Duarte Loses Fight of Sorts; Site of Title Bout Switched

If there is as much fighting in the ring as there is over the location of the ring, the International Boxing Federation bantamweight title bout Jan. 15 between champion Orlando Canizales and challenger Frankie Duarte ought to be quite a battle.

Originally, the fight was scheduled to be held in Miami, site of Super Bowl XXIII, a week before the NFL’s championship game.

Then it was switched to the Reseda Country Club because the celebrity-filled audience likely to be there was considered more attractive as a backdrop for the nationally televised bout.

Bob Spagnola, Canizales’ manager, agreed to the change, which put the fight in Duarte’s back yard--in the club where fights are promoted by the Goossen family of North Hollywood. Dan Goossen is Duarte’s manager.

But Josephine Abercrombie and Stan Hoffman, co-owners of the Houston Boxing Assn., which controls the promotional rights to Canizales, decided they would rather switch again than fight.

Said promoter Bob Arum, who is handling the bout: “They have refused, upon reflection, to agree to the switch. Under no circumstances will they fight in Reseda.”

So Friday, the fight was moved again, this time to Caesars Tahoe Hotel in Stateline, Nev.