Fighters from across the state gathered at the National Guard
Armory in Gilroy Saturday to take part in the first-ever
”
Throw Down in Garlic Town,
”
an event showcasing some of the best amateur boxing California
has to offer.
Gilroy – Fighters from across the state gathered at the National Guard Armory in Gilroy Saturday to take part in the first-ever “Throw Down in Garlic Town,” an event showcasing some of the best amateur boxing California has to offer. With a total of twenty bouts, over 400 fight fans definitely had enough action to walk away feeling punchy.
The boxers came in all shapes and sizes – from as young and compact as nine years old, 58 pounds, to as weathered and heavy as 32 years old and 286 pounds. Left 2 Right Boxing Club coach Jerry Rodriguez promoted and organized the successful card.
“It was a great event, we packed out the whole place,” Rodriguez said. “I did my homework as far as putting Central and Northern California together and Gilroy has not had a boxing event since 1997. This event was one of the biggest things to happen in Gilroy in a while, as far as boxing.”
The event had music, a raffle and of course, fights upon fights. The youngest boxers were allowed to go at it for only one minute while older competitors duked it out until the bell rang or one fighter had their bell rung. Local gyms that submitted fighters in the event included Gilroy Boxing Club, Bad Intentions, Silver and Black, Left 2 Right and Stick and Move.
The “Fight of the Night” award went to a bout featuring 13-year-old Gilroyan Cesar Gomez who took on Ivan Bucio, a boxer two years his senior.
“It was a slugfest,” Rodriguez said. “They were both punching all the way to the end of the rounds. They both ended up tired, but they were still slugging. Cesar just came out with a few more punches connecting with the guy. It was great fight.”
Other winners included Randy Guerrero, the younger brother of IBF Featherweight champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero. The 122-pound Guerrero, fighting out of Silver and Black gym, defeated 14-year-old Joshua Kezin in a three-round unanimous decision.
Seventh-grader Derek Shingu, also from Gilroy, took on a bigger opponent but was able to win all three rounds in his fight.
“He did really good, real aggressive,” Rodriguez said. “He’s an open fighter and he’s really catching on great.”
Shingu has been with Left 2 Right boxing for three and a half years and recently became a Silver Glove Northern Region Champion for the Northern California local boxing clubs. He also won an international championship in Tulare, Calif. in 2006, according to Rodriguez.
With such a high turnout to watch local fights, Rodriguez, who started planning Saturday’s event in January, now has people clamoring for him to put another card together,
“I was asked to do a tie-in with another (club) and maybe throw one in San Jose and another one in the spring time for Gilroy,” he said. That’s a great possibility, I just have to check out the timing.”
