Local standouts top ‘Victory’ card
Chris Middendorf and Cameron Dunkin first crossed paths in 2005. Dunkin was managing a talented young boxer from the Bay Area named Nonito Donaire. Middendorf was the matchmaker for an ESPN2 card in San Jose, Calif.
Donaire fought and won on that card, and Middendorf and Dunkin have been doing business together ever since.
Dunkin, a former Albuquerque resident who in the past managed the careers of local stars Danny Romero, Johnny Tapia and Fidel Maldonado Jr., has long retained a soft spot for the city. Middendorf, who promoted a card at the Santa Ana Star Center in July, has come to like the area as well.
Tonight at 7 in the Kiva Auditorium at the Albuquerque Convention Center, Middendorf’’s Victory Boxing Promotions will stage a five-bout pro card.
Five of the 10 boxers on the professional card are managed by Dunkin.
The pro card will be preceded by the Rumble in Rio, a six-bout amateur show matching New Mexico firefighters against their law-enforcement counterparts for charity.
For Middendorf, who launched Victory in July 2015, the formula rarely varies: “Create hometown heroes,” he said, “and build a base around certain fighters, so we can come back there and bring in and develop people underneath.”
Enter Matthew Griego, a charismatic Albuquerque super flyweight who signed a managerial contract with Dunkin in early 2016.
Griego, a Victory contract fighter, is now 6-0 with six knockouts. He’s scheduled to face Mexico’s David Martino (2-1, two KOs) tonight in a six-round co-main event.
Middendorf said he has no doubt about Griego’s potential.
“The thing that convinced me the most,” Middendorf said after Friday’s weigh-in at the Hotel MCM Elegante, “was when I watched him hit the heavy bag one day. Everything about the way he moved, his footwork, every time he threw a punch he was always perfectly placed to throw the next punch.
You don’t see that very often, so it makes him a pretty exciting fighter.”
Within a year, Middendorf believes, Griego could have well over 10 wins and be fighting for a youth or continental title.
Griego said Friday he’s viewing Martino, despite his relative lack of experience, as his toughest challenge thus far as a pro.
Martino’s only loss was to Rudy Garcia, a Los Angeles fighter with a 5-0 record. The Baja California boxer’s two wins were both by early stoppage.
“He should be bringing the heat, and hopefully it’s gonna be exciting,” Griego said.
Rio Rancho welterweight Brian Mendoza (140, nine KOs) is scheduled to face Tyler Pogline (6-13-1) tonight in a six-round comain event. Mendoza is not promoted by Victory but is managed by Dunkin. Middendorf has had a hand in several of Mendoza’s fights as a matchmaker or promoter.
“I like him a lot,” Middendorf said.
Mendoza, like Griego, said he’s facing an opponent more dangerous than his record suggests. Five of Pogline’s six victories, he noted, have come by knockout. In a March 2015 fight, Pogline twice put fellow Coloradoan Raul Carrillo (now 15-2) on the canvas before being stopped in the third round.
“He’s got some pop in his right hand,” Mendoza said. “... It should be an exciting one to try and neutralize his power shots, work off of it, throw my stuff out. I’m expecting fireworks in this one.”
Albuquerque junior lightweight Alex Holguin (10-1, six KOs) is matched against Jeremy Longoria (9-7, three KOs) of Corpus Christi, Texas, in a sixrounder. Holguin, like Griego and Mendoza, is managed by Dunkin.
Longoria has been stopped only once.
“It seems like he’s a durable guy,” Holguin said. “But we’ve put in the work, we’ve put in the time. He’s not gonna come in here and spoil my party.”
In keeping with the formula, two out-of-state prospects, heavyweight Pano Tiatia and junior welterweight Christian Camarena, are on tonight’s card. Both are promoted by Victory and managed by Dunkin.
Tiatia (1-0) of St. George, Utah, is matched against Corey Barlow (0-2-1) of Austin, Texas, in a four-rounder.
Camarena, of Pasadena, Calif., is scheduled to face El Paso’s René Cedillo. It’s the pro boxing debut for both.