Joaquin Zamora was just out of the Navy after serving four years and wanted to try his hand at being a professional boxer.

While he was trained as a diesel mechanic, he had spent most of his last three years with boxing as his primary job in the Navy.

But to be a pro boxer, he had to find a professional trainer to teach him. It was six years ago when Zamora showed up at Al Lovato's backyard gym in Santa Fe, hoping the veteran trainer would take him under his wing.

"That was August of 2002. I wanted to see if it would work between us. We're family now,'' Zamora explains. "When my boxing is done, I know that me and Al still will be close.''

Zamora, who is from the little town of Luna in southwest New Mexico, finally is getting his big chance tonight. After a very slow-moving career, the 30-year-old super welterweight is fighting Little Ray Sanchez at Isleta Casino in a fight that will be televised by Telefutura. He has a management contract with a promoter out of New York, an arrangement that has been less that productive. He hasn't fought in over a year.

Lovato feels good about the fighter he has worked with for so long.

"One thing with Joaquin is that he never leaves the gym. I don't think he'll have a whole lot of rust. This fight has been talked about for years. Now, it is finally going to happen," Lovato says.

Sanchez (21-2-0, 15 KOs) is under contract with Top Rank Boxing out of Las Vegas, Nev. He has had a bigtime fight, losing to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Albuquerque last fall. He has gained more exposure, and with it more respect.

Zamora, who works for the Santa Fe Parks and Recreation Department, mostly has fought locally. His 15-2-1 record is good, but he needs a big win to really get his career rolling. This bout offers him that opportunity.

"I didn't think (Little Ray) would ever agree to fighting Joaquin,'' Lovato says. "With a win here, it would open a lot of doors for him. I could tell the first day that he had promise. He should be far ahead of where he is now. He's a late bloomer. He might be 30, but he trains like a 25-year-old.''

"I don't mind being the underdog,'' Zamora admits. "I can't really explain why I am. I just wanted to be on this card to get a fight. They said that if I was on the card, I'd have to fight Ray. I jumped at the chance.''

For Lovato, this might be his last chance to work with a fighter who can become nationally ranked.

"I've been doing this for 28 years," Lovato says. "I only have three or four boxers. You do the mitts every day with three or four people and it takes a toll on you. It's hard on your elbows, shoulders, wrists. I'm not going to do this much longer.''

Tonight's fight will be a rare battle of lefties. Often right-handers have trouble adjusting to a southpaw, but it can be a particular problem for a left-hander to face another.

"We've been working on that," Lovato says. "We've had some southpaw sparing. Austin Trout (a left-hander from Las Cruces) came in to help us. He has been a big help."

While the Sanchez-Zamora 10-rounder is the most important bout as far as New Mexicans are concerned, it is not listed as the main event Friday evening. Daniel Attah (24-4-1, 8 KOs) of Washington, D.C., will go against Urbano Antillon (23-0, 16KOs) of Maywood, Calif. for the NABF/NABO super flyweight titles.

The undercard includes six other bouts. Highly heralded Sammy DiPace (3-0, 3 KOs) of Las Cruces will go against Julio Valadez (2-0) of San Antonio, Texas, and Ricky Vasquez (2-1-1, 1 KO) of Las Cruces faces Marcos Acosta (2-0) of Albuquerque in the only other bouts involving New Mexico boxers.

The first fight is schedule for 5 p.m. and the Zamora-Sanchez bout could start as early as 6 p.m.