March 31, 2001 Without question Hugo Dianzo was robbed in last nights WBA Bantanweight fight with Paulie Ayala . Even though I've ripped Dianzo many times he controlled the fight with ease and was a clear winner on my card - 116-112. At ringside Ayala looked like a shot fighter without his usual crisp combination punching and lateral movement. Dianzo was effective from the outside with his jab and counter right hands that hit the bullseye often. And on inside Dianzo rocked Ayala on occassion with the right, while Ayala never seemed to get Dianzo's attention with his (power) shots. I was surprised in both Dianzo's effort and effectiveness and Ayala's lack there of. Following Bones Adams poor performance last week against 24 hour sub Ivan Alvarez , I was ready to state that Ayala would have an easy time with Bones. After last nights performance the fight is again a toss up. Both looked mediocre at best - but hey, that's what makes competitive fights - evenly matched talent. How's this for an idea - Ayala vs Bones and Dianzo vs Alvarez on the same HBO card? Split all the money equally among the four, since poor Dianzo and Alvarez can't even buy a used car yet from the purses they received for their heroic title efforts. By the way, which fight do YOU think would be more interesting???
March 12, 2001 Unfortunate news in that a classic matchup between Paulie Ayala and Genaro Garcia for March 30 in Fort Worth has been scrapped and now Ayala will defend against Mexico City street dog Hugo "Stinker" Dianzo. Dianzo is a tough, awkward, and a relentlessly boring bantamweight who holds the NABF Title and will replace Garcia - who is tough, traditional, and exciting. The most we can say about Dianzo is that he will be in good shape and at least this fight he won't have to hear the boo birds who great him with each performance at the Arena Mexico. Ayala always makes exciting fights and the large hometown crowd expected for his defense should give an atmosphere of respectibility to the fight, but those in the know (me) will cringe when the bell rings with the knowledge that Ayala-Garcia (a fight that could produce a fight-of-the-year candidate) didn't happen. Expect a clear decision victory for Ayala.
March 11, 2001 Sugar Shane Mosley is the man!!! He is by far the best on the planet and gave a textbook champions performance by stopping tough foe Shannan Taylor in 5 rounds. Mosley is all business and he does it wonderfully. Pound-for-Pound prentender Roy Jones Jr. should be forced to watch Mosley tapes in the hope that he can learn what a true Champion does when he enters the ring.
Feb. 27, 2001 WBA Bantam Champ Paulie Ayala will take on tough Mexico City product Genaro "Poblanito" Garcia March 30 in Fort Worth, televised on ESPN2. Style-wise this will be an excellent match up with Garcia pressing the action and Ayala responding with combination punching. Garcia is not a huge puncher, but can put someone away as he showed when dropping Rafael Marquez in 2 rounds recently. More likely this is an inside attrition war that will go the distance. If someone gets stopped it will be Ayala, not Garcia whose whiskers are too much for the crisp but light-punching Ayala. If the judges scorecards are tallied after 12 look for Ayala to prevail with a hometown decision. Official pick: Ayala by decision.
When Princess Naz steps into the ring against Marco Antonio Barrera look for him to be exposed. Barrera will pummel him before the ref saves Naz from permanent damage, all within 7 rounds.
12 November Today on Univision two Mexico City based fighters, Genaro "Poblanito" Garcia WBC#9 and Rafeal Marquez WBC#6, squared off for a planned 10 round bantam match. In the 2nd Garcia connected with a right hand on the side of Marquez' head that sent him wobbling and onto his knees. Looking at his corner for instructions from famed trainer Nacho Beristein, Marquez forgot to rise and didn't beat the count. This is another big win for Garcia this year, having previously bested Evangelio Perez and former champ Francisco Tejador. Marquez protested the decision and asked for a rematch, but might be better served by first fighting some decent opposition to better prepare himself for the elite of the division. Garcia will advance in the WBC rankings and also positions himself for a fight against WBA Champ Paulie Ayala.
Last night on Telemundo, late replacement and former Mx. Welter Champ Marco Antonio Lizarraga was in survival mode until getting caught with a strong uppercut in the 6th round from puncher Nick Acevedo. Lizarraga lost lots of poundage the day prior to the weighin and complained about his lack of leg strength, but the reality is that he's had 60 pro fights and he's getting near retirement. Also, in a battle of Texans, Manuel Rodriguez won by majority decision over tough Humberto Zubia in an 8 round Jr. welter bout. This fight was very even through the first four rounds, but Rodriguez was stronger and fresher down the stretch. It was a very clean fight with both showing solid skills in the fundamentals - footwork, head movement, body work, combination punching. In all areas Rodriguez was just a tad better than Zubia in this close fight, bringing his record to 10-1 while Zubia goes to 9-3. Very good match.
4 November Juan Lopez has had to pull out of his November 11th fight against Nick Acevedo due to a hand injury suffered while sparring yesterday. This is a terrible setback for Lopez who was in excellent condition and ready to make a statement against the undefeated Acevedo. Also, it now appears that 2 Texans will battle each other in the semi-main after their New York opponents fell out. Superlightweights Humberto Zubia and Manuel Rodriguez will face off for 8 rounds in what should be a good test for each fighter. I was really looking forward the the headline "Texas Destroyes New York" when this show was originally put together, but as happens in boxing it has fallen apart. Lopez won't be able to return to the gym for 3 to 4 weeks.
3 November Last night in San Antonio Hugo Romero was robbed of a victory over Mike Trejo when the doctor stopped the fight in the 11th round due to a cut Trejo had suffered earlier in the match. Trejo, after being pummeled the previous 10 rounds and out on his feet in the 11th, was surprisingly awarded a split decision on the score cards when the doctor ruled he couldn't continue. The cut was no worse in the 11th than it was in the 8th, the only thing worse was Trejo's condition and ability to finish the fight on his feet. Romero opened aggressively and controlled the fight. He also strayed low, was penalized 2 points, and came very close to being DQ'd for his roughhouse tactics. Had Romero gotten the KO, or the deserved victory, he would not have claimed the NABF fly belt because he couldn't make the 112 pound limit, instead giving up 20% of his purse and weighing in at 114 3/4. The confused scoring was 105-103 Romero, 102-105 Trejo, 101-106 Trejo. The inept judges viewed this one all over the map in a fight that Romero dominated from the beginning. Also, Superbantam - Danny Flores W6 Jacob Gomez. 6 rounds S. Light - Luke Leal W6 Joey Flores. 4 rounds S. Feather - Luis Hernandez WTKO1 Roberto Martinez. 8 tounds Bantam - Kathy Williams W8 Leona Brown to retain the Miller Lite Texas Title Belt.
28 October Congradulations to the WBC for hosting a fine convention last week in Mexico City at the Presidente-Intercontinental Hotel. From the meetings and parties I attended everything was professionally organized and run without flaw. The opening boxing show, which I didn't get to attend, had WBC Straw Champ Jose Antonio Aguirre successfully defend against Erdene Chuluum of Mongolia. Also Francisco Castillejo retained the WBC SuperWelter belt with a 4th round KO over unknown Javier Martinez. Also on this show, Famosito Gomez lost his #1 WBC ranking by getting KO'd in six by #3 WBC Ricardo Barajas , who came in on short notice and dominated the fight.
Upcoming fights: San Antonio November 7 Mike Trejo fights Mexico City based Hugo Romero for the NABF/USBA Fly Belt. Romero is a tough little guy but is better served fighting at 108, not 112. On November 12, Univision hosts an excellent bantamweight match with Mexico City fighters Genaro "Poblanito" Garcia and Rafeal Marquez collide for 10. This fight is a toss up, with Garcia having been tested against better opposition in the past while Marquez will be the house (promoted by Top Rank) fighter. Look for Garcia to apply pressure throughout and Marquez to rely on movement and superior technical skills. A close decision win for Marquez is my predection.
