SERGIO REYES

Sergio Reyes was an outstanding amateur boxer who won many championships including the 1988 Golden Gloves, and the 1991 U.S. Amateur Championships.  After a long and glorious amateur career that saw him fight in the 1992 Olympic games.  He did not win a medal in those games, and turned professional in Jan. of 1993.

The former Marine started off with a lot of buzz in boxing circles, and quickly ran his pro record to

4-0, winning all of them by decision.  Boxing pundits began to question whether or not the Texas Jr. Featherweight had enough power to compete and win at the higher levels.

   That talk started to drop off as Reyes scored knockouts in 3 of his next 4 bouts.  Standing unbeaten at 8-0, with 3 by KO, Reyes was stepped up into his first test against higher level opposition March 23, 1994 when he took on 78 fight veteran Javier "Suzuki" Diaz and won a clear cut unanimous decision victory at the HemisFair arena in San Antonio, Texas.

In his next fight, Reyes pitched a near shutout victory over 10 rounds over Juan Francisco Soto, and he was now a top contender, and named as the challenger for the IBF Bantamweight World title against defending champion Orlando Canizales (37-1-1).  The All-Texas showdown was held in the home town of the champion, and was televised nationally. It was a highly anticipated meeting of an untested up-and-coming contender against a powerful and highly respected champion. The bout did not disappoint. The challenger Reyes was dropped in the 3rd round, but got up off the deck to rally back, but when the 12 rounds were over, the scorecards showed the Champion retaining his world title on scores of 114-113, 115-112, and 116-111.  It was a close and hard fought battle that actually raised Sergio's stock.

   Just about 5 months later, Reyes won his first title belt with another close and greuling 12 round decision, this time defeating defending USBA champion Mario Diaz (26-4) on scores of 118-112, 116-112, and 115-114. Reyes was 11-1, and now the USBA Bantamweight champion.

No doubt what Sergio's goal was!

Reyes was off just 3 months before stepping into the ring for his first title defense. June 20, 1995 was the night Reyes faced "The Hatian Hammer" Ancee Gideon (12-7-1) in defense of the USBA Bantamweight Title. Reyes did not perform as well as expected, and it was Gideon pulling off the clear upset via unanimous decision on wide scores of 118-108, 118-109, and 119-107.  It was back to the drawing board for the disappointed but still hungry contender.

Sergio was away from the game for a while, but a little less than a Year-and-a-Half later, he was given the opportunity to kill-two-birds-with-one-stone. Canizales was named as the challenger in a rematch with Orlando Canizales, only this time, it would be in a higher weight class, and it would be for the vacant IBA Featherweight title.  Sergio could get revenge against the man who put the first loss on his record, and he could gain his first world title in the process! The fight was held Nov. 3, 1996 in Chiba, Japan.  It was the semi-main event along with Crawford Grimsley vs George Foreman for the WBU & Vacant IBA Heavyweight titles. 

The fight started out pretty much as a carbon copy of the first fight, but as the rounds went by, it was starting to become apparent that Canizales devastating power was taking a toll on the game, and busy Reyes.  It was round 10 when Reyes had enough, and referee Frank Garza waived the fight to a halt. 

   Reyes bounced back about 5 months later with a nice win over tough journeyman Arturo Estrada (21-20-1).  Reyes didn't stay busy though, fighting just once in 1997 (the win over Estrada), and once in 1998, treating his Dallas/Fort Worth fans to a tko win over Hector Santana. It was another year before Reyes took a "tune-up" bout against Edwin Zarate, and then 1 month later, Reyes stepped back into the world class spotlight against highly regarded contender Derrick "Smoke" Gainer for a non-title match-up held in Gainer's hometown of Pensacola Florida.  It was pretty much one last charge at contention, but Derrick Gainer stopped Reyes in round 5.

Sergio Reyes in his amateur bout against Johnny Tapia

After nearly 7 years out of the ring, Reyes came back for "1 more" match but dropped a close 6 round decision to Carlos Madrid of El Paso, Texas. That bout was on the undercard of Evander Holyfield vs Jeremy Bates and it was Sergio's finale.

Sergio Reyes was a celebrated amateur star, and although his pro career was relatively short, it was exciting for his fans.  He didn't win a world title, but his local fights were very satisfying for his fans, he did win the USBA title, and his 2 meetings with the great Orlando Canizales are well remembered by hard core boxing fans!

Check out his complete pro record: SERGIO REYES ON BOXREC

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If you would like to see Sergio Reyes in ring action, I have the following bouts available on DVD:

PRO: 

FELIZARDO CARRAZCO  [w-4]

JUAN FRANCISCO SOTO  [w-10]
ORLANDO CANIZALES #1 [L-12] {IBF Bantam Title}
MARIO DIAZ  [w-12] {USBA Bantam Title}
ANCEE GIDEON  [L-12] {USBA Bantam Title}
ORLANDO CANIZALES #2 [tko-by-10] {IBA Feather Title}
DERRICK GAINER  [tko-by-5]

AMATEUR:
Johnny Tapia    [w-3]
Unknown Amateur Opponent
Vladislav Antonov (Russia)  (1990 dual)
Lionel Odum   (1990 US Amateur Championships)
Enrique Carrion (Cuba)  [w-3] (1990 GWG)
Wayne Chandler  (1991 U.S. Amateur Championships)
Paul Ayala  (1992 Oympic Boxing Trials)
Lionel Odum
Sean Fletcher  (1991Olympic Festival)(*Begin Round 2)
Sean Fletcher (1992 Olympic Boxoffs)
Harold Ramirez  (1992 Olympics)
Gwang Li (Korea)  (1992 Olympics)

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Contact me for information: The Boxing Guru via E-Mail

ROBBIE LOVATO

Nickname: "Machine Gun"

   Santa Fe, New Mexico's Robbie Lovato was one of the state's top amateur boxers, winning many State and Regional titles, and being nationally ranked.  He finished as an amateur with an outstanding record of 174-22!

