(This is the second of three articles on Northern Nevada referees in professional boxing.)
In his fifth year as the third man in the ring, 47-year-old Victor Alegria of Sparks is the newest of the three Northern Nevada professional boxing referees (Reno's Vic Drakulich and Carson City's Norm Budden are the other two), and he's finding out that hitting the big-time as a ref is not unlike striking success as a professional boxer.
Along with being in the ring at the right time and place, there is continual training and learning, as well as working your way up the ladder and trying to get the opportunity to work marquee fights.
"(Alegria) is working on his mechanics and getting more confidence," said Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Marc Ratner. "He needs to get more work and stay in the gym. It takes a lot of time to become a referee. You need more and more rounds. You don't just ref every six months and get good."
Boxing has been a part of Alegria's life for as long as he can remember. His father, Rafael Alegria, was born in Mexico City and was a professional boxer with 56 fights. Victor said Rafael won the Mexico City bantamweight championship and fought in such venues as the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles in the 1950s.
"I have about 10 or 12 posters of my dad. He fought as 'El Rafles (loosely translated as "The Ralph"),'" said Alegria, whose father introduced him to many famous fighters. "I have pictures of me in Texas when I was 7 with (world featherweight champion) Ultiminio 'Sugar' Ramos. There are some of me with (WBC featherweight champions) Vicente Saldivar and Danny 'Little Red' Lopez. I have a whole wall of boxing posters and pictures."
Alegria, who moved to Sparks from Elko when he was 10 and is a probation officer for the Washoe County Juvenile Services' Intensive Supervision Unit, is no stranger to the ring himself. After winning the Intermountain Golden Gloves in the novice division in Layton, Utah, in 1972, Alegria went on to box for the University of Nevada, winning the national lightweight championship in 1977 and 1978, and was national runner-up in 1976 and 1979.
He coached amateur boxers for a while at the Fourth Street Youth Center in 1991, then began his career as the man in the middle shortly thereafter, and began to seek advice from former Washoe County District Attorney, Washoe County Judge and world-famous referee Mills Lane, whenever he could. It was Lane who advised Alegria to stick with the pro ranks instead of dividing his time between the amateurs and pros.
"You don't want to revert to bad habits," Alegria said. "The style is a little different. You can't touch amateurs (when you break clinches). It's better to stay with one sport (amateur or pro) in particular."
Boxing continues to course through the Alegrias' blood: Victor's brother Rick has an extensive collection of boxing magazines and tapes and Victor's 15-year-old daughter, Alexis, is an amateur boxer for Manuel Arce, in whose gym Alegria said he stays in practice.
"It's interesting. (Alexis) is real pretty, too," said Alegria, who along with Jami, his wife of 20 years, has a 17-year-old son, Anthony, a fullback for the Reed High School football team. "She has a good voice and sings the National Anthem. (Nevada boxing coach) Mike Martino saw her and said, 'That's you daughter? And you let her box?' It gets her motivated. She wanted to get a tattoo with boxing gloves. No way. She's real feminine, too."
But for now, the only Alegria who gets on television is Victor, who has been on Univision many times, refereeing fights from the Peppermill, El Dorado Hotel-Casino, The Orleans in Las Vegas, and several other venues. He's also been on In Demand pay-per-view, having done several bouts for Cedric Kushner Promotions.
In addition, Alegria played the role of boxer "Peachy" Rivera in former WBA lightweight titlist Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini's movie "Body and Soul," which was filmed in Reno and has been shown on HBO and is available at video stores.
As with any boxer, Alegria has his No. 1 fan - in this case, his father, who gets a charge out of watching his son in the ring.
"I'd like to get a big title fight, regardless of which weight," Alegria said. "Get a big name. I want to do that in my father's lifetime. He comes to watch me. (Marco Antonio) Barrera-(Erik) Morales (the first fight). I would have quit right there. I could've died right there and been happy."
At 5-foot-7 and 165 pounds, Alegria stays trim for his fights and believes his own experience in the ring helps him as a referee.
"I feel I can relate to the boxers," Alegria said. 'I've been kayoed. I like to give each fighter an opportunity to come back, but if it's clearly visible the kid can't, I'll definitely stop the fight for the safety of the fighter. If I'm going to err, I'll err on the side of caution. It's better sooner rather than later. I can come home and sleep knowing that the kid doesn't have a brain contusion or hematoma."
If or when the big-time comes along, it's best to be famous for the right reasons.
Contact Mike Houser at editor@nevadaappeal.com.