It is easy to understand why Virgil Green is a motivated boxer entering Saturday’s main event against Jonathan Chicas at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma.
The 142-bound bout is scheduled for 10 rounds and headlines Battle at the Boat 106, a card that includes six pro fights.
The last time Green was in the ring, the Vancouver welterweight was a loser by technical knockout in a nationally-televised match.
That Dec. 29 bout in Bethlehem, Pa., went to Miguel Cruz, an unbeaten Florida-based fighter who stopped Green in the seventh of eight scheduled rounds.
Green said he felt disappointment and anger following that appearance on Fox Sports 1.
“It wasn’t a struggle for me to find motivation to get in the gym,” he said.
Matchmaker Andy Nance said he is excited about this bout between two hungry 27-year-old fighters. Chicas is coming off a January victory in his first bout after a year-long absence due to a knee injury.
In the December loss to Cruz, Green was battling a heavier opponent. Green weighed in at 144.5 pounds and Cruz at 146 before that 147-pound fight, but Cruz fought at 163 and Green at 151, according to his coach Leonard Gabriel.
Cruz used his weight advantage to wear down Green with body blows. That experiment of moving up in weight showed that 142 pounds is where he belongs, Green said.
Green also paid for execution errors such keeping his hands too low to defend punches.
“That wasn’t really a flaw in my technique. It was a flaw in my training camp,” Green said. “I didn’t do the things that I should’ve to have my timing where my hands were coming back to (protect) my face.”
With that in mind, Green (11-4 with four knockout wins as a professional) has spent the past month living with Gabriel. The training has included morning and afternoon gym sessions, and running three or four miles a day.
In addition to his coaches, Green said that Vancouver sports trainer Ryan Paul and chiropractor Doug Forgey at New Athlete played a key role in preparing him for this fight.
Gabriel, the owner and head coach at Fisticuffs Gym in Vancouver, said this is the type of match Green needs to win to propel his pro career forward. It will not be an easy one, according to Gabriel. Chicas, from San Francisco, is 14-2 with seven knockouts — not counting a win at a Big Knockout Boxing event in 2015 at Las Vegas.
Green’s advantage might be his 6-foot frame. Chicas stands 5-7.
Green said he expects Chicas to try for a knockout.
“I’ve prepared thoroughly for this. I’ll make it where he can’t stand and throw punches,” Green said. “I’ll have him try to find me and then hit him while he’s trying to find me. It’ll be like the bull and matador type situation.”
Unlike traveling to Pennsylvania, Green should feel at home on Saturday. Green is 4-1 in bouts at Emerald Queen, and said he has been well supported by the crowds in Tacoma
“It’s a lot different fighting in your backyard then in somebody else’s where everyone wants to see you lose,” he said. “I’ll be a lot more comfortable, a lot more clear-headed.”