   Robbie opened his pro campaign with a shutout 4-round win over fellow New Mexican Chris Crespin.  That fight took place in front of a huge crowd on the undercard of the Oct. 12, 1994  Johnny Tapia vs Henry Martinez WBO World Title fight at The Pit in Albuquerque, NM.  His fast handed boxing style earned him the nickname "Machine Gun".

  Lovato continued his winning ways running his record to 6-0 before traveling to Tempe, Arizona where he tasted his first pro loss against Michael Gallatti via 8 round decision.

   "Machine Gun" Lovato came back with a vengeance, stopping Cesar Jimenez at Boulder Station in Las Vegas, NV, in the first round.

Lovato set for his 1996 battle against Erik Morales in Tijuana, B.C. - Mexico

   Lovato was now 7-1 and headed into a big test against a hard punching fighter out of Phoenix, Arizona named Martin Ulloa (11-3).  Ulloa had scored a tko win over New Mexico's Lyrant Warrior to hand Warrior his first loss.  It was a good test for the Santa Fe prospect, and Robbie passed with flying colors as he scored the clear shutout on all 3 of the judges scorecards 40-36 across the board.

Lovato sparring with World Champion Johnny Tapia!

    With 2 more dominant wins under his belt, Robbie Lovato got the call to take a gigantic step up.  Lovato accepted the challenge and on Nov. 29, 1996 he faced off with the legendary Erik Morales who was 24-0, 19 KO and held the NABF Jr. Featherweight Title at the time.  Lovato would be fighting his first 10-rounder, his first Main Event, and it would be against a legend and in the opponent's home town of Tijuana, Mexico!  All the odds were stacked against Lovato who confidently went for it.

   Morales won that night via a pretty clear unanimous decision, but it only proved the skill level of Lovato who went 10 strong rounds against the Mexican knockout artist.

   Robbie fought just once more, nearly 5 years later, when he scored a very close and hard fought majority decision over fellow New Mexican - Tommy Aragon.  The scores were 77-76, 78-77 for Lovato, and 76-76 even. That would be Lovato's final pro fight.

   Robbie Lovato finished the pro campaign with an excellent record of 11-2, winning 3 by KO.   He is remembered for his high skill level by New Mexico boxing fans.  He was a chief sparring partner of World Champion Johnny Tapia who used to tell me that his best sparring was against Lovato!

Look up Robbie's pro record at: boxrec.com

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If you would like to see Robbie "Machine Gun"  Lovato in action, I have the following bouts available on DVD:

CHRIS CRESPIN  [w-4] (Pro Debut)
CESAR HOLGUIN  [w-4]
LORENZO ESTRADA  [ko-4]
JOSE LUIS PERALTA  [tko-3]
MARTIN ULLOA  [w-4]
SONNY GUTIERREZ  [w-6]
ERIK MORALES   [L-10]

Amateur:
1. Unknown Amateur Opponent
2. Orlando Malone
3. Joe Galarza
4. Jesus Banuelos Jr. #2 (1993 NM Golden Gloves Title)

   _______________________________________

Contact me via e-mail: The Boxing Guru via E-Mail

_________________________________________________________________________________

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MICHAEL GRANT

Nickname: "Big"

   Born in Chicago, IL - Michael Grant was an outstanding athlete with big potential.  He was a high school standout in three sports (Baseball, Basketball, and Football) and could have probably pursued any of them as a career.  But after only 12 amateur fights, he turned professional on July 21, 1994 and started off with a first round stoppage over Ernie English.  It wasn't until his 7th pro bout that an opponent made it to the final bell.

   It was nearly a year and a half before Grant was really tested - being put in with well respected journeyman - Mike Dixon.  Grant had built a record of 13-0, including a win over 6' 10" Stanley Wright and there was buzz about this 6' 7" heavyweight who was showing signs of greatness.  He passed his test against Dixon, scoring a 6th round technical knockout. The "buzz" got louder.

   The win against Dixon gave confidence to Grant's management team that he was ready to be stepped up into contention, and his level of opposition became a steady diet of well regarded fighters including wins over: Corey Sanders, Olian Alexander, Ed Donaldson, Ross Purrity, Louis Monaco, Ray Anis, Jeff Wooden, and Lionel Butler.  That was a very impressive string of victories which led Grant to his first title challenge.

   It was June 20, 1997 at Bally's in Atlantic City.  Grant faced off with former IBF Cruiserweight world champion - Alfred "Ice" Cole (28-2) for the vacant IBC Heavyweight title belt.  Cole had not lost his cruiserweight title in the ring, but rather, gave it up to pursue a heavyweight championship. Grant had the size advantage with 3" in height, and 20 Lbs. over his opponent, but skill wise, this was easily Grant's biggest test, and with his coveted first world title within his grasp.  With Grant leading on 2 of the judges scorecards, and the fight even on 1 of them, Cole was not able to answer the bell for round 11 and Michael Grant was now the IBC's still undefeated, heavyweight world champion.

 

 
   Michael successfully defended that title 3 times with tko wins over Jorge Luis Gonzalez, David Izon, and Obed Sullivan before challenging and defeating Ahmed Abdin via 10th round stoppage to gain the vacant NABF Heavyweight championship belt.  A 10 round unanimous decision over highly ranked contender Lou Savarese put him in line to face Andrew Golota in a WBC title elimination bout - the winner to face Lennox Lewis for the unified WBC/IBF/IBO heavyweight world championships.  But first, Grant had to defend his NABF title against a very dangerous Andrew Golota.

   Dangerous was the word, as Grant went down twice in the first round, but survived the big start by Golota, to fight his way back and, while trailing on all 3 scorecards, put Golota down in round 10, causing Golota to say that he had enough, and Grant was still the NABF champion, and now the ultimate prize - The WBC/IBF/IBO World Heavyweight championships were his focus, but to realize that dream, he would have to defeat the heavyweight king - Lennox Lewis.

