Barragan, Hooker & Adams all featured on tonight’s Bobby D Presents show
In tonight’s middleweight Main Event at the Four Points By Sheraton Hotel in San Diego, it will be Brandon “Cannon” Adams (r) of Los Angeles, CA going up against Francisco “Panchito” Rios Gil of Yavaros, Sonora, Mexico. All photos: Jim Wyatt
Lou Messina, boxing trainer, manager, advisor for 40 plus years: “People who know and understand the sport, know that this will be a terrific show.”
It’s common to see the biggest promoters in the game, like Top Rank, Golden Boy, HBO Championship Boxing and Showtime Boxing, packing their fight cards with the biggest names in the sport but it’s rare to see the same talent laden cast on a local club show. Well, it appears our local promoter extraordinaire, Bobby D Presents, has done just that, pulling out all the stops for tonight’s show at the Four Points By Sheraton Hotel in San Diego, CA.
Like Messina, the Hall of Fame promoter, Bobby DePhilippis of Bobby D Presents, goes back a long way in the sport, from the days when his father managed the recently departed Ken Norton to the more recent shows when he featured Danny “Swift” Garcia, the WBC and WBA Light Welterweight Champ. Not to get into a who’s who of boxing, but DePhilippis’ shows have showcased the best in the sport: “Terrible” Terry Norris, Orlin Norris, Paul Vaden, the late Tony DeLuca, James Kinchen, Freddie Roach, Antonio Orozco, Christopher Martin, Mercito Gesta, Cruz Carvajal, a list that goes on and on.
As mentioned in the header, on tonight’s fight card they have such notables as Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker, Brandon Adams and David Barragan, all of whom are top prospects in their weight class.
(top photo) Matt Dumas (l) and David Barragan (r)
David Barragan (5-0-1, 3 KOs) the co-owner of The House of Boxing in Paradise Hills, San Diego is going up against the rookie Matt Dumais who currently trains at the Fortune Boxing Gym in Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA. The Fortune Gym is a 1950s style Boxing gym run by that rough and tumble, former Heavyweight Contender, Justin Fortune who hails from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Both Barragan and Dumais have overcome what some people called insurmountable hurdles to become the truly gifted athletes they are today.
After Barragan and his father Carlos Barragan Jr. were hit by a drunk driver, their amazing recovery, rehabilitation, and learning to walk and compete again borders on a miracle.
For two straight years, Dumais, a full blooded Native American of the Cree Tribe (Mistawasis First nation) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada dealt with crippling arthritis. In his early teens, he was bedridden for two years. That didn’t stop him from going on to win this year’s USA National Title in Spokane, Washington.
The story lines of the fighters on tonight’s card are simply amazing. Hollywood should be chasing after these guys for the screen rights to do their life stories.
(top) Maurice Hooker (l0 and Rynell Griffin (r)
Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (11-0-1, 9 KOs) with the help of his mentor/manager Arnie Verbeck, appear to have all the pieces in place to make their title run. After enlisting local trainer Vince Parra to help train Hooker, the two gentlemen have been heading up to Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood to get in some exceptional sparring.
Hooker recently sparred with world title challenger Ray Beltran, and after seeing how well he did, Mr. Roach did not hesitate to hire Hooker for his newest pupil, three division world champion Miguel Cotto. Cotto, who is scheduled to face Delvin Rodriguez in early October, will help Hooker immensely to become even more polished and what his camp is saying – more patient as he begins to face the top contenders.
Hooker is set to face 31 year-old, southpaw Rynell Griffin who hails from New Orleans, Louisiana. Although it’s highly unlikely that Griffin will defeat Hooker, Griffin has been able to go the distance in his last seven bouts against boxers who had a combined record of 88-5.
Even though the Hooker backers will be anxious at times, they’re more interested in seeing how “Mighty Mo” has developed since making those trips to the Wild Card gym. Will he revert back to his old ways of going all out for the knockout or will he show a little more patience?
(right to left) Brandon Adams and Francisco Rios Gil
And, who do they have going up against the middleweight sensation Brandon Adams (11-0, 7 KOs)? That would be Francisco “Panchito” Rios Gil (18-19-0, 12 KOs). Gil has come all the way from a small fishing village named Yavaros, which is just down the road from Huatabampo, Sonora, Mexico.
Although Gil’s record is now upside down, Panchito has faced some of the best middleweights out there, people like Artemio Reyes (loss by KO in first round), Ty Corbin (loss by KO in round six), Javier Molina (UD loss after 4 rounds), Khabib Allakhverdiev (loss by KO in the first round), Mike Dallas Jr. (loss by KO in the first round) and finally two losses to Pavel Miranda (UD after six rounds and a TKO loss in Round #3).
(top photo) Joe Perez (r) and Alfredo Madrigal (l)
Also on the fight card they have super bantamweight Alfredo Madrigal (1-1) of Indio, CA facing 23 year old Smokin’ Joe Perez (3-0-0, 3 KOs) from San Diego. Perez, born in Tyler, Texas, then raised in the land of Lincoln, East Moline, Illinois, is a special talent.
(top photos) Diego Madrigal (r) and Luis Ventura (l) of Tijuana, B. C., Mexico
To complete the fight card, they have Alfredo Madrigal’s brother, Diego Madrigal (1-0-1), also of Indio, going up against Luis “Ace” Ventura (0-1) from Tijuana, B. C., Mexico.
For tickets call: (619) 420-8866 or go on line at www.SanDiegoFights.com
On the lighter side: Being a top athlete has it’s perks such as having a beautiful woman in your corner. Just ask Joe Perez and David Barragan. The two young ladies shown here assist them in their quest to be a champion. They could also be mistaken for Hollywood starlets Laura Prepon, known for her role as Donna Pinciotti in the long-running Fox sitcom That ’70s Show and Elena Anaya who stars in the film ‘The Skin I Live In’.
