|
 Juarez’ Title Dreams will Take Her to Korea
By David A. Avila (November 11, 2004)
Photo © German Villasenor
 Send this page to friend Give us your feedback
It’s the hunt for a world title that drives Mariana Juarez across the Pacific Ocean.
The Mexican beauty vetoed a modeling career a few years back in favor of boxing’s rough stuff and is now flying to Seoul, Korea to fight for the IFBA junior bantamweight world title against In-Young Lee (8-0) on Nov. 14.
"I came to this country so I could be a world champion,” said Juarez, 24, a native of Mexico City.
It’s those looks of hers that fool people when they meet her. With wide-eyed brown eyes and that ‘aw shucks’ smile that lights up a room, Juarez could be mistaken for a Temecula girl scout looking for customers to buy her fresh-baked cookies.
And don’t be fooled by her thin frame that seems to flow across the floor like one of those game show hostesses that graciously fling an arm toward the prize behind door number one. She’d knock Vanna White out cold.
The first time people got a glimpse of Juarez was on television when a cheerleader looking girl aptly named Elena “Baby Doll” Reid stepped between the ropes against her about 18 months ago in Phoenix. People politely cheered and headed for the restrooms and concession stands choosing to come back when a real fight emerged. Some of the traditionalist fight fans must have choked seeing two females in the ring.
Why are they putting in two nansy-pansy looking girls who look more suited for a bathing suit contest than a prizefight?
Even the television fight commentators seemed resigned to toughing out another ho hum bout upon seeing the two petite women. But then the bell rang to begin the bout.
Out came Juarez with a look on her face like someone named Nosferatu must have bit her. From the other side came Reid with her zesty smile gone and eyes narrowed like an ace archer zoning in on the bullseye. The two collided with a fury of punches that caught the crowd in a collective surprise. You could actually hear the whole auditorium take a big gasp of air simultaneously.
For six rounds Juarez and Reid belted each other with more punches and haymakers than should be legally allowed. If this were Utah the blue law would have been invoked. And a good thing it wasn’t the Bible belt because these girls were bent on murder.
Round after round Juarez and Reid sent bombs at each other. You might get the idea they stole something from each other the way they gritted their mouthpieces and pummeled each other.
At the end of the final round, both girls looked at each other one more time, surprised by one another’s ferocity. When it was announced a draw, some spectators booed but the majority realized it was a fight that needed to go more rounds for a clear-cut decision. As for the men bouts that followed, you couldn’t top that girl fight. Not that night.
Since then Juarez and Reid have found it tougher to get a fight than the Green Party to get Ralph Nader elected President. It’s just not happening.
Last month, two promoters from Mexico City came all the way to Southern California to get Juarez to sign a contract to fight a girl named Delia Lopez. Everything was OK, Juarez signed and the promoters returned to Mexico’s capitol to finalize the deal. Apparently no one told Lopez who she was fighting because as soon as she heard it was Juarez, she said “no” in seven languages.
Then, last week, a matchmaker wondered if Juarez would be willing to go to China to face a Korean tough girl named Kwang OK Kim. The matchmaker thought it would be a hard sell to get Juarez to accept a fight in an Asian country where American fighters regularly lose unless the Asian fighter is left comatose. Juarez simply shrugged, the idea appealed to her.
But then, Kwang Ok Kim became Kwang Not OK Kim about the whole idea of fighting Juarez. This is a championship fight for heaven’s sake. We need an opponent we can beat.
"They must have taken a look at her record,” said Ben Lira, who trains Juarez in South El Monte. Upset at the rash of girls backing out of fights with Juarez, Lira demanded that his fighter be ranked the number one contender. The IFBA obliged and mandated that Korea’s In-Young Lee fight Juarez for the junior bantamweight title in a scheduled 10 round fight. Both have agreed.
"We’ve heard this girl Lee is a tough girl and likes to use her strength,” said Lira with a slight chuckle. “Mariana likes to fight girls like that. It’s her style and she won’t let her get away.”