   5 Months later, Michael Grant stood at 31-0, 22 ko's.  He was the former IBC Heavyweight Champion, the current NABF Heavyweight champion, and now was just 1 win away from greatness.  The fight was held at Madison Square Garden and televised world-wide on HBO.  Larry Merchant framed it perfectly... "...these are two Goliaths, it's Goliath vs Goliath. No Slingshots, just big boulders being thrown by both of them."  Merchant's statement was prophetic, as Grant came out aggressively and fearlessly launched some boulders at the champion.  But the champion answered back with some boulders of his own, scoring 3 knockdowns in the opening round, the 3rd knockdown saw Grant rise up just beating the count as the bell sounded.  Being a world title fight, the 3 knockdown rule was not in effect, and Grant was allowed to return to his corner to continue the fight.  It was just a matter of time though, as Grant showed heart and bravery coming out to battle with Lewis in round 2, but the damage was done, and Lennox Lewis scored the knockout at 2:53 of that 2nd round to retain his title belts.

   The loss to Lennox Lewis was Grant's first, and it was hard to deal with.  He took about a year and 3 months off to reassess and rebuild his career.  He returned in a tough way against another highly regarded contender - Jameel "Big Time" McCline (25-2-3) and the contest didn't go as planned.  Just seconds into the bout, McCline caught Grant with a shot that sent him to the canvas. Grant got up and continued the fight, but was hobbling around the ring, and Tony Weeks waived the fight to a halt as Grant's ankle was injured and he could not continue.  After going 31-0, Michael Grant now had suffered back-to-back losses, and his reputation as a possible future world champion was in question.

   Grant did not give up, but rather, returned to the gym and went back to training.  8 months later, he was back in the ring, and began a string of knockout victories that showed how serious he was about returning to the top of the division.  A string of 7 straight KO wins which included - Robert Davis, Anthony Willis, and Gil Martinez in that run, brought Grant back into the high world rankings, and set him up for a showdown match against undefeated Dominick Guinn (21-0).  June 7, 2003 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ - was a bad night for Big Michael as he was dropped twice before being stopped by the red-hot Guinn in round 7.  That loss left doubts as to Grant's chances to return to title contention.

   Grant wasn't buying into the negative talk though, and he went right back to work, running off 3 straight wins.  He then didn't fight for 2 years, and returned in 2007 and ran off 5 more wins to put his self in line for a shot at 2 minor titles, and redemption as a world class contender.

   It was August 21, 2010 when Michael Grant would challenge Tomasz Adamek (41-1) for Adamek's NABO and IBF-International Heavyweight Titles.  They were not "world" titles, but a win over Adamek would raise Grant's chances at a world title shot.  Grant entered the fight with a nice size advantage over the champion, 5 inches in height, and 44 pounds to be exact.  But on the negative side, Grant was 38 years old.  He fought well, and tried to use that size advantage, but Adamek was just too much for him and won the unanimous decision on scores of 118-111, 118-110, and 117-111.

   That loss did not hurt Grant's standing, in fact he fought well enough that just 2 fights later, after a nice win over Tye "Big Sky" Fields (45-2) by 3rd round tko, Grant was offered his final shot at a title belt.

  

Grant battles Frans Botha for the vacant WBF Heavyweight Title

   Grant was offered a shot at the vacant WBF Heavyweight title, but he would have to fly all the way to Johannesburg, South Africa and defeat South Africa's local hero - Frans Botha (48-5-3) to do it.  He did just that!  In a greuling battle, Grant, trailing on all 3 scorecards, with both men exhausted and struggling to finish the fight on their feet, it was Michael Grant who landed an unbelievable right hand with just 37 seconds left in the fight to knock Botha down, and OUT for the count!  It was an emotional, and beautiful win for the man who had struggled so hard to climb back to the top.

   That victory would be Grant's last.  He lost his title to Carlos Takam (27-1) in his first title defense held in France, and then lost two more fights to top quality boxers - Manuel Charr (26-2) in Russia, and his final bout to Krzystof Zimnoch (21-1-1) in Poland.

   It was a fascinating journey for this man who had only 12 amateur fights, and went on to cause quite a stir in the professional ranks.  He won titles, and had some big fights in a career that spanned well over 2 decades!

He ended with a nice record of: 48 wins, 7 defeats, winning 36 by knockout.

Check out Michael Grant's amazing pro ledger at: "Big" MICHAEL GRANT on Boxrec.com

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If you would like to see Michael Grant in action, I have these bouts available on DVD.  Contact me for information:

MICHAEL GRANT vs
RICK SULLIVAN                       [tko-1]
COREY "T-Rex" SANDERS      [tko-2]
ROSS PURITTY                         [w-10]
RAY ANIS                                   [w-10]
ALFRED COLE                          [tko-10] {Vacant IBC Heavy Title}
DAVID IZON                              [tko-5] {IBC Heavy Title}
LOU SAVARESE                        [w-10]
LENNOX LEWIS                       [ko-by-2] {IBF/WBC/IBO Heavy Title}
JAMEEL MCCLINE                  [tko-by-1]
ROBERT DAVIS                        [tko-3]
DOMINICK GUINN                  [tko-by-7]
TOMASZ ADAMEK                 [L-12] {NABO/IBF Int'l Heavy Titles}
TYE FIELDS                             [ko-3]
FRANS BOTHA                        [ko-12] {Vacant WBF Heavy Title}
CARLOS TAKAM                     [tko-by-8] {WBF Heavy Title}
MANUEL CHARR                     [tko-by-5]
KRZYSZTOF ZIMNOCH          [ko-by-2] (*HL ONLY) (*Grant's LAST pro bout)

______________________________________________________________________

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TOMMY CORDOVA

Nickname: EL TORITO

   Albuquerque's Tommy Cordova turned professional in August of 1983 at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.  He scored a 3rd round knockout over Rafael Renas to get his pro campaign going.

   Cordova returned to his hometown of Albuquerque, NM for his 2nd pro fight, and delighted the enthusiastic crowd scoring a unanimous 4 round decision over Salvador Dominguez in front of a packed house at the Civic Arena.

