Friday Night Fights at the Sheraton: Robles vs Landeros preview
On Friday night at the Four Points By Sheraton Hotel in San Diego, CA Adolfo Landeros (l) will be seeking revenge for an earlier loss. All photos: Jim Wyatt
Thursday, August 29, 2013
With the weigh-ins now complete for tomorrow night’s Bobby D Presents’ boxing show at the Four Points By Sheraton Hotel in San Diego, all the guesstimates, presumptions and assumptions have come to a halt. Below is their ironclad fight card:
Can you spot the differences between these photos? One was taken on February 20, 2013. The other was taken Thursday, August 29, 2013. You should come up with at least six.
Light welterweight Emmanuel “Renegade” Robles (8-0-1, 3 KOs) of Old School Boxing will be putting his undefeated record on the line against the more experienced Adolfo “Terror” Landeros (22-32-2, 10 KOs) in a six rounder. This will be the second time the gentlemen have met. A little over six months ago, on February 21, 2013 to be exact, Robles took every round from Landeros to gain an unanimous decision victory.
At this juncture, Robles is coming off an impressive knockout victory of the hard hitting Joshua Marks in April. Since that time, he’s been ready and patiently waiting for his next fight.
It’s been a lot easier for guys like Landeros to secure a fight, especially after they become what you’d call a pedestrian or club fighter. Landeros has only won twice in his last 25 outings and only twice over the last five years. He fought seven times last year while Robles fought three times. In June of this year, Landeros fought twice.
USA Olympian Michael Hunter steps on to the scale.
The Michael Hunter (l) versus Francisco Mireles (r) match-up.
Also featured on the card is Team USA’s 2012 Olympic heavyweight representative 6’2” Michael Hunter (1-0, 1 KO) from Las Vegas, NV. He’ll be stepping into the ring to take on 22 fight veteran, 5’10” Francisco “Taz” Mireles (15-7, 4 KOs) from Agua Prieta, Mexico.
The son of former heavyweight Mike “Bounty Hunter” Hunter fought just once in 2012, that being his whacky, mysterious loss to the Russian Artur Beterbiev in the opening round of the London Olympics. According to the official scoring on the judges’ scorecards, Hunter should have won by the narrowest of margins. His USA Team coach didn’t put up much of a stink because at the time Hunter was seriously ill with a stomach ailment.
Next up, Hunter fought his pro debut in March of this year and stopped Chad Davis (4-11-0) in the third round. Now he’ll be stepping up the pace with his first six rounder against Mireles who is 31 years-old and coming off an unanimous decision victory over 38 year-old Noe Zamora. Incidentally, in that fight, Mireles outweighed his opponent by 25 pounds. If Mireles were to be re-matching against the same Chad Davis he’d now be outweighing him by 75 pounds.
The knock on Mireles has been his weight problem. Over his seven year career his weight has fluctuated from a low of 190 pounds all the way up to 284 pounds which was his weight at today’s weigh-in. In addition, he’s never beaten anyone with a winning record.
So, it appears Mr. Hunter, a most charming young man, is about to get a free pass like you sometimes get in the game of Monopoly. After landing on “Community Chest” the drawn card says: “Go directly to GO and collect $200.” Mireles should be no trouble whatsoever. After he gets hit once or twice in the midsection, he should be waving the white flag.
The tragic story of Mike Hunter Sr. as reported by several Los Angeles newspapers:
Mike “Bounty Hunter” Hunter, known for his boxing skills and good defense, was a heavyweight contender during the early-to-mid 1990s. The native of South Carolina began his career in Maryland after a seven year stint in prison for armed robbery. His skills caught the attention of actor James Caan, who managed Hunter for three years, before selling his contract to Bill Slayton. Hunter first became ranked by a major sanctioning body in 1990, and went on to defeat such notables as Dwight Qawi to win the WBC Continental Americas Cruiserweight title, Pinklon Thomas, Tyrell Biggs to win the USBA heavyweight title, Oliver McCall, Jimmy Thunder, and Alexander Zolkin.
By the mid-1990s, drug problems had begun to catch up with Hunter, evident to all after his victory over Buster Mathis Jr. was changed to a no-contest, following a positive drug test. Hunter would lose four fights in the last year and a half of his career, before retiring following a stoppage loss to Danish heavyweight Brian Nielsen for the IBO heavyweight title.
