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Loew excited about December fight show
By Greg Gulas
BEAVER TOWNSHIP
The foremost quality local trainer Jack Loew looks for in a boxer is dedication.
Loyalty and a willingness to go the extra mile while training are next. Loew returns the same, not only to his fighters but to the area with a promise to keep boxing alive by promoting several fight shows each year.
While addressing the Curbstone Coaches during Monday’s weekly luncheon at Avion Banquet Center, Loew said he is really excited about his upcoming pro-am show at St. Lucy’s Palermo Center in Campbell.
Entitled “Season’s Beatings,” the Dec. 10 card will feature eight amateur and five professional bouts with Alejandro “Popo” Salinas of his South Side Boxing Club in the main event at 130 pounds.
“I love the St. Lucy’s venue and this is just another pro-am show which remains rare to the area. It’s my eighth show of this type over the past 27 years and my goal remains the same and that is to keep boxing alive in the Mahoning Valley,” Loew said. “I’ve had great success with this kind of show for a variety of reasons, but mostly because the crowd appreciates a good fighter along with the right pairings. No one has walked away disappointed after one of my cards.”
Salinas is 6-1 (6 KO’s) overall during his brief professional career, having won his last five times out.
He is set to take on Fidel Navarette (8-2-2, 4 KO’s) of Highland, Ind., in the night’s only 10-round fight.
“We want Popo’s career to progress as our shows progress and this bout against Fidel Navarette is a match-up that will test both fighters,” Loew said. “The key for us is that all bouts will be competitive. Bernie Profato is head of the OAC - Ohio Athletic Commission - and he makes sure that we have done our homework when it comes to pairing the fighters on our card.”
In addition to Salinas, other fighters from Loew’s South Side B.C. include professional Vic Toney (5-0, 4 KO’s) at 154 pounds, and Julian Salinas (152), Hank Gaston (141), Ivan Ortiz (109 pounds, originally from Puerto Rico) and Nate Lopez (132) on the amateur side.
All other fights are four rounds.
“Vic is still undefeated and keeps progressing. He shows more and more promise every time he steps into the ring,” Loew said. “Our stable was basically cleaned out on the amateur side, so this is a new group just trying to get to the next level. We want to be careful as we bring them along while not loading up the card just to give them a fight. It has to be the right fight for the right boxer and I have always taken that approach.”
Salinas is Popo’s younger brother, Lopez is set to make his amateur debut and Ortiz has impressed Loew to the point that he cannot wait to see the outcome of his match-up.
“We’re really high on Ivan. For a 13-year-old, he is already fighting well above his age group,” Loew said. “He has one of the very best left hands that I have ever seen and picks up everything that you throw at him.”
Other professionals already committed include Isaiah Steen (168 pounds) and Fred Wilson (160) of Cleveland, and Jeremy Abrams (Cleveland) who will meet Glenn Mitchell (Steubenville) in a 130-pound pairing.
Steen is 3-0, Wilson and Mitchell both 1-0 while Abrams is 2-1 thus far professionally.