On June 22, 2021 in Humble, Texas, at the Humble Civic Center, Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez and Francisco “El Volcan” Cordero will box for the American Boxing Organization (ABO) Intercontinental Light-Heavyweight Championship. The bout is scheduled for ten rounds and will be contested at the light-heavyweight limit of 175 pounds.
After retiring briefly due to several injuries Lopez, of Cut and Shoot, Texas is 100% healthy and ready to begin a new chapter in his career.
Cordero, of Baranquilla, Colombia is a young veteran of 49 professional bouts, who has fought for The World Boxing Union, (German) Light-Heavyweight Championship.
The co-main event of the night will feature second generation boxing prodigy Arturo “El Diamantito” Marquez. Arturo had a solid amateur career and has been steadily carving out his own niche as a professional. A winner of 10 professional bouts with 6 knockouts, Arturo is well on his way to becoming the next professional boxing champion in the Marquez family.
Doors open at 6 PM and the action starts at 7 PM on June, 22, 2018, at The Humble Civic Center, 8233 Will Clayton Parkway, Humble, Texas, 77338.
Along with Coach Montemayor, Magnolia “Y” boxers featured in pictures include, Oscar Trevino, David Martinez Jr, Joel Ramirez, George Valdez, Ruben Nuncio, Ernest Tobias, Gus Macias, Howard Mena, Oscar Rodriguez,Paul Nuncio and Joe Louis Valdez.
Fighters named in captions are Magnolia YWCA boxers, other fighters shown in pics but not Magnolia “Y” boxers and not named in captions are Danny O’Quinn, Ronnie Blair, Ronald Sewell, Joseph Donatta, Johnny Boudreaux, Kenny Weldon.
(left) Oscar Trevino and David Martinez Jr
Coach Santos Montemayor and Ernest Tobias
bottom row, (right to left) Joel Ramirez, George Valdez, Oscar Trevino, and David Martinez Jr. top row, middle Ruben Nuncio
bottom row, (far right) Coach Santos Montemayor, top row, far right, Joel Ramirez, third from right, David Martinez Jr, middle, Ruben Nuncio
(right to left) Joe Louis Valdez, Gus Macias, Oscar Rodriguez.
(right side) David Martinez Jr
(left to right) George Valdez, David Martinez Jr, Ruben Nuncio, Coach Montemayor
Ray Ontiveros and his Ray’s Boxing Club have been fixtures in the Houston boxing scene for as long as I can remember and he and his club have always been known for manufacturing some of the best boxers in the city. Countless boxers from all over the city have always gravitated to his gyms in the Northside of Houston, from the well known to some many have never heard of but were elite boxers in their own right. He’s probably best known as an Olympic Coach for The 2000 United States Olympic Boxing Team, and Coach of 2000 Olympic Silver Medal Champion Ricardo “Rocky” Juarez.
Ray has coached, trained, and managed many amateur and professional contenders and champions over the years with incredible success and is known worldwide as one of the most knowledgeable boxing minds in the boxing business. There are too many names to mention or remember but a few names include: Joe “Cool” Garcia, Jason Martinez, Daniel Palomo, Pasqual Aranda, Danny Reyes, Larry O’Shields, Rocky Juarez, Gerardo “Tin Tin” Ibarra, Damazo Tello and many, many more!
Ray is currently working with boxers Julio Sanchez, Juanito Perez, and Jose Garcia. Ray, Juanito, and Julio recently participated in a sparring benefit/celebration in honor of recently deceased Coach Kenny Weldon and Julio and Juanito looked to be in great condition while displaying their elite level boxing skills. Clutch City Boxing, Fighter Nation Boxing and everyone involved with the organization of that event would like to thank Ray, Juanito, and Julio for their kindness and generosity in making that event a successful one!
Houston boxers Darius Fulghum and Oscar Perez won National Golden Gloves Championship titles at The National Golden Gloves Championship in Omaha, Nebraska last week. Both Oscar and Darius represented The Texas Golden Glove Champions Team with tremendous success, with Oscar bringing home a bronze medal for third place in the 132 pound division and Darius bringing home the Championship Belt for first place in the 201 pound division.