   Tommy now had a record of 9-0, 6 ko's and had fought in 6 different states to compile that flashy record.  He was gaining a reputation as a "road warrior" who would face anyone, anytime, anywhere!

   Just 8 months after his professional debut, Tommy was called for a battle with undefeated prospect Kenny Baysmore (13-0) in Phoenix, Arizona. It was a wild affair, but Baysmore slick movement carried the night as he was awarded an 8 round decision win over the New Mexican warrior.

   From that point on, Tommy would be pitted against some of the top names in his division(s). His next fight would see him travel to Las Vegas, Nevada to square off with local hot prospect Jimmy "School Boy" Jackson (12-1-1) in a 10-round bout.  This time it was the pressure and non-stop offense of Cordova that was too much for Jackson and it was Cordova scoring the unanimous decision victory over the local favorite.

   With his record now standing at 10-1, Tommy Cordova was named as the man to face the experienced contender Freddie Roach (34-5) for a shot at the vacant ESPN Jr. Lightweight title.  The bout was a can't miss war between two offensive machines. The fight went all 12 rounds, and in the end it was Cordova whose hand was raised via split decision. Judge Duane Ford saw it 114-113 for Cordova, Hal Miller had it 115-113 for Roach, and it was Paul Smith that cast the deciding scorecard 117-111 in favor of Tommy Cordova.

A HUGE night for Tommy Cordova against Freddie Roach for the ESPN title!

   

   

   Tommy's offensive style earned him the nickname "El Torito" and he returned to Albuquerque to treat the local fans with a shutout win over 10 rounds against 58 fight veteran Jose Resendez.

   Next, it was off to Phoenix, Arizona where Tommy challenged local favorite Ronnie Gary for the Arizona State Featherweight Title. The local fighter got the 12 round decision win in another brutal slugfest.

   He ran into a rough customer named Rocky Garcia who fought out of Los Angeles, California.  After 22 rounds of war, nothing was settled! The first meeting ended in a 10 round draw, and 2 months later they did it again, this time it was a 12 rounder, with the SAME RESULT - a DRAW! The long anticipated 3rd meeting to settle it never happened.

   Cordova ran off 5 straight wins including Herbie Bivalacqua (13-1-1), Kelvin Seabrooks (17-10), and Gary Gamble (18-12-1) building his record to 17-2-2 and earning him a shot at the vacant NABF Featherweight Championship against California's "Baby Joe" Joe Ruelaz (17-2). The fight took place at The Showboat Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV and it was another bruiser. It went the full 12 brutal rounds, and it was Ruelaz winning the Majority Decision victory on scores of 114-114, 116-112, and 115-113 for "Baby Joe".

   Tommy took an easy tune-up fight before facing future WBA World Featherweight Champion Steve Cruz (23-1) in another of Tommy's classic wars. Cordova was stopped in round 9 by Cruz.

   Tommy would go 2-12-1 from that point.  Being put in the ring with some of the biggest names of that time. Lupe Miranda (9-0), Joey Medina (9-1), Javier Marquez (28-3-2), Andy Minsker (9-1), Shane Knox (7-0), Tony Lopez (23-0), traveling to Australia to face Lester Ellis (24-2), and then traveling to Corpus Christi, TX to face the local hero Lupe Suarez (23-1) where Cordova was stopped in round 9 after being dropped twice.

   The wars were wearing on El Torito. Hard fight after hard fight, war after war, the losses were starting to mount and he took some time off from the ring.

   Two years later he returned with a 1:48 destruction of Mexico's Alfredo Torres in Albuquerque, and followed that with an 8 round unanimous win over Jesus Muniz.  That win would be the final victory of  Cordova's nearly 10 year journey. 

   Cordova finished his career with losses to Javier Marquez (39-8-3), Colorado's Bobby Brewer (11-3) in Colorado, Back-to-Back losses to Jaime "Rocky" Balboa, and he finished with a spirited battle being stopped in 5 rounds against Detroit's Courtney Hooper, that final battle being waged in Tampa, Florida.

   It was a hard 10-year-long journey, but Tommy Cordova enjoyed every minute of  it!  The offensive war machine became a favorite among boxing fans everywhere, his non-stop attacking style made him a promoter's dream, and a fight fan's fighter!  Tommy is still active in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He trains younger members of his fighting family.

Check out Tommy's amazing record on boxrec: TOMMY'S RECORD ON BOXREC

 

 If you would like to see TOMMY CORDOVA in action, I have these bouts available for trade on DVD:

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      JIMMY JACKSON [w-10]

FREDDIE ROACH [w-12] {ESPN Jr. Light Title}

KELVIN SEABROOKS  [w-10]

STEVE CRUZ [tko-by-9] (*1st round ONLY)

ROBERT ANDERSON [w-dq-4]

ANDY MINSKER [L-10]

LESTER ELLIS   [tko-by-10]

LUPE SUAREZ  [tko-by-9]

ALFREDO TORRES  [ko-1]

Amateur:

Steve Hindi

---------------------------------------------------------------

Contact me for information: CONTACT THE BOXING GURU VIA E-MAIL

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KELCIE BANKS

Nickname: "Mr. Mix" 

   Kelcie had an extensive and very successful amateur career that saw him win numerous national and international tournaments including a silver medal in the 1985 World Cup, and gold medals in the 1986 World Amateur Championships, and the 1987 Pan American Games, and a berth on the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team.  His amateur record is reported at 480-86.

   He turned pro in April of 1989 with a 6 round decision win over Daniel Flores at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles. He was then defeated by Leonardo Moreno in the next fight - being ko'd in round 3.

   Banks learned a lesson in that upset loss and ran off a string of victories that included a mix of different styles and different levels of competition, he won them all, 15 in a row, among those 15 were Benji Vigil (8-0), Bobby Brewer (7-1), Terry Southerland (8-0), Rodney Wilson (9-0-2), Felix Gonzalez (16-7-1), and scoring a near shutout unanimous decision win over former California State Featherweight Champion Benny Lopez (16-8).

