Northern California Notebook

Andre Ward Day in Oakland
Tuesday was declared Andre Ward Day by Oakland Mayor Ronald V. Dellums, but Ward still had to show up for work. Ward and Edison Miranda, his opponent on Saturday, briefly worked out for the gathered press and autograph hounds just outside the Oracle Arena yesterday afternoon. Their bout, for Ward’s WBO NABO and NABF Super Middleweight titles, will headline a special edition of Showtime’s Shobox: The New Generation.

“I don’t know how the fight is going to play out, but the bottom line is I will do anything and everything I have to do to get the victory,” proclaimed the always reserved Ward. The Oakland native, who has referred to Miranda has a bully, declared he would take the Colombian head-on. “Everybody, Miranda included, may be surprised how much I am going to be in front of him. I think everybody thinks I am going to box and move, but I am not going to fight passively.”

Throughout the build up to their upcoming fight, Miranda has seemed to feel almost disrespected that Ward’s promoters would even think of matching their charge with him. “I feel I have been overlooked and haven’t received as much respect as maybe I deserve, especially if you look at my record, the fighters I have been in with and all the different countries where I have fought,” explained Miranda. “I always fight with the same courageous behavior no matter who I am against or where the fight is.”

One man more than willing to give Miranda his due respect is Ward’s promoter Dan Goossen. “We have a dangerous opponent in Edison Miranda,” explained Goossen. “He’s had three losses, and there is a good argument that he only has two. He punished Arthur Abraham, broke his jaw and we all know the controversy. The Kelly Pavlik fight was back and forth. This is a very tough fight, a meaningful fight.”

Goossen refused to look past Miranda when pressed what the future could hold for Ward, should he emerge victorious. “Right now the focus and conversation and vision and everything else is on Saturday night,” answered Goossen. “I don’t want any ifs. I don’t want any maybes. I want to get a victory on Saturday night and everything will fall into place.” While he would not lay out any specific plan for Ward past the Miranda fight, Goossen did comment on what the victory would mean in general. “With a victory for Andre, I truly believe it brings him to the top of the class in the 168-pound division.”

Over the last few years, Goossen Tutor Promotions has received some criticism for not developing Ward in his hometown of Oakland. In fact, Saturday’s bout marks the 2004 U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist’s first bout in the once boxing mad city. “We always discussed that when you had the right fight, the right opponent, the right challenge, you knew that was the one to bring to Oakland,” explained Goossen. “I didn’t want to put Andre in front of his home fans without having that meaningful fight. All the other ones, there was a purpose to get him to this stage, so that when we did fight him in front of the hometown it was a meaningful fight.”

Two changes have been made to Saturday’s undercard. 2008 U.S. Olympian Shawn Estrada (5-0, 5 KOs) of East Los Angeles, California was scheduled to take on Oakland’s Tony Hirsch (8-1-1, 4 KOs) in a six-round super middleweight fight. However, Hirsch suffered a torn rotator cuff muscle in sparring last week and was forced to pull out. Estrada will now take on Cory Jones (5-5, 1 KO) of Brooklyn, New York in the four-round television opener.

2000 U.S. Olympian Ricardo Williams Jr. (15-2, 8 KOs) of Cincinnati, Ohio was slated to continue his comeback on the untelevised undercard, but pulled out due to illness. There were talks of Williams stepping in against local prospect Karim Mayfield (8-0-1, 5 KOs) of Daly City, California, but that fight never came to fruition. Now Mayfield will take Williams’ place, taking on Mexican journeyman Roberto Valenzuela (49-46-2, 40 KOs) of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico in a six-round welterweight fight.

Tickets for the event, promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions and Antonio Leonard Productions, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

Escobedo Returns to Sacramento

Less than one week after Andre Ward returns home, his 2004 U.S. Olympic teammate Vicente Escobedo will return home to ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California to take on faded former champion Kevin Kelley in a ten-round lightweight bout. Their fight was originally scheduled to take place on March 26, but was postponed when Kelley came down with a respiratory infection. The date was pushed back a second time, from April 30th to May 21st, when Escobedo stepped in for Jorge Rodrigo Barrios to score a ten-round decision over former champion Carlos Hernandez in April.