Oscar boxes out of The Perez Boxing Club and Darius boxes out of The O Athletik Boxing Club, and both won Houston and Texas State Golden Gloves Championships in their weight divisions before participating in The National Golden Gloves.
Martel Washpun, another Houston Golden Gloves and Texas State Golden Gloves Champion also competed and represented Houston and The Gulf LBC very well, losing a close decision before the medal rounds.
Houston and The Gulf LBC also represented very well at The Texas State Golden Gloves Championships prior to the national tournament, with 7 of our fighters boxing in the championship rounds, eventually winning 5 out of the 10 State Titles up for grabs in that tournament. Winners there were Ephraim Bui (108), Martel Washpun (123), Oscar Perez (132), Alex Donis (152), and Darius Fulghum (201).
Congratulations go out to these young men on their extraordinary accomplishments and also thanks for their hard work and discipline, that helped proved once again, that Houston, Texas is one of the premier boxing cities in the nation and the world!
On May 12, 2018, Clutch City Boxing and friends, along with The Weldon Family gathered together to celebrate the life of the late Coach Kenny Weldon. The day consisted of old friends coming together along with new friends to pay respect to and celebrate Coach Kenny, in the most appropriate way possible, through boxing.
Fighter Nation Boxing Club, Ray’s Boxing Club, El Tigre Promotions and Boxing Academy, Martinez Boxing, Savannah Boxing, Charlo Boxing, Cut and Shoot Boxing , Atzlan Boxing (South Houston), and King Boxing all had boxers participating in sparring, with several even sparring boxers above their weight class, and/or sparring several times to make the day a success.
Ernest Tobias and Cesar Mendoza
The day of sparring, music, food, and friendship, began with an excellent display of boxing between K.B. Renteria and Cesar Mendoza, two boxers whose boxing heritage can be traced directly back to Coach Kenny and The Galena Park Boxing Academy. K.B. is trained and coached by his uncle Eleazar “Pelon” Renteria and Cesar is trained and coached by Ernest Tobias, both of whom trained for many years under Kenny Weldon. Both coaches learned their lessons well at The Galena Park Boxing Academy and have began to pass those lessons on to the boxers they train, which was evident in the advanced boxing skills displayed by their respective 9 year old boxers.
Eleazar “Pelon” Renteria and K.B. Renteria
The day continued with excitement as every boxer involved gave their best and there were many boxers whose boxing lineage could also be traced back to Kenny participating , especially since the hosting club, Fighter Nation was founded by Termite Watkins, who was one of Kenny Weldon’s first boxing students.
Josh Renteria and Josue Morales were two of several boxers that came to spar but were not able to due to several teams and individual boxers no-showing and not giving any advanced notice. Clutch City Boxing and Fighter Nation appreciate every boxer who did come to spar whether they were matched or not and we thank you for your efforts. We were also disappointed we did not get to watch Mark and Jose spar since we had been looking forward to watching both apply their advanced boxing skills.
“DJ B.T.L” Denzel James provided music and doubled as an announcer as the boxers entered the ring, along with keeping the crowd and boxers informed of the days activities such as the glove raffles and attending celebrities. “It’s Krucial” Jordn Mikalz got the crowd excited and involved when he performed his rendition of The Houston Rockets Playoff Anthem. His contribution was much appreciated as he lifted the spirit of the crowd and injected his positive energy into the room. His song based on The Houston Rockets playoff run but explained by Jordn as an ode to everything “Houston” was a perfect celebratory song for the event and was enjoyed by all.
So many groups and individuals contributed to the day that it’s almost impossible to name them all but a few of the major contributors were , Reggie Johnson, Beverly Hollis, Termite Watkins and The Fighter Nation Family, Alfonso Lopez and The El Tigre Promotions Team, Ray Ontiveros and The Ray’s Boxing Team, David Martinez and The Martinez Boxing Team, The Renteria Family and The King Boxing Team, Melvin Dennis, Warren Williams, Bigfoot Martin, Rafael “Tiger” Medina and Family, Martin Allison, Ernest Tobias, J.P. Portillo, Mark and Amanda Harris, The Weldon Family, Mike Phelps, Tom Trimm and many more.