!!! TEXAS PREPARES TO INVADE NEW YORK !!! Texas based Juan Lopez, Humberto Zubia, and Manuel Rodriguez , the cream of the Texas 140 pound class, head to New York City for a November 11 Telemundo show. More to come later in the week.
16 October Sorry for the lack of updates but I've been in Texas for awhile. Yesterday in Nashville, IBA Bantam World Champion Jorge Lacierva defeated the tough Sergio Perez over twelve hard fought rounds. The bout was notable for the dirty tactics deployed by both fighters; with each throwing elbows, shoulders, lowblows, and punching after the break. Lacierva opened strong and controlled the early rounds. Perez was on the canvas in the 8th from a body shot. However, Lacierva faded down the stretch and Perez was the stronger at the finish. Final scores read 114-110 (2 times) and 115-113. After the fight Lacierva iced down his right right shoulder that was injured during 8th round infighting, but blamed his poor peformance late in the match on lack of conditioning and has vowed to return to the gym with renewed focus. This was Lacierva's fourth important win in 2000 and remains undefeated since his technical loss to Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson on cuts. Starting with his capture of the IBA belt over previously undefeated Mauricio Pastrana earlier this year, he has had solid wins over WTKO9 Carlitos Hernandez, W12 David Vazquez, W12 Sergio Perez. Lacierva will look to fight one more time before the year is out and early next year will be positioned to challenge WBA Bantam Champ Paulie Ayala. On the Lacierva-Perez undercard Mexico City based featherweight Ubaldo Hernandez scored a 4th round TKO over late replacement Carlos Rocha.
Last Thursday in Fort Worth, Pedro Alonso Teran returned with a 3rd round TKO over John Fraiser and improved to 14-4.
Scheduled for November 11 in New York to be televised by Telemundo, hard punching Texan Juan Lopez takes on equally dangerous Nick Acevedo for a planned 12 rounds.
I'll be returning to Mexico City for the WBC Convention next week. Anyone wishing to contact me in Mexico can reach me at 5696-2772. Lets get together for a beer and boxing talk.
4 September Last Saturday night in Arena Mexico our best referee Guadalupe Garcia had his hands full in the foul-fest that was a 10 round superfly bout between Gabriel Mira and Julio Cesar Avila. Ref Garcia mistakenly took 2 points from Mira for infractions, but it was the consistant dirty tactics of Avila (trained and managed by the master of dirty fighters, Lorenzo Lopez ) that should have led to a DQ. Avila entered each exchange with his head and then proceeded to hold. It was an ugly and brutal fight for 10 rounds with Mira getting the just decision win even with the 2 point deduction. The undercard, however, was excellent and one young fighter in particular seems to have captured the imagination of the Mexico City boxing fans. At 18 years old, tall and lanky, and fighting as a bantamweight, Johnny Gonzalez has a wicked left hook and boxing smarts. Tonight his opponent Arturo Hernandez found out he also has power in his right hand as he was drilled for the count in round 3. Gonzalez is now 6-2, but don't let the 2 defeats fool you. This is a kid who can go places and within a few years should grow into a featherweight frame. The matchmaker for the Saturday night shows, Carlos Rodriguez has been putting him in tough each time out and Gonzalez has been performing above expectations. With a little time to develope watch for Gonzalez on the world stage. In two 4 round bantamweight matches all 4 contestants showed solid skills and heart. The victors were Jose Navarrete Wtko4 and Eduardo Garcia W4 over Guillermo Diaz and Isreal Garcia, repectively. And the night was opened in dramatic fashion as feather Trino Cordoba knocked Aldolfo Hernandez out cold when both threw right hands - Hernandez wide, Cordoba down the pipe, and the result was Hernandez on the canvas for 5 minutes.
26 August Oscar Argeniega won his bout with a 9th round TKO over Javier Torres for the flyweight FECARBOX title. Even though Arcienega won the match, he's lost the battle. Looking completely dejected and unispired between rounds and getting beaten to the punch all night, it seemed Arcienega just wanted to finish the fight and hang up the gloves for good. Recent close decision losses to Alex Baba, Mike Trejo, and Eric Morel seemed to have zapped the juice out of Oscar and that's how he fought against Torres. But in the 9th he connected with a short left hook (not a right uppercut as erroniously reported in fightnews.com) across the bridge of Torres' nose and that was the end. With a record now of 31-14-3, Arcienega has reached the end of the road and the smart thing to do would be to retire with this latest victory snatched from defeat. We'll see. Also, 10 round featherweight fraud - Francisco Dianzo Wtko1 Miguel "Sr. Inept" Ochoa. 8 rounds fly - Carlos Jacobo Wmaj8 Abel Ochoa. 4 rounds feather - Jose Martinez Wtko3 Miguel Vazquez. 4 rounds feather - Alejandro Rodriguez Wtko1 Gerardo Leon. 4 rounds welter - Neftali Cruz W4 William Escobar.
12 July Upcoming action with Mexico City fighters in the US: July 20 in Dallas, TX. lightweight Pedro Alonso Teran 13-3(12) meets equally hard punching Carlos Ramirez 15-3(14) for the Texas Miller Lite Title. July 21 in Miami, flyweight Hugo Romero fights Ali Baba for a scheduled 10. August 10 in Houston, TX. Julio Cesar Ruiz challenges for the Texas Miller Lite Bantam Title against Ablor Sowah. August 13 in Elgin, Il. featherweight Aldo Valtierra meets Antonio "Chelo" Diaz for 10 rounds. August 13 in San Antonio, TX. Urbano Gurrola takes on Nicolas Cervantes in a 10 round middle bout. August 13 in Reno, NV. Jorge Lacierva defends the IBA World Bantam Title against David Vasquez.
Results: Ramirez w8 Teran. Baba w10 Romero. Sowah tko2 Ruiz. Diaz W10 Valtierra. Lacierva w12 Vasquez.
San Antonio hosts an excellent card televised on ESPN2 FNF on July 28th with Tony Ayala Jr. vs. Yori Boy Campos. If Ayala still has it this clash should give him ample opportunity to show it off because Yori Boy will not be easily discouraged. For those who haven't seen Ayala Jr. yet be sure to focus on his left hook to the body and the way he sets up that punch. Truly the work of a master. In the co-feature, James Coker looks to avenge the loss he suffered 2 months ago against Tito Mendoza in a 10 round middle bout.
8 July Jose Antonio Aguirre successfully retained the WBC Strawweight Title with a clean 5th round KO over Jose Luis Zepeda in Tabasco.
Tonight in the Arena Mexico, Noel Cortez methodically pounded down Isaias Cabrera to get the TKO victory in the 3rd round of a scheduled 10 round lightweight bout. Cortez, who has looked strong at Superlightweight looked even stronger at 135. His record moves to 14-5(10), while Cabrera falls to 25-3(14). In a semi-main bloodbath, hard punching bantamweight Arturo Hernandez got off the canvas in the 4th to score a TKO win in the 6th over tough Gerardo "Quart O' Blood" Rubin. Rubin's nose got bloodied in the 2nd and the thing ran like a faucet until the stoppage. Both fighters, the referee, and the first 2 rows were covered in crimson. Also, Ruben "Puas" Olivares' fighter Erick Reyes lost a 4 round bantam bout against Gabriel Sanchez in the local 4 round tournament hosted by ProMeBox. And, 4 rounds minifly - Edgar Sosa WTKO2 Moises Maldonado. Females 4 rounds flyweight - Adriana Chamosa WSPLIT4 (Gift Decision) Mary Duran.
