(Spring 2025 Edition)
The Spring season is officially upon us and as I respectfully do on a quarterly basis, I want to say thank you to a small team of people that truly help make dmboxing.com the success that it has been since the first publication on July 15, 2007. I would like to acknowledge these people, who are: Bob Quackenbush (Proof Reader / Photo Editing); Tom Donelson (Member Boxing Writers of America / BWAA); Kathy Kraft / Proof Reader – retired); and Steve Corbo (Boxing Writer / Proof Reader).
There are three other people who are no longer with us (R.I.P.) that were so instrumental in their contributing to this website that I must mention and never to forget them. They are: Rusty Rubin (In Rusty’s Corner / Glove2Glove); Harold Lederman (HBO World Championship Boxing / Hey Harold !); and Jim Amato (Senior Boxing Writer / Boxing Historian).
As seen in this edition, my official website hat is displayed. It is blue in color with embroidered logo on front and website address on back. It has an adjustable Velcro strap to fit all sizes. To purchase this attractive product, kindly send $22.50 to: David Martinez Boxing, 810 Coronel Street, Santa Barbara, California 93109 – AND – the price includes FREE shipping to all USA mailing zones.
Boxing has been a way of life for me, to know it is to live it, since 1961, and it is truly an honor to bring everyone my boxing world with respect and credibility being my intent. I welcome all input and comments and appreciate your support which simply fuels me to be the best that I can be to respectfully serve you.
Be sure to mark your calendar for some fights on the horizon:
*** March 29 – Cancun, Mexico (DAZN) ***
William Zepeda vs. Tevin Farmer
*** April 12 – Atlantic City (DAZN) ***
Jaron Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis
*** April 26 – London (DAZN) ***
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn
*** May 2 – New York (DAZN-PPV) ***
Ryan Garcia vs. Rolando Romero
Devin Haney vs. Jose Ramirez
Teofimo Lopez vs. Arnold Barboza
*** May 3 – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, (DAZN-PPV) ***
Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull
*** May 4 – Las Vegas (ESPN) ***
Naoya Inoue vs. Ramon Cardenas
*** May 24 – Glasgow, Scotland (DAZN)***
Josh Taylor vs. Essuman
Upcoming Event Reminder – this year’s 7th annual Paul Banke BOXFAM “everyone is welcome” Family BBQ is set for July 19th at Azusa Memorial Park, 320 N. Orange Ave, Azusa, California 91702. Everyone is welcome to come out and enjoy the gathering of many boxers, vendors, and friends, with live music and plenty of food dishes to be shared “pot luck” style.
There are many who have texted or contacted me with certain questions and offered their personal opinions. I kindly respect everybody, and here is sharing three (3) questions which have recently drawn attention, with my answer in response:
1 – Who stopped the Marvin Hagler vs. Alan Minter WBA / WBC Middleweight Championship fight on September 27, 1980 at Wembley Arena, London, England?
ANSWER – For this one, I called on my good friend Steve Corbo who was actually at the fight ringside. He had his fighter (Illinois State Lightweight Champion Eddie Murray) fighting on the undercard against British Lightweight Champion Ray Cattouse. Corbo also worked in the corner of Bobby “Iceman” Coolidge who fought Tony Sibson that night. It is important to note, the referee and/or doctor are the only ones who can stop a fight. By the third round Minter was taking a beating, badly cut and bleeding profusely, so much so that the referee (Carlos Berrocal) called a halt to the action and walked him to his corner, where his father-in-law Dougie Bidwell, who was also his trainer/manager, took one look at Minter and told the referee to stop the fight. At that point referee Berrocal did just that. The official time was 1:45 in round 3. Thinking Berrocal had made the call on his own, fans rioted following the stoppage.
2 – What boxing venues have you personally attended for live professional fights?
ANSWER – Olympic Auditorium, Great Western Forum, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Los Angeles Coliseum, Los Angeles Sports Arena, Santa Barbara Earl Warren Showgrounds, Costa Mesa The Hangar, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Showboat Hotel, Caesars Palace Pavilion, The Orleans Hotel, San Diego Sports Arena, Los Angeles Athletic Club, Ventura County Fairgrounds, Long Beach Arena, Pico Rivera Sports Arena, Irvine Marriott Hotel, Los Angeles Bonaventure Hotel, Montebello Quiet Cannon, Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, and the Woodland Hills Valley Music Theatre.
3 – Of the many autographs of boxers in your collection, which are your standouts?
ANSWER – If I were to rate them, they are all standouts … but the list of my top twenty would be Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Jerry Quarry, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Ernie Terrell, Jack Dempsey, George Foreman, Danny Lopez, Oscar De La Hoya, Johnny Tapia, Marco Antonio Barrera, Ruben Olivares, Julio Cesar Chavez, Bobby Chacon, Larry Holmes, Ken Buchanan, Mando Ramos, Art Aragon, and Enrique Bolanos. AND, just to mention the three that eluded me (that I wish I had), they are Rocky Marciano, Sonny Liston, and Alexis Arguello.
In closing, I want to share a few photos of a great experience that I had back in May 2002, visiting the Marco Antonio Barrera training camp prior to his fight with Erik Morales. The camp was set up in Big Bear, California, with the actual fight taking place a month later on June 22, 2002 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
While in Las Vegas for the fight, I had the pleasure of personally giving Marco the CD copy of the interview that I did the prior week predicting his win. That prediction came about on the John Palminteri morning show on KEYT News Radio1250 AM in Santa Barbara, California, with Sports Director Randy Lee conducting the live interview.
This would be fight #2 in their epic trilogy – Morales won the first fight by split decision, Barrera won the second fight by unanimous decision, and Barrera won third fight by a majority decision, all fights championship caliber.
The hospitality was superb and Macro very professional and my time spent there was priceless.
I know you have many choices in boxing. I sincerely thank you for making dmboxing.com just one of those choices – its much appreciated!