FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS

by john Mastalir jmastalir@yahoo.com

WHAT A DEAL !

Lots of positive elements here.......LOTS !

There is hope for boxing after all !

This the initial ESPN Friday night fight card from Primm Valley Casino Resorts.... 40 miles south of Las Vegas in one of my favorite venues.....The Star of the Desert Arena.

All free tickets over.......4000.....good for everybody, the fans, the casino, the promoter and ESPN !

For me as a boxing purist and writer this was the total picture and highlighted by two outstanding main events.....the game is still the thing and after this card there appears to be hope for the heavweight division.

What do I want in any fight ? Even competition, both guys in shape, both guys comes coming forward with a "want to" plan of attack and some thought out strategdy ! We got all that with a twist....Olympic heavyweight champion Orlandis Solis (13-0) finally stopping Kevin Burnett (13-2) in a wonderful contest with a future for both men. Olympic champion number two... Yuiorkis Gamboa (13-0) stopping Roger Gonzalez (27-3) in the tenth....that after top tenner Gamboa again getting knocked down in the first round. Two competitive events in front of fans who were really into the game !

Just a swell time for me too meeting friends of the game.....boxings best two referees, Jay Nady and Joe Cortez.....the worlds 4 best judges Duane Ford, Dave Moretti, Jery Roth and Al Lefkowitz.....famaliar media types......new faces from Germany and other old friends....it was like a family reunion involving people I love.

Roy Englebrecht Events the promoter name on this for a German futures planner, who own Cuban fighters rights in front of a brown crowd in Nevada....god it was great.

Started a tad early....100 A+