Huge Turnout at WBC Cares Meet & Greet!

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“Ghost Bike” Ceremony at NGBA Gym

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It was a Sunday fun day for the droves of fans who turned out for a star-studded “Meet & Greet” hosted by New Generation Boxing Academy (NGBA), WBC Cares and Supreme Boxing.

Check out my special report and snapshots from the weekend bash which was attended by over 1,000 people!

This gathering coincided with the NGBA Grand Opening in addition to the World Boxing Council (WBC) and WBC Cares honoring the family of six-year-old Anthony Martinez Jr., who passed away on Thanksgiving 2011 after a tragic bicycle accident.

When I arrived at the gym, I noticed that the fight fans were lined up way before the doors officially opened. The fans told me they were excited to meet their favorite boxing heroes at this May 31 fundraising event. During the function, I also chatted with the prizefighters who all said they were happy to donate their time to such a worthwhile cause.

Signing autographs and posing with the guests were WBC champs Leo Santa Cruz, Daniel Ponce de Leon, Israel Vazquez and Gabe Ruelas, champions and pro boxers Mikey Garcia, Randy Caballero, JoJo Diaz, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, Freddy Hernandez, Roy Tapia, Daniel “Chapulin” Valdivia, Francisco Ochoa, Pete Duran, Oscar Negrete, Emanuel Medina, Ivan Delgado, amateur fighter Michael Vazquez and more. The Mayor of Lynwood Jose Luis Solache was also there to show support along with NGBA’s Carlos Barragan and Sergio Barragan.

Funds raised from the day benefited the Martinez family–proactive in the Ghost Bike SoCal program–who continue to honor the devastating loss of their son by helping others in need. WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman and WBC Chairperson Jill Diamond wanted to help raise both money and awareness in this cause which culminated in Sunday’s fundraiser. I know the Supreme Boxing team of Nancy Rodriguez, Jennifer Arredondo, Hector De La Cruz, TJ Perez, Eileen Perez and others all worked hard to ensure a knockout day for the Martinez family, the champions/fighters in attendance and the long line of fans that continued to stream into the gym.

There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony (with Israel “El Magnifico” Vazquez officially cutting the red ribbon), a presentation to the Martinez family (with Anthony’s parents Tony Martinez and Gloria Burciaga becoming honorary WBC champs), live music, a live auction and delicious food by La Chatita Tacos & Quesadillas.

GhostBikeTeamAttendees could also check out the booths and displays by sponsors and patrons including Sombra Apparel, Maggie’s Edibles, The Pac Team, the WBC (with their exclusive line of merchandise available), Supreme Boxing, La Chatita, Color King, El Diamante, Omni Life, Global Fitness, “Mouthpiece Guy” Jeff (fitting on-site mouthpieces for clients), Abraham Lopez (boxing collectibles) and more.

Maggie Ortiz (Maggie’s Edibles) also gave the champs her handmade creations with photos of Leo Santa Cruz and Mikey Garcia on the treats and chocolate-covered cookies with the gold and green WBC championship logo on them. The sweets were a big hit with the crowd too!

While catching up with the sluggers, I also talked to their families who were there to join in this great show of unity in the boxing community and beyond. Free autographs were available to all. The boxers met each and every guest with a smile or a fist bump as I watched them sign photos, boxing gloves, hats, posters and more. I even saw fans getting their arms signed (with permanent markers) by the champs!

Many of the athletes and participants stayed a half hour over the scheduled time of the event to accommodate the never-ending line of fans who showed up.

After the line of fans ceased, the Martinez family were given the funds raised as Supreme Boxing and WBC Cares’ Nancy Rodriguez presented the donation in a bittersweet but very inspiring moment.

Clutching a photo of little Anthony, the family spoke of their appreciation from the the WBC, the NGBA gym, Supreme Boxing, the sponsors, media and fans.

Sunday was a very memorable day for all as the boxing world did their part to help remember honorary champion Anthony Martinez Jr.!

Photos by Michele Chong

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Michele Chong has been involved in the sport of boxing for over a decade. Her “Chatter Box” column covers a variety of subjects in both professional and amateur boxing, and features exclusive one-on-one interviews, recaps of fight events, shows and tournaments, book/film reviews and much more. Inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008, she is also a member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame, Golden State Boxer’s Association and the Burbank Boxing Club. Michele is also involved in many non-profit and charitable organizations.