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 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.
A four-round women’s bout matching bantamweights Heather Donoho (3-0, 0 KOs) of San Diego against Amanda Knight (1-1-1, 0 KOs) of Orlando, Fla., also is featured.
“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.