By Johnny Ortiz

Antonio "Maguina de Gulpes/ The Punching Machine" vs. Kermit "El Asesino/The Killer" Clintron.

The mere thought of a punching machine going up against a killer should be enough to send euphoric thoughts of a sure-fire epic battle to every fight fan that relishes a classic matchup.

ESPN’s endeavor to enter the waters of PPV should prove to be a successful venture, in that it has come up with a very competitive four-bout (maybe three) card this Saturday night at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, commencing at 6:PM.

The main event will feature two very solid welterweights in Margarito and Cintron, a "natural" WBO Welterweight title fight between the Mexican champion Antonio Margarito, making his fifth title defense against a territorial rival, Puerto Rican Kermit Cintron. Anytime you pit a Mexican against a Puerto Rican in a meaningful fight, the Latino blood catches fire leading up to the fight. Margarito and Cintron do not figure to disappoint their adoring fans.

Antonio has only lost once in nearly nine years. He has won 22 of his last 24 fights, one being a no-contest affair. On July 21, 2001, he tried testing the waters at 154 pounds, he challenged WBO champion Daniel Santos in a fight that was declared a no-contest due to a cut ruled as an accidental head butt.

Nearly eight months after the no-contest affair, Antonio won the WBO welterweight crown on March 16, 2002, by stopping champion Antonio Diaz in the 10th round. Margarito’s punch output was amazing, in a bout scheduled for 12 rounds, he threw 1197 punches…that stands at #2 all-time for a welterweight contest. Margarito accomplished this in only ten rounds. That breaks down to an average of 120 punches thrown per round.

The Jr. middleweight title rematch with Daniel Santos fell on September 11, 2004, it ended in much the same manner as their first confrontation, when after traveling to Puerto Rico, Antonio was the victim of yet another head butt. This time they went to the score cards in the 9th round where Margarito came out on the short end of a split decision despite having a 158-126 edge in punches connected. After coming in at the Jr. middleweight limit of 154 pounds, Santos entered the ring weighing 170 pounds for the rematch. /*

Antonio last fought in February, he has been the more active of the two, Kermit has not fought since last July when he stopped a tough Teddy Reid in eight rounds to become the WBO Interim Champion. Prior to his fight with Reid, Kermit had his right hand operated on in October of 2002, after the Reid fight, he again had to undergo another operation on the same hand after suffering a ruptured tendon and ligament damage. In his eagerness to get back into the hunt, Kermit returned too soon, he began punching exercises, being a natural puncher; he felt excruciating pain causing the hand to swell. He had to undergo a third operation on the hand. In preparing for his shot at Margarito’s WBO title, Cintron only began sparring on the 21st of March.

Kermit Cintron has the stature of a middleweight; make no mistake about it…he is an awesome puncher. It isn’t to surprising that he has trouble with his hands, a lot of heavy handed fighters are very prone to injury. He is 24-0 W/ 22 KO’s, having stopped thirteen of his last fourteen opponents. I have seen him fight and came away very impressed with him. He not only can punch, but has great, natural fighting instincts.

I’ve had Antonio Margarito on my radio show several times; he is a fine young man, I am sure the same can be said of Kermit Cintron. Due to the fact that I have developed a friendship with Antonio, I will be pulling for him to win the fight of his life. It is a tough fight to pick, on one hand; you have Antonio with experience on his side, but who has suffered bad cuts in two of his last three fights, losing one and having the other called a no-contest. As hard as Cintron hits, all it could take is one well-placed big punch to reopen the scar tissue around his eyes. Antonio, 30-4 W/21 KO’s, is also a good puncher as well as an excellent boxer, but being a notoriously slow starter, he will have to get out of the blocks quickly, box Kermit, keeping the fight in the center of the ring, and try to get him into the later rounds where Antonio tends to get stronger the longer the fight goes.

Kermit has to jump on Margarito from the get-go by applying constant pressure. He cannot get hung up on trying to land his big bombs. One of the first things a good trainer will tell his boy is to not to go looking for a knockout, if you fight intelligently and with patience, the knockout opening will present itself. As the scar tissue around the eyes could prove a problem for Antonio, Kermit’s brittle right hand could also prove to be a detriment.

