By Carlos Irusta

MARIANO CARRERA, the Argentinean middleweight champion, boxed for 4  rounds with Gilberto Jesús Mendoza, Vice President of the World Boxing Association in front of a crowd of 1,000 people in the Heart of Cordoba City. Mendoza gave to the Municipal Children Hospital 100 dollars for each punch he connected. So, he connected 53 punches, or $5,300 dollars, as you like.

But the real news is that Carrera will have a world title shot next October.

“I noticed just some hours ago”, said his manager, Mario Margossian. “They offered me a fight with Félix Sturm for July 15th, but I decided to postpone the date, because I think Mariano will be in better condition. So, Sturm is waiting a new opponent for July 15, and Carrera will be fighting with the winner of that bout”.

Carrera, at 25, is 28 (19)-4-0, he has a very good and fast left hook and a fragile chin. He toyed with Mendoza, of course, but connect a couple a very good left hooks to the body, too. “He is strong, no doubt, said Carrera. I am very happy to fight for the world title, I know Sturm is a very good boxer, and I have a lot of confidence in myself”.

When the weight in of KO TO DRUGS have finished, there were a lot of exhibitions, including the clash between two former world champions, both of them born at Córdoba: Santos Benigno Laciar –twice as fly and one as super fly- and Gustavo Ballas, the firts super bantam champion of WBA. They have fought once, in 1979, and Ballas won by points at Luna Park.

In the main event, between world super feather champion Vicente Mosquera (58,950 kilos, 129 ¾ pounds) and José Pablo Estrella (58,400, 128 ¾ pounds), the referee will be Stanley Christoudoulou. A “lucky referee” for Argentinean boxing, because he was at Galindez-Kates, Castro-Jackson, Palma-Randolph, Corro-Valdez II, Castellini-Duran: in all those fights, the Argentineans were the winners.

But the people of Cordoba are looking for his local idol, Fabio La Mole Moli (124,800 kilos, 274 pounds) and Taras Bidenko from Ukraine (100 kilos, 220 pounds), 10 rounds, Fedelatin heavyweight crown.