There’s never a bad day to write about boxing in the Southwest. Here in Arizona, we have a finicky but dedicated army of aficionados, a target demographic of Mexican fans to make promoters’ mouths water, plenty of intrigue, an excellent local matchmaker and a small community of prizefighters pleasing to their audiences. Still, this weekend’s days were better than most.
Friday night, Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions put together another tight show at Desert Diamond Casino in southern Arizona. Fans who tuned into Telefutura’s invaluable “Solo Boxeo” program for good fights and a Spanish lesson got their free-cable money’s worth. In the main event Jhonny Gonzalez knocked Irene Pacheco through the ropes and almost to the doctors’ table, defending his WBO bantamweight title for a third time.
In the press room afterwards, Jhonny “Jhonny” Gonzalez was a model Mexican prizefighter – quiet, dignified in victory, complimentary of his opponent and honest. Irene Pacheco would follow Gonzalez to the front of the room and announce his retirement, adding a touch of sadness to the post-fight spectacle.
It’s about a hundred-minute drive from Tucson back to Phoenix on a Friday night. And it was hard to attend a Golden Boy Promotions show, with its golden emblems and black silhouettes of Oscar de la Hoya, without spending the lonely trek home on thoughts of Oscar’s upcoming superfight with Floyd Mayweather.
Then Saturday morning brought more, and better, thoughts about Oscar and Floyd. In the southern most quadrant of Phoenix, a place called “Ahwatukee” so as not to be called “South Phoenix,” California’s LA Boxing officially opened its first Arizona gym. Local undefeated flyweight ticket-seller Becky Garcia, herself an instructor at the new site, was there to greet prospective members.
Most of the large crowd that weaved between the heavy bags, uppercut bag, slip bag and double-end bag, however, was there to see the show that happened at the speed bag. Causing a sixteenth-note beat on that bag, and alternately hitting it with his fists and elbows and head when he wasn’t spinning underneath it, was former world champion Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez – who looked fit enough to make a welterweight match on an hour’s notice.
Impressive as “Chicanito’s” speed-bag prowess was, Genaro Hernandez’s presence and insight were more worthy still. Mr. Hernandez is one of only two fighters in the world – the other being Arturo Gatti – who have fought both Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather. Like Gatti, Hernandez lost both fights by stoppage. But unlike Gatti, Hernandez can say Oscar and Floyd are the only guys who ever beat him.
Probably the May 5 superfight “the world awaits” can be reduced to Floyd’s speed versus Oscar’s power. Most have conceded the edge in power to Oscar and wonder if Floyd is quick enough to avoid the Golden Boy for 36 minutes. Not so fast, says Genaro.
“You know, Oscar doesn’t hit as hard as you guys think he does. His speed’s his power.”
And those of us quietly cheering for an Oscar de la Hoya victory to restore civility to boxing?
“Wait, you want Oscar to win? I don’t know about that. Floyd’s real. I could text message Floyd right now and he’d reply. Floyd’s a real person.”
The forty-million-dollar question, then: Oscar or Floyd on May 5?
“I think Mayweather beats him by a close decision.”
There’s more to write about the importance sincerity plays in fellow fighters’ opinions of Oscar and Floyd, but we’ll save that for next month. Right now, it’s enough to report that Genaro Hernandez expects a close fight that will end at the final bell. He may even have even said “chess match.”
Some hours and thirty miles later, Fort McDowell hosted FelKO Promotions’ first desert show, in Fountain Hills. There, a 20 year-old Arizona kid who made his prizefighting debut on a Golden Boy Promotions card at Desert Diamond Casino in 2004 drew and sated another local crowd.
The kid’s name is Juan Garcia, he’s undefeated in 12 super-featherweight matches, his fans call him “Juanito” and he’s recently become desert boxing’s best attraction.
Saturday night Juan fought in the co-main event, much as he did last January. Saturday night Juan upstaged the evening’s main-event, much as he did in January.
Because Juan Garcia knocked-out only two of his first seven opponents, though, most local fans continued to fixate on middleweight Jesus “El Martillo” Gonzales – until Jesus and Juan fought on the same Ayala Promotions card, two months ago.
Since then, fans and promoters have gotten serious about Juan Garcia. Until recently Juan has lacked the type of one-punch power that drives laymen wild, and short-circuits young fighters’ development, and so he’s had to rely on a sound technique that features tight defense, excellent movement and punches thrown with flawless form.
Saturday night, Juan Garcia added something else: Contempt for his opponent in the ring. Out of the ring, Juan remained a friendly and respectful sportsman. But in the closing moments of each round, Juan also imposed himself on his opponent, throwing straight punches, mixing in uppercuts and wisely dropping his opponent’s hands with timely left hooks to the body.
Juan Garcia lists Salvador Sanchez as his all-time favorite but says Marco Antonio Barrera is his favorite contemporary. And from his pre-fight robe and demeanor, as well as having his mother’s name on the back of his trunks, Juan Garcia appears to be choosing good mentors.
But this was supposed to be an Oscar preview, after all, and so there’s someone else to whom we might compare Juan Garcia. Let’s see. Juan’s a young, handsome, charismatic son of Mexican parents, he’s as comfortable in Spanish as he is in English, and his most vocal ringside fans, increasingly, are members of the fairer sex. If Juan Garcia can continue growing his power without losing his friendliness and charm, such comparisons to Oscar de la Hoya may soon be apt.