Sports Arena Brings In Consultant for Boxing

When you’re Orlin Norris and you’re ranked No. 1 in the cruiserweight division, opponents don’t exactly line up to fight you. So it should come as no great surprise that five prospective opponents have pulled out of Norris’ scheduled main-event bout Wednesday night at the Sports Arena.

The sixth, journeyman heavyweight Arthel Lawhorne was tracked down Saturday at a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in Detroit before agreeing to step into the ring with Norris.

Looking to avoid these predicaments and hoping to put more people in its seats, the Sports Arena announced Monday it has formed an alliance with World Boxing Assn. lawyer Jimmy Binns.

“We are setting a course to bring world championship level boxing to the Sports Arena,” said Binns, of Philadelphia, who has been hired by the Sports Arena as a consultant.

Richard Esquinas, president and general manager of the Sports Arena, and promoters Scott Woodworth and Dan Goossen are banking on Binns backing up his talk.

“There is a 1,000% chance that this will be successful,” Binns said.

”. . . I have pledged to Richard my unqualified efforts at attracting world class fighters to this arena. In the near future, there will be announcements of relationships that will be forged between the arena and promoters of international fame.”

Binns, who served as chairman of the Pennsylvania boxing commission from 1980 to 1987, said he has already spoken with promoters for Madison Square Garden, Resorts International, Wembley Stadium and others.

And just why would such promoters want to buy into San Diego, which has never exactly been known as a fight town?

“They can make money,” Binns said. “It’s an untapped, virgin resource. Richard has the wisdom to see what can be and has taken the steps to implement it.”

Binns did not say when he expected to begin bringing championship-level fighters into the Sports Arena, but he warned San Diego boxing fans that it might take some time.

“This is not a one-shot deal for me,” Binns said. “I expect to have a very long relationship with the Sports Arena. There’s no timetable. Whatever it takes is what it’s going to take.”

Norris (32-3 with 17 knockouts) would rather be fighting a cruiserweight, but said he’ll take what he can get--even if it’s a 255-pound heavyweight with 15 losses and two draws in 44 fights.

“I’d rather have this fight than nothing at all,” Norris said. “I can’t wait to get into the ring without the headgear.”

On the other main event, San Diego light heavyweight Ramzi Hassan (33-6 with 16 knockouts) will face San Jose’s David Vedder (14-10-3), who is ranked No. 3 by the World Boxing Council. The winner is likely to fight Jeff Harding or Christopher Tiozzo for the WBC light heavyweight title.

On the undercard, flyweight Miguel Martinez of Tijuana (20-4 with 19 knockouts) will fight Gato Flores of Phoenix and San Diego middleweight Paul Vaden (9-0) meets Los Angeles’ Freddie Thomas (5-4).

Tickets are available for $7.50, $20, $25 and $50 and can be obtained by calling 278-TIXS. The first bout begins at 7 p.m.