompson Boxing gear. Another man at our table won a boxing glove along and a $1,000 restaurant gift certificate!
If you’re at any Thompson event, you can always expect the best–that’s just “par for the course”!
Toward the end of the evening, a few remaining golfers gathered around the big screen TVs nearby. The Lakers are playing Houston in Game 3 of the playoffs. Vera Thompson, who bleeds purple and gold, politely waits until all the guests have departed before she watches the final minutes of the basketball game. During the dinner, some of us have given her updates of the score and now she happily applauds the Laker victory. Go Vera, go Lakers!!!
Congratulations again to all the boxers and golfers…And a big “Thank You” to Kenny, Vera, Alex, Jeanette, and Art for a great tournament!
Photos by Michele Chong/Steve Harpst