Lem's latest: Rios, trainer Garcia support children with cancer

Former lightweight titleholder Brandon Rios and his trainer, Robert Garcia, conducted a boxing clinic at Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles on Saturday as a benefit to children suffering from cancer.

Rios, whose wife, Vicky, was also present, is an ambassador for the non-profit organization, Padres Contra El Cancer, or, Parents Against Cancer.

Saturday's event provided information on free health and dental screenings and treatments Although the clinic targeted the fathers of the children and older siblings, all were welcome to the program, which was held in a classroom.

Rios and Garcia discussed the dedication and discipline required for their sport in addition to conducting mini-boxing lessons where mitts were employed.

In another development, Rios (31-0, 23 knockouts), who is promoted by Top Rank, has been ordered to begin negotiations for a WBO junior welterweight title bout opposite Russian Ruslan Provodnikov (22-1, 15 KOs).

In his last fight on Oct. 13, Rios scored a seventh-round stoppage of previously unbeaten junior welterweight Mike Alvarado (33-1, 23 KOs), who had been the WBO's No. 1-ranked contender to the belt held by four-division beltwinner Juan Manuel Marquez.

The WBO's crown became vacant when Marquez (54-6-2, 39 KOs) selected a fourth bout on Dec. 8 against eight-division titleholder Manny Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs), to whom Marquez lost by a highly disputed majority decision in November after having battled to a draw and lost by split-decision previously.

Ranked No. 2 behind Rios by the WBO, Provodnikov is coming off a second-round stoppage of Jose Reynoso in June. The victory represents Provodinkov's fifth straight, his fourth by knockout during that run, and his second consecutive stoppage win.

But Rios is also a consideration for the winner of Pacquiao-Marquez IV, according to Top Rank CEO Bob Arum.

"[Rios-Provodnikov] depends on a lot of things, obviously. That's certainly one of the possibilities," said Arum. "The other is a fight with Manny, and, so we'll just explore everything."

Rios-Alvarado took place on the undercard of a main event featuring a ninth-round knockout by IBF and WBO junior featherweight titleholder Nonito Donaire (29-1, 18 KOs) over Japan's Toshiaki Nishioka, whom he dropped twice.

SERGO THOMPSON WINS 11TH STRAIGHT BY FIFTH-ROUND KNOCKOUT

Mexican junior lightweight Sergio Thompson (25-2, 23 KOs) scored his ninth consecutive knockout victory, and his 10th stoppage during 11th straight wins with Saturday night's fifth-round knockout of Argentina's Luis Armando Juarez at Centro Internacional de Convenciones in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Promoted by Golden Boy, Thompson has not has not lost since falling by split-decision to once-beaten Alisher Rahimov by split-decision in September of 2010.

ABRAHAM HAN STOPS ARSENIO TERRAZAS IN FIRST ROUND

Middleweight Abraham Han, of El Paso, Texas, scored a first round knockout of hard-hitting Arsenio Terrazas, of Mexicali, Mex., on Saturday night before his hometown fans at El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso.

The knockout was the second straight for the 28-year-old Han (18-0, 12 KOs), whose effort dropped Terrazas to 9-3 with eight knockouts.

Featherweight Alejandro Lopez (24-2, 7 KOs) of Tijuana, Mex., scored his fourth straight victory by unanimous decision over ex-beltholder Takalani Ndlovu (33-8, 8 KOs) of South Africa.

Lopez, 25, was coming of a unanimous decision over Jose Palma in January, and had similarly vanquished Teon Kennedy prior to that in August of last year.

In his previous fight in March, Ndlovu was dethroned as IBF titleholder by countryman Jeffrey Mathebula, loser of a subsequent unanimous decision to Nonito Donaire in July.

In other match ups, 29-year-old Russian southpaw middleweight Matt Korobov (18-0, 10 KOs), of St. Petersburg, Fla., earned a unanimous decision over hammer-fisted Milton Nunez (24-6-1, 22 KOs), of Colombia, and 22-year-old junior middleweight Glen Tapia (16-0, 9 KOs), of Passaic, N.J., won a unanimous decision over Dashon Johnson (13-8-3, 4 KOs), of Escondido, Calif.

SADAM ALI RISES REMAINS UNBEATEN WITH 16TH VICTORY

Sadam "World Kid" Ali (16-0, 10 KOs), a 24-year-old who represented the United States in the 2008 Olympics, scored a second-round knockout over Ronnie "The Natural" Warrior, Jr. (13-8-1, 4 KOs) on Saturday night at the Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn, N.Y.
 
"I worked hard for this and I want to thank everybody for this opportunity. I hope I'm eligible to do more television events. The better fighters cost a lot of money and I'm not in that position yet," said Ali, whose "World Kid Promotions" handled the event.

"I'm trying to get better opponents, but sometimes fights fall out. I'm ready to step up. I want to keep my promotional company going, enhance my career and stay busy. I also want to help other fighters because I know how hard it is getting fights without a promoter."

Also on the card was cruiserweight Santander "Cha-Cha" Silgado (23-0, 18 KOs), of New York, N.Y., who earned a unanimous decision over Joell Godfrey (15-9-1, 6 KOs), of East St. Louis, Ill, who never has been stopped.

In addition, three-time Egyptian Olympian Ramadan "Holy Man" Yasser (8-0, 5 KOs) won a cruiserweight brawl by unanimous decision over Philadelphia's Tim Johnson (4-2, 2 KOs), dropping Johnson in the first and fifth rounds of the bout.

In an inspiration match up, cruiserweight Michael Costantino, of Queens, N.Y., who was born without a right hand, won his pro debut by second-round technical knockout over Nathan Ortiz (0-3).

Also, Manhattan junior middleweight Stevie Gamache (4-0, 1 KO), dominated his four-round decision over Jose Angel Ortiz (4-11-1, 1 KO). Gamache is trained by his father, retired ex-titleholder Joey Gamache.

In other fights, middleweight Shawn Cameron (3-0, 2 KOs), of Brooklyn, won a battle of previously unbeaten Brooklyn fighters with a four-round decision over Mamadou Doumbia (1-1), of New York, and Brooklyn bantamweight Jennifer Santiago (2-0) won a four-round unanimous decision over Ivana "Boo Boo" Coleman (0-3).

FERNANDO GUERRERO RETURNS AGAINST J.C. CANDELO ON NOV. 3

Once-beaten middleweight standout Fernando Guerrero (24-1, 18 KOs), who turned 26 on Oct. 12, will pursue his fourth straight victory and his third knockout during that run against Colombian-born Juan Carlos "J.C." Candelo (32-11-4, 21 KOs), of Baytown, Texas, on Nov. 3 in Humble, Texas, from the Humble Civic Center.

Guerrero, of Salisbury, Md., was last in the ring in July, when he won nearly every round of a unanimous decision over Jose Medina. Guerrero's only loss was by fourth-round stoppage against Grady Brewer in June of  last year. 

Candelo is coming off a loss by unanimous decision to Raul Casarez in March that ended his five-bout winning streak that had included three knockouts. 

In the co-feature, talented middleweight prospect J'Leon Love (13-0, 7 KOs), of Dearborn, Mich., will face an opponent to be determined.

Photo courtesy of Nancy Rodriguez

Photos by Chris Farina, Top Rank

Photos / Naoki Fukuda

Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com