Four Salinas boxers await USA Boxing fate

Organization at center of complaints over alleged gambling

BY MIKE HORNICK • mhornick@thecalifornian.com • March 25, 2009

Four Salinas boxers are left hanging in the air by the California State Athletic Commission's suspension of USA Boxing's authority to regulate amateur boxing in the state.

Commission chairman Tim Noonan said in a Monday press release that children under 16 have been fighting in private shows, and that complaints of alleged gambling and drinking at events attended by youths must be answered by USA Boxing at an April 13-14 hearing in Los Angeles.

That leaves boxers Hugo Sanchez, Jose Soto, Arturo Castro and Eric Sanchez - who fight in the age 17-18 division for Salinas Boxing Club -floating like butterflies, but perhaps not stinging like bees as soon as they'd like. On Tuesday, the four were still uncertain whether their scheduled Saturday event in Stockton - the CCA Men's Nationals, one of many early steps in the Olympic qualification process - will take place. The club belongs to the Central California Association of USA Boxing.

They're old enough to fight in adult shows, but what hurts USA Boxing could hurt them, too.

"If they stop it, where's that going to put me?" said Eric Sanchez, who competed in the Junior Olympics in Michigan June. "It's a trip. It's hard to even speak about."

"I've been training for this for a long time," said Hugo Sanchez, Eric's older brother. Nevertheless, last year's top welterweight at the state PAL plans no change to his routine. "I'm just going to train harder," he said.

Their trainer, Daniel Lujan, expects to learn Thursday whether Saturday's fights are on. USA Boxing is asking the state commission to allow events prior to the April hearing to go on. The club also has a PAL show set for April 11 in Modesto.

Public shows like the qualifiers and the Golden Gloves are uncontroversial; the dispute concerns private shows, where well-funded sponsors help associations raise quick cash.

The sponsors in turn can restrict admission (often by invitation), sell liquor, or employ ring card girls.

Lujan said boxers under 16 are typically turned away from private shows, though he's seen at least one where children competed. "As long as coaches and boxers don't gamble, what the public does is up to them," he said.

"As a member of USA Boxing, our association has a liquor license," Lujan said. "Parents don't like that, they're going to complain that there's drinking and smoking and girls in G-strings. But you can go to the beach and see all that, too."

The trainer says better security and commission representation at private shows are the solution to any problems caused by liquor sales or participation by underage fighters.

Lujan added that if USA Boxing's authority were permanently revoked in California, he would consider taking his boxers to competitions in other states.

In 2008, the Salinas club had a budget of $8,000. The gym plays host to 20 to 35 youths per night.