  

   Feb. 1991 saw Banks step up into a test against highly regarded Mexican fighter Oscar Lopez (16-4), it was a hard fought 8 rounder that ended in a split draw.  Patricia Morse Jarman saw it as a near shutout for Banks at 79-73, Paul Smith had it close for Lopez at 77-75, and Al Siciliano scored it 76-76.  Kelcie's record now stood at 16-1-1, and he was still a closely watched prospect.

   His level of competition was stepped up and he scored wins over Marco Antonio Ramirez, and Tim Brooks.  Those two unanimous decision wins came as part of the Forum's Lightweight Tournament, which put him into the championship bout against world ranked Fidel Avendano (30-1).  

   August 26, 1991 was the big night as Banks faced his biggest test to date.  For Avendano it was the same story, his toughest test to that point. It was a great matchup of young prospects looking to step onto the world title stage. The fight lived up to all expectations and after 12 grueling rounds including Banks missing with a right hand punch that caused him to fall off balance, which was scored a knockdown by the referee, it came down to the scorecards. The judges saw the fight 115-113, 116-114, and 119-111 all in favor of Avendano.

   It was a disappointing loss for Banks, but at 18-2-1 he still had a solid record, and had shown his self to be competitive against top notch fighters. From that point on his career took a roller-coaster course.

   His next fight was an easy 2nd round tko win over Juan Jose Castaneda followed by a half-division move up in weight class to face an unbeaten contender in Ike Quartey (14-0) that saw Banks get ko'd in round 7 by the man who would go on to become WBA Welterweight world champion.

   A bounce-back unanimous 6-round win over journeyman Leo Mancillas tuned him up for a huge showdown match-up against fellow 1988 U.S. Olympic Team member Todd Foster (25-2)

Todd Foster had everything going his way against Banks

It was a very tough challenge faced by Banks who fought in the Featherweight division in those Olympic games, while Foster fought in the Light Welterweight division. There was no doubt that Foster was the naturally bigger fighter. And to make it even a steeper mountain to climb, the fight took place in Foster's home state of Montana! There were too many factors against Kelcie Banks, and it showed in the fight as Foster was just too strong and sharp that night for Banks. It was a lopsided unanimous 10-round win for Todd Foster on scores of 97-92, 99-92, and 100-87 on the official scorecards.

   Kelcie "Mr. Mix" Banks continued on and after a nice bounce-back win over 1-7 Jose Herrera, he won a rough-tough 10-round battle as he moved up into the welterweight division against Ray Collins (8-3-1) - climbing off of the deck in the final round to get the split decision victory. It would be his last.

   5 months later he took on another huge challenge as he faced off with a man who would go on to win the USBA Jr. Middleweight, and WBC World Middleweight titles - Keith Holmes (20-1), and it was another fight against a naturally bigger fighter in the opponent's home town!  Just like the Todd Foster fight, it was too much to overcome, and Banks was dropped in the opening round before being stopped at 1:48 of round 3. 

   Banks came back nearly a year-and-a-half later to fight a 6 round draw against Reno, Nevada's John Bryant (8-10-2), and then 2+ years later traveled to Denmark where he was stopped in the opening round against IBC Jr. Welterweight king Soren Sondergaard (32-1) in a non-title 8-round bout.

   It was an amazing journey for a man who lived and breathed boxing.  After an amazing amateur career that spanned nearly 550 fights, and a challenging professional career of  30 fights that never saw him challenge for a world title, but did see him pitted against fighters that woulds become champions, Kelcie Banks name is remembered fondly by boxing fans across the globe with great respect for his skills and heart.  He achieved much glory in the amateur ranks, and headlined some great shows that were broadcast on espn and other networks.

   Kelcie Banks finished up his Professional campaign with a nice record of 22-6-2, winning 11 by knockout.  Check out his complete pro ledger on boxrec: KELCIE BANKS Pro Record

   If you would like to see Kelcie Banks in action, I have these bouts available for trade on DVD. Contact me for information:

BENJI VIGIL   [tko-2]
BOBBY BREWER [w-4]
RAY GARCIA  [tko-2]
MARTIN GALVAN   [tko-1]
RAMON OCHOA     [tko-3]
ADOLFO ALDANA    [tko-4]
GABE CASTRO     [w-6]
FELIX GONZALEZ   [w-10]
OSCAR LOPEZ   [Draw-8]
FIDEL AVENDANO  [L-12] {Forum Lightweight Tournament Final)
TODD FOSTER  [L-10]

AMATEUR:
Ed Hopson #1
Ed Hopson #2
Ed Hopson #3
Lindell Walker   [rsc-2] (Final Round ONLY)
Arnoldo Mesa   (1987 Pan Am)
Arnoldo Mesa  (1987 Dual Meet)
Regilio Tuur  (1988 Olympics)
David Moreno  (1986 U.S. Olympic Festival)
John John Molina (Puerto Rico)    [rsc-by-1] (World Amateur Championships)
Robert Gonczi (Hungary)  [w-3] (1985 USA vs Hunary Dual Meet)
Jamie Pagendam (Canada)  [w-3]

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TONY BALTAZAR

Nickname: "The Tiger"

   La Puente California's Tony Baltazar had a successful amateur run (over 400 bouts!) which included an AAU National title before he turned professional at age 18 on Feb. 8 1979 at the famous Olympic auditorium in Los Angeles and started with a blast of power scoring a 1st round knockout over Tucson, Arizona's Art Silveria. The end came at 34 seconds of the opening round.

   He stayed busy fighting mostly on undercards at the Olympic auditorium and soon had a record of 22-0-1 winning 18 by knockout, the draw coming from a technical decision caused by an unintentional head butt against Chuy Rodriguez.

