ESPN Fight Night Battles ShoBox For Friday Entertainment
By Julie Buehler
I’ve covered many Golden Boy Promotions Productions at Fantasy Springs Resort and they’re always entertaining with some solid fights and plenty of action.
On Aug 12th, Sugar Shane Mosley brought the star power to the Coachella Valley and in typical big-time-star fashion, had everyone in attendance in awe. The big fight that night was between undefeated American heavyweight Deontay Wilder (29-0, 29 Kos) and former heavyweight champion, Sergei Liakhovich (25-6).
Wilder was on my radio show, “Buehler’s Day Off” Friday and when I asked him what his post-fight meal would be he responded by saying he wasn’t sure who his next opponent was. I was asking if he’d splurge on pizza, he thought I was asking which unfortunate ring-fellow he’d chew up next.
When that conversation happened, knowing all 28 of Wilder’s victories had been knockouts, I figured that streak would continue (and it did), so I headed west to Morongo where they had ESPN Friday Night Fights. A step down from Shobox in terms of publicity and cache, but the fights I saw were certainly worth the price of admission.
SIDENOTE: It’s fascinating how much rich boxing we have in this community. Within 25 miles of Cook Street either way on the I-10, you can find multiple real contenders fighting on the same night. Not sure there’s many other communities that boast that same exposure.
This was my first fight night at Morongo, and it won’t be my last. The crowd was fantastic, very boisterous and rang with approval for their favorite fighters. The concessions stand (always a key to a great night) was stocked with your typical fight night food (think tailgating) and also featured street tacos, pulled pork and other interesting choices. And most importantly, the caliber of fights kept my attention all night (even with a full slate of NFL preseason games on).
The main event was two lightweights, both with a lot on the line. Rustam Nugaev beat Jose Hernandez in what was the fight of the night, not for it’s longevity, but for it’s speed. The fight only lasted until the 5th round when Hernandez, who had to drop significant weight to fight at 136 was reportedly seriously dehydrated before weigh-ins and most boxing experts thought he might last 4 rounds. He stretched it out and made a fast-paced statement, the kid has the moxy to be a star.
Nugaev was the typical Russian tough guy who would get hit hard, then return with a flurry of fists. He’s 25-6 now and someone to pay attention to.
Overall, it was great to visit another boxing venue and marvel at the strength of the sport in the Coachella Valley.
Incidentally, Fantasy Springs Resort will be hosting another ShoBox SPECIAL EDITION event on September 6th. So if you missed the last one, there’s another coming, with more heavyweights.
Julie Buehler hosts the Coachella Valley’s most popular sports talk radio show, “Buehler’s Day Off” every day from 1-4 on 1010 KXPS, the valley’s all sports station. She’s an avid gym rat, slightly sarcastic and more likely to recite Steve Young’s career passing stats than American Idol winners. Tune in M-F 1-4 pst at www.team1010.com or watch the show on Ustream.
