Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department and deputies from the Sheriff’s Department will step into the ring on Friday December 2, 2011 for the annual “Fight for Life” Battle of the Badges boxing event to benefit City of Hope.

MONTEBELLO — Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies and Los Angeles police officers are preparing to go toe-to-toe in the boxing ring to help the City of Hope battle cancer.
The 18th annual “Fight for Life: Battle of the Badges” began in 1994 after some East Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies befriended 9-year-old cancer patient Joshua Moreno and decided to become involved in his cause.
Though the young man who inspired the event succumbed to the disease, the annual charity event continues in his memory.

What a fight card it will be. In the Main Event Jorge Caamal LASD vs Ivan Guillermo LAPD. This is the rubber-match that both fighters have been waiting for. This fight will go down as fight of the night for the 3^rd time. Jorge and Ivan are Police Olympic Gold Medalist and have a lot of boxing experience.

In the co-main event Chris Barrios LASD vs John Negrete LAPD. Chris is undefeated with wins over top boxers, Juan Bustamante LAPD and Oscar Rodriguez LASD. John Negrete will be a tough opponent for Chris. John is a Police Olympic Gold Medalist and has more experience than Chris which may give John a slight advantage. This fight will definitely clarify who is number 1 at 190lbs.

Pictured above: LA Police Chief Charles Beck, Ivan
Guillermo, Jorge Caamal, LA Sheriff Leroy Baca

Ray Encinas LAPD will square off with Angel Vasquez LASD in a rematch. Angel squeezed out the victory in their first meeting. This fight has a chance to edge out Caamal vs Guillermo for fight of the night.

To give the fans something to talk about during intermission, the always exciting Juan Bustamante LAPD will be fighting Mike Hernandez LASD. Make sure you are in your seat for this one.
Whatever the outcome from this event, whether the competitors win or lose, they are all in agreement that the true winner here is City of Hope and the individuals they treat yearly.

Lindsay Dozier
Fresno Police Department
Nickname: “Bull Dozier”
Fighting Weight: 125

Pride and bragging rights were on the line for the Fight for Life, Battle of the Badges LASD vs LAPD Boxing Event. The first bout went to LASD’s Swanson getting a 1^st rd TKO over LAPD’s Finnegan. Bout 2 Ray Encinas LAPD picked up the win over LASD’s Angel Vasquez. The 3rd bout was very close.  LASD’s Lespron picked up the split decision win over LAPD’s Rosas. Bout 4 had LASD’s, Mills facing LAPD’s Gras. These ladies had the crowd on their feet as the action went back and forth. Gras picked up the win for LAPD to even the score 2 wins for LASD and 2 wins for LAPD. In the 5^th bout, Brendy Ponce LAPD scored a 2^nd rd TKO over Erik Ramirez, LASD. Bout 6, LASD, Mike Hernandez vs LAPD Juan Bustamante. Very close technical fight. Bustamante threw more punches and picked up the win by split decision. With LAPD winning 3 fights in a row, LASD’s Rojas felt the pressure to get a win for his team. He scored a 2^nd rd TKO over LAPD’s, Swan in bout 7. The best skills of the night went to LASD’s Brian Stevens. He looked very sharp picking up a 1^st rd TKO over LAPD’s John Negrete.  4 wins a piece, 2 fights to go. Bout #9, LASD’s Frazier vs LAPD’s Skeber, what a war. Nonstop action with each boxer scoring knockdowns. The referee had to call time to slow these guys down. Frazier picked up the win by split decision. Their bout was voted  “Fight of the Night.” Going into the Main Event, LASD, has 5 wins LAPD has 4 wins. This is what the crowd and fighters have been waiting for. The Trilogy, Jorge Caamal, LASD vs Ivan Guillermo, LAPD and they didn’t disappoint. Nonstop action from start to finish. LASD’s Caamal was throwing bombs and wanted the KO with his over hand right. Guillermo fought a more technical fight, working behind his jab and throwing his punches in combination. LAPD’s Guillermo picked up the win. It was a perfect ending to a great event. LASD 5 wins, LAPD 5 wins.

Sonny John Gerber
Grover Beach Police Department/Allan Hancock Police Academy
Nickname: Sunshine
Fighting Weight: 190lbs

Julie Williams
CDCR- San Quentin (Mental Health Crisis Housing)
Nickname:  “J-Cat”
Fighting Weight:  145-150
 

Match-ups are a funny thing; some are obvious, some are not. You could have 2 athletic guys with experience and the kill or be killed mentality and just automatically know that it’s going to be a good fight. It’s the reason you bought a ticket. You make sure you are in your seat when the fight starts. Then there are those other match-ups. You don’t know who the fighters are and you plan to mingle, get a drink or use the bathroom when they come on. The fighters may not have the best physique, the best jab, hook, or footwork. Yet they have what you don’t see. The will to win, the big heart, the, “never give up” mentality. Those matches carry that element of surprise. When the fighter is hurt, when he is behind on the scorecards, when he is faced with something he never expected. That’s when the “magic” happens. The fundamentals, technique, and skill go out the window and the fighter gives everything he has to win. He finds something inside himself that no one knew he had and maybe something he didn’t know he had himself. When the fight is over you realize you just witnessed something special. The will to win is a powerful thing.

The UCA sponsored, 16U Lady Ballers girl softball team finished their season 20-3 and placed 2nd in the NorCal Championship Tournament. These ladies are not only great multi-sport athletes they are also  4.0 students with bright futures ahead of them.