7 July This Saturday in his hometown of Tabasco, WBC Strawweight Champion Jose Antonio Aguirre makes his first defense of the belt he won in Thailand over Wandee Chor Chareon against tough street dog Jose Luis "Gringa" Zepeda. Aguirre is a well schooled technician who throws a crisp jab, good combinations, and has decent power. Zepeda, albiet old, is a tough fighter who has campaigned tirelessly with the WBC to get another shot at the title, failing in his two earlier bids. Unless Zepeda gets cut up early I think the bout will go the distance. This matchup between two Mexican fighters for a World Title is the 47 according to the Esto newspaper. The first set off a great trilogy in the Golden Age of Mexican boxing when Ruben "Puas" Olivares decisioned Chucho Castillo over 15 rounds for the World Bantamweight Title on April 18, 1970. They fought twice more, with "Puas" finishing the series with a 2 to 1 advantage.
Joel Luna Zarate is scheduled to fight WBO Superfly Champ Adonis Rivas on September 2 in Nicaragua. Rivas won the belt by beating Diego Morales , brother of Eric, in an upset last November. This Saturday in the Arena Mexico, left-handed Paulino Villalobos takes on Valerio Sanchez in a 10 round flyweight bout. Chief support is a 10 round feather bout matching Jose Luis Tula and Manuel Arellano. IBA Bantamweight king Jorge Lacierva is scheduled August 13 in Reno, Nevada vs David Vasquez , to be televised by Univision on TOP RANK'S inaugural weekly Sunday night fights. If Lacierva continues to do well he might be in line for a shot at WBA Champ Paulie Ayala . Mexico City lightweight Pedro Alonso Teran has traveled to San Antonio to help "Jesse" James Leija prepare for his August 5th Showtime match with Juan "The Hispanic Causing Panic?? LOL" Lazcano .
1 July Tonight at the Arena Mexico Hugo Dianzo won the NABF and Mexican Bantamweight Titles by out pointing Francisco Mateos over 12 rounds. Mexico City boxing fans had high hopes that Mateos, who had looked very impressive in recent fights and posseses a solid punch, would send the house stinker Dianzo out on a stretcher. And that appeared to be his intention as all he did was look for the one punch KO - in contrast to his normally successfull style of throwing machine gun-like combinations. Dianzo gave his usuall performance: flickery jab while running from the outside, hold (and hit) on the inside, push push and more push. But because Mateos appeared to have NO game plan for the very well known tactics of his opponent, Dianzo was able to control the pace and tempo of the fight. Round 5 saw some good exchanges, in the 6th Dianzo actually fought well and once in the 8th it looked like Mateos might fold. But for the most part it was a drab affair. One silver lining to the fans who attend the weekly show is that now maybe Dianzo will again return to fight in the US and not take up real estate in the Arena Mexico. In Dianzo's last fight he was stopped in Miami by Evangilio Perez , who BTW just got beat last weekend by another Mexico City product in Genaro "Poblanito" Garcia . In the 10 round semi-main, Superfly Javier Torres connected early and scored a 1st round TKO over Julio Cesar Avila , albiet with a little help from the referee who should have taken a closer look at Avila before calling the bout. Also, 10 rounds feather Francisco Dianzo WKO3 Isreal Melendez. (Hugo's brother is entertaining and brings a nice punch to the table, while Melendez has no talent whatsoever - ring... ring...ring...hold on, that must be Denmark calling looking for another easy opponent...Yeah, Melendez is ready..WHAT!! Against a 40-0 Welterweight, but he's only a 126 pounder with 2 wins and 5 defeats...OH OH, off TV fight...just to get some work in huh?...just needs to last a few rounds??...). A good six round lightweight scrap was halted in the 3rd following a cut, giving Cesar Soriano WTKO3 over Ernesto Olarte. Opening the show 6 round feathers - Raul "Explosive" Sandoval WTKO1 Trino Cordoba.
25 June Last night in Mexico City, Ulyses Flores picked up a tough win over the tall and lanky Andres Cabrera in a 10 round superbantam bout. Cabrera was highly touted and brought in from Zihuatenajo for his Mexico City debut. And like so many before him couldn't produce against the local fighter. Flores looked like he might cave in the middle round but sucked it up and picked up his first win after 3 previous defeats. Flores reported record is now 18-7-1. In an 8 round semi-main, hot bantam Jhony Gonzalez stopped Marino Jimenez in the 4th round. This was Gonzalez' first scheduled 8 rounded, but the opponent was a little less than what he had been facing at the 6 round level. And about time Gonzalez got a breather because his last 3 fights were all against dangerous opponents. This kid has a tremendous left hook and is young (under 20) and still growing. If he doesn't get burned out then watch for him in two years to make a name in the feather division. Also, 4 rounds bantam - Eduardo Garcia Wsplit4 Hugo Lavariega. 6 rounds fly - Abel Ochoa Wko1 Artemio Tlaxcaltenco. 4 rounds fly - Luis Martinez W4 Rodolfo Guerrero.
Well, the 8 bucks I spent at the above show sure went a lot farther than the 20 dollars in food and drink I had to consume so I could watch the Showtime Tyson fraud at a bar in the Zona Rosa. Let's start with the poor undercard - some heavyweight gets a first round KO, then a replay of the Tyson-Botha fight, then a replay of the Tyson-Francis fight, then a dreadfully boring 12 rounds of Silvio Branco vs Robin Ried , followed by the inept matchmaking that put 2 defensive fighters together in Zab Judah and Junior Witter , and to close the show a complete fraud as Tyson stopped Savarase in 38 seconds. What a waste of a Saturday night.
Last Saturday in Los Angelos, Jorge Lacierva beat the durable Carlitos Hernandez by TKO when Hernandez didn't answere the bell for round 9. Hernandez had gone the distance in losing decision vs Johnny Tapia, Paulie Ayala, and Eric Morel. Next up for Lacierva is a Univision date on August 13 in Reno, Nevada.
On the undercard of the Barrera vs Frietas fight, Agapito Sanchez WTKO11 Gerardo Martinez in a 12 round Superbantam fight. 10 rounds lightweights - Antonio Pitalua WTKO8 Oscar Delgado. 8 rounds bantam - Ruben Estanislao WTKO2 Cesar Cayetano Sesmas. This was a surprise because Estanislao is a non-puncher and Sesmas has been raking his opponents recently. 10 rounds fly - Erik Ortiz WTKO4 Alfonso Lugo.
10 June Minifly Isaac Bustos , 11-2-2(8), took a big risk tonight in going up against dangerous veteran Alfredo Virgin , 30-18-1(26). And it payed off big for Bustos winning by unanimous decision on scorecards of 99-91, 99-92, and 97-95. The young Bustos opened the fight with straight jabs and landed a big right hand that staggered Virgin in the first. This was Bustos' key to victory and he stuck to the fight plan: jab, right hands, and right uppercuts against the charging Virgin. All Bustos needs to learn is how to throw a left hook, which is non-existant in his arsenal. Virgin looked frustrated throughout and never found any rythm, mainly hitting only air while going for a KO with each punch. While the main event was interesting to watch, the undercard was nothing short of spectacular. First up was 4 round feather Efrain Vargas , brother of Goyo and Adan , with a difficult opponent in Armando Costa . Vargas got the TKO win at the end of round 2 but there were lots of fireworks while it lasted. In a 6 round middle bout, evenly matched 2nd tier fighters Sandro Haro and Guillermo Duran see-sawed back and forth for the entire 6 rounds. When it looked like one was finished he would then come back and hurt the other guy. Haro won via split decision. Next up was another classic "club fight" as Victor Sevilla and Armando Hernandez went for 6 rounds in the feather division. Sevilla won on another split decision. Andrea Benitez , a 5-0 112 pound female fighter, wasn't going to need the judges scorecards. She KO'd the competent Lizeth Apanco at the end of round 2. Finally, in a action packed 4 round lightweight clash, Aldo Romero stopped brawler Marco Mateos , of the Nacho Beristein camp, on cuts in the 4th.
