Undercard Has a Silver Lining

In an effort to upgrade the undercard of Saturday’s Lennox Lewis-Vitali Klitschko heavyweight title fight at Staples Center, promoter Gary Shaw has added Ricardo Williams, a silver medalist in the 2000 Olympics.

Still to be determined for Williams, a super-middleweight, are an opponent, a length for the bout and his spot on the card. Williams (8-1) is coming off his first professional loss, a unanimous decision to Juan Valenzuela on Feb. 15 in Las Vegas.

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Lou Moret of Eagle Rock, who refereed the Oscar De La Hoya-Shane Mosley welterweight title fight at Staples Center three years ago, has been selected to referee the Lewis-Klitschko bout.

The three judges are Pat Russell and James Jen-Kin, both from Southern California, and Tom Kaczmarek of New Jersey.

Kaczmarek was selected by the World Boxing Council, whose title will be on the line Saturday night. Although the International Boxing Organization heavyweight title will also be at stake, the IBO declined to have a representative among the judges.

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Lewis is scheduled to throw out the first pitch tonight at the Dodger-San Francisco Giant game at Dodger Stadium.

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Suffering from gallstones, former world champion Gregorio “Goyo” Vargas has been dropped from Thursday’s semi-main event of the six-bout, HBO Latino card at the Grand Olympic Auditorium.

East Los Angeles native Urbano Antillon (9-0, six knockouts) has replaced Vargas and will face Ivan Valle (18-2-2, one knockout) of Los Mochis, Mexico, in a scheduled 10-round lightweight fight.

“I feel ready; I’ve been training since I was 10 for a fight like this,” said Antillon, 20, who agreed to step in on Saturday. “I don’t think it’s too soon [a test].”

Antillon, who is trained by Rudy Hernandez and works out at the L.A. Boxing Club, had already been in training for another bout in Sacramento when he was approached to replace Vargas.