What if I told you four UCA Championship rounds between James Davis, Folsom State Prison and Juan Bustamante, LAPD set the tone for the entire future of Pubic Safety Boxing?
March 31, 2012. Power Gym USA in Rancho Cordova, California.
James “Doin’ Damage” Davis, Correctional Officer from Folsom State Prison vs Juan “Bad Blood” Bustamante, Officer, LAPD Foothill Division
It was officially the UCA’s First Championship title fight. The moment, the rankings, the belts, and the whole vision of organized, ranked public safety boxing became real.
Two Paths to the Same Door
James Davis, the workhorse from Folsom State Prison.
By the time he walked into the Power Gym, Davis was already a big name. Local boxing writers had followed his earlier wars. Davis was described as, tough, heavy handed, granite chin and relentless pressure. A Joe Frazier type fighter, always coming forward, always working, smothering opponents with pressure.
A blue collar fighter from a blue collar job at one of the most famous prisons in the world.
Juan “Bad Blood” Bustamante from LAPD’s Foothill Division.
His story read like a movie script. He was arrested as a kid, sentenced to community service at Azusa Boxing Gym, and saved by the sport he’d once only watched on TV.
He joined the Navy, deployed to Iraq, then came home to pin on a badge with LAPD. In between shifts, he lived in the boxing gym, building a reputation as a heavy handed, explosive amateur who knocked out the previously undefeated Police Olympic Gold Medalist Brian Petrella from Pasadena Police Dept. That win punched Juan’s ticket to the title fight.
Bustamante entered the Davis fight with a lot of confidence and more experience in big fights. Juan and his coaches openly talked about a move to the pros within a year. This wasn’t just a title shot, it was a launchpad.
The Bet, the Build Up, and the Pressure
Predictions had Bustamante as the quicker, sharper boxer puncher and Davis as the nonstop pressure machine determined to walk Bustamante down.
Then came the side bet that turned a boxing match into a NorCal vs SoCal war.
If Davis won, LAPD Chief Charles Beck would have to hang a San Francisco Giants banner at LAPD headquarters
If Bustamante won, California Department of Corrections Director of Operations Richard Subia would see Dodger blue flying at CDCR Headquarters.
Four Rounds for History
When the main event finally came, the gym was packed shoulder to shoulder. Folsom Prison COs, LAPD officers, friends, family, and public safety fighters from all over California who wanted to see history and not just hear about it Monday morning.
From the opening bell, it was the clash everyone expected.
Davis coming forward behind a tight guard, digging to the body, cutting the ring off, trying to turn the ring into a phone booth. Bustamante using his movement, counters and fast combinations, looking to make Davis pay every time he stepped in.
It was four rounds of will vs will. Every time Bustamante landed clean, Davis answered back. Every time Davis cornered him, “Bad Blood” punched in combination and would spin off the ropes.
When the Smoke Cleared
The belt went home to Folsom State Prison. And the new UCA Light Heavyweight Champion
James Davis with a target on his back and a division full of contenders chasing him.
For Juan Bustamante, the loss didn’t end the story. He went on to box professionally, build a public profile as a fighter and bailiff on the acclaimed tv courtroom show Judge Faith and continue representing the uniform. His journey proved that even in defeat, a public safety fighter can turn a moment on a small amateur stage into something much bigger.
Why That Fight Still Matters
Davis vs Bustamante was more than a title fight.
It validated that public safety boxing could be structured, organized, and meaningful.
It set the precedent for future UCA Championship title bouts. It showed fighters from every department that UCA belts weren’t just props or handed out, they had to be earned the hard way.
Today, when a new champion gets their UCA belt wrapped around their waist, they’re standing on a road that began in a packed gym in Rancho Cordova where a Folsom Prison Correctional Officer and an LAPD Officer stepped through the ropes and proved that public safety fighters had the support, credibility, and validation to deserve their own championship stage.