La Colonia Boxing Club

Robert Garcia of Oxnard became the first world champion from Ventura County when he beat Harold Warren by unanimous decision Friday night for the vacant International Boxing Federation junior-lightweight championship at Miccosukee Indian Gaming Reservation in Miami. Garcia, 23, outpointed the 37-year-old Warren with effective lead rights and left-right combinations to the head. In another bout, 1996 U.S.

Oxnard fighters Tony Garcia and Israel Corea had their small followings firmly in their corners Thursday night at The Derby Club at Seaside Park. With a crowd of about 300 enthusiastically cheering the 23-year-old fighters, both furthered their fledgling professional careers with four-round victories by unanimous decision. Garcia (2-2) landed numerous hard combinations against Daniel Perez of Lakewood in a super-welterweight bout. Garcia, scoring at will with both hands, won every round.

Growing up in Oxnard, Danny Perez, Fernando Vargas and Robert Garcia were known at the La Colonia Boxing Club as "The Three Amigos." Two of them, Vargas and Garcia, used La Colonia as a refuge from gangs and a springboard to world titles. And the third amigo? After relocating to El Cajon at 15, Perez has gone on to win the Texas, California, North American Boxing Assn. and North American Boxing Federation welterweight titles.

In response to the article, "Vargas Doesn't Want to Take More Swings at De La Hoya" (July 15), in which Vargas announced he was giving back to his community by donating $1,000 to the gym. Had he left it at that, I would not have been compelled to write this letter, but I was upset when Vargas took some cheap shots at Oxnard city officials. As past president of La Colonia Youth Boxing Assn., it was one of my duties to interact with city officials. Although it wasn't always a walk in the park, if it wasn't for certain city officials, there wouldn't be a La Colonia Youth Boxing Club.

What began 20 years ago with an hour walk from his mother's home in south Oxnard to the La Colonia Boxing Club ended for Fernando Vargas on Friday night at Staples Center. Only the fighter's career didn't end the way he wanted it to with Nicaragua's brash Ricardo Mayorga sending him into retirement by knocking him down twice to win a brutal 12-round brawl neither man thought would go the distance. "Absolutely," Vargas said afterward, "this was my last fight."

Good news, bad news for Gerrie Coetzee. The good news: A crowd estimated at 800 last week nearly filled the Warner Center Marriott's Grand Ballroom to watch a six-bout card promoted by Coetzee's organization, Top Ring. The bad news: There were that many witnesses when Coetzee's great light heavyweight hope, Gary Ballard, was stopped by Roman Santos of Lancaster.

Fourteen months ago, Los Angeles flyweight Pedro Pena would have laughed at the thought of retiring from boxing. But that was before he suffered two defeats, parted ways with two trainers and took three months off to ponder his future. Now, retirement doesn't seem so funny to Pena, the former No. 2-ranked flyweight in the world and national Golden Gloves champion.

Tailback Dante Clay of North Hollywood High, the leading City Section rusher in the region with 441 yards, probably will miss the Huskies' Valley Pac-8 Conference opener Friday night at Reseda because of a leg injury. The injury--a calcified right thigh muscle--might keep Clay sidelined indefinitely, North Hollywood Coach Gary Gray said. Gray compared the injury to the one receiver J.J. Stokes sustained last year at UCLA. Stokes missed most of the season.

Edgar Jasso, 10, of East Los Angeles wore a face that meant business as he shadowboxed in the blue corner, waiting for the bell. Across the ring in the red corner, David Luevano of Baldwin Park glared back. Then it was time to rumble. Edgar came out with a flurry but after one round his manager, Ernesto Gallardo, 65, trainer of four world champions, seemed concerned.