Williams, Valdez Put Up a Fight

By VINCE KOWALICK , L.A. Times Staff Writer

Professional boxing in the region has taken a beating in recent months.
Fight cards featuring up-and-coming fighters in four-round bouts have been
few and far between since the last bout was staged at Reseda Country Club in
December 1998.

Robert Valdez and Ron Williams are attempting to change that.

Far from the first promoters to play the local game, Valdez, of Oxnard, and
Williams, of Valencia, aren't exactly going toe-to-toe, nor are they
stablemates.

Both are finding the fight game a challenge, as far as assembling quality
cards while keeping afloat financially.

"We exchange ideas and give each other leads," said Valdez, whose third
program at Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas is scheduled for July 11.

In recent years, the Country Club and the Woodland Hills Marriott Hotel were
the sites of regular boxing until promoters started taking it on the chin at
the gate.

Undaunted, Williams and Valdez continue to recruit young fighters and stage
small-time shows. Both claim to be gaining momentum.

"Strategically, we're right on target, although I hope to branch out more in
the San Fernando Valley," Williams said. "We do have a captive audience in
the Santa Clarita Valley, while his Oxnard-Sagebrush [program] caters to the
locals there."

Said Valdez: "It doesn't hurt me that Ron is doing his shows. It's really
two different crowds."

Valdez was in attendance last weekend for Williams' third show this year at
the Valencia Hyatt Hotel, an outdoor program that attracted only a modest
crowd, despite a competitive card.

RW Promotions, Williams' fledgling company, has tentatively scheduled its
next show in early September, probably at the Hyatt.

Valdez's Primitive Sports Promotions has held shows in Oxnard, Ventura and
Woodland Hills in the last three years.

Don't expect marquee names or mouth-watering matchups on either promoter's
cards. Valdez's next show will feature an eight-round main event between
featherweights Memo Moreno of Beaumont and Nobuto Honmo of Japan.

Williams' program last week featured a WBC FECAR junior-lightweight title
bout, won by Roger Medal of Pasadena with a 12th-round knockout of Israel
Correa of Oxnard.

That's about as big-time as it gets. But that doesn't mean the bouts aren't
competitive.

* * * *
Juan Ruiz of Santa Clarita, a former soccer player at Hart High, figures to
be a regular attraction on Williams' cards after two performances that
impressed ringside observers.

Ruiz, 20, body-punched his way to a six-round unanimous decision over
formidable Arturo Flores of Pacoima in a junior-featherweight bout. Ruiz
(2-0) handed Flores his first defeat after three victories.

Ruiz delivered a barrage of compact combinations to the midsection, dropping
Flores to one knee in the fifth round with a hard left hook to the body.

* * * *
Lance Whitaker of Granada Hills, a.k.a. "Mount Whitaker" and the WBC
Continental Americas champion, will continue his quest toward the summit of
the heavyweight division against David "Dangerous" Dixon in a 10-round
nontitle bout July 21 at the Regent Las Vegas that will be broadcast on
Showtime.

The fight is billed as a co-feature to the 12-round main event between IBF
Intercontinental champion David Tua and former cruiserweight champion Robert
Daniels.

Whitaker, 20-1 with 17 knockouts, successfully defended his title June 11
with a second-round knockout against overmatched Thomas Williams. The bout
was Whitaker's first since suffering a knee injury while defeating Monte
Barrett for the title last August. It was his second fight since losing to
Lou Savarese in March 1999.

Savarese was flattened by Mike Tyson in 38 seconds last week in Scotland.

"He looked a little stiff, a little scared," Whitaker said of Savarese. "His
hesitancy was definitely there."

Despite his loss by decision to Savarese, Whitaker, who stands 6 feet 8,
claimed he would give the 5-10 Tyson a better match--although he doubted he
will ever fight the former world champion.

Alex Stewart is the only other common opponent of Tyson and Whitaker. Tyson
stopped Stewart in one round in 1990, his second fight after losing his
title to James "Buster" Douglas. Whitaker recorded a seventh-round technical
knockout over Stewart in January 1999 on the undercard of Tyson's knockout
of Francois Botha.

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