Henderson featherweight champ Daniel Maldonado spars with Evansville's Wayne Cooper at the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Gym Saturday. Maldonado is preparing for the September 10th "Rumble on the River" boxing event at Casino Aztar. (Gleaner photo by Mike Lawrence • 831-8346 or mlawrence@thegleaner.com) Henderson featherweight champ Daniel Maldonado spars with Evansville's Wayne Cooper at the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Gym Saturday. Maldonado is preparing for the September 10th "Rumble on the River" boxing event at Casino Aztar. (Gleaner photo by Mike Lawrence • 831-8346 or mlawrence@thegleaner.com)

August 28, 2005

Owner of a Hispanic surname and a WBC Latin American championship belt, Daniel Maldonado may seem like a south-of-the-border boxer.

And he is ... if that border is the Ohio River.

Maldonado is a Kentucky boy. He moved from East Chicago (Ind.) to Ohio County when he was 3-years-old and became a Henderson resident seven years ago.

There'll be bluegrass stuck to his shoes when Maldonado (18-1, 12 knockouts) fights for the vacant North American Boxing Council featherweight championship in Evansville. Scheduled for Sept. 10, the title bout is the main event of a six-fight card at Casino Aztar.

Maldonado is looking for a home field advantage... so to speak.

"I've talked to quite a few friends and I've really tried to get the word out," he said. "The paper has helped me out a lot. I really hope to see a lot of fans from the tri-state -- Ohio County, Owensboro, Evansville and Henderson..."

His opponent is Armando Cordoba, a lanky veteran from Miami, who owns a 20-18-1 record with 15 knockouts. Maldonado says things are going great in training camp, which recently shifted to Lexington after stops in Owensboro, Evansville and Henderson. He's cheerfully optimistic about the showdown.

"My stamina is awesome, my work rate is awesome, my punch stats are way up, I feel like I'm hitting harder, my hand movement is good, my defense is good... ," he gushed. "I'm gonna get in there and see if I can outwork him. If it goes the distance, I'm gonna be on top. If it goes short, he's gonna be on the ground."

Strong words but Maldonado has the belts to back it up. That World Boxing Council title is just one of many -- he's also featherweight champ of Kentucky and the North American Boxing Association (NABA). If Maldonado is successful next month, he can add NABC to the alphabet soup.

The slugging Kentuckian has come a long way since fighting on the undercard of Henderson's most famous fighter -- former super bantamweight champion Bones Adams. The year was 2001, the place was the Owensboro Sportscenter, and Adams defended his title with a narrow decision over a last-minute replacement. Earlier in the evening, Maldonado made the second appearance of his professional career and won by technical knockout.

Back then, the danger seemed minimal because Maldonado outclassed most of his opponents. His wife, Amy, reveled in his success.

"When I first started, she loved it because I was knocking everybody out real fast," he said. "Now (I'm) getting better competition, getting cut here and there, getting a broken bone here and there. She's a little on edge any more. She's more nervous than what I am."

Amy won't be the only lady sweating on Sept. 10. The co-feature event pits two highly-ranked women in a super featherweight bout. The card kicks off with Morganfield heavyweight Robert Adams making his professional debut.