Sacramento Favorites at the Scales

By Mario Ortega Jr.

Nasser Niavaroni’s Uppercut Promotions hosts a five-bout card tonight at the Red Lion Hotel in Sacramento, California. The weigh-in took place Wednesday night at the recently renovated hotel. In tomorrow’s six-round cruiserweight main event, Michael Simms (19-9-1, 13 KOs) of Sacramento takes on former world title challenger Derrick Harmon (25-6, 12 KOs) of Chicago, Illinois. Simms is on a five-fight skid, but has been in against mainly top opposition during that stretch. In the one bout not against a top-tier fighter, Simms dropped a disputable ten round split decision to Damian Norris (11-5, 7 KOs). That bout took place at the Red Lion Hotel this past February, which ended an eleven month layoff for the former amateur star. Keeping to his word before the Norris bout, Simms has stayed active. He dropped an eight-round decision to world ranked Grigory Drozd (29-1, 22 KOs) just two weeks later in Russia. Simms, who has fought several times at heavyweight, weighed in at 201 3/4. His opponent, Harmon, has challenged both Roy Jones Jr. and Dariusz Michaelczewski for versions of the light heavyweight crown. However Harmon has been very inactive, fighting just once since May 2005, resulting in a sixth-round stoppage of an opponent with 21 losses. Harmon scaled 196.

Otis Griffin (18-3-2, 7 KOs) of Sacramento, winner of the Next Great Champ reality series in 2004, looks to end a two-fight losing streak against well traveled journeyman Carl Cockerham (12-17-3, 4 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada. The two will meet in the light heavyweight co-main event, scheduled for six-rounds. Griffin recently dropped down to super middleweight against Jesse Brinkley (30-5, 21 KOs) of Yerington, Nevada, in an attempt at a regional title and a world ranking. However Griffin was noticeably drained after making the 168-pound limit and suffered an eleventh-round stoppage defeat. Grffin, who weighed in at 177 pounds, returns to his more natural division tonight. Cockerham may have 17 defeats, but eleven were at the hands of previously unbeaten fighters. Notable names on his record include Enrique Ornelas, Andre Dirrell, Andy Lee, Jaidon Codrington, Mario Veit and Jose Luis Zertuche. Cockerham weighed in at 173.

Middleweight Brandon Gonzales (3-0, 3 KOs) of Sacramento, California will take on Mike Alexander (1-1-2) of Antioch, California in one of the three featured four-round bouts on the card. Gonzales, a former star amateur, weighed in at 160. Alexander, a very capable fighter with a misleading record, tipped the scales at 158. Alexander figures to be the toughest test in Gonzales’ young career. Fellow former Sacramento amateur star Stan Martyniouk (2-0) takes on Matt Mahler (pro debut) of Stockton, California in a featured four-round super featherweight bout. Martyniouk, who was the 2nd ranked amateur lightweight in the United States before turning pro, weighed in at 132 pounds. His opponent, Mahler, trained by former Sacramento heavyweight Gilbert Martinez, weighed in at 130 ½ pounds. In the third four-round contest, Geraldo Lopez of Vacaville, California will make his professional debut against Tyrone Scott of Stockton, California in a welterweight fight. Scott, who is also making his pro debut, weighed in at 141 ¾. Lopez, a former amateur teammate of Gonzales and Martyniouk, weighed in at 146.
A scheduled eight-round super middleweight rematch between Ernesto Castaneda (10-7-1, 4 KOs) and Christian Cruz (12-9-1, 10 KOs) was pulled from the card. The Sacramento natives met at the Red Lion Hotel in February, with Castaneda taking the rough and tough eight-round unanimous decision.

Tickets for the event are still available online at Tickets.com or by calling the Red Lion Hotel at 916-922-8041.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Six Rounds, Heavyweights:
Michael Simms 201 ¾
Derrick Harmon 196

Six Rounds, Light Heavyweights:
Otis Griffin 177
Carl Cockerham 173

Four Rounds, Middleweights:
Brandon Gonzales 160
Mike Alexander 158

Four Rounds, Super Featherweights:
Stan Martyniouk 132
Matt Mahler 130 ½

Four Rounds, Welterweights:
Geraldo Lopez 146
Tyrone Scott 141 3/4

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com