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Giuriceo, Williams ready for fight night
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William D Lewis The vindicator Jake the Bull Giuriceo, right, and trainer Keith Burnside during a 9-1 news conference at Los Gallos in Boardman.
By Greg Gulas
YOUNGSTOWN
As Jake Giuriceo and Dannie Williams ready themselves for today’s weigh-in at Nicolini’s Restaurant, their trainers are making sure both fighters maintain their focus for at least the next 36 hours.
For Giuriceo (9-0-1, 2 KOs), that will mean that his two trainers, Keith Burnside and Frankie Duarte will be in his corner when he takes on Angel Hernandez (14-8, 11 KOs) in the main feature Saturday night at the Byzantine Center.
Williams (15-1, 13 KOs) will meet Harrison Cuello (22-14, 15 KOs) in the co-main event.
A St. Louis native, Williams has made Jack Loew’s South Side Gym location his home away from home and says he will count heavily on Loew; his trainer since his sixth professional fight.
“As a southpaw, Cuello will pose some problems but sparring with Miguel Gonzalez has really helped me to prepare in a way that I might not have been able to otherwise prepare,” said Williams.
“We’re trying to go the distance, but I’d still love to knock him out early if given the opportunity,” Williams added.
Loew said Gonzalez, a former Olympic hopeful, has more than readied his fighter for Saturday’s fight.
“Dannie will have to box him side-to-side and get angles on him as well,” said Loew. “We’re fighting Cuello at 137 pounds, but he’s fought as high as 153.
“He’s a huge puncher so we don’t want to go backwards; we want him to punch back because that leaves him open,” Loew said.
Williams needs an eight-round test in order to fight for the WBC Intercontinental Championship in St. Louis on April 15.
A win would then vault Williams into the Top-10 lightweight division rankings and that is the ultimate goal for both Loew and his fighter.
Giuriceo has been working with Duarte in California the past month, helping him get ready without any of the distractions of home.
“Having fought for the bantamweight title on two separate occasions has its benefits. Frankie and I were able to work on many things, most notably head movement and footwork,” Giuriceo said.
Duarte, 56, candidly admits to overcoming demons in his life that cost him time in the ring.
The days of drugs and alcohol are now in his past and he is thankful for the opportunity to be able to work with Giuriceo.
“I fought one of the last 15-rounders when I lost to Bernardo Pinango of Venezuela at the L.A. Forum back in 1987,” he recalled.
“The parties lasted longer and longer for me and when my skills deteriorated, I found myself out of the game at 26, despite making a comeback several years later,” Duarte said.
“I had no work skills, no education and was working as a security guard for $4.25 an hour.
“People recognized me but I didn’t want to admit to them who I was. I later went to barber school because my dad was a barber and it seemed like the right thing to do to get my life back together.
“When the kids would come and get a haircut, they would ask me to teach them and train them and that is when I decided to get back into the game as a trainer.
“I’ve always been someone who can get a point across and to break something down so I started to train guys at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in North Hollywood. When Boom Boom [Mancini] suggested I work with Jake, I jumped at the opportunity,” he added.
“It wasn’t about teaching Jake new moves as much as it was developing the moves that he already had. Working together for just a month limited what we did because I didn’t want to overdo it.
“Jake has a solid foundation and when he learns something different, he keeps practicing until he perfects what he has learned,” Duarte stated.
The six-bout card by Lights Out Promotions and co-promoted by Warner Promotions will also showcase Gonzalez (13-2, 12 KOs), who will go up against Martin Tucker (7-7, 3 KOs) of Toledo in a junior welterweight clash.
In a middleweight bout, Cleveland’s Michael Moore (6-0, 4 KOs) takes on Justin Williams (2-0), while Demar Singleton (6-0, 4 KOs), also of Toledo, will meet Michael Glenn (2-1, KO) in a light heavyweight scrap.
Also, Aaron DuFour (1-1) of Ashtabula will meet Zachary Swallen (0-2), in a light heavyweight fight.
Doors open at 6 p.m. with fights set to begin at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $50 and $25 each and further information can be obtained by calling Mike Cefalde 330-787-4228 or Tom Kordell 330-717-4201.
Ticket outlets are Bogey’s Bar & Grille. Buena Vista Caf , Byzantine Center, Check-N-Go, Jensen Lock & Alarm, Patsy’s Bar, Up A Creek Tavern, South Side Boxing Club, Bedford Trails Golf Course and the Wine Cellar.