Bringing The Heat To The Ring
Carlos Castro puts on a show in Phoenix
It is not often that major boxing events come to Arizona. Not even the press tours for major events pass through Phoenix! Some stars have come to town on the sunsets of the their careers: Kosta Tszyu fought Sharmba Mitchell in Glendale (a suburb of the Phoenix metropolitan area) in 2004; Julio Cesar Chavez Sr fought his last fight in 2005 in the heart of Phoenix; and most recently Shane Mosley was beaten by David Avenesyan in 2016 also in Glendale.
Arizona based Boxing & MMA company Iron Boy Promotions is changing that by growing boxing organically in the state. Iron Boy Promotions hosted their latest event at the Celebrity Theater on April 22nd, marking their 38th boxing card. The event boasted a slew of hopeful prospects from throughout state and was streamed live online (for free) and televised on beIn Sports.
The event overall was quite successful. The local fighters before and after the main event (held towards the beginning to be televised) had vocal and supportive crowds that nearly blew the top off the Celebrity Theater at times.
The co-main event did leave something to be desired for some spectators. Super middleweight journeyman Josue Ovando found himself out-skilled by Russia’s Artur Akavov (previous opponent of Billy Joe Saunders). Ovando struggled to get any sort of offensive rhythm as Akavov was timing and countering Ovando’s wiry jab. The fight was met with jeers and heckling, but Akavov did show hints of skill that could see him rise to an “international title” level of contention. Fortunately, geopolitics held no sway on fight night and Akavov was correctly awarded the [split] decision.
In the main event, promising Super Bantamweight prospect Carlos Castro cruised to a Unanimous Decision over former world-level contender Juan Palacios. Castro’s attack was vicious, though rugged veteran Palacios continued to try and take the fight into the phone booth. Whatever few exchanges Palacios won were toe-to-toe, though it was clear that he was out-skilled by the 23-year-old diamond in the rough.
While most larger names don’t come through Arizona, Diego De La Hoya will be fighting in Tucson in mid-May. Iron Boy was sure to mention him to Castro. He made it clear in his post-fight interview that he’d fight anyone and that Diego was no exception.
After Ovando-Akavov and Castro-Palacios had finished, flyweight prospect Adrian Servin took the stage to a highly enthusiastic audience; excluding a few brutal knockdowns scored by Servin, chants for “Sharky” continued through nearly the entire duration of the fight. His opponent, making his pro debut, was stopped within the first round.
No one will argue that these fighters, as they are today, are world beaters. But, the heart and skill displayed in Phoenix on April 22nd by the Iron Boy promoted fighters were truly a sight to behold. Carlos Castro could, with more masterful matchmaking, be on the cusp of breaking into the higher echelons of the sport. Perhaps he can pull a Briggs and show up at Casino Del Sol shouting “Let’s Go, Diego!”
Carlos Castro’s stablemates will continue to put meat in the seats wherever their fights are hosted and I’m sure the rabid fans of Adrian Servin would agree. And while the boxing fans in Arizona aren’t getting any A-list events in the immediate future, Iron Boy will definitely continue to bring high quality boxing to the desert.
