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Event will open a new lane for boxing in area

Area fighters, including David Santos, highlight a card today, the first to be held at Derby Lane.

Jim McLoughlin of the 4th Street Boxing Club knows one golden rule about promoting fights: Local boxers sell tickets.

With that in mind, his fighter, David Santos, and Tampa's Olando Rivera will be the co-main event in today's first-ever boxing card at Derby Lane.

They are considered the best in the bay area at selling their cards. According to McLoughlin, Santos personally sold a majority of all the higher-priced ringside tables; Rivera sold the rest. The team effort - McLoughlin also praised the sales success of two other fighters on the card, Glenn Williams and Glen LaPlante - should ensure a crowd of at least 2,000 for the event, which will be staged outdoors with an overhead canopy to protect against the weather.

There are no title fights on the card, but Santos is looking for one as he fights for the first time in nine months. Usually a 130-pounder, Santos (43-6) will fight at 135 to accommodate his opponent, Marty Robins.

Robbins is 18-18 but has won four of his past five, the loss coming in a 10-round decision to Edner Cherry.

A victory won't do Santos' career any good, but McLoughlin said it is the first step before one final try for a world title by the end of the year. Santos is ranked No. 8 by the IBF.

Rivera, a 39-year-old light heavyweight and world kickboxing champ who is 11-2-2, fights Palm Bay's Kerry Parks (10-9-3).

McLoughlin said Derby Lane "was fishing around for something to do that they've never done" when it called him about a possible boxing event.

Looking to get Santos back into the ring, he expressed interest and called Four Corner Promotions in Pennsylvania to help with the card. Though he has promoted 11 fights at the St. Petersburg Coliseum, McLoughlin had worked with Four Corners in the past and knew they had a tie-in to an Allentown, Pa., television station, giving his fighters more exposure.

Four Corners also is the promoter for Rivera, who has won three of his past four fights in Allentown.

The biggest name at the event will be former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, who is scheduled to work the broadcast for Service Electric TV2, a cable channel based in Allentown.

The main events will be shown live in Pennsylvania, but will be unavailable locally.