Hunter returned to the sport in September 2005, working as an instructor/trainer at the Tru Boxing Gym in Hollywood.
On February 8, 2006, Hunter was on the roof of the St. Moritz Hotel in Los Angeles. It was there that he encountered two Los Angeles police officers, who had set up a buy-bust sting operation.
According to the officers report: “Hunter, who was unprovoked, hit an officer on the head with a gun (which turned out to be fake). The second officer than tackled Hunter and the other officer eventually joined in the struggle. After Hunter broke lose, he pointed his fake gun at the officers, who promptly shot him twice, in the chest and arm. Hunter was taken to Cedars-Sinai Hospital, where he died. The officers involved stated they did not feel Hunter was aware that they were police officers.
Back to tomorrow night’s fight card:
The new look Emmanuel Robles (r) versus the new look Adolfo Landeros.
Twenty-five year-old, southpaw Emmanuel “Renegade” Robles (8-0-1, 3 KOs) 140 lbs. of San Diego will be tested by 33 year-old, righty, 5’6” Adolfo “El Terror” Landeros (22-32-2, 10 KOs) 139 lbs. from Lakeside, CA by way of Mexico City, Mexico.
Whereas, the 5’7½” Robles has always fought as a jr. welterweight, the 5’6” Landeros, began his career as a super bantamweight and even fought as a super flyweight. Over the past three years, Landeros has put on additional pounds and no longer fights at his ideal weight which would be 122 pounds. Since December 2, 2012, Landeros has put on 17 unproductive pounds. The type of body fat that slows you down, especially your hand speed.
In their first meeting, back on February 21, 2013, Robles took every round.
Pablo Cupul (l) vs Carlos Carlson (r).
Pablo Cupul (8-12-0, 5 KOs) 122 lbs. from Lakeside, Ca by way of Merida, Yucatán, Mexico versus the 23 year-old Carlos “Memin” Carlson (10-0-0, 7 KOs) 121 lbs. from Tijuana, Mexico. Since it’s unlikely they’ll be a knockout, the better and busier boxer will take this one. It should be a good fight.
(l to r) Luis Ventura versus Prince “Tiger” Smalls
Super Featherweight Prince “Tiger” Smalls (1-0-1) 129 lbs. should have no problem out-pointing Luis Ventura (0-1) from Tijuana, Mexico who is also 129 lbs. but much, much shorter.
“Ace” Ventura’s last fight took place almost two years ago against another club fighter by the name of Isidro Sanchez who’s current record is 2 wins against 4 losses. In that loss to Sanchez, Ventura got knocked off his feet and lost every round.Luis Ventura versus Prince “Tiger” Smalls
(l to r) Luis “Baby Bull” Ambrosio versus Akeenz Zamani
The featherweight matchup between Luis “El Leyes” Ambrosio (1-0-0, 1 KO) from Fresno, CA (123 lbs.) versus debutant Akeenz Zamani (124 lbs.) from Tanzania, East Africa is another unknown.
In Ambrosio’s debut at Salon Las Pulgas in Tijuana, he fought a walkover, Allan Varela who is now (0-5). As an amateur, Ambrosio fought 87 times losing about 12 times. He now trains at the same gym as hot prospect Roman Morales (15-0, 9 KOs), that gym being the San Ardo Boxing Gym in San Ardo, CA which is a 25 minute drive from his home in Fresno. The gym is just off Route 101, midway between Monterrey and San Luis Obispo.
As far as Zamani, you would think the powers to be wouldn’t spend all that money to bring him to the U. S. from Tanzania, (a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west) unless Zamani is a quality athlete with potential. In his home country, the majority of people speak two languages, Swahili and English.
As mentioned in the Michael Hunter (210.5 lbs.) vs Francisco Mireles (284 lbs.) it appears Hunter is getting a free pass.
The Four Points by Sheraton Hotel is located at 8110 Aero Drive, San Diego, CA 92123. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the first bout scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available at SanDiegoFights.com including VIP tables at 619.420.8866. Food and drinks will be served at this all ages event.
