By Don Smith - Boxing Fans,

• Good Heavyweight boxers are a rare commodity in Arizona. Mike Tyson stayed, trained and played in the Grand Canyon state; but his glory days were over when he moved to Phoenix in 1998 and his residency status was transient at best. Zora Foley, Chandler, Arizona, was a successful “Big” but knockout losses to Liston and Ali stopped him from ever becoming an A list fighter…always a contender; never a champion. 18 year old Dante Stone, Mesa Arizona, is determined to rewrite boxing history and become the first fighter from Arizona to win a World Heavyweight Boxing Title. He was actually born in Omaha, Nebraska but was only there long enough to have his diaper changed a few times…Arizona is home.

Dante stands 6′ 3′ and weighs 265. According to Damien Stone, (father, manager and trainer) his son has approximately 90 amateur bouts under his belt with 85% of them in the win column and about 3/4 of his winning battles were decided before the final bell. Some of Dante Stone’s fights can be seen on You Tube. His boxing plan is to qualify for and win Gold in the 2016 Olympics. Dante knows that winning Gold will be a strong bargain chip when he turns pro. And he will need that golden advantage; so, he can keep his solemn promise to help his father take care of his 16 year old brother (Andreas) who battles Autism every day of his life. Autism is a complex neurodevelopment disorder characterized by social impairments, communication difficulty and abnormal patterns of behaviour. Experts estimate that 3-6 children out of every 1,000 will have ASD and these same experts expect the numbers to continue to grow. . Males are 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with ASD than females.

This Fall, Dante will attend Mesa Community College on a full athletic scholarship. He is expected to compete for a starting position on the MCC varsity football team…size does matter. In the meantime he is preparing for his next boxing exam on Saturday July 14 in Chandler, Arizona where he is 1/2 of the main event. Dante and his unnamed boxing counterpart make up one of 20 bouts to be held at the Stonehard gym in Chandler. The venue seats around 400 and festival seating is available for a very affordable $10.00 per head. Damien Stone, manager and proprietor of the boxing and fitness center, plans 4 more boxing shows before the end of 2012.

Damien boxed while serving in the United States Air Force and eventually he opened his gym and fitness center in Chandler, Stone, a bright guy with a master’s degree in Medical Technology, doesn’t worry about skeptics who warn that he should give up the managing reins, over his son, to a more indecent and experienced professional trainer. Damien sees their bond as a strength and a key ingredient to their winning Olympic Gold and a world championship…..time will tell! Dante is considered a top three tier under 19 amateur heavyweight. 19 Stonehard Boxing Gym is located at 2775 North Arizona Avenue in Chandler Arizona 85225. For more information on the July 14 boxing show…email [email protected] or call Damien or Sean at 480-503 2381. www.stonehardboxing.com Support amateur boxing.

Former IBF/NABF Super Middleweight Champion Jesus “El Matillo” Gonzales is in Las Vegas training for his July 21 Connecticut fight with Elvin Ayala. Gonzales will shed a few pounds and fight as a middleweight. His trainer for the Ayala encounter is none other than Jeff Mayweather. Jesus, a Phoenix, Arizona Native, drove to Las Vegas last week and immediately started getting serious about the business at hand. Mayweather reports his new pupil is better than advertised and his hook and defense will be much improved on July 21. Since his arrival in Vegas, the 27 year old has slowed his tweets and face book activity which could signal a new maturity level Mayweather once told a boxing reporter that the best thing he can do for a fighter is to teach him or her how to protect their physical being. If he is able to teach Gonzales defense and add a big punch to his arsenal…watch out. Gonzales vs. Ayala will not be televised.

2012 Olympics begin on July 27 and women boxers will finally get an opportunity to compete for the first time in Olympic history. . Representing America will be Flyweight Marien Esparza, Lightweight “Queen” Underwoodand middleweight Claressa Shields. Underwood has a legitimate shot to medal and perhaps Shields. The lineup for the American male boxing team includes: Flyweight Rausheed Muhumad, Bantamweight Joseph Pedroza Diaz, Lightweight John Carlos Ramirez, Light Welterweight Jamel William Henry, Welterweight Errol Lee Spence, Middleweight Terrell Maurice Gausha, Light Heavyweight Marcus Browne, Heavyweight Michael Shenter 11 and Super Heavyweight Dominic Angelo Breazeale. 3 best shots at meddling are (fingers crossed) Diaz, Browne and Breazeale. Olympic scoring system makes it harder for Americans to win. Middleweight Andre Ward, 2004, was the last Yank to win gold.

