Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
November 19, 2012
NATOMAS, Calif.--Last Saturday night, former WBA welterweight champion James Page did the improbable, returning to the ring for the first time following a 10-and-a-half year prison sentence, fighting rugged journeyman Rahman Yusubov in the six-round main event at the Four Points by Sheraton in Natomas, Calif. Unfortunately for Page and his team, the result wasn't what they were hoping for.
Page had been out of jail since the early part of the year, training at famed King's Gym in Oakland with a number of quality professional fighters, including middleweight prospect Omar Henry and junior middleweight contender Alfredo Angulo. He had worked himself down to 153 pounds for the fight, just one weight class heavier than where he contested most of his bouts in his prime in the late '90s.
Page nearly had that storybook beginning. After making his way to the ring amongst a large group of friends and family, Page was introduced to a raucous applause. In the first thirty seconds of the opening round, he nearly had Yusubov knocked out, as he blasted him with his once vaunted left hook a cou-ple of times and had Yusubov in retreat.
Page was unable to follow up with the necessary barrage to finish the fight, and Yusubov was able to regain his legs. At the end of the round, Yusubov also managed to land his own hooks with Page on the ropes that had the former titleholder hurt. This would be a premonition of what was to come.
Page came out swinging wildly, and Yusubov countered him well, hurting Page in the opening thirty seconds. From that point on, Page was basically out on his feet as he tried to weather the storm from his opponent. Though Yusubov's record wasn't flashy and had produced seven straight losses, those had all come against verifiable prospects who were on their way up, not against a 41-year old man who hadn't seen a ring since 2001.
Page proceeded to absorb an unhealthy amount of punishment until finally he was dropped badly onto the bottom rope by a Yusubov hook. The fight was waved off before Page was counted out. The room fell silent.
Yusubov almost looked disappointed with himself that this is the way it ended. Page stomped off to his corner, blurting out a four-word expletive in disappointment. His team tried calming him down, shouts from Page's mother and girlfriend ringside of support seemed to ease the situation. Yusubov came over and gave Page some words of encouragement. When Page and his team finally left the ring, it was to a large applause from the crowd that remained. A bittersweet end, no doubt.
Though James Page's comeback wasn't the success he envisioned it being for those 10-and-a-half years, it was still something worth being proud of. Most guys that do time like that give up on life and fall into bad habits. Page focused on the thought that if he stayed focused, one day, he will be a professional fighter again. On that note, the Pittsburg, Calif. native was successful and has nothing to be ashamed of.
On the undercard, Richmond, Calif. junior welterweight Aldwayne Simpson (4-0, 2 KOs) stayed perfect, winning a difficult four-round majority decision over Joaquin Chavez (1-5-2, KO) of Los Angeles. Hayward junior middleweight Aaron Coley (4-0, 2 KOs) scored a 2nd round stoppage of Chad Dietmeyer (1-2) of Arizona. Sacramento featherweight Alberto Torres (2-0) survived what was ruled a 1st round knockdown to prevail on the scorecards unanimously over Christian Navarro (0-2) of Los Angeles.
Sacramento junior featherweight fan favorite John Abella (3-0-1, 2 KOs) fought to a technical draw with Chula Vista's Salvador Cifuentes (1-4-1) when the two clashed heads in the second, producing a bad cut for Abella. In the opening professional bout, Las Vegas based female middleweight Maricela Cornejo (2-0, KO) earned a 3rd round stoppage of debuting Terri Lowe (0-1) of Sacramento in a brutal bout.
The card was presented by Sacramento based promoter OPP Presents, their second show of 2012. They plan on returning in February of next year, possibly using Sacramento featherweight Guy Robb in the main event. Robb fought in one of 2011's best fights of the year in January, where he lost to Los Angeles' Joel Diaz Jr. in an action-packed war.
NATOMAS, Calif.--Last Saturday night, former WBA welterweight champion James Page did the improbable, returning to the ring for the first time following a 10-and-a-half year prison sentence, fighting rugged journeyman Rahman Yusubov in the six-round main event at the Four Points by Sheraton in Natomas, Calif. Unfortunately for Page and his team, the result wasn't what they were hoping for.
Page had been out of jail since the early part of the year, training at famed King's Gym in Oakland with a number of quality professional fighters, including middleweight prospect Omar Henry and junior middleweight contender Alfredo Angulo. He had worked himself down to 153 pounds for the fight, just one weight class heavier than where he contested most of his bouts in his prime in the late '90s.
Page nearly had that storybook beginning. After making his way to the ring amongst a large group of friends and family, Page was introduced to a raucous applause. In the first thirty seconds of the opening round, he nearly had Yusubov knocked out, as he blasted him with his once vaunted left hook a cou-ple of times and had Yusubov in retreat.
Page was unable to follow up with the necessary barrage to finish the fight, and Yusubov was able to regain his legs. At the end of the round, Yusubov also managed to land his own hooks with Page on the ropes that had the former titleholder hurt. This would be a premonition of what was to come.
Page came out swinging wildly, and Yusubov countered him well, hurting Page in the opening thirty seconds. From that point on, Page was basically out on his feet as he tried to weather the storm from his opponent. Though Yusubov's record wasn't flashy and had produced seven straight losses, those had all come against verifiable prospects who were on their way up, not against a 41-year old man who hadn't seen a ring since 2001.
Page proceeded to absorb an unhealthy amount of punishment until finally he was dropped badly onto the bottom rope by a Yusubov hook. The fight was waved off before Page was counted out. The room fell silent.
Yusubov almost looked disappointed with himself that this is the way it ended. Page stomped off to his corner, blurting out a four-word expletive in disappointment. His team tried calming him down, shouts from Page's mother and girlfriend ringside of support seemed to ease the situation. Yusubov came over and gave Page some words of encouragement. When Page and his team finally left the ring, it was to a large applause from the crowd that remained. A bittersweet end, no doubt.
Though James Page's comeback wasn't the success he envisioned it being for those 10-and-a-half years, it was still something worth being proud of. Most guys that do time like that give up on life and fall into bad habits. Page focused on the thought that if he stayed focused, one day, he will be a professional fighter again. On that note, the Pittsburg, Calif. native was successful and has nothing to be ashamed of.
On the undercard, Richmond, Calif. junior welterweight Aldwayne Simpson (4-0, 2 KOs) stayed perfect, winning a difficult four-round majority decision over Joaquin Chavez (1-5-2, KO) of Los Angeles. Hayward junior middleweight Aaron Coley (4-0, 2 KOs) scored a 2nd round stoppage of Chad Dietmeyer (1-2) of Arizona. Sacramento featherweight Alberto Torres (2-0) survived what was ruled a 1st round knockdown to prevail on the scorecards unanimously over Christian Navarro (0-2) of Los Angeles.
Sacramento junior featherweight fan favorite John Abella (3-0-1, 2 KOs) fought to a technical draw with Chula Vista's Salvador Cifuentes (1-4-1) when the two clashed heads in the second, producing a bad cut for Abella. In the opening professional bout, Las Vegas based female middleweight Maricela Cornejo (2-0, KO) earned a 3rd round stoppage of debuting Terri Lowe (0-1) of Sacramento in a brutal bout.
The card was presented by Sacramento based promoter OPP Presents, their second show of 2012. They plan on returning in February of next year, possibly using Sacramento featherweight Guy Robb in the main event. Robb fought in one of 2011's best fights of the year in January, where he lost to Los Angeles' Joel Diaz Jr. in an action-packed war.
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