Clutch City Boxing would like to thank everyone who attended this event and/or contributed to making this celebration of Coach Kenny’s life a successful and fun day for everyone involved. I personally was overwhelmed by the graciousness and generous nature of everyone involved, who all gave their time freely without asking for anything in return, and I am eternally grateful to you all.
A huge thank you to Alfonso Lopez and everyone at El Tigre Promotions LLC. for their participation and presence at The Kenny Weldon Sparring Benefit, tomorrow May, 12, 2018 at Fighter Nation Boxing Gym.
Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez is well known as one of the best boxers to come out of The State of Texas in many years and has had much success as an amateur and now as a professional. Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, he made his boxing debut as an amateur under the guidance and training of Felix Ramirez and Henry Harris Jr. of The Cut and Shoot Boxing Gym, and has represented that historic boxing tradition very well ever since.
In 2017 Alfonso and several partners founded El Tigre Promotions LLC, with the intention to host quality professional boxing events in Houston, Texas and its surrounding areas, while providing local boxers a platform to display their skills and progress their careers. Having several military veterans on the El Tigre Team, the organization is also involved with giving back to those that defend our freedom and have partnered with Camp Hope, a PTSD Foundation of America Outreach Program, giving a portion of all proceeds earned to that program.
The team of (General Manager) Chris Stalder, (President) Alfonso Lopez, and (Vice President) Felix Ramirez got off to a terrific start in their inaugural promotion at The Galveston Island Convention Center at The San Luis Resort, bringing a fantastic night of boxing to Galveston, Texas in a beautiful venue. The team is currently focusing on their second event, being held at The Humble Civic Center on June 22nd, which will feature the second generation of another storied boxing tradition, Arturo Marquez in the co-main event, and the return of “El Tigre” Alfonso Lopez himself in the main event!
Again Clutch City Boxing and everyone involved in the organization of the sparring benefit and celebration in honor of Kenny Weldon, would like to thank Alfonso and The El Tigre Promotions Team for taking time out of their busy schedules to participate in this event.
Texas boxing history will continue on June 22, 2021 at The Humble Civic Center, when Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez returns to the ring in the main event, and Arturo “El Diamantito” Marquez boxes in the co-main event. The El Tigre Promotions event, billed Texas Title Night is sure to bring more exciting boxing action as their inaugural Galveston Fight Night did last month in Galveston.
Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez , 27-3 as a professional, is a proud product of The Cut and Shoot/ Harris Boxing Legacy, and is a multiple time Houston and Texas State Golden Gloves Champion , as well as a National Golden Gloves Silver Medalist as an amateur. As a professional he is a former W.B.C Continental Americas Super Middleweight Champion and current Texas State Super Middleweight Champion. Alfonso has had many impressive performances in the ring but his greatest may have been his spirited effort in batting former World Champion Kelly Pavlik at The MGM Grand Arena in 2011. Alfonso hurt his right hand early in the bout but continued a beautiful boxing display, losing a disputed majority decision.
Alfonso is trained by Head Trainer Henry Harris Jr, Felix Ramirez, and Henry’s sons Trey and John Harris. Henry Harris Jr. is a former four time Golden Glove Champion, who fought Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay in the 1960 National Golden Gloves Tournament. Henry has trained and worked with many accomplished boxers including former United States Olympian Chuck Walker, James “Bubba” Busceme, Mike Williams, and Sherman Griffin, along with Trey Harris and nephew Monte Lane. Henry is also brother to the famous Roy Harris, who won many Golden Gloves Championships as an amateur and fought Floyd Patterson for The Heavyweight Championship of The World.
