For the first time since 1915, professional boxing is coming back to Durango. On Oct. 12, Hector “Macho” Camacho Jr will battle Andrew “Hurricane” Hernandez for the vacant LBF Middleweight World Championship Title.
“We are so excited to introduce these legends of boxing to our community, give our guests a full day of high-level entertainment and bring a brand new industry to Durango,” said Katy Kopec, event promoter and founder of The Good Fight Boxing Gym in downtown Durango.
In what is sure to draw sports fans from across the Four Corners Region, “Legends on the Animas” will also feature amateur boxing bouts from local and nationwide athletes. Attendees can also look forward to appearances by former heavyweight James “Bonecrusher” Smith (one of the only ones to go 12 rounds with Mike Tyson), LBF legend and Muhammed Ali’s former bodyguard, Mike Cooley, and Mike “Baby Jack” Dempsey, descendant of the famous boxer Jack Dempsey who’s famed 1915 boxing match in Durango is memorialized on the wall mural outside El Rancho.
Another Jr. on the card is Aaron Pryor Jr., whose father, Aaron Pryor, was the WBA and IBF Light Welterweight Champion in the 1980s.
Smith will be the MC of the event. Kopec said Smith’s passion for helping youth through boxing resonates with her as a coach.
Kopec said this opportunity came because of the relationships she has in Durango. She got in touch with some people when she was preparing for the amateur fight in July. This led her to get in touch with Cooley and then she found out Camacho Jr. was ready to commit in the fall to a pro fight.
Sky Ute Casino was the first venue Kopec sought out but the people at Sky Ute weren’t interested. She then realized the fairgrounds would be a great spot and the venue would be even more special for Durango.
The Good Fight is leading this grassroots effort to bring something new and special to Durango. Kopec recognizes Durango isn’t Las Vegas and this won’t be a Las Vegas-style fight. It will be a Durango-centered event.
“We are calling on our local business neighbors and nonprofits to come together to bring the Durango flavor and reap not only short-term but long-reaching benefits,” said Kopec. “The Good Fight Promotion is currently accepting sponsorship opportunities from businesses who want to be a part of Four Corners history as boxing takes center stage in the Fred W. Klatt arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds.”
The plan for the event is for the title fight be 12 rounds. Pryor Jr.’s fight will be six rounds. Kopec said she’s looking at least one more four-round fight.
Technically the event will not be a true pro-am. There will be two separate events on the same day which will both be sanctioned and licensed, according to Kopec. She said she wants 10 amateur fights with committed athletes who will be pre-matched. Kopec said it will be a good mix of local fighters and fighters from states other than Colorado and New Mexico.
Although the LBF isn’t one of the four major sanctioning organizations in boxing, (WBO, WBC, WBA, IBF) Kopec said the LBF is recognized and has the authority to sanction these fights.
Kopec thinks the title fight will start around 4 p.m. because of the weather and the local ordinances.
Prior to the title fight, Camacho will be living and training in Durango to engage with local youth athletes at The Good Fight Boxing Gym located in the Main Mall in downtown Durango. The son of legendary Hector Camacho, who was a world champion in three different weight classes, Camacho Jr. started boxing professionally at the age of 18 and has seen firsthand how the sport can change lives through focus, discipline and resilience.
Tickets for the upcoming event will be available on EventBrite with single event and all day entries ranging from $25-$50.
