Posted on

A.B.O. Intercontinental Title Bout in Humble, Texas

On Friday June 22, 2018, Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez and Francisco ” El Volcan” Cordero will battle for The American Boxing Organization, Intercontinental Light-Heavyweight Championship. The bout, scheduled for ten rounds, is being promoted by El Tigre Promotions and will be held at The Humble Civic Center in Humble, Texas, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit The PTSD Foundation of America’s Camp Hope.

Lopez is well known as a boxing prodigy who came into the sport at a relatively late age, advanced very quickly, and became a two-time Houston and Texas State Golden Glove Champion, as well as a Silver Medal National Golden Glove Champion, in fewer than thirty five amateur contests!  A student of the Cut and Shoot/Harris boxing dynasty, Lopez received a sound boxing background from day one and was soon ready to embark on a professional career.

As a professional, Lopez again rose quickly, winning The Texas State Super Middle-Weight Title in his 13th bout, and The W.B.C. Continental Americas Super Middle-Weight Title in his 21st bout.  He then boxed former World Middle-Weight Champion Kelly Pavlik in a ten round bout, losing a controversial decision that many believed he should have won, or at least been scored a draw.

After taking some time off between 2015 and 2017 to heal some nagging injuries, Lopez returned in June 2017 and got two more wins before taking the rest of the year off to start up a promotions company with several partners, El Tigre Promotions LLC. He will be making his ring return this Friday, June 22nd in an A.B.O. Intercontinental Title match against a young, but seasoned veteran of the professional ranks, Francisco “El Volcan” Cordero, who has fought all over the world, including a bout against German, Light-Heavyweight Champion Denis Liebau.

The fight card billed, Texas Title Night, is packed with elite level talent including:

Raphael Igbokwe (Houston Texas), Armando Frausto (La Marque, Texas), Roberto Silva Jr (Houston, Texas), Saul Mendez (Katy, Texas), Christian Morris (Brownsville, Texas), Rege Harrison (Houston, Texas), Rey Trujillo (La Porte, Texas), Antonio Willaims (Ft Lauderdale, Florida), and Brandun Lee of Coachella, California.

The full bout list is displayed below, doors open at 6 PM, first bout starts at 7!  Humble Civic Center, 8233 Will Clayton Parkway, Humble, Texas, 77338.

Posted on

Lopez and Munoz Jr bring the heat at the High Stakes main event in Houston, Texas

noe lopez, rafael munoz jr, high stakes, houston, texas

June 8, 2018:

Noe Lopez and Rafael Munoz Jr engaged in a heated battle in the main event of The G.O.A.T. Promotions’, High Stakes. The bout featured boxing, brawling, a knockdown, momentum changes, drama, and toe to toe action. After four rounds of action Noe Lopez was awarded a well deserved decision to continue his winning ways and Rafael Munoz Jr raised his stock as a game fighter capable of beating anyone on any given day, and will assuredly be brought back for future opportunities.  The crowd was treated to an entertaining bout where both boxers gave everything they had and tried their best to knock each other out.

I  was happy to help out Coach David Martinez in the corner of Josue “El Zurdo de Oro” Morales in his 4 round match up against Jose Elizondo, in a match that pitted the smooth, southpaw skill of Morales vs the aggressive, boxer/puncher style of Elizondo.  The first round saw Morales land the first significant strike but both boxers having their moments during the round. From the second round on, Morales seemed to become more and comfortable and his landed punches increased every round. Elizondo was a strong, and game boxer though and continued applying pressure from the first bell to the last, always dangerous and never more than one punch from changing the momentum of the bout. Ultimately “El Zurdo do Oro’s” technique and poise was too much for Elizondo and “El Zurdo de Oro” was a unanimous decision winner.

Results from the rest of the card are as follows:

Juan Torres beat Jhaquis Davis in 4 rounds

Chris McCoy and Ray Trujillo boxed to a 4 round draw

Jahaziel Vazquez beat Eric Manriquez by referee stoppage in the 4th round.

D’Angelo Keys beat Alberto Navarro by first round TKO for the Texas State Lightweight Title.

Posted on

Houston Golden Gloves Boxing Icons / Jesse Valdez

jesse valdez, houston golden gloves, houston boxing, clutch city boxing, houston golden gloves icons,

Jesse Valdez is considered one of the finest boxers that The City of Houston, Texas has ever produced. A native of Houston’s Northside he began his boxing career at The Red Shield Boxing Club, and would go on to become a bronze medal winning Olympic Champion as a member of The 1972 United States Olympic Team.  Jesse won his first four Olympic matches by wide margins (5-0), (4-1), (4-1), and (5-0) with his lone loss coming to eventual gold medal winner Emilio Correa of Cuba, by a disputed (2-3) decision that left famed color commentator Howard Cossell, “Speechless”.

