Live amateur fights at OH this Saturday

The Carson City Boxing Club hosts its first invitational amateur fight card of the year Saturday night at the Ormsby House.

"We're looking at putting on 15 to 17 fights right now," CCBC Head Coach Frank Peralta said. "It's looking pretty good as we match fighters up. Teams are coming in from California, Fallon, Fernley, Nixon and Reno. It'll be a good show."

The card will feature many of the local club's fighters in action.

"Ten of our boys will be fighting if things go as planned," CCBC Director Chuck Williams said. "The weigh-ins and physicals take place at the National Guard Armory Saturday at 2 p.m. That's when we'll know for sure who's fighting and how many fights we have."

All fighters must pass the physical and the weights have to be accurate - You'd be surprised at how fast young fighters gain weight and move into another weight class - before matches are approved.

The card, sanctioned by USA Boxing of Nevada, starts at 6 p.m. Ticket prices are $7 for general admission and $3 for those 12 and under. Tickets are available at the door fight night.

- A CHANGE IN PLANS - Sunday at Harveys Resort Casino in Stateline, a live professional boxing card takes place and a limited number of tickets to the public will be sold.

The card was originally set with no ticket sales to the public but that has changed. Tickets are $30 and that includes an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring an "international hot dog & sausage bar." After the main event - the NABO light heavyweight title fight between Troy Weaver and Julian Letterlough - there will be an oil wrestling show starring the "California Hardbodies" that should be something to see.

There will be four preliminary bouts before the main event, which should be a good one. Weaver brings a 13-6-2 record with 13 KOs into the fight. He either wins by knockout or loses, so it could be short-and-sweet, one way or the other. Letterlough is 11-0 with 11 KOs so predicting the fight will end in a knockout appears to be a safe bet.

The action begins at 6:30 p.m. Doors open one hour earlier. For ticket information or to order your ticket call Harveys Box Office at (775) 588-2411.

- DAVID BEATS GOLIATH - Last Saturday night in Berlin, Germany, the WBO heavyweight title fight was shown on HBO and a big upset took place when late substitute Chris Byrd beat then-undefeated Vatali Klitschko to become the new champion.

Byrd was a late sub for Razor Ruddock, who pulled out of the fight claiming he had hepatitis - that sounds eerily familiar to what Henry Akinwande claimed last year when he pulled out of his fight against Evander Holyfield. Byrd spotted the Russian fighter Klitschko 34 pounds (210 to 244) and seven inches in height - Klitschko stands 6-foot-8 and Byrd 6-1. Klitschko also had a five-inch reach advantage and that is huge in boxing! The two looked like Mutt-and-Jeff in the ring.

Byrd, from Flint, Mich., was losing the fight by a wide margin when, after round 9 ended, Klitscko quit on his stool, claiming he had a broken thumb. The crowd booed the Russian fighter when he didn't come out for round 10 of the scheduled 12-round fight as a stunned and surprised Byrd jumped for joy.

I don't know the real story, but something wasn't right because all Klitschko had to do was remain standing through the final three rounds to win the fight. He was so far ahead on all three judges scorecards that he couldn't lose, but he quit instead.

The Russian fighter brought a flashy 27-0 record with 27 KOs and Byrd 30-1 with 18 KOs going into the title fight. After the result was made official by the ring announcer, Klitschko took the microphone and apologized to the fans. They continued to boo and hoot him.

The end result reminded me of the Andrew Golota fight earlier this year against Michael Grant. Golota also quit midway through round 10 of that fight when he was far ahead.

Another strange ending to a heavyweight title fight, which seems to be the norm rather than the exception these days.

- Speaking of Grant, he fights Lennox Lewis April 29 on pay-per-view TV, for Lewis' heavyweight titles. The price has moved up at the Ormsby House sportsbook and Lewis is now a -$2.70 favorite with Grant at +$ 2.10.

- The ESPN2 Friday night fights return this week with a live card starting at 6 p.m. They took a week off last Friday. Also, Showtime premium cable has a two-hour fight card Saturday from Paris that begins at 10 p.m. Sunday night the FOX weekly fights are on at 7 p.m.

Alan Rogers is the Nevada Appeal boxing writer.