Galt United Combat Comp Soccer Team are the Region 6 Champions. Congratulations to the coaches: Troy Arntson, Jose Morales, Kevin Ginni and the players. They have worked all season to reach this goal and this is the reward for their hard work and dedication.  Great job! The UCA looks forward to watching these kids grow as athletes.

Loreto Garza:World Champion

Mr. Loreto Garza is currently a correctional officer at CMF but prior to his tenure as an officerhe had a very successful boxing career. Garza started boxing at 18 years old and did it for three years. He won the Golden Gloves award all three years and made the United States Boxing Team. He turned pro in 1983 at the age of 21. In 1988 he won the WBC Americas Light Welterweight Championship with a spectacular first-round knock-out of former World Champion Harry Arroyo. Later that year Garza knocked out former World Champion Charlie Brown in four rounds. In 1989, Garza, with a single right hand in the 7th round, knocked former world champion Joe Manley out cold. Later that year Garza won a unanimous decision in a 12-round battle to win the USBA Championship over #1 ranked contender Frankie Warren. Garza fought the last 5 rounds of that fight with his left eye swelled completely shut. Many boxing annals argued that Garza Vs. Warren should have been the fight of the year. On August 17, 1990, with only two weeks notice, Garza flew to Nice, France and won the WBA Light Welterweight world title by majority decision over Juan Coggi. Garza displayed beautiful counter punching in the fight. He came back to his hometown of Sacramento and defended his World Title against former World Champion Vinny Pazienza. Garza out-smarted and out-boxed Pazienza and had his face battered as Pazienza was being a dirty fighter. A frustrated fighter, Pazienza picked Garza up in the 11th round and tried to slam him in the ring. Pazienza would be disqualified for the incident. The following year Garza lost the belt to Edwin Rosario. He was promised another World Title shot but it seemed like all of the Champions would duck when it came to Garza. He retired from boxing in 1993.

Record: 32 Wins | 2 Losses | 1 Draw | 28 KOs

w r i t t e n  b y  n i c h o l  g o m e z – p r y d e

California Correctional Peace Officers Association Peacekeeper Magazine

David Hartman
Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
Nickname:  Strictly Business
Fighting Weight:  160-168    

Fred began his career with the San Jose Police Department in 1996. He has worked Patrol, the Metro Unit and Narcotics. Fred was promoted to Sergeant in 2008 and works in Patrol. Fred was a High School State Track & Field champion in the 400 meter dash. He was a running back for the University of Washington Huskies, who were then ranked # 1 in the country. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry.  Fred also ran Track at the University of Washington. He was one of the top 400 meter sprinters in the world with a personal best of 46.2 seconds. He earned a varsity letter as a true freshman. Months before the 1998 U.S. Olympic Trials, a motorcycle accident destroyed his left knee. Doctors said walking normal would be a challenge and running would be impossible. Having never boxed before, Fred began his boxing career in 1996 under the training of his coach, Sgt Candy Lopez. Here is a list of Fred’s accomplishments:

• 1996 – “Baddest Badge in the Bay” – CHAMPION
• 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 – California Police Olympics – GOLD Medal
• 2000 – USA Boxing Northern California Amateur Championships – CHAMPION
• 2001 – World Police & Fire Games – SILVER Medal

Fred also competed in the U.S. Olympic trials where he suffered the first loss of his career. He also fought in the TV series, “The Contender”. Fred’s boxing record stands at: 19 Wins, 2 Losses, 17 Knockouts. For his outstanding athletic accomplishments in Boxing, Sergeant Fredrick Kotto is inducted into the Police Amateur Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame.

Rick Turner
California Highway Patrol (CHP)
Nickname: “Slick Rick”
Fighting Weight: 225-230

In 1990, David began studying Tae Kwon Do under the tutelage of World Lightweight Kickboxing Champion, Sam “Magnum” Montgomery. At the age of 12,  David received his black belt. At the time of receiving his black belt, he also began lessons in kickboxing with Mr. Montgomery. In 1995, he enrolled in Moreau Catholic High School where he wrestled for all four years. He was coached by Jeff Macalolooy, Mackie McLoy, and Fernando Jose. He was a two-time North Coast Section Tournament Qualifier and team captain his senior year. In 2000,  Bermudez enrolled in Chabot College and wrestled for one year under Coach Siroy. His wrestling career ended due to a severe knee injury. During his years at Chabot College, he was an assistant wrestling coach for two years at Moreau Catholic High School and co-head coach his third year.   Bermudez graduated with an Associate of Arts degree in Administration of Justice in 2002.

In 2002, he enrolled in the University of Nevada Las Vegas where he competed in amateur boxing. David was trained by National Golden Glove Champion and Top Rank contender, Skipper “Saigon” Kelp and World Champion trainer, Chris Ben. He became a two-time All American that consisted of a bronze and silver medal in the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) National Tournament. He was also the team captain his senior year. He graduated from the University in 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Human Resource Management.

Today David is still actively competing in the sport of boxing. He earned a Silver Medal at the 2006 Western Police and Fire Games at 156lbs and plans to continue competing in the amateurs.  Bermudez has held a position as a Police Officer for the East Bay Regional Parks Police Department since 2005 and is currently the assistant boxing trainer at Elite Fitness Center in the city of Pleasanton.

David holds the UCA#1 spot at 154 lbs. He would like a rematch with Jorge “The Baby Faced Assassin” Caamal from LASD. They fought for the gold medal in the 2006 Police Olympics in San Diego. Their fight was a back and forth battle that could have gone either way. Jorge Caamal walked away with the win by split decision. Styles make fights and their style makes for a great fight. If they ever meet again, it will be a fight you won’t want to miss.