Lightweight Raymund Beltran, Manny Pacqaio’s # 1 sparring partner, takes on tough once beaten Hank Lundy (22-1-1) in a 10 round Espn televised NABF Lightweight title contest on July 27 at the Resorts Hotel in Atlantic City. The popular Beltran (25-6-2) lost his last fight to unbeaten Luis Ramos jr.(20-0) in a unanimous decision that was greeted with more than a few boos. Raymund became very popular with Phoenix boxing fans when he trained at Central Boxing Gym. Emily Pandelakis, his hard working publicist, calls the Beltran/Lundy match up a make or break fight for Beltran. She may be right. Phoenix will be rooting for Beltran to pound Lundy into a Philly Cheese Steak.

Parting Shouts: AZ Golden Gloves CEO Kelly Fenn reports that the recently concluded Junior Golden Gloves Tournament (June 29-30) was a huge success. Special thanks to the Victory Outreach Church for providing a facility and two winks to the “Streets Don’t Love You Back“ non profit organization for sponsoring the event. Results are posted on the official Arizona Golden Gloves website and the Gloves Face Book link up. Winners advance to the July 18-22 Nationals in Mesquite, Nevada…sounds like a road trip for Arizona boxing fans. The Phoenix Boxing Academy, on behalf of their qualifiers, held a car wash in Phoenix on July 7. Boxers Jose Benavidez Jr., Andrew “Hurricane” Hernandez & Gambino Saenz were expected to attend. All three boxers are slated to fight in Vegas on August…details forthcoming. Undefeated Javier Loya, 7-0-6 knockouts, has moved to Busted Knuckle Gym for his training….no word on his next bout but promised soon…UNTIL NEXT TIME!

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• According to Fan Base Promotions, former IBF/NABF Super Middleweight Champion Jesus “EL Martillo” Gonzales (27-2-0) will not fight in Arizona on August 3 as previously announced. Instead, the 27 yer old Arizona Native will take on Elvin Ayala (25-5-1) July 21 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. Ayala resides in nearby New Haven, Connecticut. The middleweight headliner contest is scheduled for 10 rounds;but, it isn’t televised. The change of time, date, venue and opponent came as a result of Gonzales’ difficulty in finding a trainer. Fan Base asked that the name of the new trainer be withheld until the former champ reports for training in Las Vegas, Nevada. If Gonzales fails to report, presumably the bout is off and Fan Base will start a new search to find a suitable foe. It can be told that the “presumptive” trainer is a veteran with a sound resume and a recognizable name in the world boxing community. Gonzales has been clamoring for a name trainer for years and now he apparently has one. The onetime Top Rank Protege dumped his last trainer almost a year ago
• This is a crossroads fight for Gonzales whose last fight resulted in a 1st round knockout loss at the hands of Haitian “Bad Boy” Adonis “Superman” Stevenson. Gonzales hopes his return as a middleweight will increase his ring speed and add power to his punch; something that was missing in most of his super middleweight fights.

Gonzales should be able to beat the 31 year old Ayala if his head is screwed on straight and his body is fit…..a defeat could spell the end of a career for a very popular and once promising boxer.

• The always candid Mayweather took a casual poke at Top Rank Boxing by suggesting that the only way a Top Rank fighter could lose was to another Top Rank fighter, a sly reference to the Manny Pacquia/Timothy Bradley fight result…more from roger! After Azriel Paez (one of Jorge’s sons) was awarded a unanamious but controversial verdict in 140 lb contest over Michael Salcido , Mayweather walked by Azriel Paez in the dressing room area and quipped “did you win”? To which Paez replied …what did you say…Mayweather repeated the question and got the same reply. By now, Paez was mad and said of course I won..why do you ask? Mayweather rfesponded with that’s all I wanted to know did you win? That’s Roger being Roger. Before he departed Phoenix, Mayweather was told that Canadian Light Welterweight Steve “The Dragon Claggett (14-1-1) is challenging Arizona’s budding star Jose Benavidez Jr. (15-0) to fight him anywhere, anytime. Mayweather paused and said if you see him..tell him to keep dreaming. Mayweather is very familiar with both fighters. Claggett fight just outside of Calgary, Alberta Canada on a card that includes the return of Janks Trotter and the debut of huge heavyweight Ed Jackson. The show is produced by Fan Base Promotions .