Quotes from the press conference:

Margarito: "This will be the defining fight for me, I truly believe that this fight is the one that will take me to the next level of my career and a victory will finally bring me the opportunities that I have been looking for ever since I became a world champion. I feel confident that I will beat Cintron and then look forward to some big names like Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya."

Cintron: "I at weight already. I’m at 147 pounds. I’m usually about three pounds over at this point. I’m well prepared. I wish the fight were tomorrow, I will win."

I received word from a good source that Cintron could possibly weigh as much as 170 pounds by fight time.

This is going to be a great welterweight title fight, it is a fight between the champion and the interim champion, it could very well come down to who wants it the most. "Maguina de Gulpes" vs. "El Asesino"…who could ask for more.

A fight that I was looking forward to was the lightweight confrontation between WBA Champion Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz and Ebo Elder. The fight was scratched due to a bad cut on the left eyelid of the champion Diaz. It is a shame we will not be able to see the fight, Diaz, with an unblemished record of 27-0 W/13 KO’s, would have faced a formidable opponent in Elder, whose resume reads: 22-1 W/14 KO’s. It is a great fight on paper, I am sure it would have been a terrific fight. I am a big Baby Bull fan; he has a style reminiscent of fighters of days long gone by. When, and if they do fight, be sure not to miss it.

The fight has been replaced by a bout that will serve to showcase an undefeated, (7-0 W/6 KO’s) bantamweight prospect from San Antonio, Texas, by the name of Raul Martinez. Raul, is a twenty-three year old Texan who is a two-time U.S. National Amateur Champion and boasts an amateur record of 70-20-1. Martinez turned pro in May of 2003. Last month, he stopped a fighter by the name of Jose Luis Cardenas in three rounds.

Being that my old business partner and friend Bud Furillo gave me the name "The Downey Flash," I have a gut feeling that one of my homeboys from Downey is going to be a sacrificial lamb for the young gunslinger from San Antonio. On paper, Downey native Larry Olivera (5-3-2 W/4 KO’s) appears to be in over his head. I may be wrong, and I sure as hell hope I am, but facing a guy with the credentials and the vast amateur experience of Martinez, not to mention his six KO’s in his last seven fights, I hold very little hope for Larry getting his hand raised. The stench of the recent mismatch of Julio Caesar Chavez Jr.’s last victory over a horribly outclassed young kid still haunts me. You will read my disproval if the fight is indeed a mismatch. The suspect bout will open the show on PPV.

A fight card with Shane Mosley on the undercard and not the main event only goes to illustrate how much luster has fallen from the star that once shown so brilliantly. The thirty-three year old three-time world champion had been regarded as one of the best pound for pound fighters for the past six years. His fall from boxing grace can be attributed to the fact that he has won only one fight out of his last six contests, one being a no-decision. The one fight he did win was a highly disputed win over Oscar De La Hoya. I saw the fight and thought that Oscar was unquestionably the clear winner. After losing to Winky Wright in two successive fights, Shane has returned to the welterweight ranks, a division where he rightfully belongs.

This Saturday night, Sugar Shane will attempt to recapture the glory that for the time being has eluded him. He will face David Estrada, a very improved fighter who ranks #2 in the IBF welterweight standings. In Estrada, Shane will be facing a fighter whose record stands at 18-1 W/9 KO’s. According to WallStreet.com Sportsbook, Sugar Shane (39-4 W/35 KO’s) is a huge 8-1 favorite to beat Estrada. With his vast experience, and once again fighting with eight-ounce gloves, plus the fact that Estrada is not considered a big puncher, Shane should be able to handle the young Estrada. The one thing David has going for him is Angelo Dundee. Knowing Angelo, he would not be training someone he didn’t think was special. Angelo has gone on record as saying his kid will lick Shane Mosley. That remains to be seen. Winky Wright was just too big for Shane; this kid with only 19 fights under his belt is right up Shane’s alley. I picked Vernon Forrest to beat Shane when he was a 7-1 underdog, David Estrada I do not believe is a Vernon Forrest, then again, stranger things have happened.

