HAVE GLOVES, WILL TRAVEL
Lure of cash draws fighters from Latin America north, but it can be a tough road
Cesar (El Dolar) Chavez traveled from Mexico to bring the best out of Kane Heron, and on a Saturday in August he stood centre ring sizing up his assignment.
Heron had a 7-0 record, the Powerade Centre crowd’s support and a trim physique. Chavez, one of four Mexicans on that night’s card, had flab spilling over his waistband but his 32-11 record made him Heron’s most accomplished opponent. Solving him could prove crucial to the 26-year-old Mississauga welterweight’s development.
The fight in Brampton would earn Chavez $3,500 (U.S.), 10 times what he’d make in Mexico but 100,000 times less than the $350 million megastar Floyd Mayweather projects to gross for beating up Conor McGregor last month.
Mayweather’s retirement will prompt speculation about boxing’s demise, but the sport depends just as heavily on fighters like Chavez, who juggle multiple jobs and cross borders to test homegrown prospects. In Ontario, promoters increasingly rely on these imported journeymen, whom they say take tough fights for low prices.
In 2010, seven of 50 pro boxing matches in Ontario featured fighters based in Latin America. Mexican or Argentine fighters featured in 23 of 48 bouts in 2016, and 54 of 71 so far this year. So while rising star Heron and veteran gatekeeper Chavez embody enduring pugilistic archetypes, their pairing highlights economic and demographic shifts in Ontario’s boxing industry.
“There’s no one in Canada who would fight Heron for that price. Not even remotely close,” said Lee Baxter, who promoted the event. “You multiply that by seven fights and your card just cost you an extra $35,000.”
Promoters don’t fly these fighters in to win. Over the past two years Latin American-based boxers have gone 8-70-4 in Ontario.
But the Office of the Athletics Commissioner often vetoes perceived mismatches, so promoters also can’t book fighters simply to lose. The OAC requires promoters certify that every fighter on a card is equipped to be competitive.
“(Promoters) understand making a false statement, omitting facts or proposing mismatches may subject a participant to injury or death,” wrote an OAC spokesperson in an email. “(T)hey are aware that the submission of poor pairings may be cause for suspension of their licence.”
To arrange competitive bouts that still flatter hometown fighters, matchmakers look beyond wins and losses. Only five of Chavez’ 32 wins came against opponents with winning records.
“There are Class A, B, and C fighters, and I have a big catalogue,” says Ismael Vicente, who runs Guerreros de Zamora, an agency that has placed fighters on more than 50 Canadian events. “Matchmakers are the ones who choose. They learn which Mexicans they can beat easily and which ones they can’t.”
Last April, Guerreros de Zamora fighter Guillermo “Vampiro” Herrera suffered a brain bleed during a bout at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, then learned he wasn’t insured. Herrera, who earned $4,000, assumed the promoter bought cover- age, while organizers said it was the fighter’s responsibility. Unlike other major jurisdictions, Ontario doesn’t require promoters to insure fighters.
The incident didn’t discourage others from competing here.
“It’s for the money,” Chavez said. “For my daughter to be well, and my family to be well, I’ll take the risk.”
Baxter says Chavez’s airfare totaled $700; flying in a Brazilian or Argentine could cost triple that while a Canadian would demand a bigger purse.
“(Canadian fighters) out-price themselves if they have to fight anyone decent,” Baxter said. “The Mexican guys don’t even ask who they’re fighting.”
In Brampton, the Guerreros de Zamora knew who they’d face and how they hoped to win.
Miguel Angel Cobarrubias, a woodworker from Guadalajara, figured he’d outwork Hamilton’s Bradley Wilcox.
Juan Carlos “Cuervo” Chavira traveled from Juarez, a border town where he works in an auto parts factory. He plotted to force Wilcox’s older brother Jessie to fight in close.
Pudgy heavyweight Hector “Fifo” Aguilar had a job selling paint, and a plan to punch Mississauga’s Mladen Miljas in his sculpted abs, then attack his head.
“I box because I love it — and also for the money,” said Aguilar, 31. “I’ll never be a world champion, but I want to be somebody people know in my hometown.”
And Chavez, who works for a water filtration company and cuts hair on weekends, bet he’d beat Heron’s speed with timing.
“They’re looking for a certain type of fight but if we give them a surprise, that’s even better,” Vicente said. “For the next fight we can make more money on a better show.”
Cobarrubias pressed Bradley Wilcox, taking and landing big shots. He thought he earned a slim decision win, but judges awarded the fight to Wilcox.
Chavira’s toughness impressed the crowd but he took too many heavy blows from Jessie Wilcox. He, too, lost on every scorecard.
Aguilar barreled in on Miljas before a straight right hand toppled him. When Miljas dropped him again, officials stopped the fight.
A right cross from Heron sent Chavez to a knee in round two. Another right, another knockdown. Between rounds Chavez, Vicente and the referee chatted. Chavez motioned toward his right fist. The referee nodded and ended the bout.
Later in the locker room, the Guerreros de Zamora gathered their belongings. Half would spend the night, while the rest had a 1:00 a.m. flight. Aguilar apologized for his performance, while Cobarrubias called a friend with the glum result.
“Robberies happen, wherever you go,” he said.
Chavira, too, grumbled about the difficulty of winning on the road. Then he folded a blood-soaked washcloth and stuffed it into his knapsack.
Chavez seemed relieved the big knuckle on his right hand wasn’t broken, but merely bruised. The injury wouldn’t interfere with his day jobs, but he held his cheque between his middle and ring fingers.
The win signaled Heron is ready for tougher opponents, while the loss prompted Chavez to ponder his boxing future.
“The guy was really fast,” Chavez said.
“I couldn’t get to him . . . I wasn’t going to win and he was just going to keep hitting me.”