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(AUG 31) Carina Moreno will not
be on the Sept. 2nd pro boxing card in Salinas. It was expected
that following last weeks cancelation of her scheduled bout with
Chantel Cordova, due to Robert Guerrero's injury, that Golden
Boy Productions would move the match for the former 4-time World
Champion from nearby Watsonville to this Friday's show, but
legendary promoter Don Chargin turned it down.
Here's my take:
Women's professional boxing is on the ropes and boxing's biggest
promoters seem to be delivering the 10 count.
Golden Boy promotions and female fight advisor Claudia Ollis are
very close. Oscar De La Hoya's promotional company does not have
a matchmaker for women bouts, but Claudia serves as that
conduit. So far, with little success.
GBP employs legendary promoter Don Chargin. The 60 year veteran
of boxing promotions calls the shots for Friday's card in
Salinas featuring Eloy Perez in the Main Event. He decided
against the already made women's bout in favor of a 6 male fight
card. Entirely his option. Why add another fight? The Salinas
event September 2nd satisfies GBP's Television contract with
Telefutura, and Kathy Garcia of Garcia Boxing is leading ticket
sales, publicity, coordinating efforts and doing all the heavy
lifting as manager of Eloy Perez, so why rock the boat with a
women's bout?
Carina Moreno versus Chantel Cordova was a done deal on Robert
Guerrero's HP Pavilion show in San Jose. Despite both women pros
agreeing to fight Friday in Salinas, it will not happen.
Moreno's trainer and manager Rick Noble say's "It's gotta be a
money issue". Odd, since he sold over 300 tickets for the
aborted San Jose show. Certainly half of those fans would come
see Carina in nearby Salinas, or at least enough to justify the
small purses that each female boxer agreed to. Moreno offered to
lower her purse further to make the match, but Ms. Ollis was
unable to convince Mr. Chargin or GBP matchmaker Eric Gomez, who
did assist in making the women's bout for San Jose.
Video
Don Chargin has Paco Productions as his matchmaker, so Eric
Gomez is not in the Salinas loop, or did not influence the
decision to nix the women's bout on the Salinas show.
As a former matchmaker and promoter, a women's bout was a
constant element of RIOT AT THE HYATT and SHAKEDOWN IN QUAKETOWN
cards for 15 years. One female bout per card was part of the
formula, and many female fighters like Moreno became World
Champion having been developed, promoted, and matched well on
Monterey and Santa Cruz Pro Boxing shows. Today, there is no
promoter in California that attempts to feature women's boxing
on their shows. Golden Boy would seem to be the best candidate,
but as Gomez stated in the youtube video, GBP does not have a
matchmaker for female bouts. Kaliesha West, another World
Champion who fought in Monterey twice is now in Mexico fighting
for HG productions on Spanish Television that reaches millions
south of the border. Northern California's Ana Julaton has a
Canadian promoter, and her next title defense will be in Canada.
Up and coming Melissa McMorrow is now fighting on Lou Dibella
shows back east, and potential star Ava Knight is searching for
other options out of the Sunshine State.
California is becoming a graveyard for professional women's
boxing. The 2012 Olympics in London that will be including
women's bouts for the first time is not making a blip on the
radar screen for California boxing promoters.
Moreno and Cordova were expecting contracts today from GBP to
make good their cancelled match in San Jose. The contracts for
the Salinas show never came.
Last Friday, each girl was confident based on Ms. Ollis'
optimism that their fight would be added. Claudia Ollis might be
close to Golden Boy, but not enough to influence the "Old Boy"
network. How could she? Golden Boy does not have a women's
matchmaker, could care less about female fights (although you'd
think it's major sponsor Tecate that knows of the success for
women's boxing in Mexico would appreciate the idea) and would
rather not bother with them. They have male contracts to be
concerned with and fulfill..."no brainers" like this women's
match not withstanding.
Jerry Hoffman
12 Sports Productions
