The rematch turned out to be a repeat.

Benny “El Hijo” Madrid made quick work of of Joe “The Rottweiller” Torrez on Saturday night at AVA Theater at Casino del Sol.

Again – and it enabled Madrid to retain his Lightweight Title.

In May, Madrid defeated Torrez in Phoenix pretty much under the same circumstances – a first round victory. On Saturday (June 30) it was referee stoppage after Madrid dominated Torrez from the start.

“They said I got lucky,’’ Madrid said, referring to the first fight between the two. “I thought it could have gone either way; he did get a good kick in. But it is what it is. Thank God I didn’t get knocked out and I didn’t get hurt by the kick.”

This time, however, the quick start and quick finish was the key.

“I’m an aggressive fighter but I’m not sure why I didn’t come out that way in the last one,’’ said Madrid. “That was my plan, to get in there and try to hurt him and test him out. People don’t know I have a good standup (game).’’

It showed on Saturday night. What’s next? He’s not completely sure but he was told there were individuals from another organization to possibly set him up for another fight. What’s clear is he’s on the road to possible success. The Phoenix-area fighter is optimistic he won’t let anyone down.

“Tucson has put me on the map,’’ he said, in thanking the local crowd. “I’ve have got a dream. I’d be either dead or in jail (if not for his ability in the ring). I have beaten the odds and I’m here.’’

And ready to fight another day.

As is, Adam “A Bomb” Padilla, who defeated Carlos Flores in the first round. Padilla recovered from being a tough situation early, but was able to get the victory.

“He’s a tough guy,’’ Padilla said. “There are no sissies in this thing. Training at Fight Ready I knew what to do. I had the desire to get up – after getting in my mind to ‘Get Up, Get Up.’ It’s what you do. You don’t quit. He’s got to knock me out to win.’’

Flores didn’t and Padilla left to Globe, Ariz., the champion of the heavyweight title.

Click here for the Fight Night’s complete results.

WFFMMA

Thom Ortiz and his WFFMM are back – where they belong … Casino Del Sol’s AVA Theater.

WFFMMA has been good to Tucson and Tucson has been
good for WFFMMA.

On June 30, 2012, Ortiz will host his seventh fight card at Casino Del Sol’s AVA Theater.

Ortiz, Tucson native, feels right at home at AVA. After all, isn’t home where the
heart is?

It sure is when it comes to the heart-pounding, fist-to-the-face of the WFFMMA.

“The marriage between PYT (Pasqua Yaqui Tribe) and and WFF has been perfect,’’ Ortiz said, who runs the WFFMMA.  “Without them and their support, we wouldn’t be on our ninth show. We just had our eighth show at Salt River Fields in Phoenix and the reason they let us in there was because of our success at AVA. They know our organization is professional and has quality
branding.’’

And plenty of action-packed excitement.

For most of the last few shows, the WFFMMA has grown in popularity with crowds of more than 2,000 each night. Last year, ESPY Award winner Anthony Robles was a guest.

AVA is also the perfect venue, where there is not a bad seat in the house.

“Without our fans we cannot have fights,’’ Ortiz said. “We always put on big productions and people like Rob Monroe, a cut-man for UFC,  have said to me is that the only show that he’s seen run better is Bellator. The quality branding of our show is up there. We
just hope to continue that type of work, all the while providing opportunities
for these fighters to get to the next level.’’

Ortiz said that is getting “real close’’ to happening.

Guys like Brendan Tierney, the champion at 170 pounds and Benny Madrid at 155 pounds.

“We have a couple of guys who are right on the cusp,’’ he said.

Ortiz will do whatever it takes to get them there. He also knows hard work and persistence
are keys to his and everyone’s success. Part of his inspiration are his fans
and loyal friends of WFFMMA.

“I love them and it is great seeing them,’’ he said.

Re-visiting my dad’s story from 21 years ago. Hope you like and remember him well. …

Obit Dads Day-1

Here is one of the newer posters: Rhonda Moretti’s Model Inc.  — Bellezza Models

TUCSON – For three consecutive years, the University of Arizona football has taken no momentum into the annual Territorial Cup with Arizona State.

Make it a fourth.

At least Arizona is consistent. And this year, it’s been consistently bad as it heads into next week’s rivalry game with ASU at Sun Devil Stadium. Arizona (2-8 overall, 1-7 in the Pac 12) is on a three-game losing streak, the same as heading into last year’s meeting with the Sun Devils.

“I challenged our team, and hopefully I didn’t have to challenge them too hard to know what next week means for us,” Arizona interim coach Tim Kish said in his postgame radio show after UA fell to Colorado 48-29.

Right now, it means the world.

“If you can’t get jacked up to play this weekend,” UA wide receiver David Douglas said, “you might as well not even play.”

