Thursday, June 25, 2009
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Jake Guicero at the Chevrolet Centre
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Jake Giuriceo training
Campbell’s Jake Giuriceo returns home, eyes 3-0 start to pro boxing career
By Joe Scalzo
Vindicator sports staff
Jake Giuriceo wants to make his old stomping grounds his new stomping grounds.
Giuriceo, a welterweight from Campbell, will meet 33-year-old Lucas Rodas of Indianapolis in a four-round bout during Saturday’s “Steel Valley Rumble” at the Memorial Field House in Campbell.
“I’m looking to stop this kid,” said Giuriceo (2-0, 1 KO), who now lives in Struthers. “I can’t let him come into my old high school.
“I’ve got to knock him out.”
Giuriceo made his pro debut on the undercard of Kelly Pavlik’s middleweight title fight on Feb. 21 at the Covelli Centre, knocking out Michael Suarez in the second round. He then scored a unanimous decision over Aaron Anderson in a four-rounder on May 2.
“I’m a lot more comfortable as a pro,” he said. “I’ve always had a pro style, so it’s been an easy transition. Taking that headgear off has made it so much better.
“I can see more and I can throw punches at different angles.”
Guiriceo, who is trained by Keith Burnside, is hoping to get 10 pro fights in his first year, then slow down to about five or six the following year. He’s one or two fights away from moving up to six-rounders and he’s hoping to get some work in against Rodas (3-5).
Rodas has lost five straight bouts — four by knockout.
Guiriceo has been training six days a week, both at Burnside’s gym in Struthers at the Ironman Warehouse on the East Side. He said he’s in good shape and expects to put on a strong performance.
“I’m just looking to keep winning and get to the top as fast as possible,” he said. “It’s great to be fighting in Campbell. I went to school there and I played basketball in that gym.
“I’m going to have a lot of friends and family, kids I went to school with, teachers, my old principal. ... It’s going to be nice.”
Saturday’s card, which is promoted by TKO Boxing Promotions, begins at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6. Guiriceo expects to fight between 9 and 10.
Tickets range from $20-$60 and can be purchased by calling (330) 219-2290 or (330) 692-0692.
Cruiserweight Andres “Taylor Made” Taylor of Johnstown, Pa., headlines the card. Taylor (8-0-1, 4 KOs) is coming off a seventh-round stoppage of Simon Carr on May 2 in Johnstown.
Cleveland’s Mickey Bey (12-0, 7 KOs), a lightweight, and Cortez Bey (8-0, 5 KOs), a light welterweight, are also scheduled to fight. Both are managed by Cameron Dunkin, who represents Kelly Pavlik.
Other fighters include Pittsburgh welterweight Jesse Lubash (11-0, 7 KOs), Cleveland junior middleweight Dante Moore (3-0, 2 KOs), junior welterweight Will Nixon (2-0, 2 KOs) and Julius LeeGrand, who is making his pro debut.