At a recent press conference, David Estrada had this to say: "I really don’t have much to say, so I’m going to keep it short. I love to fight and you’ll see that on Saturday night when I beat Shane Mosley." Shane chimed in with: "I know Estrada trains hard. I had a great camp. I don’t ever underestimate another man. I’m going to look even better on Saturday than I normally do. I want to say to the media, when you mention my name when it’s related to boxing, mention it as "Sugar"Shane. When you see me on the street you can call me Shane."

It should be a good fight, David Estrada does come to fight, he has said he is going to put a lot of pressure on Shane, not having seen David fight, I wish I could give you a better assessment of his talent, one thing I do know, is that Shane Mosley is as slick and fast as they come. If Shane can get back to his old ways as a welterweight, he is going to be hard to beat. "Youth must be served," I just do not think it will happen in this fight. In any event…Welcome home Shane!

Calvin Brock (24-0 W/20 KO’s) vs. Jameel McCline (31-4-3 W/19 KO’s).

This is an interesting fight between two big men; Jameel has already had two cracks at the title, falling short on each one of them. Calvin, I remember, was being highly touted a few years back. Having knocked out 80% of his opponents tells me he could very well be for real. He represented the U.S. Boxing team in the 2000 Olympics as a Super Heavyweight. Brock turned pro in February of 2001. Twenty-nine year old Calvin is coming off a very impressive win, on January 21, 2005; he destroyed a pretty good heavyweight in Clifford Etienne. After dropping Etienne twice, he took him out via a 3rd round TKO. Something worth noting is the fact that Etienne hung the first loss on current WBO Heavyweight Champion Lamon Brewster. Etienne (29-3-2 W/KO’s) will next be fighting Russian giant Nicolai Valuev (40-0 W/30 KO’s). So you see, Brock took out a fighter with good credentials.

On November 12, 2004, Jameel lost a controversial split decision to IBF Heavyweight Champion Chris Byrd. Prior to his loss to Byrd, Jameel had won ten of his previous eleven bouts. I feel Jameel has a hard time closing the show, if Calvin can take him into the deep water, I think he can beat a fading 34 year-old Jameel McCline. As far as the big boys go, this should be an interesting contest while it lasts. If Jameel brings his "A" game, it should prove to be a real test for the fast coming Calvin Brock. Should he beat McCline, it would surely open the door for huge money fights for the kid from North Carolina.

Quotes from the press conference: Brock: "I’d like to thank Jameel McCline, because you can never go further in the boxing world unless someone is ready to challenge you. I’m looking forward to Saturday and progressing to the heavyweight championship, which is my ultimate goal."

McCline: I’d like to thank my opponent. He’s a young, strong and ready to go kid. It’s a compliment to his fortitude and courage to get in with me. Let’s face it, everyone knows I’m one of the best heavyweights in the division and for him to step-up to the plate is very admirable. Having said that, I will make sure this is a short night. Calvin Brock is very confident and I think his confidence will be his downfall because I won’t have to go looking for him, I’ll be able to put my punches where they belong."

Having lost his two title opportunities, Jameel McCline seems to have had his day in the sun. Saturday night points to…Calvin time!

There you have it for this Saturday night ESPN PPV fight card. Three outstanding bouts, hopefully…four.

After the six o’clock PPV card, fight fans should be able to tune into HBO’s "Fights After Dark" at 9:45 where they will see another heavyweight fight between former WBO Champion Wladimir Klitschko and Eliseo Castillo. It has to be considered a crossroads fight for Wladimir, if he has conquered his problems, he could once again be a legitimate contender for the title. In Castillo, he will be facing an undefeated (18-0-0 14 KO’s) Cuban fighter, who as Emmanuel Steward puts it; "The fact is that Castillo is always in perfect balance. He moves very well. Like all good Cuban boxers, if you make mistakes, and you get off balance, they counter punch very rapidly and move in and out. That is very good for a small guy, but even if he may not be as big as Wladimir, his style of fighting will neutralize Wladimir’s height if Wladimir is not on balance at all times. He must be very sharp and accurate because any mistake you make, Castillo will take advantage of it very quickly."

