Metal Has Made a Name, but Does He Have Mettle?

Abraham Febles is scheduled to make his professional boxing debut tonight at the Warner Center Marriott, but you won’t find that name on the bout sheet.

Choosing a ring name with a tougher edge--and one that also reflects his affection for heavy metal music--Mr. Febles, a featherweight, goes by Al Metal as a boxer.

After all, changing names worked for his older brother, a guy now known as Jorge Paez, the Clown Prince of Boxing, a former two-time world champion.

Paez is expected to attend the boxing show, which begins at 7:30 in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom. We’ll have to see if his street clothes also include tassels.

Joining him in the crowd--actually, in most circles they constitute a crowd--will be several hundred Armenian fight fans in attendance to witness strongman Robert Galstyan in his third professional bout.

Galstyan is best known for towing weighted railroad cars with his teeth, accomplishments certified by the Guinness Book of Records.

Galstyan, a light heavyweight, has won each of his first two fights impressively, prompting his backers to request 500 tickets to sell from promoter Gerrie Coetzee.

Coetzee, of course, happily obliged.

Similarly, Coetzee made a few new friends by agreeing to put junior welterweight Jimmy Nakahara on the card.

Expected to work Nakahara’s corner are actor David Allen Greer and Sam Simon, the executive producer of The Simpsons television show.

Why such well-to-do men fancy handling mouthpieces and spit buckets is anyone’s guess.

Then again, boxing--at the Marriott, it seems, particularly--often attracts eccentrics.

For pugilist purists, the show also features a couple of top-notch young fighters.

The 10-round main event pits once-beaten middleweight Rodney Toney, ranked No. 8 by the World Boxing Council, against Armando Campas, a veteran of several tough fights against champions and top contenders, including Terry Norris and Randy Smith.

Toney has a record of 21-1-2 with 13 knockouts. His only loss came more than a year ago to WBC champion Quincy Taylor. Campas is 11-12-5 with eight knockouts.

The six-round semi-main event is a junior middleweight matchup between Shibata Flores and Augustine Renteria.

Flores (30-3, 19 knockouts) is a former stablemate of Yory Boy Campos, who is said to be one victory away from a probable world title shot. Renteria, who has fought for several small titles, has a record of 7-13-3 with two knockouts.

Carlos Guzman of Northridge faces Gerardo Lopez of Bell in a junior welterweight bout scheduled for six rounds. Guzman (7-3-3) is looking for his fourth consecutive victory at the Marriott. Lopez has a record of 6-3.

In bouts scheduled for four rounds, Metal, who is making his pro debut, meets Oscar Zamora of Van Nuys, a former Golden Gloves champion who is 2-1-2; Joe Pudar (1-0) of Los Angeles meets Rick Phillips (1-1) of San Diego in a heavyweight fight; Danny Perez, a former amateur champion from San Diego who is making his debut, faces Art Marcelo (1-0) of Santa Paula in a battle of junior welterweights; Nakahara (8-1-1, three knockouts) of Los Angeles faces Bryan Cimicata (1-4-1) of Mira Mesa in another match between junior welterweights.

Galstyan was scheduled to fight Hacinto Meza, but Meza dropped out and on Tuesday night Coetzee was still searching for an opponent.