Promoter Jerry Hoffman said this week that he'll stage one more version of The Riot this coming July at the Monterey Conference Center, then he'll take a long look at the future of the popular, twice-a-year professional boxing show that has served as a launching pad for many of the sport's well-known fighters.

All of Hoffman's shows in Monterey (and previously Santa Cruz) have been sell-outs or nearly sold to capacity since 1992, introducing Central California boxing fans to future world champions like "Sugar" Shane Mosley, Stevie Johnson, James Page, Nonito Donaire, Carina Moreno, Robert "The Ghost" Guerreroand Gina "Boom Boom" Guidi, and others who made a splash, such as Jose Celaya, Jesus "Chuy" Rodriguez, Alejandro Perez, Eloy Perez, Jesus Vega and Danny Lujan Jr.

Unfortunately, a few sponsors have dropped out and costs have skyrocketed — The Riot now has a six-digit production budget — while Hoffman continues to offer affordable tickets. But the numbers no longer add up.

"We'll give The Riot another shot in July, but additional sponsors and VIPs are the only way to keep the show going," he said this week. "Raising ticket prices is not the answer, Businesses who know the value of our event, and people who enjoy being at ringside, are encouraged to give me a shout.

"No denying people embrace The Riot, but at what cost to the promoter and matchmaker," said Hoffman, who wears both of the aforementioned hats at his own shows. "The nut to produce the
show has cracked the six-figure mark. Think about it: With our 1,250capacity at an average of $50 per ticket, there is a huge shortfall. Only sponsors and VIPs can help make up the difference, and I can't go through three months of preparation for free."

Additionally, small-show promoters like Hoffman are repeatedly butting heads with the California State Athletic Commission, which has become one of the most heavy-handed in the industry. Hoffman has been a vocal critic of the commission and its chief executive, Armando Garcia, for repeatedly making 11th-hour decisions — rulings that could have been made days, and sometimes weeks earlier, Hoffman says — to cancel long-planned fights.

The commission made two such decisions just before his November show.

First, the commission refused to allow Salinas boxer Jose Celaya to face James Buggs an opponent who had given him a very competitive fight in 2004. Garcia judged that pairing to be a mismatch — a judgment that, according to Hoffman, could have been made at least a week earlier — instead approving Juan Manuel Montes de Oca, another journeyman, to fight Celaya.

"I'm still waiting for an explanation as to why the fight was not approved," Hoffman said. "It negatively impacted my efforts, cost much more money, caused great confusion and put me in a compromising position."

Montes de Oca lost a forgettable eight-round decision to Celaya. Buggs immediately accepted (and was approved for) a fight in Iowa, where he went eight very competitive roundswith Ronald Hearns (son of Thomas "The Hit Man" Hearns), who is now 16-0.

The second decision at The November event involved Salinas super bantamweight Jesus Vega, who had been training almost two months to end a four-year layoff, during which he had successfully battled testicular cancer. That feel-good story got an unhappy ending on the day of the weigh-in,though, when Garcia deferred to the judgment of a Southern California physician who had never met Vega, let alone examined him, but nonetheless overruled three of Vega's own specialists, each of whom had unconditionally approved him to resume his boxing career.

Such rulings have become so common at Hoffman's shows that he actually anticipated the commission's interference last November, flying in another boxer, purely as a safety net, just in case Vega (or his opponent) was yanked from the show. His foresight paid off — the backup fighter literally stepped into Vega's spot on the day of the weigh-in — but Hoffman is still waiting — and will wait forever — for somebody to reimburse him for the extra airfare, hotel and food.

Hoffman says he's hoping to have constructive meetings with the California State Athletic Commission in early January, and would like to hear from any local businessmen who might be interested in becoming sponsors for any future shows in Monterey. He can be reached at 831-688-1604. More information, and Hoffman's blog, may be found on his website, www.12sportsonline.com.

Cover girl Carina|