Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Leal can't resist call of pro boxing

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Thursday, October 21, 1999

Leal can't resist call of pro boxing
Corpus Christi police officer to debut at Texas Title Belt event tonight
By George Vondracek
Caller-Times

Guerrero D. Leal

Garza L. Leal

Tonight's fight card

WHAT: Miller Lite Texas Title Belt Series (series benefits the United Way)
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Memorial Coliseum
MAIN EVENT: Danny Perez (17-2, 10 KOs), San Diego, Calif., 145¦ pounds, vs. Jose Luis Cruz (11-7-3, 4 KOs), Dallas, 146¦ pounds, 8 rounds, for Perez's Miller Lite Texas Title welterweight championship
UNDERCARD: Efrain Garcia (13-2-1, 9 KOs), McAllen, vs. Rodney Weston (3-6, 2 KOs), New Orleans, 155, 6, junior middlweights; David Leal (0-0), Corpus Christi, 154, vs. Bernardo Guererca (1-0), El Paso, 153¦ , 4, junior middlweights; Ignacio Garza (0-0), Corpus Christi, 158, vs. Jesus Gutierrez (0-0), El Paso, 4, junior middleweights; Luke Leal (0-0), Corpus Christi, 140¦ , vs. Rafael Ramirez (5-3-1, 3 KOs), Delicias, Mexico, 137, 4, junior welterweights; Ron Guerrero (6-1, 5 KOs), Corpus Christi, 218, vs. Rodney McSwane (5-7, 1 KO), Lawton, Okla., 4, heavyweights
TICKETS: Begin at $10 (limited number of promotional tickets available at door); available at the Coliseum box office or by calling (877) 269-4644

Shortly after returning from the national Golden Gloves boxing tournament in Syracuse, N.Y., David Leal figured enough was enough.
   After 105 amateur fights, of which he won 95, Leal, 29, was ready to hang his Everlasts on a knob and become a non-practitioner of the Sweet Science.
   That isn't the way things panned out. The eight-year veteran of the Corpus Christi Police Department will be making his professional debut tonight along with two other Corpus Christians on the undercard of the Miller Lite Texas Title Belt Series at Memorial Coliseum.
   Luke Leal, who accompanied David Leal to nationals and who also will debut professionally on the seven-bout card, and Ron Guerrero swapped turns bending the police officer's ear, cajoling him to stay in boxing and turn pro. The coaxing finally swayed David Leal.
   "He can do a lot of damage at his weight," said the 6-1 Guerrero, a heavyweight who turned pro last year. "He has a lot of experience. . . . Why quit?"
   Leal figured the time was right.
   "Most professionals usually start in their early 20s," said Leal, who will face El Paso's Bernardo Guererca (1-0) in a four-round junior middleweight fight. "People have been nagging since I was about 18 to turn pro then.
   "I'm getting up there in age. If I don't make this move now, I'll be getting too old for it," Leal said. "I'd probably hate myself in the long run if I didn't try, especially with all the time I put in as an amateur. The amateur boxing world has been good to me. Hopefully, the pros will be the same way."
   The five-time regional Gloves champion continued boxing while he pursued his career with the CCPD, which he said was a plus as far as staying in condition on the police force. The time demand with his duties on the Juvenile Enforcement Team prevented Leal from a full-time commitment to boxing.
   But Leal said he committed himself to his pro bid and, with the help of scheduling from the department, he'll debut along with Luke Leal (a junior welterweight) and Ignacio Garza (a junior middleweight).
   A fourth Corpus Christi boxer, heavyweight James Elizade, also was scheduled to make his pro debut but an opponent could not be secured at the last minute.
   After 105 amateur fights, many at the national level, Leal said he isn't expecting a drastic difference in pro competition. His amateur trainer, Ralph Davila, who is following the Leals and Guerrero into the pro ranks, isn't offering any illusions, however.
   "When he turns pro and starts fighting, there's a big transition," Davila said. "You feel the punches a little harder. There's no headgear. You're susceptible to headbutts. A lot of amateurs that turn pro see it's not as easy as they think and they stop."
   Luke Leal, 59-19 as an amateur, faces Rafael Ramirez (5-3-1, three knockouts) while Garza meets El Paso's Jesus Gutierrez. Both fights are four-rounders. Guerrero, who beat Bobby Scoggins in a split decision three weeks ago at the Fort Worth stop of the Miller Lite series, meets Rodney McSwane (5-7, 1 KO) in a four-rounder.
   In the main event, San Diego., Calif.'s, Danny Perez (17-2, 10 KOs) risks his Miller Lite Texas welterweight belt against Jose Luis Cruz, a transplanted Mexico native by way of San Diego and Dallas, in an eight-rounder.



Staff writer George Vondracek can be reached at 886-3731 or by e-mail at vondracekg@caller.com

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