San Diego boxers crossing the border to get more fights
This has become a regular occurrence, watching Adrian Vargas (L) of National City, CA. stand over his latest KO victim. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Once again, we’ll be hearing how the local San Diego boxers need to sneak across the border to snatch up another easy victory from their Tijuana brethren. Thursday evening, starting around 6 p.m. you’ll start to see the boxers’ fan bases make their trek either by car, taxi or on foot up to Las Pulgas Nightclub on La Revolucion Boulevard in Tijuana’s downtown.
There’s a saying amongst “los rateros” at the border crossing that separates San Ysidro, CA from Tijuana, B. C., Mexico. It goes something like this, “It’s called fair trade, people in, autos out.” It refers to the illegals entering the U. S. and the autos that are stolen and ending up in Tijuana garages. For the longest time, locals have felt the scales have favored our Mexican brethren.
Currently we’re seeing several U. S. boxing promoters taking their boxers across the border to pad the records of their prospects. With their meager win/loss percentages, they’re expecting to return to the U. S. with only W’s. Since this tactic in common in boxing, I suppose it’s not that big a deal. But, when the time comes for these boxers to face someone with like abilities, they might not be ready.
And, if the gringos don’t watch themselves, those very same rateros might start to get upset about the tipping of the scales. Heaven forbid if we we’re ever accused of ripping them off.
Case in point, the combatants on Thursday night’s boxing card in Tijuana. The show’s name is El Momento de la verdad (the moment of truth) and once again it’s at the popular, cavernous, Las Pulgas Nightclub on Avenida Revolucion.
The Main Event features Edvaldo “Kid Sobre Ruedas” Ortega(12-0-0, 5 KOs) of the “Indio” Ortega gym of Tijuana going up against Loreto “KO” Medina (5-1) of Mexicali. After Medina’s loss, the powers to be see Ortega as the franchise. He’s had nine fights with 5 KOs. Medina on the other hand has become expendable. He’s good looking, flashy, has a colorful nickname “pichy”, but he lacks the knockout punch.
On the undercard, Jorge “Calador” Juarez (8-17-3) is being fed to Emilio “El Musico” Bojorguez (17-1-0, 12 KOs) de los Traviesos de Tijuana. Los Traviesos de Tijuana is a well known group of Mexican troubadours in Tijuana.
Bojorquez, who trains at the Undisputed Fitness & Training Center in San Diego’s Downtown, has the career on the rise.
Then they have Luis Alberto “Chupacabras” Gomez (4-3-0, 3 KOs) versus Jose Iniquez (3-7). Gomez lost by TKO in the third round back on July 8th of this year to Roberto Castaneda (15-0-1). It’s safe to say that Gomez’s career needs a boost and Gomez might be the answer.
Also on Thursday’s card is Bojorquez’s younger brother, Christian “Huevo” Bojorquez (3-0-0, 1 KO) who will be going up against Antonio “Foco” Torres (1-15-0, 1 KO). It’s kind of obvious who the promoter is backing in this contest.
As an added treat, Adrian Vargas (5-0-0) returns to Tijuana to face Edmundo “Mesero” Iniguez (2-4-1) who recently KO’d the very tough German Perez on September 29th at this same venue. Vargas, a huge talent, will have no problem in this one.
Because of it’s seating arrangements, Las Pulgas is one of the most ideal locations to stage a Boxing Show. There’s not one bad seat in the house and they have the majority of the fans looking down at the action. Hopefully, that action will be competitive.
