Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Toughman competition lives up to its billing

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Saturday, July 15, 2000

Toughman competition lives up to its billing
Unlike boxing, Friday night's fights are neither sweet nor scientific
By Matt Young
Caller-Times

Michelle Christenson/Caller-Times

Mario Nunez (left) of Karnes City and Juan Jose Diaz (right) of Corpus Christi trade punches during the third round of their Toughman match on Friday.

  Toughman Contest founder Art Dore’s warning to the crowd proved to be prophetic.
   "If you've come to see a boxing match, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place. These guys came to fight," Dore said.
   Although the results of the first day of the Toughman Contest on Friday at Memorial Coliseum weren't always pleasing to the estimated crowd of 5,000, the fans certainly saw more real fighting than boxing.
   By far the most action-packed and controversial fight involved Corpus Christi IceRays forward Quinten Van Horlick and Cesario Ureste from Kenedy. Van Horlick won a split decision.
   The announcement of the decision evoked the loudest crowd response of the night. The audience was split between those rooting for an IceRay, and those wanting to see an IceRay get beat. The decision was greeted with some loud boos along with a few drinks and food trays that were thrown into the ring as a sign of protest.
   The decision was so controversial that Toughman officials decided that Ureste, despite losing the decision, would advance to the next round with Van Horlick. Ureste and the winners of Friday's 19 fights and advanced to the final day of competition at 8 p.m. today.
   Van Horlick landed more power punches in the fight, bloodying Ureste's nose in the process. However, Ureste wobbled Van Horlick on three different occasions, although neither fighter registered a knockdown.
   Not exactly boxing
   The Toughman Contest bore little resemblance to boxing. There was no dancing, very little clenching, no signs of conditioning and all hints of sportsmanship were thrown out the window.
   Ricardo Guzman showed what Toughman is all about in the second fight of the night.
   Guzman, an oil-field worker from Alice, threw an arsenal of wild hooks, barely missing Felix Chong for most of the first round. Guzman turned it around in the second round and caught his opponent with a short left hook square in the face that sent Chong sprawling to the canvas for the 10-count.
   Before the referee could even start counting Chong out, Guzman stood over his fallen opponent, pounding on his own chest and yelling at him. Welcome to the Toughman Contest, Chong.
   "I was just letting him know that I got him, letting him know that he really didn't want any more of me," Guzman said.
   Guzman is the defending area Toughman light heavyweight champ, which he said should send a message to his competition.
   "I'm the defending champion, and I wanted to show everyone in the Toughman that you aren't really tough unless you can take me out," Guzman said. "I'm not taking any names. I'm only taking prisoners."
   Big man, bigger punch
   The most devastating performance of the night belonged to Corpus Christi native Tony Compian, who registered the fastest knockout at 36 seconds. Compian never gave Nathan Sparks a chance, toppling Sparks with the first punch of the fight and finishing him off just seconds later.
   Compian let out a monstrous roar as he left the ring before being mobbed by about 10 of his friends at ringside.
   "It's all about focus and power," Compian said. "I wasn't expecting it to end that fast, but I had the power to do it."
   Compian, who is competing in his first Toughman event, was the second heaviest competitor in the event, weighing in at 357 pounds.
   "I've been training hard eating plenty of pizza and drinking lots of beer," said Compian, which earned him another mobbing from his friends at ringside.
   Out of gas
   The lack of conditioning was evident in nearly every bout that went the distance. Each fight consists of three one-minute rounds, but 180 seconds of constant punching proved to be too much for most tough men.
   Tony Granger and Zap Velasquez lasted all three rounds against each other, but the final minute was a standoff as both men were too tired to throw many punches.
   Granger, a 5-foot-11, 231-pound bouncer at Corpus Christi dance club Woolybully's, knocked Velasquez down in the first round, but took a beating in the second round. The third round was a war of wills, and both men succumbed after the bell as Velasquez fell to the ground and Granger slumped against the ropes.
   The match was declared a draw and both fighters will be back to fight today.
   TOUGHMAN CONTEST
   FRIDAY NIGHT'S FIGHTS
   Light Heavyweight results
   Ricardo Guzman, Alice def. Felix Chong, Premont (KO)
   Ricardo Gonzales, Corpus Christi def. Alfred Martinez, Corpus Christi (decision)
   Joe Rosales, Corpus Christi def. Marvin Sexton, Aransas Pass (decision)
   David Swartz, Texas City def. Ernest Cabello, Corpus Christi (decision)
   Raul Maguna, Odem def. Jason Malone, Austin (decision)
   Sam Rodriguez, Corpus Christi def. Stephen Cardenas, Aransas Pass (decision)
   Louie DeLeon, Corpus Christi def. Oscar Delgado, Corpus Christi (KO)
   Quinten Van Horlick, Corpus Christi def. Cesario Ureste, Kenedy (decision)
   Jim Kelly, Corpus Christi def. Robin Taliancich, Corpus Christi (KO)
   Abraham Garza, Corpus Christi def. Anthony Garcia, Corpus Christi (decision)
   Heavyweight results
   Wilbur Wood, Luling def. David Sturgeon, Taft (KO)
   Juan Jose Diaz, Corpus Christi def. Mario Nunez, Texas City (decision)
   Tony Granger, Corpus Christi vs. Zap Velasquez, Pearsall (draw)
   Rafael Gonzalez, Temple def. Gary Fredrick, Corpus Christi (decision)
   Felix Reyna, Petronila def. Ed Bunch, Corpus Christi (KO)
   Tony Compian, Corpus Christi def. Nathan Sparks, Copperas Cove (KO)
   Nino Espinosa, Corpus Christi def. Robert Hulings, Corpus Christi (KO)
   George Hammond, Aransas Pass def. Shane Ganschow, Corpus Christi (decision)
   Albert Leal, Corpus Christi def. Stephan Green, Corpus Christi (KO)
   Staff writer Matt Young can be reached at 886-3702 or by e-mail at youngm@caller.com

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