Garcia Waits His Turn for a Title Fight

Robert Garcia, 22, of Oxnard has been waiting five years for a world title fight. His payday appears to be near but he might have to wait a while longer.

Garcia (28-0), a junior-lightweight, scored a fifth-round technical knockout of Angel Aldama last week on the undercard of the Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield rematch at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

The No. 1-ranked contender by the International Boxing Federation, Garcia moved a step closer to a matchup with champion Arturo Gatti.

Gatti, 28-1 with 23 knockouts, must make a mandatory title defense against the No. 1 contender by Nov. 22, although the date probably will be extended to early next year.

That suits Garcia, who intends to fight a tune-up bout sometime this summer.

“I’ll just stay busy, keep in shape and I don’t really mind the wait,” Garcia said. “I’m in the position where I know it’s going to happen.”

Standing between Garcia and Gatti is Gabriel Ruelas, former World Boxing Council champion from Sylmar.

Ruelas, 44-3 with 23 knockouts, is scheduled to fight Gatti for the title Oct. 4 in New York or Atlantic City.

If Gatti beats Ruelas, he probably will face Garcia next. If Ruelas wins, he will be given six months to defend the title, according to IBF President Robert Lee.

But boxing matchups, as anyone in the game knows, are not finalized until promoters come to terms.

A Ruelas victory could create options that preclude Garcia.

Ruelas, 26, lost his title to Azumah Nelson in 1995, but a victory over Gatti would restore Ruelas’ marketability and probably create a showdown with WBC champion Genaro Hernandez of Los Angeles.

Ruelas is ranked No. 2 by the WBC, Garcia No. 3.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t speculate on that,” Ruelas said. “First thing I gotta do is defeat Gatti and I’ve got my work cut out.

“[Garcia] is a very good fighter and I respect him. But I’m not looking forward to fighting him or anything. As far as [scheduling fights], that’s promoters’ work--to see what fight would be better.”

Hernandez, 36-1-1, earned a split-decision over Nelson to win the title. Nelson stopped Ruelas in five rounds.

A bout between Ruelas and Hernandez would be a natural, and of greater interest than a Ruelas-Garcia matchup.

A bout between Ruelas and Garcia, who sparred with Ruelas during the latter’s days as champion, would be intriguing just the same, if only on a local level.

“There are so many great possibilities for Gabe if he wins the fight,” said Dan Goossen, Ruelas’ promoter. “Genaro, Robert Garcia. . . .

“Those type of things, you don’t need to speculate on because it all falls into place.”

All of which has not escaped Garcia, whose patience has not worn thin. A challenge for the IBF title--against Gatti, Ruelas or another foe should the title become vacant--will come.

“You never know about this stuff,” Garcia said. “We’ll wait and see what happens. Hopefully, after November, one of them will want to fight me.”

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Garcia found himself caught up in the post-fight turmoil in Las Vegas after Tyson was disqualified for biting Holyfield’s ears.

Pandemonium ensued when it was believed gunshots were fired in the lobby of the MGM Grand Garden.

Garcia, strolling through the lobby at the time, dove beneath a table for safety.

“I had to,” Garcia said. “I didn’t hear any shots fired. We just saw people running down the hallways and throwing things around.”

Between 40 and 50 people were injured in the melee. Garcia was not among them.

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Rafael Ruelas, Gabriel’s brother, is scheduled to re-enter the ring after a six-month layoff against an opponent to be determined July 19 at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio.

Ruelas, 48-3 with 38 knockouts, who lost his IBF lightweight title to Oscar De La Hoya two years ago, last fought in January at the Reseda Country Club, where he defeated Jesus Arce with a second-round knockout.

Ruelas has been recovering from ligament damage in his right hand, which he injured in sparring last February.

Goossen said he is negotiating a possible bout between Ruelas and Julio Cesar Chavez for the vacant WBC super-lightweight title.

Ruelas is ranked No. 4, Chavez No. 1.

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Lance Whitaker, the 6-foot-8 heavyweight from Granada Hills who has punched out five opponents in as many bouts, will fight Jerriel Baziles of Dallas in a six-round bout tonight in Moline, Ill.

The fight is on the undercard of a 10-round main event between light-heavyweights Michael Nunn and Lonnie Horn.

Junior middleweight P.J. Goossen of Van Nuys, 18-0 with 12 knockouts, also is on the card. Goossen will fight Eddie Hall in a 10-round bout.

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The second in a series of Ventura County boxing programs will take place July 12 at the P.A.L. Center in Oxnard, formerly the gym at the original Oxnard High.

Junior-lightweight Eddie Contreras of Santa Paula is scheduled to fight Jorge Ramirez of Mexico in a 10-round main event.