Rocky's Ring: Burke an El Paso Hall of Famer

By Jason Groves jgroves@lcsun-news.com
Posted:   06/11/2012 06:17:57 PM MDT
Courtesy of Las Cruces Sun-News
Original Article: Here


LAS CRUCES - A good boxing official goes unnoticed during the course of a fight.
Throughout the course of a career is a different matter.
Rocky Burke has made his living in the ring, earning induction into the El Paso Boxing-Martial Arts Hall of Fame on Saturday.

"I'm really proud of my brother," said trainer Louie Burke, Rocky's brother and also inducted on Saturday. "I think he is one of the best referees in the world. Being from Las Cruces, it's hard to break into the big megafights. The thing about a good referee is that you don't see them. You get a lot of these referees that think they are part of the show."

Rocky Burke has been officiating fights for roughly 20 years, finally finding a way to stay connected to the sport that defines the Burke family.

Burke got off to a 7-0 start as a professional before life got in the way. He worked for his father, Sammy Burke, for Burke Outdoor Adverting and was also working for Newman Outdoor Advertising.

"I had three stressful fulltime jobs and it was too much, more than ever before," he said.

Burke stepped out of the ring as a fighter in 1981, just as Louie Burke's career was on the rise.

Burke helped train and manage his younger brother's career as well as other fighters from the area.

"Rocky knows the fight game as good an anyone out there," said Lorenzo Saiz, a fellow referee from Las Cruces who has been in the ring for 20 years. "No. 1, he was a fighter. He was also my manager when I was fighting professional and now he's an official. Everything to do with the business, he has done it."

Rocky Burke continued in boxing as a judge before finally returning to the ring as an official, where he has traveled the world and refereed several world title fights.

"I have been fortunate to travel to different countries, a lot of fights in Mexico because I speak Spanish," Rocky Burke said. "As a boxer, I know what fighters go through. I can look in their eyes and see if they are hurt or if they have something left."

Among the memorable fights Burke has officiated was Johnny Tapia's fight against Javier Torres in 2000 at the Pan American Center on Showtime.

Gaining entry into the El Paso Boxing Hall of Fame was significant for the Burke family. Rocky Burke's officiating career continues on Saturday as he will officiated an undercard bout on the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.,/Andy Lee card at the Sun Bowl.

"It's special that our neighbors to the south have given us some recognition because I don't think the northern part of the state likes to recognize us in any sport," Rocky Burke said.

Sammy Burke, Louie Burke and Rocky Burke were each inducted on Saturday, marking a special day for a family that continues to contribute to boxing in the area.

"I started coaching kids before I even turned professional," said Louie Burke, who was inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame last summer. "My dad felt for me to improve as a boxer, it was important for me to learn how to coach. My dad (Sammy Burke) had a lot of stories on the old timers who were inducted into the Hall of Fame who I was there with Saturday. They were guys who I tried to emulate and copy and a lot of them voted for me to be in the Hall of Fame."

Jason Groves can be reached at (575) 541-5459. Follow him on Twitter @jpgroves.

2012 El Paso Boxing Hall of Fame

Sammy Burke

By Randy De La O

Last year Louie Burke was inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame. This year in El Paso, Texas, it will be a family affair as both Louie and his brother Rocky Burke, along with their father Sammy Burke (posthumously) will be inducted into the El Paso Boxing Hall of Fame. A well deserved honor and long overdue.

Both Louie and Rocky were trained in the Sweet Science by their father Sammy. Sammy was an outstanding amateur boxer from New Mexico and began training fighters after returning from the Korean War. Sammy passed away in 1984. Louie is currently training WBA  World light Middleweight Champion Austin Trout, as well as up and coming light middleweight Abie Han. Rocky, who retired from boxing to run the family business is now a world class referee.

A press conference was held last Saturday May 12, at Jaxon's Restaurant & Brewery in El Paso, Texas, to kick off the event and announce the inductees. The induction ceremony will be held at the El Paso Multipurpose Center on June 9, 2012.

The Burkes are my cousins and I couldn't be prouder. Congratulations to my primos, the Burke family, including their mother Elba, as well as all of the 2012 El Paso Boxing Hall of Fame Inductees..