• Marcos Mendias (147) upped his record to 5-4 as he outpointed Phoenix favorite Arturo Brambila . All 3 scorers it in favor of the 24 year old Mendias who has certainly turned his career around since he joined forces with trainer Andy Soto. It marked a return to the ring after a three year self imposed retirement for Brambila. At the press conference, he told fans that he tried to do other things but nothing seemed right;so he returned to boxing. It was a solid performance for the 33 year old and fans showed their appreciation…it just wasn’t his night. In other bouts, 142 lb Abel Ramos contines to impress with a convincing UD over veteran Jeremiah Torres from New Mexico. All three officials came to the same conclusion: 42-36…Ramos remains undefeated at 4-0 and still waiting to be signed by a major boxing promoter. 134 lb Thomas Valdez convinced Cory Muldrew that he was the best man with a impressive UD win and Valdez remains a prospect to watch. 128 lb Chris Lopez was aggressive and confident in his UD decision over New Mexico’s
• Jazzman Hogue. 148 lb saul Benitez outworked Antonio Moreno in gaining a split decision. As mentioned …Azriel Paez was awarded a UD over Michael Salcido in an odd contest where Paez seemed to searching for a boxing identify..word of advice: just be yourself and not your father. He has skills. In the first amateur bout: Alexis Urbino, Knockout Boxing, defeated

• Alfonso Marquez, San Luis PAL. In the second amateur tiff, Wilbert Lopez, AZ Boxing decisioned Alain Moreno from Eclipse Boxing in Tucson.

• Parting Shots: Support amateur boxing in Arizona by going to the website of Arizona Golden Gloves Boxingor contact any of Arizona’s gyms (Knockout Boxing, etc.) and ask about community Smokers. They are a lot of fun for the entire family. Special congratulations to to Fan Base Boxing CEO Robert Schmick and his lovely wife on the birth of their daughter Madelyn Gail Schmick. She went through some serious complications before her release from a Calgary Hospital. She is now home with her proud parents.

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By Don Smith

• August 3 is the date bandied about for the ring return of former IBF/NABF Super Middleweight Champion Jesus “El Martillo” Gonzales. After his humiliating 1st round KO at the hands of Adonis Stevenson earlier this year , Gonzales became canon fodder for online SNL wannabes. Some of the verbal missiles were downright raunchy. Boxing fans , especially the crazies, are a special breed of ( for lack of a better word) people. Expect the event to be held at one of the Casinos in Arizona. Fan Base Promotions will produce the show if it happens. ESPN is well aware of the rating numbers their televised Gonzales vs. Sierra event generated on July 8, 2011. According to published reports, it was a fan favorite bout of 2011 and the attendance was reported at 5,000 which is huge for a ESPN televised fight.

Gonzales hopes a main event appearance on ESPN Friday Night Fights will prove to the boxing world that he is once again a contender and not a pretender. ESPN has nixed three potential opponents including Albert “The Punisher” Onolunose. Deal could be announced in two weeks or less. Expect fellow Fan Base stable mate Light Middleweight Janks Trotter to be on the card, if Gonzales is inked. Trotter, a fan favorite, has been inactive since his knockout loss to fellow Canadian Adam Trupish. Both boxers are at the crossroads of their careers……a loss would be very damaging to the careers of both popular pugilists.

• Phoenix Super Middleweight Andrew “Hurricane” Hernandez aka “The Pride of Phoenix, turned down a rematch with Canadian Steve Franjic.They fought to a majority draw in Calgary, Alberta earlier this year in a controversial Light Heavyweight contest. Hernandez corner was upset when the referee stopped the action in the first round and administered a questionable standing 8 count which allowed Franjic to survive the round and continue fighting. At the start of the second round it was obvious that “The Pride of Phoenix” injured his right hand at the end of round 1 and for the next 5 rounds, he was a one handed fighter. Despite the handicap, Hernandez baffled and angered his taller opponent with side to side movement and XXX insults. At the end of the 6 round fight, Andrew owed the swear jar a lot. When the majority draw decision was announced; the crowd roared its’ disapproval…they were solidly behind the American from Phoenix, Arizona. Hernandez said no to Team Franjic because he didn’t feel comfortable fighting as a Light Heavy.

