Goossen bringing country-club feel back to Valley

By Robert Morales, Staff Columnist

Los Angeles Daily News

Posted:   05/26/2012 12:13:42 AM PDT

Updated:   05/26/2012 12:16:54 AM PDT

Dan Goossen promoted boxing at Reseda Country Club for more than a decade beginning in 1984. The cards were filled with future champions such as Michael Nunn and San Fernando Valley favorites Gabriel and Rafael Ruelas.

Goossen, as president of Goossen Tutor Promotions in Sherman Oaks, is going back to the future after announcing he will stage similar cards to those held at Reseda at Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City.

Every other month Goossen will play host to an event featuring possible future champions. In the case of his debut card June 23, former world champion Rico Ramos (20-1, 11 KOs) of Los Angeles will take on Efrain Esquivias (16-0, 9 KOs) of Gardena in the super bantamweight main event.

It's the beginning of what Goossen hopes will be as well-received as those cards of yesteryear.

"I want to make this thing very, very successful as we did with the country club years ago," Goossen said with similar ambiance.

"A few things are going to happen here that will kind of mirror the country club atmosphere," Goossen said.

"We are going to bring in the celebrities - the fight celebrites, the Hollywood celebrities."

The fights, on the whole, could be even better than those in Reseda.

"We will also have a higher level of fights than you would normally have (at a small venue)," Goossen said. The capacity at Sportsmen's Lodge will be around 1,000.

Goossen pointed toward the opener as an example.

"In the main and semi-main you have like 53 victories and only two losses among the four fighters," he said.

The semi-main event will feature Matthew Villanueva (7-0-1, 7 KOs) of Burbank against Austreberto Juarez of Ventura (10-1, 2 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round super flyweight bout.

Goossen also wants to use as many local or regional fighters as possible. Also on the card is lightweight contender John Molina Jr. (23-1, 19 KOs) of Covina. He will take on an opponent to be determined.

The series opener will be televised by Telefutura.

Tickets went on sale last week. They range in price from $32.50 to $103.50 and can be purchased online at www.goossentutor.com or by calling Goossen Tutor at 818-817-8001.