Southern California Notebook By Doug Fischer (Aug 14, 2008) Photo © Theresa Aceves Send this page to friend Give us your feedback The last time I interviewed Dominic Salcido was in May of last year when the speedy undefeated lightweight prospect from Rialto, California was looking to get his budding pro career on track after suffering layoffs from the ring due to hand injuries, managerial troubles and the death of his original trainer. Salcido, who was 11-0 and 23 years old at the time, had only fought two times in 2004 and ’05, and only once in ’06. His only wish last year was to fight regularly, and thanks to his promotional company, Thompson Boxing, which puts on at least 10 shows a year, he did just that – fighting seven times in ’07. Now, at age 24, with his form and reflexes regained and his record upped to 16-0 (8), Salcido feels he is ready to take the next step in his pro development by testing himself against a fellow young talent. He will get his wish Sept. 26, when he takes on 2004 U.S. Olympian Vicente Escobedo in a Telefutura-televised main event from the Morongo Casino in Cabazon, California. It’s a fight that the goal-oriented Salcido wanted back when he was a local amateur standout and it’s a challenge that he’s fantasized about ever since the two young boxers were part of a Marco Antonio Barrera training camp three and half years ago. “Last year I fought month after month, staying in the gym with no time off, because I was determined to reach my goal of fighting for the WBC Youth title, which I did in September,” Salcido told me yesterday before his daily hour and half drive to the Boys & Girls Club in Indio where he trains. “This year my goal is to get into the rankings by fighting a well-known fighter who is ranked.” Escobedo, who was touted as one of the game’s top prospects out of the ’04 Games, and even compared to Oscar De La Hoya before he suffered his first and only loss, is currently ranked no. 9 by the IBF and no. 14 by the WBC at 130 pounds, and rated no. 11 by the WBC at lightweight. “I’ve been trying to get this fight ever since the amateurs,” Salcido said. “I heard about him when I was 17 years old because he was doing things on national level. I wanted to be where he was, so I wanted to fight him, but I didn’t have the points like he did. “The amateur game is all about points, points scored in the fights and points to get you into the national tournaments. I didn’t have those points because I wasn’t taught very well early on and I lost a lot when I was a kid; I probably lost 20 out of 60 amateur bouts, but by the time I was 17 and 18 years old I felt I was good enough to beat stars like Escobedo.” Salcido discovered how talented he was and learned the finer points of the Sweet Science when he and his sister, a former amateur and pro standout, moved from Rialto to Big Bear Lake. “That move changed everything because it gave me the opportunity to train with the best pros in the business and I got the kind of experience you can’t get in the amateurs,” Salcido said. “I trained with Barrera, Mosley, De La Hoya, Forrest, and Corrales; I sparred with Shane, Vernon, Barrera, [Robbie] Peden and ‘Panchito’ Bojado at a time when his career was hot.” In 2002 and early ’03, Salcido won top honors at regional tournaments such as the Golden Gloves and Blue & Gold but he never advanced to the national level despite beating such local stars such as 2004 U.S. champion David Rodella. “Back then Escobedo was on top of the food chain, he was no. 1 in the U.S. and he was from California, so naturally I wanted to fight him for the rep,” Salcido said. “Now I want to fight him because he’s a former Olympian, he’s world ranked, and let’s be honest, he’s not some pooh-butt fighter. He’s a name and he can fight. He’s got heart.” In a month and a half, Salcido will have the opportunity to test Escobedo’s heart and skills in front of a national audience. “I’m ready,” he said of his first televised appearance. “I’ve waited a long time to fight on TV so I’m going to put on a show for my fans, who, believe me, will pack the house, and for the folks watching Telefutura.” Salcido, who is coming off an eight-round decision of Luis Acero this past June, says there are no nerves about taking on a boxer who, on paper at least, appears to be the best fighter he’s faced as a pro. “Maybe I should be nervous, but I’m not,” he said. “Ever since we were in camp with Barrera I thought I could beat Escobedo. I hate to sound cocky, but when you know you know. The first thing I thought when I watched him spar with Barrera was ‘I can beat this guy’. “Looking at his last four fights all I could think about was what I would have done if I was in there with him. “I’m not trying to diss him because he’s a good technical fighter and a good counter-puncher, but he can’t move like me and he don’t set up his punches like me. “The footwork, I beat him at that. Speed, I beat him at that too. Power, we’re about the same at that, but I see myself landing better combinations, cleaner shots, out-boxing him, out-maneuvering him and beating him to every punch. “It’s going to be a fun fight to watch even though we’re both