Emmanuel said that as far as Wladimir’s stamina is concerned, he has no problems. He has been going 12 rounds in the gym easily; he went as far as to say that they have had a problem of slowing him down. He added: "We talk about Wladimir, here is a guy who had 50 professional fights…which I was shocked when I looked at his record…and was basically, aside from the Corrie Sanders fight, a guy never known for stamina problems. He was always a patient fighter who wore guys out and knocked them out in the late rounds. I think a fighter like Wladimir, who is an Olympic gold medal winner and has had a great career so far, and is a former champion should fight for the world championship after he beats Castillo.

This will be Castillo’s first bout since defeating former heavyweight champion Michael Moorer last July. Castillo’s trainer Norman Wilson believes Castillo has the formula to beat Wladimir…patience, hoping Wladimir runs out of gas.

What remains to be seen is if the 6’2 Castillo can hang in there with the heavy-handed 6’7 Klitschko, who will bring an awesome record of 43 wins, 3 losses with 39 wins coming by way of knockout into the ring. I am not ready to give up on Wladimir, I think he can stop Castillo, if not, he will have to consider another line of work. It will be an intriguing fight well worth watching. Saturday night will be a great night for fight fans.

I am sorry to say that I must end this article on a very sad note. This past week, I lost two very dear friends, William "Bill" McDonnell and Heckle Lynn. Bill, as he was affectionately known, was the father of my great friend and radio mentor, Joe McDonnell. Heckle, played a big part in my growing into a man.

Bill McDonnell, even though he was a quiet, humble sort of a man, he cast a very powerful presence. He never sought glory, he was content to stay in the background and see his boy Joe bask in it. He was extremely proud of how his son fought to be in the position he is in today, that of being the very best sportscaster on radio in Los Angeles. Bill had a commanding inner strength that he passed on to his son. Joe McDonnell may have received his playful orneriness from his wonderful mother Josie, but his strength and fortitude; he definitely received from his father Bill. Joe’s big heart was a gift from the both of them.

Although Joe will miss his father immensely, he rejoices knowing his beloved mother and father are once again reunited in the Kingdom of God where they will wait lovingly and patiently for the day they will all be together once again.

Heckle Lynn was a legend in Southern California. He was a big part of the Los Angeles Rams history here in LA. He was loved not only by the players he took care of, but also by everyone who was given the privilege of knowing him.

I knew him as a different Heckle Lynn, as a young boy in my very early twenties; he took a liking to me when I began to frequent his classy restaurant in South Gate. It was called "Enoch’s," we became very close friends, he taught me so very much, his passing was the equivalent of losing a family member. No one in town was happier than Heckle when my brother Ray and I opened our own saloon, "The Stardust." I used a lot of the tricks he taught me to make a huge success of our place. When I got out of the saloon business in Downey, I moved to the Valley. Heckle had opened a hot spot of a restaurant in Pasadena a few years earlier. It was appropriately called, "Heckles." Beginning a new life in the Valley, I sort of lost touch with my little, dear friend.

A year ago, as chance would have it, I ran into my old friend Heckle at Phil Train’s Restaurant in Long Beach during Joe and Doug’s fourth anniversary party. After embracing warmly, we had a wonderful evening rehashing old times. We would meet periodically at Trani’s; Phil Trani has always been a wonderful, dear friend to the both of us. Whenever we saw one another, we would pick up where we left off. I will miss my dear, dear friend more than the spoken word can say.

Bill and Heckle…they were giants who walked amongst us for a brief time, the mark they left on all who knew them will never be forgotten. Having known the both of them makes living a lot more worthwhile.

May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in Peace.

As I close, I won’t say goodbye…I’ll just say "So Long!"

UNTIL THE NEXT ROUND…PEACE AND GOD BLESS!