Reno recalls spot in fight lore

Reno’s boxing history isn’t nearly as glorious as Las Vegas’, but the city is ready to commemorate its role in one of the sport’s most momentous fights.

On July 4, 1910, in an outdoor ring in downtown Reno, champion Jack Johnson scored a 15-round technical knockout of Jim Jeffries, who had come out of a six-year retirement to “reclaim the heavyweight championship for the white race,” as he put it.

The outcome of the fight sparked celebrations in black communities across the country, but many of the uprisings degenerated into race riots.

Reno will celebrate the fight’s 100th anniversary next weekend at the Grand Sierra Resort. A gala dinner Friday, attended by boxing notables, celebrities and relatives of both fighters, will lead into a fight card Saturday co-promoted by Let’s Get It On Promotions and Top Rank. The star attractions will be super middleweight Joey Gilbert of Reno, welterweight Mark Melligen and flyweights Eric Ortiz and Ulises Solis.

“We’ve been working on this for well over a year,” said Tommy Lane of Let’s Get It On. “Some of our partners fell out in April, so we’ve been scrambling a little. We’re doing this gala at the same time, and it’s a bit overwhelming. We’re fight promoters, not party planners.

“But we wanted to pay tribute to what was an historic event. Top Rank has stepped in to help, and we think it’s going to be a fun night. We’re real excited about having Mark Melligen on the card.”

Melligen (19-2, 13 knockouts), is coming off an impressive 10-round unanimous decision victory over Norberto Gonzalez at the Hard Rock Hotel on April 10. He’ll face Anges Adjaho (25-2, 14 KOs) in the co-feature at the Grand Sierra’s 2,000-seat Grand Theater.

Gilbert (19-2, 15 KOs) faces Billy Bailey (10-8, 4 KOs) in an eight-round bout.

The main event has Solis (30-2-2, 21 KOs) taking on Ortiz (32-10-3, 21 KOs) in a 10-round rematch of their March 2006 fight. In that bout in Mexico, Solis won by TKO in the ninth round to keep his IBF junior flyweight title. No belt is at stake in this fight, which will be televised by Fox Sports Espanol.

■ BACK WITH JUDAH — Veteran trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad has been added to Zab Judah’s corner for the former junior welterweight champion’s return to the ring July 16 against Jose Armando Santa Cruz in Newark, N.J.

Judah’s father, Yoel, made the decision to add Muhammad. Judah, 32, last fought in November, scoring a second-round TKO over Ubaldo Hernandez at the Palms.

“They needed a new voice,” Muhammad said. “I’ve worked with Zab before and I see a difference in him now, a good difference. He’s more humble. He’s able to listen better. He’s putting speed and power together. There’s a new determination. I think you’ll see that on the 16th.”

Judah (38-6, 26 KOs), a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., who has lived in Las Vegas for the last couple of years, is training at the H.I.T. Factory on Paradise Road.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.