By Ricardo Ibarra
Washington State-based PNW Professional Boxing Promotions will stage their third annual Halloween card on Saturday, October 26th at the Green River Community College in Auburn, Washington. With a total of seven bouts scheduled so far, the event is expected to produce a stacked night of boxing, featuring notable local talent and some young fighters just getting their starts. Topping the card will be a light heavyweight battle between Seattle’s Richard Vansiclen (6-0, 3 KOs) and Tacoma area fighter Cameron Sevilla Rivera (7-5-3, 5 KOs).
Vansiclen, of nearby Seattle, will be fighting for only the second time in the last two years. His career got off to an active start, making his pro debut in September of 2016 and claiming five straight wins over the next 13 months. But in late 2017 his career hit a snag, causing him to be sidelined for nearly fourteen months. He maintained a busy gym schedule in that time, seeking out quality sparring, including against recently crowned WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez, but he struggled to secure fights. He finally returned to the ring this past January, scoring a four round unanimous decision win over Eddie Hunter.
Sevilla Rivera, once a well-touted Pacific Northwest regional prospect, will be competing in a boxing ring for the first time in nearly two years. The Fife, Washington resident has focused more on his mixed martial arts career in that time, staying active in that sport. He last fought as a boxer in November of 2017, battling to a four round split draw against Kian Heidari.
Vansiclen and Sevilla Rivera will square off in six round contest in the light heavyweight division. Six four-round bouts will make up the remainder of the card, with an additional fight to possibly be added on soon.
Popular local eighteen-year-old Jr. welterweight Willie Hernandez Gomez (2-0, 1 KOs) will step back into the ring for the third time in two months, taking on Montana’s Steven Hellman (0-1) in a four-round match-up. Hernandez Gomez, who made an impressive pro debut in August with a first-round shellacking of Ian King, had to dig deep to pull out a four round majority decision win over Hamilton Ash in his last fight in September. Hellman, meanwhile, turned pro on August 24th, losing in the first to Russell Wienholz in Montana.
In other four round bouts; Kevin Davila (4-8-2, 1 KO) will battle Hamilton Ash (0-4) in a welterweight contest; Antonio Neal (4-12-1, 3 KOs) will compete in a Jr. middleweight bout, though an opponent has not been announced yet; amateur stand-out Jeremy Morales will make his pro debut against the durable Sebastian Baltazar (1-4) in a Jr. featherweight match-up; Josh Wheeler and Margarito Hernandez will each make their way into the paid ranks for the first time in a welterweight bout; and finally featherweight Jarrell Barbour will make his entrance into the pro game against Johnathan Lira (0-1).
Tickets to PNW Professional Boxing Promotions’ ‘Fight Night Fright Night-Brawl VIII’ are available at www.fightnightfrightnightbrawlviii.eventbrite.com For more information visit the PNW Professional Boxing Promotions Facebook page.