It was a well chiseled Hernandez who attended a car/wash raffle fundraiser, in Phoenix, at Rips Ales and Cocktails over the weekend to aid a dialysis patient who is also battling cancer. He signed autographs and washed cars and promised a win in his fight on the Antonio Margarito under card, May 26 in Tucson. He was scheduled to fight on the June 9 Vegas card but the boxing gods nixed it and fortunately he caught a ride on the May 26 ticket. He didn’t know the name of his Tucson opponent but he said it didn’t matter, he was ready. Iron Boy Promotions publicist Emily Pandelakis brought her two lovely young daughters to the event and their limited car washing skills could help boost face book stock prices soar . Zulma Figueroa, a Metro High School student, arrived early and stayed several hours as did former US Marine and brain hemorrhage victim Rick Favela and his wife Irene. As a result, Zulma and Mr. & Mrs. Favela were presented with donated gifts from the Bill Clinton Museum in Little Rock Arkansas for their volunteer effort. The presentation was made by social activist and event organizer Don Smith. Boxers Trevor McCumby (managed by Cameron Duncan), Abel Ramos and David Benavidez were unable to attend due to prior commitments. Javier Loya cancelled because of “personal reasons”. Special thanks to Rip’s for their genuine hospitality. Almost $800.00 was raised for the ailing neighbor.

• WHERE ARE THEY NOW?? Several boxing fans want to know if boxers Rafael Valenzuela and Eddie Brooks are still boxing or have they retired?Neither has officially retired but they don’t seem to be in a haste to enter the ring. Rafael is working for a fast food concern in Phoenix and he looked out of shape and rather lackluster when he last fought on July 8, 2024 in Phoenix. He lost to a a very short journeyman who entered the ring with a record of 5 wins and 9 losses. A spokesperson for Fan Base Promotions said Valenzuela turned down a couple of good paydays because he didn’t like the match ups and he complained the notice was too short. Fan Base denies his charge about the short notice and they wonder if Rafael really wants to fight. There is a difference of opinion on whether or not Rafael is still under contract with Fan Base…Rafael and his Dad say no while Fan Base says yes….to be determined….possibly in court.

27 year old Eddie Brooks has been stuck at 9-3 for some time and in his last fight he didn’t make weight but signed a wavier and then proceeded to lose to a fighter with less talent. Since his last encounter, Brooks has passed on a couple of opponents that if he was ready…would have been easy prey for him. Apparently he isn’t hungry any more and when the hunger disappears; so does the career.

• Iron Boy Promotions next boxing show at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix is scheduled for June 16 and rumors suggest that 2 time world boxing Champion Louie Espinoza will be honored at the event. No confirmation yet! Espinoza is the first native born Arizonian to win a world title. According a few folks wo know him; Louie is a class act. Tentatively scheduled for the card are Abel Ramos, David Benavidez, Victor Castor, Marcos Medinas and Carlos Castro. The previous two Iron Boy shows scheduled ten bouts and it is safe to assume the previous format will remain intact. Abel Ramos and Victor Cruz are very entertaining. According to a Iron Boy, the security lapse at the last show will not happen again. There is no sport like boxing.

• Kelly Fenn, Arizona’s first lady of amaeur boxing, will acknowledge several military and war veterans at her ” Amateur Boxing Fight Night” on June 2 in Tempe, Arizona. At press time, the list included 2-3 recent Afghanastan war returnees,USA Boxing Official and military veteran Richard Soto, USA Boxing Official and military veteran Harvey Prezant Boxing Writer and Vietnam War Veteran and boxing columnist. Don Smith . Kelly is proud of her family’s military heritage and she always finds a way to salute the men and women in uniform. The Event is being held at William Bloys American Legion Post 2 , 2125 S. Industrial Park Drive in Tempe. Proceeds will benefit the PhoenixBoys and Girls Center and American Legion. Special thanks to ” The Streets Don’t Love You Back”, a non profit organization and event sponsor.

Kelly’s rental car was T boned on Cinco De Mayo Day in North Phoenix. She wants everyone to know she is okay. One of her two passengers was slightly injured.

Boxing Special….Topside Boxing, on 16th Street in Phoenix, is offering 1 free hour of boxing lessons to non club members . Pedro, manager and owner of the extablishment, has extended the offer to anyone between the ages of 7-100 and the timeline

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