boxers. It’s going to be a chess match but it’s going to be fast and furious. You’re going to see lots of jabs, 100 each round from both of us. And the crowd is going to be into it. Like I said, my fans will fill that place up. They pack the house whenever I fight in Ontario and Rialto is only about 30 minutes from Morongo.” Salcido says he expects Escobedo, who has struggled to regain the form he had prior to his loss, to be at his best when they fight because he believes the former amateur star knew he was gunning for him. “We never sparred with each other when we were in Barrera’s camp,” Salcido said. “We knew better. He knew and I knew that it would only be a matter of time before we’d fight each other. “Ask him and I’m sure he’ll tell you.” Salcido says he will definitely be at his best on fight night. He knows how one fight can instantly transform a young fighter from nobody to somebody. His buddy and stablemate Timothy Bradley made the quantum leap from regional prospect to world title holder in one fight (his first outside of California) earlier this year when he upset Junior Witter in England to take the WBC 140-pound title. Salcido, who was the chief sparring partner for Bradley, says he was motivated by his friend’s victory. “I was extremely proud of Timothy,” he said. “I’ve known him sine I was 10 year old, and I’ve trained with him for the past few years. One of the main reasons I hooked up with Joel Diaz after my trainer died was because he trained Timothy and I wanted to train with him. Timothy and I push each other in the gym to the max; we bring out the best in each other. “Once he won the world the title it opened my eyes to my own potential. It let me know that whenever I get the opportunity to advance my career, I have to take it. It let me know that it’s my time.” THE TIJUANA TORNADO I caught up with Sergio Diaz, co-manager of newly crowned WBA welterweight champ Antonio Margarito, yesterday and of course I had to ask him if a post-Cotto opponent and date has been found yet. “Nothing’s settled,” Diaz said. “November 1st is the date that’s been mentioned, but it’s not set in stone. I know Top Rank is looking at November 1st and Dodger Stadium, but the opponent is still unknown right now.” Joshua Clottey, the new IBF title holder who Margarito out-pointed in a close fight in December of ’06, has been mentioned as a prime candidate for the TJ Twister’s final fight of the year, but Diaz says it’s possible that Margarito might not return to the ring until next year. “Dates are scarce,” he said. “There are no HBO dates available, and Showtime doesn’t have the budget to show the fight late in the year, so if Margarito does fight in November, it could be on Showtime Pay Per View. “The fight Tony wants is De La Hoya. Everyone tells me that fight won’t happen and they are probably right but Tony doesn’t want to give up that easy. It’s a dream fight for him, and let’s be honest, it’s the big money fight that he – and we – have always wanted. “There really isn’t any other big money fight for us. It’s not like we’re going to get a Cotto rematch anytime soon. There’s the winner of Mosley-Mayorga, but that probably wouldn’t happen until early ’09. “If he fights this year, it would probably be Clottey, but I’ve heard that he says his arm is still hurt. And he just got the title, I’m not sure he wants to risk it so soon after winning it. When the press asked him about fighting Margarito at the post-fight press conference all he talked about was fighting [Andre] Berto. “Margarito will start training in about a week, but he might not fight until next year.” Jesus Soto-Karass, the “other” welterweight in the Siete Mares stable, will definitely fight again this year. Soto-Karass scored the most impressive victory of his career when he knocked out David Estrada in the eighth-round of a Telefutura-televised slugfest the day before Cotto-Margarito. Diaz says Soto-Karass has been mentioned as an opponent for Berto, Clottey (“if he doesn’t want to fight Margarito”), and Cotto in the Puerto Rican star’s first comeback bout. “Top Rank is excited about Jesus,” said Diaz. “He does good ratings on Telefutura and he’s a fun TV fighter. If fights against Berto, Clottey or Cotto don’t happen, we’ll just keep him busy on Telefutura before the year is out.” RUDY’S BOYS It looks like lightweight contender Urbano Antillon’s next fight will be a Telefutra-televised NABF 130-pound title bout vs. former title challenger Daniel Attah from New Mexico on Sept. 5th, which happens to be Antillon’s birthday according to his trainer Rudy Hernandez. Hernandez’s other lightweight contender, Jose Armando Santa Cruz, is slated to be back in action on Sept. 20th vs. Antonio Pitalua in Monterrey, Mexico. The bout is not a final eliminator for the WBC’s lightweight title, which pisses Hernandez off. Nestor Rocha, Hernandez’s 122-pound prospect, was scheduled to challenge Gerry Penalsoa for the Filipino vet’s WBO 118-pound title in the Philippines but recent military strife has cancelled that bout for the time being. For Questions or Comments E-Mail Doug Fischer at dougie@maxboxing.com Discuss this Topic - Go to the forums