Pochiro packs Sam’s Town card with local fighters

With 2013 winding down, there’s one final chance for fight fans to catch some live action.

Pochiro Promotions will host a pro and amateur card Friday at Sam’s Town. The card is heavy with local fighters, with Las Vegas super featherweight Jesse Carradine facing Antton Slaughter in the six-round main event.

Also scheduled is a four-round fight between Las Vegas super lightweights Cameron Kreal and Richard Colas Quesada. And Henderson welterweight Bronson Stultz will meet Wilberth Lopez in a four-round bout.

The Vasquez brothers from Reno also will be competing. Santos Vasquez meets Las Vegas’ Yosigey Ramirez in a four-round strawweight bout, and Oscar Vasquez faces Daniel Covielles in a four-round flyweight bout

“We’re trying to find a niche where these good young fighters in town have a place to perform,” said Pete Pochiro, the company’s CEO. “We’re hoping to form a long-term relationship with Sam’s Town. They have the perfect-sized venue for us — about 1,100, to 1,300 seats — and if this goes well, we’re hoping to do at least six to eight shows there next year.”

Sam’s Town last hosted a boxing event in 2003. But Pochiro said the two sides can help each other.

“They’re excited about having boxing at the casino,” he said. “Plus, we have the backing of Boyd Gaming. We’ll have access to their database, and they’re helping promote our event by putting it on their website.”

Tickets start at $25, and the first bell for the amateur card is at 5:15 p.m. The first pro fight is scheduled for 7.

■ MONEY TEAM HEADS NORTH — Several of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s boxers are competing Friday at the Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Wash. Super middleweights J’Leon Love, Badou Jack and Lanell Bellows, lightweight Mickey Bey, welterweight Ashley Theophane and cruiserweight Andrew Tabiti will be on the card.

Showtime will televise Love’s 10-round fight with LaJuan Simon, Bey’s 10-round fight against Carlos Cardenas, Jack’s 10-round bout with Rogelio Medina and Chris Pearson’s eight-round fight with Acacio Ferreira.

Bey, Jack and Love will have an opportunity to bounce back from losses. Bey (18-1-1, nine knockouts) was stopped in the 10th round by John Molina in his last fight, on July 19 at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Love (15-0, eight KOs, one no contest) had his May 4 split-decision win over Gabe Rosado at the MGM Grand Garden changed to a no contest after he flunked a drug test when traces of the banned diuretic hydrochlorothiazide were found in his system. Jack (15-0-1, 10 KOs) is coming off a 10-round draw against Marco Antonio Periban on Sept. 12 at the MGM.

In the nontelevised portion of the card, Bellows will face Eddie Hunter in a six-round bout, Theophane will meet Robert Osiobe in an eight-round fight and Tabiti will take on Justin Davis in a four-round bout.

The card will be televised on delayed tape in Las Vegas at 11:50 p.m.

■ MOLINA STAYING PATIENT — Carlos Molina, who defeated Las Vegas’ Ishe Smith in September to win the IBF junior middleweight title, is waiting to see who he will defend his title against.

“I don’t care who it is,” Molina said. “I know everybody says that, but I mean it.”

Molina’s patience might be rewarded. If Saul “Canelo” Alvarez can’t get Miguel Cotto to fight him March 8 at the MGM Grand Garden, Molina (22-5-2, six KOs) might get the big-money fight he’s always wanted.

“I would like to bring boxing back to how it was in the old days with guys fighting all the time,” he said. “I’ll fight anybody. I want to be recognized as the best in my division, and I feel like I’m ready to go out and get victories over the top guys and unify the belts.”

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter @stevecarprj.