   It was Feb. 27, 1983 that he got his biggest test to date against fellow world ranked contender Howard Davis Jr. (21-1).  They faced each other in Atlantic City and it was a nationally televised event that had boxing fans around the world tuned in.  Davis was a gold medalist in the 1976 Olympic games, and his only defeat came at the hands of Jim Watt in Glasgow, Scotland on a very close decision.

   The Baltazar/Davis fight was a classic with Tony knocking down Davis twice. But when the final bell rang, and the scores were read by the ring announcer, it was Davis who was awarded the controversial decision. The bout was scored using the old "rounds" system which nulified the importance of the knockdowns, and may have cost Baltazar the decision.  Either way, it was a solid performance from "The Tiger" and only improved his reputation as a world class contender.

   Baltazar came back with a very high class of opposition now facing him.  A big win against respected Roque Montoya in which Baltazar overcame a point deduction to win handily on all 3 judges scorecards, and he was stopped in round 9 against another world ranked contender - Robin Blake.

   Tony rebounded from that tough loss against Blake to go on an 8-0, 6 ko path of total destruction which included wins over Roger Mayweather (Unanimous Decision), Miguel Angel Dominguez (tko-7), and Sammy Brooks (tko-7) before traveling to New York to face former IBF Jr. Welterweight World Champion - James Buddy McGirt (42-2-1) in a 10 round main event. The night belonged to McGirt who battled his way to a unanimous decision win.

   Baltazar was still in the mix, and two fights later scored a big win - stopping Pedro Laza (30-5) in 3 rounds.  After stopping tough Danny Vargas in his next fight fought in Albuquerque, NM and televised on the Univision network, Baltazar was named as the challenger for undefeated Hector "Macho" Camacho's (37-0) WBO Jr. Welterweight World championship title.

   August 11, 1990 was the big night for Baltazar who finally got his well earned shot at a world title. It was televised on HBO and was a very highly anticipated night for boxing fans around the world. The event featured some of the top names in the game including Meldrick Taylor, Primo Ramos, Pernell Whitaker, and Juan Nazario.

   Baltazar was dangerous all the way through, but it was Camacho who used his slick and elusive boxing skills to win a pretty clear unanimous decision, denying Baltazar of the world title.

   California's "Tiger" Baltazar scored back to back knockout wins, and then dropped a razor-thin split decision to "Rockin' Rodney" Moore, and got his 2nd shot at a world title.  This time it was against another unbeaten champion, Mexico City's Carlos "Bolillo" Gonzalez (35-0, 31 ko).  Even though Gonzalez was undefeated, and the champion, Baltazar would have much of the crowd behind him as the bout was held at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles.

   The champion was patient as Baltazar came out fast and looked sharp. The Mexican knockout artist caught Baltazar in the first round and stopped him via 3 knockdowns at 2:22 of the opening round to defend his world title.

 

Baltazar was a fan favorite of Southern California Pro Boxing!

    Baltazar fought twice more knocking out Jose Robert Lopez in round 1, and then losing via disqualification to unbeaten Jaime Ocegueda in Laughlin, Nevada.

   Tony Baltazar retired, but returned nearly 8 years later for his final fight in Feb. of 2002.  Nearly 23 years after his first professional bout, he battled to win a majority decision over Denver's Eugene Lopez to put a winning finish to an incredible journey.

   Tony finished with a final record of 38 wins, 7 defeats, 1 draw, and won 30 by knockout.  Check out his complete ledger on boxrec.com: Tony "The Tiger" Baltazar's COMPLETE pro ledger

   He was a fan favorite, he delighted the crowds, always gave them their money's worth with his heart, skill and ferocious style!

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QUINCY TAYLOR

   He is considered one of the greatest fighters to ever come out of Dallas, Texas.  He is not a household name, but boxing fans that really know the sport speak with great respect about Quincy Taylor.

   He turned professional August 13, 1986, stopping John Robinson who could not continue after 3 rounds at the Forum in Inglewood, California.  Notice was served that this was a middleweight prospecct to watch.

   Quincy ran off a string of wins, starting his career at 10-0 with 9 knockouts, defeating 3 undefeated fellow prospects in that stretch. He was gaining a reputation as a knockout artist and was ready to be stepped-up to a high level.

   At 10-0 he was put in against another top-notch prospect named Terry Norris who was 16-2, 10 ko's. It was a great battle with both guys having their moments, but when the scores were read, it was "Terrible" Terry Norris who got the nod on scores of 97-94 x 2, and 96-94 to win this battle of highly regarded prospects.  It was a disappointed but realistic Taylor who told Al Bernstein at the post-fight interview on espn, that Norris had the edge in experience and that was what probably pulled it out.

Quincy Taylor tags Terry Norris with a big left in their 1988 encounter

    Even though he took his first loss, Taylor's performance against the highly regarded (and future world champion) Terry Norris proved that he was ready to be groomed for title contention.  His level of opposition remained high, and he scored wins against Gilbert Baptist (17-10), Tomas Perez (22-4), and unbeaten Mario Gaston (23-0) before losing a technical decision to former WBC Welterweight world champion - Jorge Vaca (45-9-1) when the fight had to be stopped with Vaca ahead on the scorecards to get the win.

   The close loss to Jorge Vaca didn't hurt Taylor at all.  He was given a chance at his first title belt in his next fight against Armando Rodriguez (21-3-1) for the IBF Inter-continental Jr. Middleweight title.  Taylor made the most of it as he stopped the defending champion in round 7 to win that coveted first belt.

   That first loss to Jorge Vaca felt like unfinished business to all involved, so a rematch was set up at the scene of the first meeting - The Great Western Forum in Inglewood, CA.  The match went the distance, but it was again Vaca who got the decision win in the 10-round main event.

   Taylor then ran off a 6-fight win streak earning him a chance to win a 2nd title belt, this time it was for the NABF middleweight championship against defending champion Otis Grant who was undefeated (22-0), the Canadian champion, and making his 4th defense of the North American Title.