Escobedo (20-1, 12 KOs) of Woodland, California really improved his standing in the sport with the victory over Hernandez. The WBC #4 ranked lightweight will look to further silence his critics with an impressive showing over Kelley (60-9-2, 39 KOs) of Flushing, Queens, New York. Kelley, who won a close decision over Carlos Hernandez in 2006, is 1-2 in his last three fights.

Sacramento’s fighting future will be on display on the undercard. Power-punching prospect Brandon Gonzales (7-0, 6 KOs) of Sacramento will be featured in a super middleweight bout scheduled for four or six rounds. Rising lightweight prospect Stan Martyniouk (6-0, 1 KO) of Sacramento will also be featured in a bout scheduled for four or six rounds. Former amateur standout Michael Ortega (1-0) of Sacramento will see action in a four-round welterweight fight.

Local heavyweights will be featured on the card as well. Golden Boy Promotions’ heavyweight hopeful Ashanti Jordan (8-0, 7 KOs) of Fairfield, California will fight an opponent to be announced in a four-round bout. Debuting heavyweight Henry Wells of Sacramento will take on Anthony Mooney (2-1) of San Diego, California in a four-round bout.

Christopher Martin (14-0-2, 2 KOs) of Chula Vista, California will take on Torrence Daniels (12-9-1, 5 KOs) of Colorado Springs, Colorado in an eight-round super bantamweight fight.

Japanese import Akihiko Nago (29-6-1, 15 KOs) of Tokyo, Japan will return to the U.S. for the first time since 2002 to take on Juan Jose Beltran (18-12-3, 11 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico in a six-round super bantamweight fight.

Once beaten Andrew Cancio (8-1-1, 8 KOs) of Blythe, California will see action in a six-round super featherweight fight.

Tickets for the event, promoted by Don Chargin Productions, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

Nave Returns May 22nd

Local hero Paul Nave returns to the Marin Center Exhibit Hall in San Rafael, California on Friday, May 22nd to take on Derrick Thomas (2-6, 1 KO) of Orange, California in the headlining six-round light middleweight bout of a six-fight card.

Nave (16-8-2, 7 KOs) of San Anselmo, California ended a nine-year hiatus from the sport this past March, scoring a four-round decision over Mikhall Lyubarsky in front of a throng of ecstatic supporters. Nave admits he does not know much about Thomas, his opponent on May 22nd, but there is some reasoning behind his selection. “From a promotional standpoint it is a good comeback fight,” says Nave. “He is a big, strong guy and knocked out the last guy that I didn’t.” Thomas scored a third-round knockout of Lyubarsky in 2005.

Nave hopes the May bout will be another step in reaching the objective of his return. “My goal is another title shot,” says Nave. “That is the ultimate goal.”

In the chief supporting bout, Michaelangelo Lynks (7-10-2, 2 KOs) of Los Angeles, California will take in Daniel Castillo (2-5-1, 1 KO) of Pittsburg, California in a six-round welterweight fight. In an action-packed crowd pleaser, Lynks took an unpopular majority decision over Castillo back in March.

Mike Alexander (1-3-2) of Antioch, California will take on Ray Craig (5-5, 2 KOs) of Oakland, California in a four-round super middleweight fight.

Jose Alfredo Lugo (10-8-1, 5 KOs) of Richmond, California by way of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico will take on Henry Mitchell (8-10-1, 1 KO) of Glendale, California in a six-round light welterweight fight.

George Uberti (0-1) of Novato, California will meet debuting Juan Martinez of Ukiah, California in a four-round middleweight bout.

Jonathan Alcantara of Novato, California will make his professional debut against Moises Calderon (0-1) of North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the four-round super bantamweight opener.

Tickets for the event, promoted by Liberty Boxing Enterprises, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

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