Next Saturday Arena Mexico hosts the Barrera vs Frietas bout for the WBO 122 pound belt. They will also be showing the closed circuit of the De La Hoya - Mosley bout. Ringside seats are only 50 bucks with the cheap seats at $10US. If you've ever thought about attending a show in Mexico City this might be a good time for a trip. I'll be in Los Angelos with Jorge Lacierva fighting Carlos Hernandez on the Stevie Johnston undercard, so your on your own on the mean streets of Mexico City. But if you need some pointers send me an email and I'll tell you what areas to avoid.
8 June THE two top featherweight prospects out of Mexico City were putting the finishing touches on their training for upcoming matches next week. Ernesto Fuentes will make his US debut in Corpus Christi, TX on June 15th agaisnt San Antonian Joe Morales for the Texas Miller Lite belt. Fuentes is looking strong and has been sparring with #1 ranked WBO lightweight Antonio Pitalua . Also the slick Cesar Figueroa will be on the Marco Antonio Barrera undercard in a 10 rounder agaisnt the sometimes crafty Moi Rodriguez . Figueroa was a pleasure to watch in the gym today going 8 rounds with a variety of sparring partners. So who's the better of the two? I think Figueroa has the more natural skills and is the better all-around boxer. He's dedicated to the gym but I've criticized him for not finishing off lesser opponents. Ernesto Fuentes is quick and throws some dynamite - especially his uppercut that has stretched a few of his previous opponents. At 20 years old he still has some growing to do, more so in the committment to the sport than in physical size. At this stage of their careers a nod would go towards Figueroa for his experience and dedication, but down the road if Fuentes can maintain focus he might have the strength to wear down and overpower Figueroa. Either way, both these guys represent the best of the young featherweights likely to come out of Mexico City for the next year or two. Results: Fuentes ran out of gas after 4 rounds and lost a decision to Morales. Figuaroa, with a change to a tougher opponent, came through with a 6 round TKO over Oscar Gallindo.
5 June Mexico City bantamweight and IBA 118 pound Champ Jorge Lacierva has been added to the June 16 Top Rank promoted ESPN2 show against Carlos Hernandez . This is a scheduled 10 rounder and Lacierva's first fight back after soundly beating Mauricio Pastrana back in February in Maimi. The feared Pedro Alonso Teran , coming off a 4th round TKO loss vs Ricky Hatton , is having difficulty getting a fight. Today he was rejected as an opponent for Angel Manfreddy on the June 25th show in Gary, IN. Teran is 13-3 with 12 KO's. Anybody with a fight for him send me an email.
3 June Ok, back in Mexico City for awhile and got to see a great fight tonight between 10 round flyweights Hugo Cazares and Fernando Luna. These guys went toe to toe and gave everything they had for the Mexico City boxing fans. Unfortunately our worst referee Gelasio Perez stopped the bout with :35 seconds remaining in the 10th and final round to rob us of the official decision. Cazares gets the TKO victory over Luna at 2:25 of round 10. Cazares opened the bout in the first with heavy right hands that set the tone throughout, rocking the always game and attacking Luna. In the 3rd Cazares, fighting occasionally out of the southpaw stance, drilled Luna with a perfect left cross that sent him flat on his back and then staggering about the ring to regain his feet. Surprisingly, or fortunately, the ref looked away when Luna almost fell through the ropes following this knockdown. He beat the count and was saved by the bell. The following rounds produced good action and both men had their moments but it was Cazares who was the stronger and looked like a certian winner on the cards. After 9 I had it 88-84 Cazares, but even up untill the unwise stoppage Luna was that mythical one punch away from victory. In a 10 round semi-main 140 pound bout, Noel Cortez blew it when after staggerring Abel Rivas he took two cheap shots and was DQ'd. Rivas had been caught by a short right hand and fell forward into Cortez; after a momentary clinch Cortez spun around behind Rivas and sucker punched him twice from the backside. Officially Rivas by DQ second round. Also, 6 rounds minifly - Omar Soto WKO1 Victor Rojas. 6 rounds light - Cesar Soriana W6 Jesus Mendoza. 4 rounds S. Bantam - Moises Diaz Wsplit4 Isreal Garcia.
Regarding the fight between Konsta Tzysu and Julio Ceasar Chavez. This is a joke and I congradulate the Nevada Boxing Commission for turning it away. Too bad Arizona will host the bout. Am I worried that Chavez will take a severe beating and be permanately injured?? Of course not!! There is NO WAY Chavez will take a sustained beating in this fight because he will QUIT before he suffers any damage. Just like he quit against De La Hoya in the second bout he will quit against Tszyu. I don't see Chavez taking more than three rounds of punishment before retiring on his stool. What a waste the money and time that will go into this fraud when we have deserving fighters (like Luna and Cazares who really put on a show) that fight for peanuts in front of small crowds.
As things stand now Ricardo Maldonado has put together a nice looking card for June 17th in Mexico City. In the main event Marco Antonio Barrera will be defending against the capable Luis Frietas . He is the brother of WBO 130 pound Champ KO artist Acelino Frietas . Now Luis is nothing compared to his brother but the fight is still attractive and Barrera should have to work a little to get a stoppage. Also former WBO Title holder Carlos "Bolillo" Gonzalez takes on Mauro Lucero . And highly ranked Gerardo Martinez should be tested by veteran Agapito Sanchez in a 12 round FECARBOX 122 pound bout. This is by far the best "Big" show Mexico City has hosted in along time. It is also going up agaisnt the De La Hoya vs Mosley megafight, but the promoters don't seem to think De La Hoya has too much PPV drawing power these days in Mexico. If the card comes off as planned the a round of congradulations are in order for the Maldonaldos, who are ofter plagued by canceled shows and change of dates.
12 May Quote from Dan Goossen, America Presents, in the LV Sun May 11 - "The way I see it, the only alternative to taking everything to court is for some sort of public flogging. If we can publicly humiliate men like Arum, maybe we can eliminate these illegal and unethical acts." Hey Dan, you should take a closer look at your organization before going after other people!!
8 May I'm in Texas now for the Tony Ayala Jr. bout in Fort Worth May 19th. Hopefully later this week I'll be able to provide an update on the Mexico City boxing scene as well as provide some insight on the HOT TEXAS BOXING SCENE. For equipment orders please give me a call at 817-244-0385.
29 April Simply out hustled best describes why once promising Fernando Trejo lost a lopsided 10 round featherweight bout with game but light punching Ruben Estanislao tonight at the Arena Mexico. Trejo has been criticized on these pages before for not working hard for 3 minutes of each round - and the criticism continues. Trejo, who came in with a record of 14-2-4 (11) and often fights at 130 pounds, was out punched and out worked by Estanislao, now 9-1-1 (2) and who usually campaigns at 122. Yes, that's 2 by knockout and he almost got the 3rd tonight as he had Trejo hurt a few times going down the stretch. Nice win for Estanislao - Who knows where Trejo can go from here.
Lesson #1: When you have your opponent hurt FINISH THE JOB!! This applies to tonights co-main, an 8 round Superfeather bout between vastly more talented Julio Gamez and the average Juan Sarabia . Gamez dropped Sarabia hard at 2:30 of the first round. Sarabia beat the count but was clearly out of it. Somehow the referee that always stops fights too soon, Gelasio Perez, allowed the fight to continue. Instead of finishing off his opponent Gamez backed away, appearently thinking he'd get in a few rounds easy work. Rounds 2 and 3 were snoozers as Gamez didn't do anything and Sarabia would occasionally close his eyes and throw a few windmill punches. Guess what? In the 4th one of those wild swings connected harder than a Sammy Sosa home run and sent Gamez out of the ballpark. He was on the canvas a solid 10 minutes before regaining his feet. Fighters - finish the job when you have the opportunity!! Also, 8 rounds bantam - Jaime Ortiz WTKO3 Lupe Cano. 8 rounds fly - Lauro Lopez WKO1 Rodrigo Garcia. 4 rounds light - Miguel Angel Mateos WKO2 Mario Ortiz.
