New Legend Boxing and Old World Boxing are fast building great reputation and a stable of fine young talented boxers many of whom will appear on their next exciting show at The Cordon Bleu, located at 96-01 Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven, Queens, on the April 21 st .
One of the best to join them is new addition Juan Dominguez from the Dominican Republic. Juan is undefeated at 10-0 (7 KOs) and will face tough journeyman Jonathan Arias on the show.“I am happy with all the upcoming fights that I have scheduled,” said Juan. “I’m going to give 100% and show the fans what I’m all about.” In his last fight he did just that, winning the USA New York State Bantamweight title at the Cordon Bleu back in June of 2011. He had opponent, Arturo Santiago, on the canvas in the final round while taking home a unanimous decision victory.
Also on the show, and co-promoted by New Legend and Old World, is a tall, rangy light-middleweight who is a second generation pro, Frank Galarza Jr. whose dad Frank Sr. had a short career back in the 80’s. This Frank Galarza, 5-0 (2 KO), intends to make his career a lot longer. He trains at New Legend Gym, and is happy to be a member of the family. He believed that his career wasn’t moving along quickly enough, but with the team that he is on now he is confident that things will pick up.
“My career so far has been a little slow,” said the personable young man. “Which is fine; everyone has a bit of a slow start in boxing. I’m happy now that I’ve signed with New Legend and Old World Boxing. That was the best move that I could have made. I am comfortableworking with Felipe Gomez, and Kevin O’Sullivan of New Legend, and Jim Foley of Old World, and the whole team.” Frank is excited about fighting on April 21 st . “I’m looking forward to the show in April,” added Frank. “I want to show the world who Frank Galarza is.
”Hard hitting Angel Garcia is an undefeated junior-lightweight southpaw who has been perfect so far; two fights, two knockouts. He will be on the hot Cordon Bleu show too and as most young fighters, he is confident and ready to go. “I had 53 amateur fights and my record was 43-10, so I’m more experienced than just two wins.” Garcia started out as a baseball player. He even had a baseball scholarship, but things worked out differently than he expected. “My father sent me to Dolphin Fitness Gym on 24 th Avenue and 86 Street (in Brooklyn) to put on muscle, and I met (boxing trainer, Greg Ardon), there about eight years ago. I hated boxing at first then it got to me. I started liking fighting and I’m pretty good at it now.” He certainly is, having destroyed opponent Alan Beeman in two easy rounds at The Aviator in Brooklyn on the undercard of Judah-Paris recently. He is happy to see his career growing under the New Legend and Old World banner.
Also on the show will be a man on a mission, Rafael Vazquez, 6-0 (4 KOs). His daughter, Chastity who is now four years old, has autism and she gives him the motivation to box when he sees her struggling to speak and do other things that people take for granted. He is involved with raising awareness and money for research and care for people with autism. “I will be trying to help the special school that she attends by fighting on April 21. April is Autism Awareness Month and I will donate half my purse and have a raffle to raise money. I will sign and donate my ring outfit, and raffle it off. I also run a gym called Gym X in Brooklyn and I will include a three month membership and they can be trained by Junior Jones, John Meekens, or me.” Vazquez is a fighter who fights with heart; and has a heart.
Joe Smith Jr. is exciting to watch and he has been added to the already great lineup of fights on the show. He started his career with six straight knockouts and only a broken jaw in a fight with one, Eddie Caminero in 2010 at the Aviator in Brooklyn, could keep Joe from making it seven in a row. Smith took eleven months off to mend his jaw and has since registered two additional knockout victories. His record stands at an impressive 8-1 (8 KOs).
Jarrell Miller is a big heavyweight with a big punch. He too has been added to the April show and promises that his 2-0 record with two KOs will be shown to be for real when he steps into the ring.
Another addition to the card is light-welterweight Ray Velez who won his first two outings, one by TKO, but lost a hard fought close one last time out. He is poised to get back on track with a win when he steps into the ring at the Cordon Bleu.
ABOUT NEW LEGEND AND OLD WORLD BOXING
When two companies have similar missions it is often a good idea for them to work together for the greater good. Such is the case with New Legend and Old World Promotions. They have the same goals and mindset; to not only promote fine boxing, but to allow their fighters to get the exposure and opportunity for the success that they crave.
Jim Foley started Old World Boxing three years ago, “So far we have worked with New Legend on all of our promotions,” explained Foley. “And I’m trying to find some Irish fighters to promote being Irish myself.”
To that end Foley, who is a former amateur boxer and boxes in the Masters, has a couple youngsters in Ireland that he hopes to bring here in the next few years. So far he has co-promoted shows at the Cordon Bleu with New Legend and they both traveled down to the Dominican Republic to work with promoters there and put on successful shows in that country.
New Legend is a company that has evolved from a boxing gym, to a managerial company, to what it is today, a highly progressive and unusual boxing promotions company that cares. They do something that is all too often overlooked, they give a damn about the young men and women who walk through the door of their headquarters in Ozone Park, Queens where New Legend Gym is a part of the community is serves.
Felipe Gomez, a retired New York City police sergeant, and amateur boxer, along with his partner, retired police lieutenant, Kevin O’Sullivan, run New Legend with the hope that they can develop a star. To that end they have been running shows, mostly at the Cordon Bleu in Woodhaven, Queens, with great success.
Discovering boxing has been the most important event in his life for Gomez, “Back in the day it kept me off of the street. I was lucky enough to stay off the streets and become an accomplished amateur,”
explained Gomez, a youthful 40 year old who envisions their gym and the opportunities that it can provide to other young men, as something that can lead to a better life as another gym, years ago, did for him.
“We want to teach young people who come into the gym that there are other things in life that they can do,” said Gomez. “A lot of these kids have the talent to become somebody so we try to build the kids up and try to keep them in the gym and at the same time help the talented fighters.”
When New Legend was managing instead of promoting fighters they discovered that it was very difficult to get their fighters on promoter’s shows because they usually used their own talent. This gave them the idea to switch their direction from managing to promoting, and they are now able to showcase their fighters and so far so good as their shows have been sellouts.
