Former World Boxing Council light flyweight champion Eric Ortiz of Mexico City and highly regarded, young, undefeated heavyweight Shawn “The Sioux Warrior” Hawk of Los Angeles headline “Salute to America’s Heroes 2,” a benefit card at United States Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (Calif.) presented by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation Sept. 29.
The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and Sycuan Ringside Promotions presented the inaugural “Salute to America’s Heroes” card during August, 2006.
All tickets to the seven-bout event, which will be televised nationally by Azteca America, will be given free of charge to Camp Pendleton authorized personnel once again by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.
Ortiz meets Benji Garcia of San Diego in a 10-round bout while Hawk faces Karl Evans of Topeka, Kan., in a six-round fight.
Also on the card will be an eight-round super bantamweight semi-main event featuring Fernando Beltran Jr. (27-2-1, 17 KOs) of Culiacan, Mexico, against an opponent to be determined; a six-round super lightweight bout matching Anthony Salcido (9-0-1, 6 KOs) of Chula Vista, Calif., against an opponent to be determined; a six-round super featherweight fight pairing Zaid Zavaleta (10-2-2, 6 KOs) of Mexico City against Yair Aguiar (6-4, 0 KOs) of Culiacan; a four-round lightweight bout matching Danny Jiminez (5-0, 1 KO) of Victorville, Calif., against Leonel Madrigal (4-3, 0 KOs) of Oxnard, Calif.; and a four-round bantamweight bout pairing Chris Martin (2-0, 0 KOs) of San Diego against Saul Santoyo (0-1) of San Diego.
“This event is only one small way we can express our gratitude to the troops and their families for the sacrifices they make every day,” said Daniel Tucker, Tribal Chairman. “We are honored to have the dedicated men and women of the United States Marine Corps as our guests and to host this event for the second year in a row.”
“I would like to thank Sycuan for bringing boxing to Camp Pendleton,” said Col. James B. Seaton III, commanding officer, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. “After a hard week’s training in the field, this is a great opportunity for our Marines and Sailors to relax and enjoy themselves.”
The 29-year-old Ortiz, who has a record of 24-6-1 with 16 knockouts, was the WBC 108-pound champion during 2005. He won it March 11 with a seventh-round technical knockout of Jose Antonio Aguirre in Mexico City, but was dethroned in his next bout Sept. 10 in Los Angeles by Brian Viloria. Ortiz currently is ranked No. 9 by the International Boxing Federation among 108-pound junior flyweights.
The slick-boxing Garcia has a record of 11-7-3 with one knockout.
The highly touted, 22-year-old Hawk has a record of 12-0 with 10 knockouts entering his six-round bout.
Hawk, who’s from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, moved to Los Angeles to train with renown, veteran trainer Freddie Roach shortly after signing an exclusive promotional agreement with Sycuan Ringside Promotions.
The hard-hitting Evans has a record of 5-13-1 with five knockouts and has won his past three bouts by first-round knockout.
Beltran Jr. lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Sycuan Ringside Promotions’ boxer Joan Guzman for the World Boxing Organization junior featherweight championship April 22, 2005, in Hidalgo, Texas. The undefeated Guzman won the WBO junior lightweight championship Sept. 29 of this year in Las Vegas.
Members of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation have resided in and around the foothills of the Dehesa Valley for nearly 12,000 years. Today they are a modern government providing public services to their members, employees and neighbors. The Sycuan Tribal Government operates one of the region's premier Indian gaming and resort facilities, the Sycuan Resort and Casino. The Tribe through the Sycuan Tribal Development Corporation (STDC) also seeks to reinvest back into the San Diego community with a progressive business development effort. To date, STDC has purchased the Singing Hills Country Club and the historic U.S. Grant Hotel, is an investor in Hotel Solamar near Petco Park and is owner/developer of the Marina Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in National City. The Tribe also owns and operates Sycuan Ringside Promotions, the country's first tribally owned boxing promotion company, as well as Sycuan Funds, a publicly traded and professionally managed mutual fund. Combined, these enterprises now employ nearly 4,000 San Diegans.
Since making its promotional debut during 2004, Sycuan Ringside Promotions already has six current or former world champions and has promoted and presented cards and world title bouts on premium cable networks in California, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Texas.
Sycuan Ringside Promotions has many notable boxers in its stable, including welterweight world champion Carlos Baldomir, Guzman, WBC super bantamweight champion Israel Vazquez, International Boxing Federation lightweight interim champion Julio Diaz, World Boxing Association super bantamweight interim champion Celestino Caballero, former WBO bantamweight champion Mauricio Martinez and undefeated teenage lightweight sensation Jorge Paez Jr.
Sycuan Ringside Promotions is led by Glenn Quiroga, president; Willie Tucker, executive vice president; and Scott Woodworth, vice president.