Results from last Wednesday's Cinturon Del Oro: 6 rounds fly - Jesus Diaz WKO3 Antonio Victoria. 6 rounds light - Hector Macias WTKO5 Victor Manuel Rodriguez. 6 rounds fly - Carlos Bouchan WTKO5 Abel Ochoa. 6 rounds light - Ricardo Rodriguez W6 Marcilino Remigio. 4 rounds light - Martin Victor Cruz WTKO4 Fernando Laguna.
22 April Tonight in Mexico City talented feather Cesar Figueroa, who ooozes confidence and possesses lightning quick hand speed, finally KO'd the elderly Justo Almazan after 5 rounds of caution. First a little about Almazan, listed in the program at 28 years old but vastly more mature. Almazan came in to the fight with an intimidating resume that shows out of 23 fights this heavy handed hitter has stopped a whopping 2 opponents, and ONLY 10 of his previous adversaries were able to beat this fighting machine. One can only imagine the terrible whipping he put on the 11 victims that beat. Anyway, Figueroa must have been warned about this dangerous opponent because he was defensive and on his bicycle the 1st two rounds. By the 3rd he started to ooze some of his confidence on Almazan's head and body, but kept enough in the tank so as not to over-extend himself. In the 5th Almazan got knocked down and the ref, fearing that Figueroa might actually press the action, called the fight before Almazan even hit the canvas. Bottom line is that Figueroa should take this type of guy out early and avoid looking average and risking a cut. Maybe he just wanted some rounds but my preference is for him to do his job, the quicker the better when he is in with a sub par rival. Also, 10 rounds feather - Francisco Dianzo WTKO5 Adrian Torres. 8 rounds light - Miguel Angel Huerta WTKO3 Erick Perez. 6 rounds bantam - Jhonny Gonzalez W6 Francisco Paredes. 4 rounds fly - Cesar Gonzalez W4 Mario Ortiz.
UPDATES: Last Saturday night in Mexico City, Everado "Zihua" Morales derailed the hoped for upcoming title shot of Melchor Cob Castro by beating the veteran left-hander via 10 round decision. This is the second nice win in a row for Zihua, who a few months ago stopped Raul Juarez with a one punch uppercut in the 3rd. Castro now must overcome this recent setback and have a little talk with his management for putting him in with the tall and dangerous Morales who usually fights at 112 or 115 vs. Castro's normal weight of 108.< On Monday the 17th in St. Louis, Mexico City based feather Aldo Valtierra got off the canvas in the 2nd to drop Hector Acero-Sanchez in the 3rd. By the 5th it looked like Valtierra would be able to pick up a win untill a clash of heads left Valtierra bleeding from a cut and the doctor stopped the fight. Because Valtierra had earlier lost a point for questionable low blows Acero-Sanchez got the win on the scorecards. Tough luck for the game Valtierra.
15 April In San Antonio last night Tony Ayala Jr. applied a relentless body attack to stop dangerous but limited Jorge Vado in the 4th round before a paid crowd of 7200. Ayala Jr. continues to look strong and retains his heavy punching power. Next up is a Ft. Worth date on May 16th. Also, James Leija scored a 3rd round KO over game Jose Luis Lopez that had the crowd on its feet. Early in the 3rd the cut Leija dropped Lopez with an uppercut, then went in for the finish. Lopez made a good stand against the ropes and both traded blows for an exciting 30 seconds. Late in the round Leija connected with an overhand right that sent Lopez to the canvas for the count. James Coker, looking very determined, stopped Shane Blake in the 5th round of a scheduled 10 round middleweight bout between these two Texas cowboys. Big heavyweight Edward Escobedo 285 was too strong for his smaller but game opponent Wesley Martin, stopping him at the end of 2 entertaining rounds.
Guty Espades Jr. is the new WBC Feather Champ following his win over Luisito Espinoza.
Mexico City based feather Aldo Valtierra takes on Hector Acero-Sanchez for 10 rounds Monday in St. Louis. I plan to be returning to Mexico to update the last t news and results following this bout.
9 April Last night in the Arena Mexico, young flyweight Cecilio Santos stepped in a little too deep against Valerio Sanchez and ended up losing due to a cut in the 3rd round. The official stoppage was at :01 of the 4th. Santos is a strong and aggressive puncher but the more experienced Sanchez fought good on the inside and landed some big shots in the 3rd that opened the cut. Santos now 8 < -1/1, while Sanchez moves to 16-5-1. Also, 10 rounds flyweight - Rafeal Chavez Wtko4 Alfoso Lugo (cut), 6 rounds bantam - Hugo Vargas Wtko4 Jose Luis De La Cruz, 4 rounds feather - Ivan Cabrera W4 Joaquin Ruiz. 4 rounds feather - Trino Cordoba W4 Adolfo Landeros.
Mexico City feather Aldo Valtierra battles Hector Acero-Sanchez for a scheduled 10 rounds April 17 in St. Louis. On May 19th look for Jorge Lacierva to return to the ring on a Top Rank promoted show vs TBA. Lacierva is coming off a big win over Mauricio Pastrana for the IBA World Bantam Title.
6 April - Tonight was the opening night of the annual Cinturon De Oro tourny in Mexico City that runs weekly and features 4 and 6 round fighters. Tonights shows featured six (dull) fights in the featherweight division. And judging from this years crop of entrants in the feathers it looks to be a weak group. About the only bright spot was Juan "Monito" Diaz , who looked world class for 2 and a half rounds before sputtering out and coasting to an uneventfull 6 round win over Gamaliel Diaz. Other results: Christian Lozada Wsplit4 Marco Antonio Monroy. Gerardo Leon Meza W4 Aristeo Perez. Luis Cesar Perez Wtko3 Juan Olivera. Juan Carlos Martinez W4 Jose Martin Pena. Jorge Torres Barrera W6 Martin Sanchez.
1 April Tonight in the Arena Mexico two action mini-flyweights battled toe to toe with crisp combinations and impressive body attacks untill the bout was called at the opening bell of the 9th round, giving Fernando Luna a TKO victory over left-handed Paulino Villalobos. This was an excellent bout with two solid technicians plying their trade to the limits. Chief support on the undercard was two 8 round bantamweight matchups that were supposed to showcase the young talent of favorites Julio Zarate and Roman Campos in seperate bouts. Zarate (even though I think he has a glass jaw) shined in stopping the usually durable Gerardo Ruben in the 3rd round. Ruben was dropped in the second with a right hand uppercut and in the 3rd was flattened by a beautiful left hook. Ramon Campos on the other hand never found his rythm and eventually paid the price. Going in it was Campos who was thought of as the better prospect, but his opponent - the strong but skills challenged Jaime Ortiz - forgot what roll he was supposed to play and attacked hard from the opening bell with looping right hands and off balanced hooks to the body. Campos looked confused the entire bout and spent way too much time backing up and fighting off the ropes. Finally in the 8th Ortiz landed some more power shots to the head of Campos and the bout was called. Big setback for Ramon Campos and an impressive outing by Julio Zarate. Also, 4 rounds feather - after getting nailed by a left hook and being out on his feet early in the 1st, Martin Honorio was able to hold on and regain his senses. Unfortunately for his opponent Antonio Ramos, this gave Honorio the chance 40 seconds later to land a crunching blow to the ribs that put Ramos down for the 10 count. 4 rounds minifly - Edgar Sosa W4 Cesar Gonzalez.
