Thompson Boxing’s “Path to Glory” series returns to the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California on Friday, but the show goes on with a heavy heart with the recent passing of Ken Thompson.

Before the action in the ring begins a special tribute to “Kenny” will be held honoring their late CEO, owner, and founder.

As a staple of the Southern California boxing scene for the past 23 years, Thompson boxing delivers many things that fans can appreciate but at the top of the list is it’s consistency. With the help of matchmaker and general manager Alex Camponovo, Thompson Boxing always provides its audience with tough, fan-friendly matchups, while doing a good job of developing world-class fighters.

Former IBF/WBA junior featherweight titlist Danny Roman (left) with Ken Thompson of Thompson Boxing Promotions. Photo credit: Thompson Boxing Promotions

“Ken always gave fighters a chance,” veteran trainer Danny Zamora told The Ring. “Ken signed my fighter Yonnhy Perez when he was 27. (Perez) had come from Colombia and was just starting his professional career. Ken helped guide him to become the IBF bantamweight champion, but more than that, Ken guided him with financial advice, he taught Yonnhy how to invest. Mr. Thompson was just very caring and always showed so much love for all of his fighters.”

Like Perez, the feel-good stories can go on and on. Standouts such as former welterweight contender Josesito Lopez, former unified junior featherweight titleholder Daniel Roman, and newly inducted International Boxing Hall of Famer Timothy Bradley all can attribute at least some of their success to Thompson.

The legacy continues on Friday but it will be a bittersweet night.

“It will be a difficult event to produce because we know Kenny will not be with us,” said Camponovo. “He would have never wanted us to stop and dwell for long – he would want us to continue building on his 23-year-old legacy. So all of us at Thompson Boxing will do this one with heavy hearts, but proud to have worked for a great man.”

In the main event, local fan favorite Louis Lopez (13-1-1, 4 KOs), of Corona, California, will take on heavy-handed Angel Beltran (15-1, 9 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico, in an eight-round welterweight bout.

Lopez who trains under the tutelage of Henry Ramirez looks to continue his climb up the welterweight ranks with a victory over Beltran.

“I’m taking this fight as a must-win,” said Lopez. “I have to keep this winning streak going if I want to get my name ranked. A loss only hurts my career and I don’t plan on falling short.

“I know this will be a difficult time for my Thompson Boxing family since we lost Kenny, but I will be in the best shape of my life to put on a great show. Mr. Thompson was a great man and a victory Friday night will allow my team and Thompson Boxing to get me one step closer to a big fight.”

For Beltran, this fight is a chance to put a spotlight on his career.

“I am honored to be in the main event on this card, as it pays tribute to Mr. Ken Thompson,” said Beltran. “To be able to win on a card dedicated to the founder of the boxing promotion will be a historic moment for me. This is the new start of my career. I lost early on, but that wasn’t the best version of myself. A lot went wrong. I am going to defeat a very good fighter and be on the radar of fight fans who follow the sport.”

In the co-main event of the night, making his Thompson Boxing debut Jesse “Lobito” Gonzalez (6-0, 2 KOs), of Riverside, California, will enter the ring against the puncher Keon Papillion (5-0, 4 KOs), of Lafayette, Louisiana. The fighters will put their undefeated records on the line in a scheduled six-round junior middleweight bout. Gonzalez, who like Louis Lopez is trained by Henry Ramirez at Raincross Boxing Academy in Riverside, California, is coming into this fight knowing that a victory Friday night could be a catapult for his young career.

“It’s a true honor to be able to show off my talents on a Thompson Boxing Card,” he said. “I’ve been coming to Ontario to watch fights since I was just a kid. I know that Friday will be a month since Mr. Thompson passed away and many respected members of the boxing community will be there to show support for him, his family, and his friends. So that alone is all the motivation I need to win. I’ve prepared well, I feel strong and I’m blessed to get the chance to win this fight for me, my fans, my team, and most importantly Mr. Thompson.”

Other bouts include 

Featherweights, Rigoberto Hermosillo (12-4-1, 9 KOs) of Los Angeles, California, will battle Luis Montellano (3-11-3, 3 KOs), of Tijuana, Mexico in a six-round bout.

Opening the card will be a six-round middleweight bout between Marcos Hernandez (12-6-2, 2 KOs), of Fresno, California, battling Jeremy Ramos (11-13, 4 KOs), of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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“Path to Glory” will stream live for free on the Thompson Boxing Promotions website (www.thompsonboxing.com), as well as their Facebook and YouTube pages.

Beto Duran will operate as the blow-by-blow commentator with expert commentary by Doug Fischer and Rich Marotta. Jessica Rosales will serve as the onsite ringside reporter.