   It was an incredible night for Quincy Taylor who was engaged in a war with the defending champion.  It was close, but just to make sure no crazy scorecards got in the way, Taylor knocked out Grant in the 12th and final round to win the title.  It is a good thing he scored that knockout as USA Network's broadcast team informed Taylor at the post-fight interview that even though it seemed clear to their eyes that Taylor was cruising to a certain decision win, two of the official judges had Grant ahead on their scorecards, and the third judge had it even!  No matter, Taylor sealed the win with the 10-count knockout.

   Quincy defended that NABF title proudly in his next 3 fights with fantastic title defense wins against: Derrick Rolon (19-1), Rodney Toney (19-0-2), and Rafael Williams (33-14).... all by technical knockout!

   He was a proven world class and world ranked contender now, and he finally got his shot at a world championship.  

   It was August 19, 1995 when Quincy Taylor took his 25-3 record into a challenge for the WBC Middleweight Championship against one of the most fearsome knockout punchers in boxing - Julian "The Hawk" Jackson (51-3, 47 knockouts).  It was a star-studded event staged by Don King productions, headlined by Mike Tyson's return to the ring against "Hurricane" Peter McNeeley and televised on Showtime PPV.  It was a big night for Quincy Taylor, and the fight was a battle right up to the point where he hurt Jackson with a body punch, and then unleashed on him forcing referee Jay Nady to wave the fight to a stop.  Quincy Taylor was the new WBC Middleweight Champion of the world!

   His title reign was short-lived as he lost in his first title defense 7 months later to Keith Holmes (28-1) on the undercard of the Mike Tyson/Frank Bruno rematch.  The fight was close as the judge's scores indicated (77-76, and 77-75 x 2) up to the point of the stoppage.

   Taylor would fight just twice more in the next 5 years, winning both by knockout.  His final bout came on June 16, 2001, and what a way to go out, handing Fred Moore (25-0) his first defeat by technical knockout in round 4.

   Quincy Taylor was a fight-fan's fighter.  Hard punching, and a solid technician. Nothing fancy, no cute nicknames or colorful costumes, just a pure warrior who won titles, and even reached the mountain-top winning the WBC World Championship too! He is also reputed to have dropped Sugar Ray Leonard in a sparring session when Ray was training for his historic fight against Marvelous Marvin Hagler!

   He finished with an outstanding record of 28-4, with 24 of those wins by knockout

Check out his complete pro record: QUINCY TAYLOR ON BOXREC

If you would like to see Quincy Taylor in action, I have the following bouts available for trade on DVD:

 1. TERRY NORRIS  [L-10]
2. DONALD JOHNSON  [tko-7]
3. GILBERT BAPTIST  [w-10]
4. TOMAS PEREZ  [w-10]
5. MARIO GASTON  [tko-7]
6. JORGE VACA #1  [L-Tech-6]
7. JORGE VACA #2  [L-10]
8. OTIS GRANT  [ko-12] {NABF Middle Title}
9. DERRICK ROLON  [tko-8] {NABF Middle Title}
10. RODNEY TONEY  [tko-12] {NABF Middle Title}
11. JULIAN JACKSON  [tko-6] {WBC Middle Title}
12. KEITH HOLMES  [tko-by-9] {WBC Middle Title}

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DONNY GIRON

   After an outstanding amateur boxing campaign that saw him rise to as high as #3 ranked in the Nation, Denver Colorado's Donny Giron turned professional on July 1, 1988, stopping Rene Martinez in round 3 of the pro debut for both fighters.

   His 2nd pro bout was not as successful as he was stopped by Danny Trevino (2-0) in round 3 when the ringside physician advised the referee to halt the brutal bout.

   They didn't give him an easy assignment in his next fight as he was put in with unbeaten prospect "Lightning" Joe Gatti (4-0). The fight was on the undercard of a twin-World-Title-bill at the Las Vegas Hilton that featured Thomas Hearns vs James Kinchen (for the vacant WBO Super middleweight title), and Michael Nunn vs Juan Roldan (for the IBF Middleweight title).  Gatti would go on to challenge for 3 different world titles, but on this night, it was Donny Giron who handed him his first taste of defeat by scoring the tko in round 1!  A huge win for Giron.

   Giron fought just 18 days later and scored another 1st round knockout (over Jose Emanuel Varela) before being put in with unbeaten Leroy Owens (6-0) where they fought to a majority decision draw.

   He continued on an upward path scoring two more wins before fighting to a draw against another unbeaten prospect in Roosevelt Walker (8-0) on the undercard of James Buddy McGirt vs Tony Baltazar in New York.  The buzz around ringside was that Giron deserved the win, but the judges called it even.

   Giron ran off a streak of 5 straight knockout wins, among those was a 1st round tko over highly regarded Louis Howard (19-3-1, 15 ko) at the Kiva auditorium in Albuquerque, NM.  That win boosted Donny's reputation into the next level of the division.

   Sept. 28, 1990 pitted Giron against another top prospect in Mexico's knockout artist - Luis "Tyson" Vazquez (16-3-1, 13 ko).  It was a great matchup of two boxers who were poised to step up into world contention.  The bout held at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago was carried on univision network. Julio Cesar Chavez was at ringside in support of his countryman - Vazquez.  Leon Spinks was also in attendance.  The fight saw Giron using movement and quick hands to score repeatedly, while Vazquez put on the pressure and fired bombs. Giron was knocked down in round 4, and again in round 5 before being stopped in round 6 of a war.
  

   Giron was back in the ring just 2 1/2 months later, and scored 5 more wins, 3 by ko moving his record to an impressive 15-2-2, 12 by ko and earning him a shot at NABF Middleweight champion, the undefeated Lamar "Kidfire" Parks (18-0, 14 ko) for his title.  The bout was held in the champion's home town of Greenville, SC and was scheduled for 12 rounds, but it only went 6.  Parks was too much that night, as he dropped the challenger twice before stopping him.

   Donny bounced back with a tko win, and then moved up into the Super Middleweight division and took a tko loss to Carl Jones (19-4-4).