Rocky Burke

Louie Burke with trainer Jesse Reid

The 2012 Honorees are as follows:

Jennifer Han, amateur and pro boxer

Sammy Burke, former boxer and trainer, posthumous

Louie Burke, trainer and former boxer

Rocky Burke, referee and former boxer

Jorge Munoz, amateur boxer

Francisco Alvarado, trainer and former boxer

Rene Herrera, former Mexican welterweight professional champion

Bill Knight, El Paso Times sports and boxing writer.

Louie Burke: Han ready for Gomez

Abie Han of El Paso, Texas

 By Louie Burke

Top Rank has matched up Abie Han (16-0) vs. Joe Gomez (18-5-1) at the El Paso Sunbowl, June 16th on the Undercard of Julio Ceasar Chavez Jr. and Andy Lee!  There’s been a buzz going around for a couple of months, regarding a possible barn burner of a fight between these two fighters,  now it’s a go!… Two respected local fighters, going head to head.

Abie is very excited to be fighting at home and at the Sunbowl of all places AND on the undercard of Chavez/Lee!… what else could a young undefeated fighter ask for at this point of his career.   Gomez is no one to take lightly, he’s a gamer that comes to slug or box, depending on the opponent he faces.   He definitely had an off night against Angulo, but Angulo, is one of the most dangerous fighters in the first few rounds in boxing today and Gomez got caught hard and early, catching Gomez cold.

Abie has been training very diligently for this fight, he’s been one of Austin Trout’s main sparring partners in Austin’s preparation for Delvin Rodrigez and has worked very hard while in camp.  As anyone could imagine, he wants to put on a good performance for the hometown fans.  If Abie performs like he has been in training, then he should give a good account of himself.

This fight should be a very exciting and good fan fight.  Gomez, like Abie brings excitement into the ring every time they fight.   The fireworks will begin early this year!.. Come to El Paso and see the fight live for only $25 dollars, which are the least expensive tickets, or $200 ringside,  if you really want to impress a hot date!

We Hope to see you in El Paso at the Sun Bowl, June 16th!

Public Media Workout for World Champ, Austin "No Doubt" Trout!!!!

By Louie Burke

Saturday, November 22nd at 12:00 pm noon, World Champion, Austin “No Doubt” Trout will have an open public and media sparring session and workout at Pound 4 Pound Gym at 10931 Pelicano, west of Lomaland in El Paso. This is in preparation for his up-coming title defense against Frank LoPorto, from Australia on 11/11/11!

The Bout will be held at Cohen Stadium and is a Zeferino Entertainment promotion.

 Abie Han, who is getting ready for his Oct. 29th fight, will start off the session, passing the duties to try and knock off “No Doubts” head to Josh Enriquez and then leaving the clean-up to Hector “The Hurricane” Munoz.

 All public and media are welcome: Austin will be fielding questions and signing autographs shortly after his workout.

 Contacts: Javier Sanchez, 915-329-6857
 Guy Taylor, 626-674-2905
 Pound 4 Pound, 915-590-2269

 Tickets for the event can be purchased at www.diablos.com$10 general admission, $20 box seats, $50 ringside and $500 for a table of 10 people.

AUSTIN TROUT TO DEFEND HIS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN EL PASO

From Publicist Javier Sanchez

 Junior Middle-Weight-World Champion Austin Trout, From the Cruces, will defend his belt November 11 at El Paso’s Cohen Stadium against Australian challenger Frank LoPorto. The championship fight will be televised on Showtime.

 Trout, born in El Paso, is an undefeated champion (23-0, 13 KOs) who will be making the second defense of the World Boxing Association (WBA) championship he won from Mexican Rigoberto “El Español” Alvarez last February 2 in Guadalajara, Jalisco. He had his first title defense against Mexican challenger David “Destroyer” Lopez last June in San Luis, Potosi, Mexico.

 This title bout was announced by Louie Burke, Austin Trout’s trainer.

 Trout, 26, is an outstanding boxer/puncher that readily capitalized on the first opportunity he had to become champion. He went to Guadalajara, the city of boxing Mexican greats Efrén “Alacrán” Torres and Jose Becerra, both former world champs, and took the title away from popular Rigoberto Alvarez, older brother of Mexican boxing sensation Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Also, he returned to boxing-crazy México to defend his title, and he came out ahead against dangerous puncher David “Destroyer” Lopez. Frank LoPorto is a 33-year-old Australian boxer with a 15-4, 7 KOs who’s getting his first crack at a world title. LoPorte has fought his whole career in his native Australia and has won his last two bouts by KO.