Jesse’s accomplishments in The Houston Golden Gloves and beyond are as follows.

Houston Golden Gloves Championships

1961     Junior Champion            100 lbs

1962    Novice Champion          Bantamweight

1963    Open Champion             Lightweight

1964    Open Champion             Welterweight

1965    Open Champion             Welterweight

1966    Open Champion             Welterweight

1967    Open Champion             Light Middleweight

1968    Open Champion             Light Middleweight

Winner of The Elby Pettaway Outstanding Boxer Award in 1964, 1965, 1966, and 1968.

Texas State Golden Gloves Champion in 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1972

U.S.A. National Golden Gloves Champion in 1967 and 1972

Pan-American Games Bronze Medal Champion 1967

U.S. Armed Forces Champion 1970, 1971, and 1972

Olympic Bronze Medal Champion 1972

Posted on

Local boxer and promoter Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez to box for The American Boxing Organization, Intercontinental Light-Heavyweight Title

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.

Posted on

Magnolia “Y” Champions

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.

Posted on

Ray Ontiveros

ray ontiveros, julio sanchez, juanito perez

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!

Posted on

Houston Golden Gloves Champion Boxers Win National Golden Gloves Titles

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!

Posted on

Clutch City Boxing and Friends Celebrate The Life of Coach Kenny Weldon

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.

 

Posted on

El Tigre Promotions, LLC.

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.

el tigre promotions, el tigre boxing promotions, chris stalder, alfonso el tigre lopez, felix ramirez,

 

Posted on

Martinez Boxing, Houston, Texas

 

The Martinez Boxing Team will be present at The Kenny Weldon Sparring Benefit and Celebration,  helping Clutch City Boxing and everyone attending to celebrate the life of boxing coach Kenny Weldon. Coach David Martinez is well known throughout the Houston boxing community as a person who works hard to bring his boxers and our city back into the national spotlight it held in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, and he has made a huge contribution in doing so in a relatively short amount of time. Coach Martinez certainly respects and loves the sport of boxing and always goes above and beyond for the boxers he trains and represents. He’s also a proud representative of Houston boxing and has always represented us well on a local and nationwide basis.

I recently went to The Martinez Boxing Gym when a fighter I was training received a small laceration during training and I needed some expert advice on how to best handle the healing of the cut, as well as  how to best keep it from bleeding should it open up during my fighter’s bout.  Coach Martinez was very helpful and generous with his knowledge and I must add, friendly and understanding when I explained to him that I knew the in ring aspects of boxing well, but not so much when it came to cuts and so forth.  I left his gym that day with a renewed respect and appreciation for his willingness to help out rather than judge as many coaches are apt to do, and I found his approach refreshing. Thankfully my fighter was able to stop his opponent in 59 seconds in his bout a few weeks after my meeting with Coach Martinez and the cut never became an issue, but I was still very grateful that he gave me the best advice he could without a second thought.

clutch city boxing, martinez boxing, houston, texas,

A few weeks later I called on Coach Martinez to advise him that I was organizing a benefit, sparring event to celebrate the life of Coach Kenny Weldon, and needed more professional boxers to participate. Again he was very generous and immediately agreed to bring a few members of his team to help out.

Clutch City Boxing would like to thank Coach Martinez and his team of Cristobal Morales, Roberto Silva, and Josue Morales for their help in making this a successful event and wish them the best in their upcoming bouts . We would also like to thank Coach Ray Ontiveros, Coach Ernest Tobias, Atzlan Boxing (South Houston), Alfonso Lopez and El Tigre Boxing Promotions, Termite Watkins and Fighter Nation, Reggie “Sweet” Johnson, Coach Melvin Dennis, Warren “Kid Nitro” Williams, J.P. Portillo, Jordn Mikalz, Denzel James, Craven Crawfish, Portico Services, Tiger Medina, Jimmy Strickland, Martin Allison, Pelon Renteria and King Boxing, Coach Rambo Cano, Coach Adrian De la  Garza, Rafael Munoz Jr, and The Weldon Family for allowing us to organize this event in honor of Kenny.

Also look out for upcoming articles similar to this one featuring the teams and persons I’ve just mentioned above.  And if I’ve failed to mention anyone it’s not intentional I just got a million things going on right now.