Last minute changes to a boxing card have become the norm
Up until Monday, the former Commonwealth featherweight champion Paul ‘Trussy’ Truscott was one of the featured bouts on the undercard of the Amir Khan versus Zab Judah light-welterweight unification bout at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas set for Saturday. The 25 year-old was due to meet Gary Russell Jr. (16-0, 10 KOs) but will now fly home after the match fell through.
Gary Russell Jr. destroys whomever they place in front of him. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Russell revealed the news yesterday and gave no reason why the Englishman pulled out at such a late stage. Russell is now scheduled to fight Eric ‘El Loco’ Estrada (9-1-0, 3 KOs) from Chicago as he continues his plan to stay undefeated after turning pro in 2009. Estrada’s only loss, a TKO loss, came at the hands of Luis Cruz (18-0) back on June 4, 2010. Since Cruz is himself a contender, one can’t look too disparagingly on that setback.
“I heard nothing about his (Truscott’s) reasons for pulling out,” said Gary Russell Sr. “Basically, we fight whomever they put in front of us. There is a little bit of frustration when you think that you’re fighting one person and then they switch your opponent.
The very tough Eric Estrada has only one defeat. Photo: Art Garcia
“We trained for the original opponent that we were supposed to fight. Truscott is really a strong fighter for the weight class, so we had sparring partners who fought like him, because we knew he was going to run.
“Then we hear we’re not fighting him, and that there was another guy that they wanted us to fight. That was another guy even before Estrada. But now, we’re fighting Eric.”
Perhaps Truscott was fed up with the oven-like temperatures in Las Vegas. Things have been heating up.
On Tuesday, Amir Khan was photographed working out with his trainer Freddie Roach inside the air conditioned IBA gym in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: Scott Heavey/Getty Images
In any case, there’ll be no excuse for not making the weight. All Amir Khan or his opponent Zab Judah would have to do is step outside for a second. The temperatures are reaching 104 degrees and up in Sin City.
Zab Judah
The WBA light-welterweight champion Khan meets IBF king Zab Judah in a unification bout on Saturday before a likely move up to welterweight, where a more lucrative fight with Mayweather awaits. On Tuesday, Khan was photographed working out with his trainer Freddie Roach inside the air conditioned IBA gym in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: Scott Heavey/Getty Images
James Parison (R) who is in the main event on Friday night, poses for a photo with Lou Messina (Boxing Manager) and Francesco Isais (Center) at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in San Diego. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Locally, on the Bobby D Presents Boxing Card at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in San Diego, they ran into a similar problem. In the main event, they had James “El Chocolate” Parison (13-1-0, 4 KOs) of South San Diego preparing to fight Hector “El Destroyer” Hernandez (11-3-0, 4 KOs) of Yuma, Arizona. Hernandez, who wanted more money, turned out to be a hold out. Ever since the matchmaker found out, the opponent has changed several times. As of today, they’re in final negotiations with Eddie Hunter (4-6-2, 2 KOs), a 24 year-old journeyman from Kent, Washington.
To complete the boxing card, they have Pablo Armenta (5-0-1, 1 KO) going up against Freddie Martinez, Adrian Vargas facing Frankie Martinez, Adolfo Landeros, Charles Buckner and Manuel Hurabi. The Jose “Gallito” Hurtado vs Ernesto “Chato” Martinez fight has been pulled.
