LBA Struggles to Find Boxers to Fill Card

After being unable to stage fights the past two months because of scheduling problems, LBA Associates has announced a tentative card of five professional bouts starting 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Ventura Theatre.

Paul Konapelsky, president of LBA, said that he hopes the scheduling difficulties are behind him and he is optimistic about the future of boxing in Ventura.

“After we had to cancel the May bouts, we offered the fans a refund or an exchange of their tickets for the July card and about 80% said they would hold onto their tickets for July,” Konapelsky said. “And our presale tickets were running more than we had on the previous two shows.”

Yet with the card announced as tentative, it appears that LBA is still struggling to get boxers confirmed. One fight is questionable and a fighter in another bout has withdrawn because of a recent illness.

Middleweights James Ware of Los Angeles and Pedro Riveron of Las Vegas are scheduled for an eight-round main event, but neither has confirmed.

Another bout was to feature Camarillo’s Robbie Ruiz and Troy Stanley of San Fernando in the pro debuts for both fighters as junior middleweights, but Stanley said that he is recovering from mononucleosis and will not fight.

One confirmed fight pits Oxnard’s Danny Garcia against Raul Gonzales in an eight-round welterweight bout.

Other confirmed bouts include Angel Garcia of Las Vegas vs. Johnny Chavez of Tijuana in an eight-round featherweight fight and Vinnie Salizone and Jorge Rodriguez in a four-round welterweight match.