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Bojorquez Seeking World Title Fight
By David A. Avila
(April 11, 2003)
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Only a select few prizefighters can say they have a win over the great
Pernell Whitaker and almost all of the fighters in the elite list have won a
world title and made millions. Except one.
When Carlos "El Elegante" Bojorquez beat Whitaker several years ago in a
fight he was supposed to lose, he joined a short list of fighters who also
accomplished the impressive feat including Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad
and Jose Luis Ramirez. Not even Julio Cesar Chavez beat the fighter known as "Sweet Pea".
So why isn't Bojorquez (20-3-6, 16 KOs), who owns the California junior
middleweight title, the IBA Intercontinental title and the WBC Fecarbox
title, fighting for world titles or facing his fellow Southern California
stalwarts like De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas or Shane Mosley?
"We talked to everyone but nobody wants to fight him," said Willy Silva, who trains and manages Bojorquez in Mira Loma, California."
Since forcing Whitaker to quit in the ring with a broken clavicle caused by
a Bojorquez punch in Lake Tahoe on April 27, 2001, the junior middleweight contender has been forced to compete against fighters who others avoid like Alex Bunema, Ron Weaver and Nick Acevedo.
On April 21, in Yakima, Washington, at the Yakima Nations Legends Casino,
Bojorquez will face Tony Marshall (36-10-6, 12 KOs), another contender, but a fighter who has fought for the junior middleweight title several years ago and against current IBF title-holder Ronald "Winky" Wright. The fight will be shown on Fox Sports World.
"I know he's a boxer type and he throws a lot of punches," said Bojorquez,
30, after a workout in Silva's backyard boxing gym. "He's fought a lot of
tough guys and he's never been stopped."
Bojorquez likes the fact Marshall fought Javier Castillejo, who lost his WBC
junior middleweight title to De La Hoya almost two years ago. He likes it
because if he passes through Marshall, then he'll go after Castillejo. And
after that, who knows.
"First I have to beat Tony Marshall," said Bojorquez who trains daily even
when he doesn't have a scheduled fight. "I want to stop him because it's
never been done."
He knows it's an important fight for Marshall too, but he wants to make an
emphatic statement to the world title-holders.
"I'll fight Winky Wright, Alex Garcia or Daniel Santos," he said, wishing he
were fighting De La Hoya, who had mentioned him as a possible opponent a few months ago but was overruled by Bob Arum who hand-picked Yory Boy Campas for a fight on May 3.
"I'll fight any of those guys. I don't really care. Those guys are afraid to get a loss, but we're supposed to be fighters."
The lanky power-punching fighter had a brief amateur career before turning
professional. He met his trainer Silva while at the Amateur National
Championships in Denver, Colorado in 1997.
"I remember we were all waiting in a room and I saw him," Silva said. "He
looked pretty good in the ring."
After the amateur trials which saw Bojorquez face Jermaine Taylor and Sergio Mora, he turned professional and signed on with Silva as his manager.
At first Bojorquez fought plenty of fights near his hometown of Mira Loma, a small dusty town located 60 miles east of Los Angeles. But after signing
with promoter Don Chargin, he's found himself fighting tough opponents in
their own backyards.
"We want a fight close by like the Olympic Auditorium," said Silva.
Next week, De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, which the legendary Chargin serves as the matchmaker, will be staging a fight card on April 17 at the Grand Olympic Auditorium.
"People are always asking us when we're going to fight in the Olympic
Auditorium," said Silva. "We live pretty close to it. We have a lot of fans
that would drive there to see Carlos fight."
Though usually amicable, Bojorquez seems irritable whenever he's close to a fight or close to his fighting weight of 154 pounds. On this day he spars
with Carlos Garcia, a rising middleweight from Colima, Mexico who will be
fighting in Fresno on April 11.
"He's pretty good, but he's still young," said Bojorquez, who has faced
other power punchers but with the added experience like Bunema.
Bojorquez dreams of another big fight similar to his contest with the great
Whitaker.
"I don't care who it is," he said. "I just want to fight for the world title."
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