Irvine Fight Night Takes a Couple of Strange Turns

By DAVE McKIBBEN

May 31, 1997 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

IRVINE — Call it bizarro boxing.

There have been many strange nights at the Irvine Marriott’s Battle in the Ballroom, but the main event has never been canceled because of iced tea and fettuccine alfredo and a fighter has never been knocked down and out by an accidental head butt.

The weirdness started about 6 p.m. when main event fighter Ancee Gedeon showed an unusually high blood pressure at the pre-fight physical. Gedeon’s handlers tried to calm him down by giving him water and vinegar and keeping him in a quiet room. But it was no use. Gedeon’s blood pressure was recorded five or six times at 170/110, well above a safe level.

Gedeon’s handlers said their boxer’s high blood pressure didn’t have as much to do with anxiety as it did with his diet.

“He had a lot of cheese and iced tea with sugar at about 3:30 in the afternoon,” said Jamie Lipeles, Gedeon’s manager. “During the day, the hotel room was mellow and he was in a good mood.”

But Gedeon admitted he was anxious to fight after being inactive for 14 months. His last fight was a knockout loss in a world bantamweight title fight.

“The day of a fight a fighter gets hyped, and this is the first time I’ve ever fought here,” said Gedeon, a refugee from Haiti who has been living in the Westminster Gym for the last year. “There ain’t [nothing] wrong with me.”

Ringside physicians disagreed and canceled the main event between Gedeon and Tomas Cordova of Tijuana at about 9 p.m.

“We gave him every benefit of the doubt, but we had to look out for his safety,” said Larry Ervin, an inspector for the state athletic commission. “The safe level is usually about 120 or maybe 130. I’ve only seen this happen one other time and that was with a kick boxer.”

About the time the main event was being canceled, Esteban Daggio (4-5-2) of Baldwin Park was getting knocked out by an accidental head butt from featherweight Marcos Licona (9-0-1) of Westminster. Daggio stumbled around and held on to the ropes before falling down and staying there for two minutes. Ringside physician Michael DeLuca stopped the bout--ruled a technical draw--because of a deep cut.

In the semi-main event, welterweight Horatio Garcia (8-0-1) of Sacramento knocked out Abraham Martinez (23-18) of Mexico City.