29 March Last Saturday night in Liverpool, England Ricky Hatton stopped Teran in the 4th round with a flurry on the ropes that brought in the referee to call the bout. Teran was dropped 30 seconds earlier from 2 big right hands but rose and was allowed to continue. And to give full credit to Hatton, he is a strong finisher who when presented with the opportunity fully took advantage and unleashed a salvo of shots that backed Teran to the ropes and resulted in the stoppage. Teran AS ALWAYS fought bravely and met the strong Hatton in the middle of the ring from the opening bell until the 4th round ending. But at 140 pounds Teran didn't have the firepower to deter his opponent and plans a return to 135. Disappointed but in no way discouraged, Teran will be returning to the gym next week to prepare for his next match - likely in mid-May. Click here to read the fight reports from Sporting Life and Sky Sports. Also last Saturday in Mexico City, Melchor Cob Castro continued on his march for another title shot by stopping Gil Portillo in 6 rounds.
20 March Pedro Alonso Teran 13-2(12) is set to jet off to Liverpool tonight for a challenge agaisnt WBO International S.Lightweight Champ Ricky Hatton 17-0(12) on March 25, promoted by Frank Warren. Hatton has received rave reviews in England and was nominated Top Prospect of the UK in 1999. After Teran pulls off the upset win over Hatton look for him to relocate to the US for his next few fights. I'll be returning to Mexico around the 27th and will update everyone on what went down. For a quick result of this quality matchup on the 25th be sure to check out boxingpress.com.
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18 March Former World Champion Miguel Angel Gonzalez is taking control of his career and dumping his promoter America Presents due to inactivity. Gonzalez is training hard and looking for a fight date. Last month Gonzalez was offered a reported $50,000 to fight Kirino Garcia on a promotion in CD. Juarez but the fight fell through, according to Mago, because America Presents couldn't reach an agreement with the local promoter. Later Mago states he was offered a fight with Rafeal Ruelas by America Presents but has yet to receive a confirmation, or even get his phone calls returned. Mago has the WBC's backing in this effort to restore his career which faltered after the savage beating he took from Kosta Tszyu . I've spent some time in the past with Gonzalez and found him to be a nice and professional person in every way. I hope things get resolved for him in the boxing arena if that's what he wants to do, but I don't think he'll be able to win at the highest level and I'm a little surprised he wants to trade more leather after that last fight. But I wish him well. The sad part is that he is now being ignored by his promoters who I imagine have tied up his promotional rights so as to limit him from seeking other opportunities. From his recent flurry of emails and PR statements I think he's probably looking at some legal action soon.
18 March Floyd Mayweather Jr. won on points over Goyo Vargas tonight. I didn't get to see the fight but assume Goyo wasn't able to get in the early body work that would have slowed Floyd down. Last night Stevie Johnston stopped Mexico City based Julio Alvarez in the 2nd to retain his WBC Lightweight Belt. Results from tonight at the Arena Mexico: In a good action fight over 10 rounds at 120 pounds, NABF interim Bantam Champ Francisco Matoes had to dig deep and work hard to get a decision victory over the bigger man Sergio Aguila . Mateos opened strong with crisp 4 and 5 punch combinations that bounced off the head and body of Aguila over the first 4 rounds. Heats 5 thru 8 saw Aguila making a strong push at the shorter Mateos and evened things up a bit. During the final 2 rounds Mateos again worked nice combinations to bank the unanimous win. Mateos is a good prospect who would be better served fighting at 118, or maybe even 115 due to his small height. Also, 10 rounds S. Fly - Julio Cesar Avila W10 Ladislao Vazquez. 8 rounds minifly - Rodrigo Garcia WTKO3 (Gelasio special) Alex Sosa. 6 rounds feather - Ismeal Gonzalez WKO3 Isaac Chavarria. 6 rounds light - Isreal Xolatenco WKO3 Jorge Rodriguez.
17 March Last night in San Antonio Roberto Lopez outboxed Enrique Jupiter over 12 rounds to win the NABF S. Bantam (interim?) title by a wide points margin. Jupiter, who fought well agaisnt Danny Romero last summer, was never able to get the ball rolling and visited the canvas twice.
For our English friends out there be sure to attend the March 25 matchup of highly regarded Ricky Hatton 17-0 (12) defending the WBO Intercontinental Jr. Welter bout against rising Pedro Alonso Teran 13-2 (12) of Mexico City. This promises to be a war!! The bout is to take place in Liverpool. Teran and his team, including yours truly, arrive on the 21st.
13 March Update: The fight last Saturday night between the young Veracruzano Tomas Rojas and former champion Rosendo Alverez in Nicaruaga must have really been something. After announcing an unpopular split decision win for the hometown Alvarez, the ring was showered with beer, seat cushions, and insults for the inept judges. Rojas dropped Alverez in the 2nd and had him a bloddy mess by the fights conclusion. Appearantly Rojas did quite a number on Alvarez to win over the fans - too bad that didn't include the judges. Taken from reports in the Managuan newspaper. Also over the weekend, Hugo Dianzo was unsuccessful in his US debut and defense of the WBC CA Title, losing via TKO 10 to Evangelino Perez. Thanks, now he gets to return to Mexico(see below).
13 March Upcoming fights of interest: March 17 ESPN2 Julio Alvarez challenges for the WBC Lightweight Title agaisnt Stevie Johnson . I'm picking Johnson to retain via 10th round TKO. March 18 HBO Goyo Vargas will, in my opinion, win the WBC S. Feather Belt from Floyd Mayweather by TKO in the 9th round. March 25 Liverpool, England - Mexico City prospect Pedro Alonso Teran 13-2(12) has signed to fight undefeated British prospect Richard Hatton 17-0(12) for the WBO 140lbs. International Title. This should be a war with both fighters known as forward fighting agressive body punchers. Hatton will have the hometown advantage while Teran has faced the better opposition in his young career. Teran is the 2 time Mexico City Cinturon Del Oro champion and Hatton was named young British prospect for 1999. There is probably some European TV but I don't know of anything in the US. This Thursday in San Antonio, Enrique Jupiter takes on Roberto Lopez for the NABF 122lbs. Title. There were no fights last Saturday in Mexico City.
11 March Reports are that Adan Vargas was unsuccessfull in his first opportunity challenging for a World Title losing via a wide point margin to Thia based WBC Bantam Champ Veeraphol Sahaprom . Fightnews.com has the point spread in listed that shows Veeraphol must have dominated the bout. Tonight from Indio,CA. former feather champ Alejandro "Cobrito" Gonzalez takes on Steve Forbes. Plus, Famosito Gomez gets an easy assignment vs Julio Cardona. Also on the card Diego Morales returns in 8 agaisnt Miguel Martinez. Check your listing because I'm sure this card is a TV event. Another TV event tonight, with a poor cast of characters , features Wilfredo Vazquez fighting? habitual loser and awkward Antonio Salas . This should be a sleeper unless the viewers are lucky enough to see Vazquez rip Sala's head off early. But be certian to set your alarm to wake up following the shows first TV featured bout. This one brings you my famous Hugo Dianzo in a 12 rounder agaisnt Panamanian Evangelio Perez for the WBC CA Title. I don't know anything about Perez, but I can tell you Dianzo sticks up the arena every time he fights. My quandry - if Dianzo wins (and he won't look good doing it), then he'll take up more TV time in the future that should be going to other deserving young fighters. But if he loses, then he'll return to Mexico City and I'll have to endure seeing him fight in person again. What the heck - you can have him. Go Dianzo!! - go far away so you don't stink up the Arena Coliseo any more. And in Nicaruaga tonight, hard-hitting former WBA Minimum Champ Rosendo Alvarez fights the talented but still too young Tomas Rojas . Rojas is a lanky left-hander from Veracruz managed by Javier Altamirano. It's a dangerous fight for Rojas and his manager has been roundly criticized by the Mexico City boxing commission for taking the fight. But then again that's seems to be about all the MCBC does these days. Whether a fighter gets hit with a blow in Mexico City or in the US or in Nicaruaga, it's still a blow. The only difference is that in Mexico City there is no money to be made from receiving those blows. Because the local business community and the TV of Mexico no longer support boxing, it's necessary to travel, many times to inhospitable environs, in order to make a living at this game. Good luck to Rojas tonight, he's going to need it. But more important I hope he's picking up a decent paycheck for the hard fight in store for him.