Arturo “El Diamantito” Marquez , 65-10 as an amateur and 10-0 with 6 knockouts as a professional, continues The Marquez Boxing Legacy. The son of former United States Olympian and I.B.F. Junior Middleweight Champion Raul “El Diamante” Marquez, Arturo has been busy carving out his own legacy winning ten professional bouts against consistently tougher competition.
“El Diamantito” is trained by his Grandfather Arturo, Father Raul, and Uncle Aldo, who will all be in his corner on June 22nd at Texas Title Night. Boxing is definitely a family tradition in the Marquez family as even “El Diamantito’s” Grandmother Yolanda contributes as an assistant coach at The Marquez Boxing Gym!
Two Texas boxing legacies, who bring generations of experience and Texas boxing history with them into the ring, will be competing in the main event and co-main event on June 22, 2021 at The Humble Convention Center, don’t miss it!
As many of you know, highly acclaimed boxing coach Kenny Weldon passed on April 13, 2018. Kenny was forced to retire from boxing due to health reasons and had been in poor health for several years before passing away. As we are well aware there is no retirement fund for former boxers and coaches and Kenny’s family is now faced with medical bills along with final expense bills, in addition to losing the patriarch of their family.
Several friends and I have gotten together to organize a benefit to help with Kenny’s final expenses and we will be giving 100% of the proceeds of the benefit to his family. The event is being held at The Fighter Nation Boxing Gym, at 13305 Woodforest, Houston, Texas, 77015, on May 12, 2021 from 11 A.M . to 5 P.M.
The benefit will include amateur and professional boxers sparring in exhibition matches, along with live music, raffles, and food and drinks that will be sold for donations. The entrance donation fee is only $10 and along with the entertainment, attendees will also get the opportunity to meet some famous boxing personalities who will be attending. We will have many boxers from past and present in attendance. The first three to offer their help in supporting this event are well known boxers from our area.
Maurice “Termite” Watkins, is a Houston native, and was Kenny Weldon’s first boxing student. Termite is a former National Amateur Champion, who was also the youngest ever at 16 years old, to achieve that goal. He then boxed on the same United States National Boxing Team as Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns, where they represented America in International competition. He would later turn professional and was a top-ten contender, once challenging Saoul Mamby for The W.B.C World Light Welterweight Championship. Termite also trained, coached, and cornered Iraq boxer Najah Ali for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Termite has been very helpful and involved in the organization of this event and he was also kind enough to donate the use of his Fighter Nation Boxing Gym for the benefit event to be held. Termite’s book, (They Call Me Termite) recounts many stories from his inspirational life and we are very excited to have him be able to attend.
Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez, is a native of Cut and Shoot, Texas, and is also a representative of the famous Cut “N” Shoot / Harris Boxing legacy. Alfonso is trained by Henry Harris Jr, former heavyweight title contender Roy Harris, and Felix Ramirez. As an amateur Alfonso was a multiple time Houston and Texas State Golden Gloves Champion, as well as a National Golden Gloves Silver Medalist. As a professional he is a former W.B.C. Continental Americas Super Middleweight Champion, and current Texas State Super Middleweight Champion. Alfonso was also very generous to agree to attend this event as he has been very busy with his El Tigre Boxing Promotions, as well as training for a return to the ring on June 22, 2021 at The Humble Convention Center.
Reggie “Sweet” Johnson, is a Houston native and former three-time World Champion at two different weights, (middleweight and light heavy weight). Reggie grew up in Houston’s Fifth Ward and was a student of long time Houston boxing coaches James Carter and John Alvarado Sr. Reggie was actually the first person to offer his services and has also been very helpful in the organization of this event. When I initially spoke to Reggie he was very enthusiastic to be a part of this event and upon agreeing to participate told me, “I’m all in and we also must get everyone else together to do something for Kenny”. Reggie then shared a few sayings which he stated his coach James Carter taught and consistently drilled into him during his years with Carter. Two impressive ones that I believe are also relevant to this event were:
“Just as I am here for you today, you must be there for someone else tomorrow”
and
“We may represent different teams and fight each other in the ring, but we are all one boxing family”.
