Carson amateurs to host September card

The Carson City Boxing Club will host an amateur show featuring Northern Nevada and California boxers on Sept. 15 at the Nevada National Guard Armory gym.

"We're also trying to get some fighters from the Medford Cougars to send fighters," CCBC head coach Frank Peralta said. "We're hoping the Oregon team will be able to make it to the card. They always have some tough and ready fighters and they will present a challenge to our local boxers."

The local club, which hosted a "very successful" amateur card at the same gym on July 28, expects boxers from Reno and other Northern Nevada towns to send fighters, as well as from Stockton (Calif.) and a few others, including Bruno's Boxing Club of Carson City.

"We're planning on holding somewhere between 15 and 20 fights on the show," Peralta said. "The card will start at 3:30 p.m. Admission is free to the public, but we will be accepting donations at the door."

All proceeds from the card will go to benefit the CCBC equipment fund. The card is sanctioned by USA Boxing of Nevada. Anyone interested in joining the local club or who wants additional information about the upcoming card may call Peralta at 246-4686.

-- There were no surprises in fights over the weekend, as all who were supposed to win did so. Let's start with the main event on Friday's ESPN2 card, where IBF welterweight champion Vernon Forrest (32-0, 26 KOs) did exactly what was expected when he knocked out inferior foe Edgar Ruiz (18-5-1, 11 KOs) at the 2:03 mark of round four of their 10-round non-title fight. Ruiz was down twice in the round, the second time for the full 10-count.

The fight was just a showcase fight for Forrest, who hopes to fight Shane Mosley - Forrest is the last man to beat Mosley, when they were both amateurs - to try to unify the split titles and he did what was expected of him. The champ was never in any danger during the one-sided fight and disposed of Ruiz when he was ready ... Ho-Hum.

They showed five fights on the live telecast, including a good women's fight that saw Sherry Huchler improve to 2-0 by winning a unanimous four-round decision over Amy Burton (4-2-1, 2 KOs) in their middleweight fight.

This Friday, ESPN2 has Teddy Reid (18-4-1, 12 KOs) fighting Joe Hutchinson (20-2-2, 9 KOs) in a welterweight main event fight. The show begins at 6 p.m.

-- At Harrah's Reno on Friday night, Zahir Raheem did what was expected of him in the main event when he stopped last-minute sub Ricardo Medina in round five of their scheduled 10-round featherweight fight.

Raheem, now 17-0 with 9 KOs, is being groomed for bigger and better things and he had little trouble from Medina, who fell to 24-22 with 5 KOs.

Yerington's Jesse Brinkley (16-1, 11 KOs) won easily over Cabien St. Pierre (8-15) in their six-round super middleweight fight. Brinkley, who outweighed St. Pierre by nine pounds (167 to 158) dominated the fight to win by unanimous decision. There were two four-rounders that completed the card, which was not televised.

-- In another no-TV card, heavyweight Oleg Maskaev from Russia stopped Brian Nix from New York in round six of their fight in Laughlin. The semi-main on that card saw Ron Guerrero from Corpus Christi, Texas, stop Philadelphia's Terrance Lewis in round seven of their heavyweight fight.

-- Sunday's Univision live telecast came from San Juan, P.R., and the main event had Wilfredo Negron (19-6, 16 KOs) going against Ahmed Santos (28-5-4, 16 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round junior welterweight fight. Negron had an easy time of it, knocking Santos down three times in round two, the last knockdown ending the one-sided fight at the 1:22 mark of round two.

This coming Sunday, Univision has Bobby Boy Velardez in the main event. The show begins at noon.

-- Also this coming Sunday on "Fight Time on Fox," heavyweight Obed Sullivan defends his NABF heavyweight title against challenger Fres Oquendo in what should be an excellent fight. The FOX telecast starts at 6 p.m.

-- Saturday night, Showtime has Sacramento's Juan Lazcano defending his NABF and IBA lightweight titles against Mexico's Julio Alvarez in the main event. The telecast begins at 10 p.m.

-- Some interesting odds are out for upcoming fights. We'll start with the big card at Lawlor Events center in Reno on Sept. 8.

In the main event, Las Vegas books have Marco Antonio Barrera listed as a 15-1 favorite over Enrique Sanchez, who is at +11-1.

The semi-main has Vasily Jirov a 6-1 favorite over Julian Letterlough, who is at +4-1. Big prices on both underdogs, in my opinion, as either or both could spring the upset although it's more likely Letterlough will win than Sanchez, but neither are without a chance ... I'll give my official predictions next week.

For the Sept. 15 middleweight unification title fight between Felix Trinidad and Bernard Hopkins, the odds have dropped a little since Trinidad opened as a 5-1 favorite. The currents odds show Trinidad as a 7-2 favorite with Hopkins - who has a great chance to pull off an upset- is listed at +5-2.

Odds are up on two November fights. On Nov. 3, Kosta Tszyu and Zab Judah fight for the junior welterweight title and Judah is a -$2.70 favorite. Tszyu, who has a great chance to win, is at $2.10. I like Tszyu in this one and the price is right!

And on Nov. 17 down in Las Vegas, Lennox Lewis is listed as a $5.50 favorite over champion Hasim Rahman, who is at +$3.75. You'll remember Lewis was a 20-1 favorite - Rahman was at 15-1 - for their first fight.

Alan Rogers is the Nevada Appeal boxing writer.