Bad news
Mia St. John, who recently won a unanimous decision against Lana Alexander last weekend in Louisiana, discovered her world title bout expected to take place on Dec. 3, in Tucson, was scuttled. She was supposed to fight Belinda Laracuente for the WIBA lightweight title.
"I’m so disappointed,” said St. John (38-4-2, 15 KOs) who turned down a proposed fight with Lucia Rijker because she thought she had a deal with the Tucson promoters. “The fight wasn’t even budgeted.”
St. John has agreed to fight Olivia Pereira in a rematch at the Staples Center on the undercard of the Antonio Tarver-Glencoffe Johnson light heavyweight title fight on Dec. 18, 2004. St. John’s first fight with Oliveira ended in a draw a year ago in North Dakota.
Local fight cards
Nonito Donaire appears at the Quiet Cannon Golf Club in Montebello on Friday Nov. 12. The first bout begins at 7:30 p.m. Donaire faces Ricardo Tamayo in an eight-round bout. Also on the card will be Bobby Pacquiao, whose brother is world champion featherweight bomber Manny Pacquiao who will be in attendance. Several other bouts are planned.
It’s a dinner show with steak and scampi served for a total price of $100. For ticket information call (323) 816-3165.
New York fight card
It’s an intriguing fight card Don King assembled at Madison Square Garden this Saturday.
Chris Byrd’s IBF defense against Jameel McCline will be a boxing clinic on how to fight a big guy. But don’t count out Big Time. All he needs is one uppercut to decide the fight as he showed against Cedric Boswell a few months back. McCline was on his way to losing that fight when he landed a right uppercut on Boswell, who was ahead on points. Of course Byrd is a defensive master. I’ve seen him spar with gigantic heavyweights in his backyard gym and he makes it look easy as he slips, ducks and blocks punches. He can make McCline look foolish. The question is can he do it for 12 rounds?
Also on the card, John Ruiz defends his WBA title against Polish roughneck Andrew Golota. Ruiz is a master of the hit and clutch style. The Puerto Rican fighter amazes me with his ability to trouble opponents with his jab and right hand. If there were an award for fighter who most maximizes his God given abilities it would be Ruiz. But can he do it against Golota who always had the ability but never maximized it? They’re opposite ends of the boxing see-saw.
Hasim Rahman never grabbed me but Kali Meehan has a chance to prove his spirited effort against WBO title-holder Lamon Brewster was not a fluke. Meehan has the tools to keep away from Rahman’s mashing right hand. If he does that, he can take the fight. Rahman, a former world champion, seems to suffer from bad karma. I wonder what he did in another life?
Seeing all these heavyweights makes me wish James Toney was healthy. When I look at these fights on HBO pay-per-view I’ll be comparing them all to Toney in my head. Lights Out might have taken care of all of them except Byrd. I can see a fight between those two like a modern day version of Ezzard Charles versus Jersey Joe Walcott. It would be scientific boxing with a dash of right counters. That’s the fight I want to see. When it finally happens I’ll have my notebook open and take notes.
Friday night television card
Yamplier Azcuy, who defeated my favorite heavyweight Juan Carlos Gomez by knockout, is back in the ring again, this time against veteran Vaughn Bean in Texas. It will be televised on Telefutura.
Azcuy is now promoted by Top Rank who seem to want to change his name to Yanqui Diaz. For a while that confused me. Now I know it’s the same guy.
Azcuy is a native Cuban who looks unimpressive until he begins fighting. When he beat a fat and out-of-shape Gomez, few were impressed. But to me, even a flabby Gomez was a hard task. I’m curious to see how Azcuy develops.
Fights on television
Fri. Telefutura, 9 p.m., Yamplier Azcuy (12-1) vs. Vaughn Bean (44-4).
Sat. HBO pay-per-view, 6 p.m., John Ruiz (40-5-1) vs. Andrew Golota (38-4-1);
Chris Byrd (37-2-1) vs. Jameel McCline (31-3-1);
Hasim Rahman (39-5-1) vs. Kali Meehan (29-2);
Evander Holyfield (38-7-2) vs. Larry Donald (41-3-2);
Discuss this Topic - Go to the forums
Send Questions or comments David A. Avila |