   Five years later, Giron returned to the ring as a Light Heavyweight where he scored a unanimous decision win over fellow Coloradan - Berry "Iron Butterfly" Basler and then took 3 straight defeats  to Light Heavyweight opponents with a combined record of  39-1-1, with the last fight of his career coming on May 19, 2001 - nearly 13 years after his professional debut.  That farewell bout resulted in a tko loss to unbeaten Daniel Judah (9-0-1) at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.

   Donny Giron will be remembered as a fan friendly warrior who was always in great scraps, and usually came out on top.  He was ranked as high as #20 in the world, and was always looked at as a potential world title challenger, but he never got that shot.  He is a member of the Colorado Golden Gloves Boxing Hall of Fame.

   Giron finished with a final professional record of 17 wins, 7 losses, 2 draws, and he won 13 by knockout.

CHECK OUT DONNY GIRON'S COMPLETE PRO LEDGER ON: BOXREC.COM

If you would like to see Donny Giron in ring action, I have the following bouts available for trade on DVD: (Contact me via E-Mail for information)

RICARDO CARDENAS -v1017            [ko-1]
LOUIS HOWARD -v1014                [tko-1]
ALBERTO GARCIA-v287                [tko-3]
LUIS "Tyson" VAZQUEZ -v270            [tko-by-6]
LAMAR "Kid Fire" PARKS -v474            [tko-by-6] {NABF Middle Title}

Amateur:
Benny Palomino(Utah) -591
Jose Arias -597
Marcos Martinez(NM) -912
Henry Anaya Jr. (NM) -946 

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PERRY BALLARD

Nickname: "The Punisher"

   Born in Madison, West Virginia - Perry "The Punisher" Ballard got a late start in the pro ranks.  After a brief but successful amateur run, going 17-2, he turned professional at an event in Myrtle Beach SC on April 30, 1999 at the age of 32. It was a great start as he scored a 2nd round tko over Kerney Bennett.

   The proud Native American (Cherokee) boxer ran his record to 5-0 winning 3 by ko and was matched against 95 fight veteran Benji "Bad News" Singleton in Singleton's home town of Charlotte NC.  Ballard came away with a split decision victory in a bout that was good enough to do a rematch, but this time it would be for the vacant WBF Inter-Continental Jr. Middleweight title.  The first meeting was a 6 round under-card bout.  This time it was stepped to a 12 round main event, and it would be held on neutral turf in Leesburg, VA.  August 3, 2001 was the night that Perry Ballard took his first title belt with a 9th round stoppage of Singleton.

   After a 4 round tune-up win, Ballard returned to Leesburg VA and defended his title belt via 4th round tko over tough Tony Ault of Columbus, OH.

   Ballard then went on an 8-fight knockout win streak and found his self being stepped up in class as he put his unbeaten (17-0) record on the line against world ranked Jimmy Lange (25-2-1) in a non-title bout scheduled for 12 rounds.  The bout was the semi-main event of a card that featured Lamont Pearson (21-3-1) taking on Shamir Reyes (18-3-2) for the vacant USBA Jr. Lightweight title.  Ballard took his first defeat being stopped in round 4.

  

Perry Ballard was a fan favorite!

   Ballard took the loss in stride, and bounced back with a 2nd round tko win over 2-time world title challenger Bobby Elkins (29-20) followed up with back-to-back wins over Travis Clybourn stopping Clybourn in the first meeting, and then winning the rematch via convincing unanimous decision.

   With his record now standing at 20-1 and having held the WBF's Welterweight Championship, Ballard was named as the opponent to face off with a boxing legend - Hector "Macho" Camacho (78-5-2) in a 12 rounder for the vacant WBF International Jr. Middleweight title.  The bout was held at Reliant Arena in Houston TX.  It was the legendary Camacho's night as he stopped Ballard in round 7 adding another title belt to his collection.

It was a big night of boxing in Houston, TX!

   That loss to Camacho would be the last defeat tasted by Ballard.  He came back with an 8-round majority draw against Richard Dinkins on scores of 77-75 for Ballard, and 76-76 x 2.

   Ballard ran off a 4-fight win streak scoring wins in a 2nd and 3rd meeting with South Carolina's Booker Mullins (both 1st round tko wins), and then he avenged the draw he had against Richard Dinkins with a 6 round unanimous decision victory to run his record to 24-2-1.

   Perry Ballard's win streak got him noticed and he was named as one of the challengers for the vacant WBF World Super Middleweight Championship against Hannibal, Missouri's popular 57 fight veteran - Steve "The Spoiler" Walker.  It was a grand night for Ballard in what was expected to be his final fight, he went out with a 4th round technical knockout win to gain the WBF World Title!

  

   It turned out not to be his final pro bout after all.  nearly 3 years later, at the age of 50 years old, Ballard returned to the ring in a rematch against Walker - who was determined to avenge his world title loss to Ballard.  But Perry did it again, on July 22 of 2017 - winning a unanimous 6 round decision in the rematch.

   It was an amazing journey for a man who got a late start in boxing, gave the fans plenty to cheer about, and won titles including the WBF's World title... at age 47! 










 As of this writing, his pro record is: 26 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw, with 19 wins by knockout.  Check out his pro ledger at boxrec:

  PERRY BALLARD Pro Record

   That may not even be the end of the story.  There is talk that Ballard may be back in the ring one day soon.   ....at age 52!  He is working on a law degree and will be going for his LLM.  Ballard is a family man who succeeds, and when his boxing days are "officially" over, he is ready to start the next chapter of his amazing journey in life!

If you would like to see Perry "The Punisher" Ballard in ring action for yourself, I have the following bouts available for trade on DVD:

PERRY BALLARD vs

TRAVIS CLYBOURNE #2    [w-8]
  TONY AULT #1                    [tko-4]
TONY AULT #2                  [tko-3]
 BOOKER MULLINS #2      [ko-1]

Contact me for information: The Boxing Guru

 

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MAT TALES - True Stories from the Bizarre, Brutal World of Pro Boxing

  

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