San Diego Roundup : Big-Time Boxing Returns With a Seven-Fight Card at Jack Murphy Stadium

Thanks to Mike Altinger’s dream, big-time boxing returns to San Diego tonight with a seven-fight card at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. The last major fight in San Diego was in 1973, when Muhammad Ali fought Ken Norton at the Sports Arena.

Altinger, who has promoted boxing in San Diego since 1982, titled tonight’s event “Living A Dream.”

“This is the biggest night I’ve ever had in boxing,” Altinger said from the fighters’ training headquarters in Lemon Grove. “This is a big step for boxing. More than anything it’s showing the people of San Diego the caliber of young fighters that we have.”

Roke Harris and Don Wilson, light-heavyweights, will begin the night in a four-round fight at 7. Heavyweights Orlan Norris and Levi Billips will follow in another four-rounder.

Then San Diego’s Tony Deluca (7-1-2) will defend his Stroh’s Golden Star flyweight championship against Arturo Rodriguez (6-3). David Gutierrez (14-0, eight knockouts), also of San Diego, will defend his Golden Star welterweight championship against Jose Luis Lejo (16-6, 16 knockouts) of Los Angeles. Both fights are scheduled for eight rounds.

Rigo Lopez (14-1) of San Diego will follow in a welterweight bout, scheduled for 10 rounds, against Mexico’s Raymundo Torres (22-4, 19 knockouts).

A double main event will end the night. Richard Aguirre (13-1) of San Diego will challenge Felipe Canela (18-5-3) of Los Angeles for the latter’s California state welterweight championship. Irving Mitchell (27-4, 16 knockouts) of San Diego will then defend his California state featherweight championship against Adrian Arreola (18-4) of Los Angeles. Both fights are scheduled for 12 rounds.

Altinger is expecting 4,000 to 5,000 fans; 6,000 seats will be set up within the stadium.

Tickets range from $15 to $60 and are available at all Trip Ticket outlets. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.

Some of the world’s top women surfers will compete Sunday in the Stoked USA Womens’ Pro-Am Series at Oceanside Harbor. The event is a warm-up to the women’s world tour that begins Aug. 26 with the Op Pro at Huntington Beach.

Australians Jody Cooper, ranked second in the world, and Pam Burridge, ranked third, will be among the top international surfers competing.

La Jolla’s Debbie Beacham, the 1982 world champion, heads the list of local professionals. Erin Andrews, 15, of Carlsbad, will be among the eight amateurs competing in the field of 32 surfers.

Sunday’s competition will be the first leg of the three-event series. The remaining two events will be Aug. 3 at San Onofre State Beach and Aug. 10 at Oceanside Pier.

Each surfer can gain points throughout the series, and the one with the most points after the Aug. 10 meet will win top prize of $1,000.

The $17,500 Nike Horny Toad Triterium will take place Sunday at the Oceanside Municipal Pier, with 100 triathletes, including Scott Molina, Mark Allen and Scott Tinley, competing.

The event features two swim loops around the Oceanside Pier, totaling 1.2 miles; a 25-mile, five-loop bike course, and a six-mile, 25-loop run around the pier.

The open competition starts at 8:30 a.m., followed by the invitational at 11 a.m. and the open relay competition at 11:20. Deadline for participation reservations is 5 p.m. today. Contact Bob Yehling at 722-7583 or Denis White at 756-5413.

The fifth leg of the Pacific 1000, a 12-day, 11-leg catamaran race, ends at the Catamaran Hotel on Mission Bay about 4 p.m. Sunday. Catamarans leave San Diego on Monday at 10 a.m. for Newport Beach, possibly the toughest leg of the competition at 60 nautical miles.

The race began last Wednesday in Long Beach, and the route took the sailors to Catalina Island, around the island and back to Long Beach today. On Saturday, the boats sail to Dana Point and continue Sunday to San Diego. After Newport Beach on Monday, the sailors travel to Redondo Beach Tuesday, Oxnard Wednesday, Santa Barbara Thursday, back to Oxnard Friday and to the finish line at Huntington Beach Aug. 3.

About 20 boats have entered the race.

Mike Hagerman has opened up a 24-point lead in the NASCAR Super Stock standings at Cajon Speedway. Hagerman, at 272 points, is ahead of Mark Norris (248), Mark Meech (246) and Gary Tamborelli (220) going into Saturday night’s race.

Street and bomber stocks will also race, and the leaders in those divisions are Jerry Gay and Dennis Taylor, respectively.

Racing begins at 7:30 and tickets are $6 for East side, $5 for West side and $2 for children. Parking is $1. For more information, call 448-8900.

The qualifying rounds of the Virgina Slims of San Diego tennis tournament will be Saturday and Sunday at the San Diego Hilton Beach and Tennis Resort. The nine-day event, which concludes with the final Aug. 3, will feature more than 60 of the world’s top women tennis players, including Kathy Jordan, who won the 1986 Wimbledon mixed doubles with Ken Flach.

Tickets, from $4 for qualifying rounds to $12, are available at all Teleseat outlets (283-SEAT) or at the Hilton (276-6093).