When it comes to the in-state rivalry, a team that’s struggling to reach its season goals can point to one game and one game only – the Territorial Cup.

To read the rest of the story click here.

TUCSON – Humbled State?

Maybe a little. What’s clear is that it isn’t exactly utopia for Sean Miller and his Arizona Wildcats.
Tuesday night’s 60-51 was hardly a highlight tape of excitement or awe.

One of Arizona’s fans sitting up close and personal may have said it best: “you could grow old watching this team.”

Indeed. Why not add frustrated and confused?

“Our new guys have no idea of hard it is to win,” said Miller, when asked if after last week’s exhibition loss to Seattle Pacific helped get his team’s attention. “We all recognized that ‘oh, oh, we have to get better.’ It wasn’t the coach trying to convince the team. I really think our team knew and still does that we have to get a lot better.”

It looks like that’ll be a continuing theme.

For the second consecutive game, a Division II team came into McKale Center and gave Arizona fits. Humboldt State, a team picked to defend its California College Athletic Association regular season title, played even with Arizona throughout, eventually falling in the final 12 minutes. Miller said he’s thankful for Humboldt State and Seattle Pacific (a 69-68 winner against UA last week) in part because the games will make his team better.

To read the rest of the story visit here.

Now what?

That’s the question the University of Arizona football team – coaches, included – should be asking themselves.

It’s a question that could have been asked in any of the past couple of weeks as Arizona continued to reel from defeat after defeat after defeat after defeat.

Get the picture? It isn’t pretty.

That’s the case more so now after – yes, another defeat – as winless Oregon State defeated Arizona 37-27 on Saturday afternoon at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. Figure that OSU snapped a six-game losing streak in winning for the first time this season. (1-4)

In short, Arizona coach Mike Stoops called it “a tough day.”

Arizona is now 1-5 overall (0-4 in the Pac-12 Conference) and on a 10-game losing streak to FBS schools. Just this week, Stoops called it a “big game in a lot of ways” and a “desperate situation” to win.

OSU played like its life depended on the win; Arizona didn’t.

Maybe Arizona’s last-ditch second half attempt at a comeback – 21 unanswered points to make it 30-27 midway through the fourth quarter – was just a tease, or a noble effort to save face and ease some pressure on all parties.  Figure this, however, Arizona has now been down at least 22 or more points in each of the last five games.

“It’s a 60-minute game and not a 30-minute game (and) the sooner we realize that the better off we will be,” Stoops said, responding to Arizona’s late comeback.

One thing is certain: Arizona can no longer make the excuse of the toughest part of the schedule being gone after losing the first four games against three top 10 teams (Oklahoma State, Stanford and Oregon) and a blue-blood program in Southern California. On Saturday, Arizona went into the game facing a Beavers team that started the season losing to Sacramento State. Arizona went into the game a two-point favorite.

To read more visit FoxSportsArizona.com.

The headline will tell you everything.

Arizona just isn’t ready for prime time football. And it showed again on Saturday night at Arizona Stadium, falling to No. 6 Stanford 37-10.

Once again, Arizona couldn’t run the ball effectively. It couldn’t move the ball with consistency. And it couldn’t stop the Cardinal in key situations.

Does defeat become any easier to explain?

Here’s my story in FoxSportsArizona.com.

Candrea is set to run in the 1 1/16 mile Oak Leaf in a couple of weeks.

What? Did Arizona softball coach Mike Candrea all of a sudden become a runner?

Well, not exactly. Candrea is one of the world’s best and fastest 2-year-old horses and named after, of course, Arizona’s world class softball coach. Local horse owners Paul Weitman and Karl Watson are back at it with one of the best 2-year-olds in the game with Candrea, winner last week of the $50,000 Phil D. Shepherd Stakes at the Fairplex in Pomona, Calif.

The win now puts Candrea into the prestigious Oak Leaf Stakes to be run in two weeks at Santa Anita in Los Angeles.

Weitman, Watson and Mike Pegram (another owner) have teamed up with former Arizona alum Bob Baffert, a Hall of Fame horse trainer, to have great success with horses named after Arizona coaches. Da Stoops (Mike Stoops) was a multi-stakes winner and Midnight Lute (Lute Olson) was a two-time Breeder’s Cup winner and one of the fastest horses a couple of years ago.

Now, Candrea.

The catch? Well, the horse is a fillie. Then again, Candrea does coach the women’s softball team.

It’s been a great summer for Weitman, Watson, Pegram and Baffert. Star horse Coil won the Haskell Invitational in grand fashion in late July, rallying from the back of the pack in defeating some of the best horses in the world. And to end the Del Mar meet almost two weeks ago, Drill, another 2-year-old, won the Del Mar Futurity, the same race won by Lookin’ at Lucky in 2009, the trio’s horse that won the Preakness in 2010 and was the Kentucky Derby favorite.