March is a big month for the Vargas brothers, Adan and Goyo, as they both challenge for World Titles. Up first is Adan Vargas vs Veeraphol Sahaprom on March 10 in Thailand. This is a difficult assignment for Vargas as Veeraphol is known as quite a punching machine. Not only that but it is very difficult to win in Thailand (although Jose Antonio Aguirre picked up the WBC Straw belt last month over there). Vargas has developed very well over the past 18 months and his height and left-handedness might pose some problems for the Champion. Vargas also now employs a hard hitting body attack. However, come fight time Vargas will have passed less than 10 days in country to adjust to the climate, time-change, and culture. I also think Veeraphol is the real thing and won't relinquish his belt to Vargas on this trip. So I predict a 12 round loss for Vargas in this first title fight for the Vargas family in March. On the 18th, older brother Goyo Vargas will take on defending Floyd Mayweather for the WBC Superfeather belt. I reiterate my prediction from last summer when this fight was originally scheduled that Goyo will stop Mayweather inside of 10 rounds. The official prediction is round...9. Unless Mayweather can outspeed and overwhelm Goyo in the first 2 heats and get a controversial early referee stoppage, I think Vargas will just overpower Mayweather with a relentless body attack and missle-like left hooks. Make no mistake at 130 pounds Goyo is much stronger than Floyd and he should neutralize Floyd's speed with his body work. This fight will be very exciting.
Recent rsults: Last Saturday night in Mexico City Eric Lopez stopped Julio Luna in the 9th round of a bantamweight main event. In Chihuahua, Jesus "El Matador" Chavez beat Daryl Pickney in the 5th round. Also, Mexican lightweight champion Jose Luis Juarez WKO2 Russel Mosley. Arnulfo "Chico" Castillo WKO1 Armando Bosques at 130 pounds. On Feb. 26 in Mexico City, Manuel Arellano WDQ1 Cesar Figueroa . (Figueroa is a talented young featherweight and was heavily favored, but Arellano suffered a cut in the 1st and wasn't able to continue, thus picking up the DQ win.) Also featherweights 10 rounds Jose Luis Tula Wtko9 Hector Guzman. On Feb. 19 in Mexico City, Superbantam Alejandro Estrada picked up the WBC CA Title with a 4th round KO over Gregorio Medina.
Upcoming : March 16 in San Antonio, Enrique Jupiter takes on Edel Ruiz for the NABF (interim?) 122 pound title. On March 17th in Juarez, MX. the talented but recently defeated Gerson Guerrero fights Oscar Arceniega for what I believe is the Mexican Fly Title. Julio Alvarez battles for the WBC lightweight belt against Stevie Johnston on March 17th in Denver. Alvarez surprised alot of people, especially me, with his recent KO over Pito Cardona . But I don't think he'll be able to pull off another upset. Look for Alvarez to put up a game effort and take a fair beating before the ref stops the fight after, say, the 10th round. Cesar Bazan, the former WBC Lightweight champion, makes a return on Univision March 25 agaisnt TBA. For the record, I've thrown Mexico City lightweight Pedro Alonso Teran's name into the hat as a possible opponent. Teran hopes that the more experienced Bazan won't be too intimidated by his 13 and 2 (12 KO) record and will give him the opportunity to exchange leather that was missed late last year when he (Teran) showed up for the agreed upon sparring session but Bazan failed to show for some unknown reason. Come on Cesar, Teran wants you!
3 March I'm back in Mexico City and after the show tomorrow night I'll update some of the results over the past few weeks. For now I'll post some of my predictions for this big weekend of boxing. Starting with Trinidad vs Reid , I think Reid has stepped in over his head and will get soundly beaten by Trinidad. Reid only has 14 pro fights and while he does have a good right hand it won't be enough to get a victory. His chin is suspect and when Trinidad pops him in his droopy eye tonight I think the thing will explode. Trinidad by TKO in 5 to 7 rounds. On the undercard I'll go with sentamental favorite Fernando Zuniga over William Joppy . Not only do I like underdogs, but his promoter Diamond Damon is a good guy and personal friend. On Saturday nights show from Vegas I expect Paulie Ayala to be successful in a 12 round decision win over Johnny Bredahl . Hopefully for the fans in attendance and those millions (LOL) who purchase the PPV Bredahl won't run too much and make a fight of it. He has no reason to fear the light-hitting Ayala, so lets hope he goes for it and makes an exciting fight. Ayala certianly will. Staying with the favorites now I pick Nestor Garza to pick away at the body of Bones Adams and stop him in the late rounds, say the 10th. The potentially most explosive fight is Oba Carr vs. Yori Boy Campas . This should really be a barnburner and going on Carr's impressive performance against DLH - he was doing great until the ref started picking on him by taking away points for no good reason and DLH landed his big punch - I'll have to pick Carr. This one could go either way. Also tonight in Chihuahua, MX. Jesus "El Matador" Chavez should get no more than 4 rounds of work in before opponent Daryl Pickney realizes it time to head back north of the border.
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20 February Even though I thought he lost the fight last night, Eric Morales has earned my respect as a true warrior and valient fighter. Barrera, who pressed the action from the opening bell, looked to be the winner but the rounds were hard to score and a case can be made for Morales getting the decision. What a great fight!! Many times Morales looked on the verge of getting taken out but he always regained his senses and his conditioning was beyond reproach. After getting blasted and staggered with hard shots from Barrera, each time Morales was able to recoup and get back to his preferred MO - boxing from the outside behind a solid jab and landing the hard right hand. All professional boxers should be required to watch this fight a number of times to learn what the public expects from their efforts!! Viva Mexico!! Barrera too showed a great effort but unfortunately didn't get the decision I thought he deserved. But that doesn't take away anything from the great fight boxing fans got to witness last night. We want, and expect, more of the same. If not always in skill level, then certianly in heart and determination to win.
18 February In Fort Worth last night, Juan Lopez made a successful return after a layoff since June to stop William Ruiz in the 3rd round. Lopez looked a little rusty and would be better served by dropping down to his weight class of 140 pounds, but still showed the power that makes him one of the future superstars of boxing. Also, Edward "El Oso" Escobedo , a heavyweight who hasn't fought in over 3years and tipped the scales at 290lbs., stopped Miguel Otero in the 1st round.
My official prediction is for Marco Antonio Barrera to stop Erik Morales between the 6th and 9th rounds. Barrera will be too strong and will chop Morales down with crunching body blows.
17 February Last night in Miami, Mexico City based Jorge Lacierva picked up a HUGE win over former 3-time World Champion Mauricio Pastrana of Columbia. The highly regarded and previously undefeated Pastrana could not cope with the quick and accurate combination punches of the young Lacierva, who in my opinion is now the premier fighter at 115 pounds. Lacierva took the bout on only 8 days notice but his conditioning was excellent and he took the fight to the heavy-handed Pastrana from the opening bell. Over 12 rounds for the IBA World Title the official scores all agreed 115-113 for Lacierva, which seemed a little tight to many at ringside. My card read 117-113. However, Lacierva outworked and outboxed Pastrana and got the deserved decision. In keeping with his reputation as a skilled and well conditioned fighter willing to take on risky challenges, Lacierva is looking forward to hooking up with Eric Morel in the near future. This would be an exciting and attractive fight with the two top prospects in the 115 pound division. The Lacierva - Pastrana bout will be Televised on Fox Sports Net February 27th.
