World Boxing Hall of Fame: Carlos Baldomir – Israel Vazquez

Two members of the Sycuan Ringside Promotions stable will be honored by the World Boxing Hall of Fame at the 27th annual banquet of champions in Los Angeles Oct. 14. World Boxing Council and lineal welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir will be named “Fighter of the Year” and Israel Vazquez’s grueling fight with Jhonny Gonzalez will be named “Fight of the Year.”

Past winners of the World Boxing Hall of Fame “Fighter of the Year” include Oscar De La Hoya, Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley.

Inductees this year into the World Boxing Hall of Fame include Roberto Duran and Matthew Saad Muhammad.

Baldomir burst onto the national scene by defeating Zab Judah Jan. 7, 2006, with a 12-round decision to capture the title. He followed that performance with a spectacular ninth-round stoppage of Arturo Gatti July 22. Currently, Baldomir is training to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. Nov. 4 at the Mandalay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and live on HBO Pay-Per-View.

“This has been a great year for me so far, and I’m honored to be given this award,” Baldomir said. “But I have some unfinished business to take care of Nov. 4 that will leave no doubt that I am the “Fighter of the Year.’ ”

Vazquez, the WBC super bantamweight champion, rebounded from two early knockdowns to take command of the wildly entertaining fight with Gonzalez Sept. 16, en route to a 10th-round stoppage.

“That was a war out there with Gonzalez,” Vazquez said. “I’m proud I came out on top. I always try to put on a great show for the fans and I think we did just that.”

“Sycuan Ringside Promotions, of course, is excited to be associated with Carlos and Israel,” said Glenn Quiroga, President of Sycuan Ringside Promotions. “They haven proven themselves to be men who can overcome all obstacles and succeed above and beyond all expectations of the so-called experts.”

“Carlos has been nothing short of incredible this year and Israel had me almost as weary watching his fight as he must have been participating in it,” said Scott Woodworth, Vice President of Sycuan Ringside Promotions. “It’s a banner year for both gentlemen and a banner year for Sycuan Ringside Promotions as well.”