Champs Attend Ward-Rodriguez Bout
The stars aligned Saturday night at the Citizens Business Bank Arena (CBBA) in Ontario, CA as some of boxing’s biggest superstars arrived to check out the action of “The Return”: Andre Ward vs. Edwin Rodriguez.
The championship card, presented by Goossen Tutor Promotions, had the arena witnessing a packed undercard and a spirited main event won by Andre “S.O.G.” Ward, coming back to the ring after a 14-month break.
There was a pound-for-pound lineup of champs, prizefighters and celebrities in the crowd including “Iron” Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roy Jones Jr. (commentating for HBO), actor Rob Schneider, Olympic medalist Marlen Esparza, comic Russell Peters, a large group of fighters from Northern California (supporting Oakland’s Andre Ward) and a star-studded contingent from the Golden State Boxers Association (stay tuned for an upcoming report on the GSBA in attendance).
Walking into the venue, I ran into the co-main boxer Charles Huerta. The “Pride of Paramount” was set to take on Ontario’s Jonathan Arellano, in what would later be a barn burner of a bout. Team Huerta trains out of Maywood Boxing Gym and Charles was with trainer/father Mando Huerta and fellow fighter Rigo Flores. The Huertas have been involved in boxing for decades and Maywood continues to churn out champs and contenders.
During a break in the action, I caught up with Mauricio Herrera. The gritty and gutsy junior welter is a fan favorite for his scraps against Mike Alvarado, Mike Dallas Jr., Karim Mayfield and more. In 2011, Herrera defeated slugger Ruslan Provodnikov and winning an IBF title in the victory. Hailing from nearby Riverside, Mauricio and his wife Vanessa were enjoying the fights at the CBBA. Herrera also had a chance to meet one of his boxing heroes, heavyweight legend Mike Tyson. There is no one with the aura of “Iron” Mike, who was surrounded by those wanting a glimpse of the icon. His one-man show has been a huge success and is currently airing on HBO.
I also chatted with HBO’s unofficial ringside scorer Harold Lederman. The Hall of Fame veteran is always a crowd fave for his work in the sport. He was just inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame and continues to remain the quintessential pro in the sweet science while maintaining his friendly demeanor. Boxing fans have come to look forward to hearing Harold give his take on the matches in his distinctive style, voice and enthusiasm.
After the fights ended, I ran into boxers Stan Martyniouk (who trains with Virgil Hunter, Ward’s coach), Olympic darling Marlen Esparza and sports nutrition guru Victor Conte. Stan previously trained at the famed Ten Goose Boxing Gym before relocating up north. He beat David Rodela in July of this year and continues to train with Team Hunter. Marlen was visiting from her native Texas. Esparza gained mainstream recognition as one of the very first females to ever compete in the Olympic Games. Besides being fierce in the ring, the pint-sized dynamo is also a CoverGirl and star of McDonald’s campaigns. Marlen told me she’s training, hoping to make the 2016 U.S. team for the Rio Olympics.
I also visited with Jonathan “Thund’r” Arellano after his firefight versus Charles Huerta. The two SoCal locals had a nonstop slugfest that had the crowd cheering. Trained by Henry Ramirez, Arellano said he’d love rematches against Jessie Magdaleno and Roman Morales. After a knee injury and an eight-months hiatus, Arellano dug deep within and told me going away to training camp in Arizona changed everything for him. “I’m a monster now!” he said with a smile, in regards to training, his goals and toughing it out to win. He plans to take a couple of months off to enjoy the holidays with wife Selina and their two young sons. Look for Arellano to fight again in 2014.
Check out my snapshots from the night of “The Return” and see you at the fights!
Photos by Michele Chong
