Local boxing notebook: Chumash Resort Casino to host another fight card Friday
The Chumash Resort Casino in Santa Ynez has become a hot ticket as of late.
Another fight card will take place Friday night as unbeaten junior middleweight Callum Walsh will face Carlos Ortiz. The 10-round bout will headline a Hollywood Fight Nights card that will stream live on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m.
Also on the card will be Karlos Balderas, who resides in nearby Santa Maria, squaring off against Gilberto Espinoza Zarate in an eight-round bout. Balderas is trained by 1993 Channel Islands High graduate and former world champion Robert Garcia.
Preliminary action will begin at 6:30 p.m. The show is sold out.
“This is a tremendous show featuring the return of ‘King’ Callum Walsh to California after headlining Madison Square Garden (in New York City) in his last two fights,” Tom Loeffler, promoter of 360 Boxing Promotions, told The Star. “Also, the homecoming of ‘King’ Karlos Balderas, the popular 2016 Olympian, who will be fighting for the first time in his hometown at Chumash Casino.”
Loeffler has promoted or managed the likes of Gennadiy Golovkin, Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, Shane Mosley, and Kevin Kelley.
Barrera (6-0-1, 4 knockouts), a flyweight who resides in Eastvale, has fought at Chumash Resort Casino before, dropping Jonathan Almacen twice en route to a second-round knockout win on Feb. 23. His manager, Ray Chaparro, is the owner of Cafe Amri in Oxnard.
Chaparro believes Barrera could become a legitimate prospect in the lower weight classes.
“This being ‘Chucky’s’ first eight-rounder should and will be a big stepping stone for him,” Chaparro told The Star. “He’s not overlooking Robles and, as a matter of fact, is very focused on this fight. He just got a new title sponsor. Chumash Casino has signed ‘Chucky’ to a nice sponsorship package and he is looking to put on a good show for the fans.”
Robles (8-2, 3 KOs), who is originally from Zapopan, Mexico, and now resides in Lakewood, lost by unanimous decision to unbeaten Angel Gonzalez on Feb. 3.
Walsh was an amateur standout from Ireland and now lives and trains in Hollywood. He is trained by Freddie Roach, who is best known for training Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto.
The 23-year-old Walsh (10-0, 8 KOs) stopped Dauren Yeleussinov of Kazakhstan in the ninth round of his last bout on March 15.
Ortiz (14-5, 14 KOs), who resides in Torreon, Mexico, scored a first-round knockout win over Brian Mora Munoz in his last fight on Oct. 28, 2023. The 39-year-old has won his last three fights, including a knockout win over then-unbeaten prospect Evan Sanchez in June 2022.
Balderas lost a close majority decision to Nahir Albright in his last bout on July 28, 2023. He had won his previous five bouts, four by knockout.
The 27-year-old Balderas (14-2, 12 KOs) recently signed a promotional deal with Tom Loeffler after being promoted by Top Rank. He fought his first 10 fights under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) banner.
Espinoza (13-2, 8 KOs), who resides in Tijuana, has won four of his last five bouts.
Two more fight cards will take place at the Chumash Casino Resort this year.
“Chumash is very happy with the world-class boxing that we have brought them and the show is already completely sold out,” said Loeffler.
Francisco A. Salazar covers boxing for The Star. He also writes for Ring Magazine. He can be reached on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Local boxing notebook: Chumash to host another fight card Friday
