Avila Perspective Chap 269 Joel Iriarte, 22, Whiz Kid from Bakersfield, Golden Boy Show and More<\/p>\n
Boxers come in all shapes and backgrounds but seldom include scholars.<\/p>\n
Guys like Bakersfield\u2019s Joel Iriarte are as rare as a first edition Guttenberg Bible. You just don\u2019t find them anywhere and least of all in a small town in Central California.<\/p>\n
Iriarte (9-0, 8 Kos) makes his third appearance at the Honda Center when he faces a hard-hitting Haitian fighter Rock Dodler Myrthil (17-2-1, 13 Kos) on Saturday March 14. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s rare to find a prizefighter who could easily find an easier occupation than trading blows with killers named \u201cLights Out\u201d or \u201cAssassin\u201d or so forth, but it\u2019s the world chosen by the whiz kid from Bakersfield.<\/p>\n
In the span of boxing\u2019s history there have been a few like Iriarte who chose boxing over books or gentler professions. In the past you had the great Benny Leonard, Mexico\u2019s Marco Antonio Barrera and Chris Algieri come to mind. They all had options such as \u00a0stockbrokers, attorneys-at-law, or medicine. All preferred to lace up the gloves.<\/p>\n
For Iriarte, boxing began at age six.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of my dad\u2019s friends opened up a gym,\u201d said Iriarte who was living in the San Fernando Valley at the time. \u201cMy dad kind of decided to take me there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eventually the Iriarte family moved to Bakersfield in search of a more affordable home. The area is famous for agriculture like grapes. almonds, citrus, alfalfa, cotton and roses. Also located in the city of 400,000 is the world\u2019s largest ice cream plant.<\/p>\n
Successful boxers are not a common commodity in Bakersfield. Only a handful of pugilists emanated from the area including Mike Dallas Jr. and the late Ruben Castillo who recently passed away a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n
Now here comes Iriarte, who started making a name for himself at a young age.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was seven or eight (years old) I was fighting in shows. First national win at 12,\u201d Iriarte said about his amateur start. \u201cI won every national there was. Since I was 14, I was representing the USA. Four years consecutive titles as an amateur.\u201d<\/p>\n
One thing the Bakersfield youngster knew was that his boxing style was more suited for the professional level. Eight of his opponents did not hear the final bell and were vanquished from blows coming from his 74-inch reach.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m more patient. More composed in having time to decipher my opponents. I don\u2019t have to win the first round because I\u2019m going to run out of time like in amateurs,\u201d Iriarte said about the comparison between amateurs and prize fighting.<\/p>\n
Since making his pro debut in March 2024, he has only been forced to exceed three rounds once when he went a full eight rounds to defeat Kevin Johnson by unanimous decision at the Honda Center last June.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou figure out soon I wasn\u2019t going to knock everyone out. I fell into his (Johnson) game plan of surviving,\u201d Iriarte said. \u201cWe made some adjustments.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a total of nine pro fights, eight were eliminated via knockout. Possessing height, reach, speed and power, Iriarte was recently selected by Ryan \u201cKingRy\u201d Garcia as a sparring partner in preparation for the world title showdown with Mario Barrios last month.<\/p>\n
Iriarte was not surprised by the results, but the speed of the domination.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was funny. I had told everyone he is going to land that sneaky overhand right. It\u2019s almost like a slap that comes over the guard and hurt him,\u201d Iriarte said. \u201cI didn\u2019t expect to hurt him that first round.\u201d<\/p>\n
Iriarte\u2019s big lesson in sparring the likes of new welterweight king Garcia and others in the pro game is respecting everyone\u2019s power.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone has a heavy hand when you are fighting grown men,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Outside of the ropes<\/p>\n
Not everything revolves around boxing.<\/p>\n
Iriarte, 22, has interests in business and community ties that keep him busy when not lacing up the gloves. He created and runs a nonprofit called The Warmup Project in Bakersfield.<\/p>\n
The mission: is dedicated to empowering foster youth, adaptive athletes, and at-risk youth from low-income communities through inclusive fitness, mentorship, and life-skills programming.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe give out 750 meals to the homeless and do empowerment work shops and visit elementary schools. It\u2019s important to get a grasp and point on life,\u201d Iriarte said. \u201cTo be able to depend on yourself and have confidence. And not be so emotionally,controlled.\u201d<\/p>\n
You would think that working on a nonprofit and preparing to exchange blows with professional fighters would overwhelm him. Not so.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been able to create downtime when I\u2019m done with training. Instead of parties. I will come up with good ideas on my laptop. Or identify opportunities to make a safe environment,\u201d said Iriarte.<\/p>\n
Iriarte is a rare breed.<\/p>\n
Inside or outside the ring, the Bakersfield fighter can make his mark. Only time will tell.<\/p>\n
Loaded GBP card<\/p>\n
Several top prospects are included in the Golden Boy card. One is welterweight from Coachella Cayden Griffiths (7-0, 6 Kos), another is Indio\u2019s super welter Grant Flores (12-0, 9 Kos), and super feather from Cathedral City named Leonardo Sanchez (8-0, 7 Kos). All are tasked with credible opposition.<\/p>\n
The main card is headlined by Arnold Barboza (32-1) who meets Kenneth Sims (22-3-1) in a welterweight showdown set for 12 rounds. Barboza\u2019s last contest saw him lose to Teofimo Lopez in a technical match that went the distance in Times Square in NYC.<\/p>\n
Also, Puerto Rico\u2019s Oscar Collazo (13-0, 10 Kos) defends the WBO minimumweight title against Jesus Haro (13-3). This is Collazo\u2019s seventh world title defense. Usually the minimumweights rarely defend more than two times. Collazo is in rarefied air that is reserved for guys like \u201cChocolatito\u201d, \u201cFinito\u201d, and \u201cIron Boy\u201d. He is a special talent.<\/p>\n
Also, undisputed female flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora (17-0, 9 Kos) defends against Australia\u2019s Viviana Ruiz (10-2). Fundora is considered among the top female fighters pound for pound.<\/p>\n
And another welterweight battle pits Santa Ana\u2019s Alexis Roach (25-2-1, 16 Kos) against former world champion Joseph \u201cJojo\u201d Diaz (34-8-1, 15 Kos). Both are southpaws with exceptional gas tanks.<\/p>\n
ProBox TV card<\/p>\n
Najee Lopez (15-0, 12 Kos) fights Manuel Gallegos (22-3-1, 19 Kos) on the main event tonight March 13, in Kissimmee, Florida. ProBox.TV will show the light heavyweight fight on a variety of options including Amazon, Roku, LG, YouTube, Sling and Google TV.<\/p>\n
Action starts at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.<\/p>\n
ProBox.TV has successfully produced some of the best fight cards the past two years. Next week they bring one of their shows to San Bernardino, Calif. Super welterweight slugger Lester Martinez headlines the card on March 21 at the Orange Show.<\/p>\n
Fights to Watch<\/p>\n
Fri. ProBoxTV \u00a05 p.m. Najee Lopez (15-0) vs Manuel Gallegos (22-3-1).<\/p>\n
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Arnold Barboza (32-1) vs Kenneth Sims (22-2-1), Oscar Collazo (13-0) vs Jesus Haro (13-3); Alexis Rocha (25-2-1) vs Jojo Diaz (34-8-1); Gabriela Fundora (17-0) vs Viviana Ruiz (10-2).<\/p>\n