Rumble In Rio Charity Event Slated For March 18

On March 18, Victory Boxing Promotions and Rumble in Rio team up to present a night of charity boxing at the Albuquerque Convention Center in New Mexico.

The card kicks off with eight amateur “guns & hoses” bouts between New Mexico Police and Firefighters who will fight to benefit the Jim Franklin Bike Giveaway Program and various New Mexico children’s organizations in New Mexico.

The professional portion of the card will feature top prospects from the area, including flyweight Matthew Griego (6-0, 6KO) and super featherweight Alex Holguin (9-1, 6KO). Hard-hitting Carlos “El Tiburon” Sanchez (11-0, 10KO), who hails from San Felipe, Mexico, will also be looking to remain undefeated in a six round bout at junior welterweight.

It’s the promotion’s second foray into the Land of Enchantment. Matthew Griego wowed Albuquerque crowds at Victory Boxing’s July event, stopping Marco Alcaraz in the second round of their bout. Alex Holguin and Carlos Sanchez also came away with wins that evening.

The Rumble in Rio is in its 12th year in the state of New Mexico. It was inspired by Jim Franklin, who was an evidence technician in the Rio Rancho Police Department. For several years Jim would take old bicycles from storage and rebuild them and give them out to children of low-income families in the area for Christmas.

This effort prompted Officer Pete Camacho to create “Rumble in Rio,” and allowed the Jim Franklin Bike Giveaway Program to expand and provide more bicycles to more kids. So began the tradition of “Cops and Firefighters Fighting for the Kids”.

“The Rumble in Rio Board now includes members from multiple public safety agencies from New Mexico,” said Andrew Garcia, President of Rumble in Rio. “Our fighters are EMTs, Police Officers, Corrections Officers and Firefighters from around the state and have represented dozens of departments.”

“It’s an honor to team up with Rumble in Rio for this event,” said Victory Boxing Promotions’ Promoter Chris Middendorf. “Any time we have the opportunity to put our events to work in the community, that’s something we’d like to do.”

Doors for Rumble in Rio open at 6 p.m. on March 18th, and first bell is at 7 p.m.