Alexis "Beaver" Santiago, Boxing's Local Favorite, Beaten by Randy Caballero in Indio

Arizona's harsh laws against undocumented immigrants plays a role in the waning popularity of the Phoenix boxing scene, as New Times pointed out in a May 12 article.The beating of local favorite Alexis "Beaver" Santiago in Indio on Friday, which saw Coachella's Randy Caballero take the WBC Youth super bantamweight...

By Ray Stern

July 5, 2011

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Arizona's harsh laws against undocumented immigrants plays a role in the waning popularity of the Phoenix boxing scene, as New Times pointed out in a May 12 article.

The beating of local favorite Alexis "Beaver" Santiago in Indio on Friday, which saw Coachella's Randy Caballero take the WBC Youth super bantamweight title, probably didn't help, either.

Santiago, 20, who was featured prominently in New Times writer Monica Alonzo's article about local boxing promoter Michelle Rosado, had long hoped for a bout with Caballero as a way to advance his career.

He's still in the game, obviously, and is scheduled for his next fight on July 22 at Phoenix's Madison Event Center.

But the loss by unanimous decision at the Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino puts Cabellero and not the Phoenix favorite closer in line for a shot at a world title, boxing reports say.

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Ray Stern is the former news editor of Phoenix New Times. He worked as a newspaper reporter in Arizona for more than two decades. He's won numerous awards for his reporting, including the Arizona Press Club's Don Bolles Award for Investigative Journalism.