Tonight in Fort Worth, Juan Lopez , the hard punching Jr. Welter out of Dallas makes his return to the ring following a 6 month layoff due to a shoulder injury. Lopez is scheduled for 8 rounds vs William Ruiz . If Lopez' shoulder is indeed fully operational then it it won't be long before he can CLEAN UP the division, and by that I mean putting a whipping on IBF Champ Zab Judah .
12 February Tonight's main event in Mexico City was a 12 round FECARBOX flyweight bout. The challenger Everado "Zihua" Morales opened the match seemingly content to absorb the solid scoring combinations of Raul "Baby" Juarez. More of the same for 2 minutes of the second round until Morales must have figured out this wasn't going to work for 12 rounds - so he unloaded a left uppercut that sent Juarez to the canvas. Juarez barely beat the count but the ref waved the fight off. Win TKO2 for Morales. Juarez, coming off a nice victory over rising Gerson Guerrero , falls to 29 and 6. In an embarrassing excuse for a semi-main, #1 ranked WBO lightweight Antonio Pitalua , a Columbian living in Mexico, disposed of the inept Lalo Montes at :01 of the 3rd. Montes was dropped at the bell to end round 2 and decided he'd done enough to get paid so he quit in the corner. Pitalua, handled by Ricardo Maldonado, was not sent into the bout with any level of risk in losing his ranking. However, if these types of fights are somehow to prepair him to meet another Maldonado fighter - Brazilian Acelino Frietas - then he's in for a rude awakening. Also, 4 rounds bantam - Ana Maria Torres Wtko3 Maribel Zamora. 4 rounds bantam - Eduardo Garcia Wtko2 Elias Garcia. 4 rounds bantam - Jhonny Gonzalez Wtko4 Hugo Campos.
Congradulations to the new WBC Strawweight Champion Jose Antonio Aguirre, who traveled to Thailand and wrested the belt away from holder Wandee Chor Chareon . Aguirre has long been assumed among the Mexico City boxing fans as the heir apparent to take over the WBC Straw title once Ricardo Lopez vacated. Now, he has accomplished his goal and I expect he'll have a nice run with the new belt he now owns.
9 February Mexico City based Jorge Lacierva has signed to fight Mauricio Pastrana on February 16 at the Miccosukee Casino in Maimi. The bout is scheduled for 10 rounds. Lacierva's last outing was in a game effort against pound-for-pound candidate Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson . Currently training in Mexico City, Lacierva got the call to step in for Joel Luna Zarate , who pulled out due to injuries. Lacierva was preparing to challenge for the Mexican S. Fly Title when the opportunity to fight Pastrana arose, so he is in excellent shape and looks forward to presenting his skills to the US public again. The promotion by America Presents is to be televised on Fox Sports.
In preparation for his upcoming challenge to WBA Bantam Champ Paulie Ayala , Johnny Bredahl is utilizing the services of Mexican fighters Melchor Cob Castro and Julio Cesar Ruiz in his sparring sessions in Denmark. I expect Bredahl to be well prepared for the left-handed Ayala, but see Ayala successfully defending the belt for a second time. Castro is in line to soon challenge for the WBO belt held by Jake Matlala , while Ruiz is being considered for an NABF (interim?) 122 pound fight against John Micheal Johnson . Dayrl Pickney is penciled in as the next opponent for Jesus "El Matador" Chavez on March 3 in Chihuahua, MX. Goyo Vargas is surpremely confident he can beat Floyd Mayweather in their match-up for the 130 pound WBC Belt in Mid-March. I, for one (and maybe the only one except Goyo and his immediate family) believe this upset is a very real possibility. As I have stated and now state once again - Goyo will stop Floyd Mayweather!! I'm predicting between rounds 7 and 9.
5 February It was a chilly night in the Cathedral of Mexico City boxing - Arena Coliseo - but none of the fights, nor two cups of hot java, were enough to warm thing up. In the main event, young power puncher Jose Angel Beranza failed to deliver and gets a C- for his split decision 10 round win over war-torn veteran Sergio Millan . Beranza, having no clue how to fight a left-hander, followed Millan around the ring all night. Millan for his part gave his usual gutsy performance, but the deck was stacked against him going in as Beranza is supposed to be the new blood at 115 pounds. Scores read 96-65, 97-95, and 94-96. The semi-main was a ten round flyweight bout between light punchers Javier Torres and Rafeal Chavez . The bout was competitive and probably would have been enjoyable if it weren't for the cold. Torres won the decision. Also, in a bout marred by headbutts and constant holding, Francisco Dianzo gets a Technical Decision win after 6 rounds of a planned 8 round feather bout over Fernando Trejo . Dianzo was cut in the 3rd and the fight was stopped in the 6th due to the worsening of the cut. Dainzo is the brother of Hugo Dianzo , the WBC's #2 ranked bantamweight. This fighter has got to be the worst ever ranked #2 fighter amoung all the sanctioning organizations who didn't "pay" for his ranking. The Dianzo brothers are the least talented and least entertaining pair of fighters I have ever seen. Awkward - in a way that makes Victor Rabanales look like Muhammed Ali - dirty, and untalented; the Dianzo brothers continue to stink up the Coliseo. Also, 4 rounds feather - Ismeal Gonzalez Wtko2 Juan Martinez. 4 rounds bantam - Hugo Vargas W4 Raul Tallez(?).
31 January Mexico City based fighter Julio Alvarez got a big win when he beat Pito Cardona via 10th round KO earlier this month. Now he gets his big opportunity in March when he challenges for the WBC Lightweight Title against Stevie Johnston in March. Alvarez is the former S. Feather Mexican Champ and an all around decent fighter. Alvarez surprised me by stopping Cardona because I had written him off as a shot fighter. He took a good beating at the hands of Jose Luis Castillo before getting a gift technical TKO win on cuts. And his fight vs. Jesus "El Matador" Chavez , while competitive and exciting had to take a toll. Alvarez lost a 12 round decision to Chavez. Even so, Alvarez is a hard worker and deserves his shot - especially after taking the short notice fight against Cardona and getting a win. Can Alvarez beat Johnston? I think it'll be a competitive fight with good action. Expect Alvarez to take a solid beating before being saved by the ref in the 9th round. He won't go down nor will he quit, but Alvarez has some limitations in speed and footwork that Johnston should exploit to his advantage. This show will be promoted by Top Rank in Johnston's home city of Denver.
29 January Tonight at the Arena Coliseo Paulino Villalobos pulled off an upset over the betting favorite Augustin Luna in a scheduled 10 round flyweight bout. Villalobos, fighting out of a crouching left-handed stance, waisted no time in going after the taller Luna, blanking the first 3 rounds. Luna woke up in the 4th with lead right hands and was on the way to winning the round when he lost a point for hitting on the break. The 5th saw good action with Villalobos edging out the round. In the 6th Luna was dropped with a looping right hook/shove and even though he beat the count the ref waved the fight off. It was a good win for Villalobos, who is based out of Veracruz. In an exciting 6 round flyweight match Alfonso Lugo and Luis Garcia maybe fought the best 6 minutes 49 seconds ever possible. Garcia, the younger boxer, was aggressive in the 1st and landed some good power shots with his left hook to the body and head. In the 2nd Lugo decided to make a stand after being pummelled along the ropes for better than the first minute of the round. Storming back he pushed Garcia away and then dropped him with a liver shot. Barely beating the count, Garcia managed to get up and then ATTACKED all out and for another 30 seconds it looked as if Lugo would be KO'd. Then, at the bell to end round 2 the now completely exhausted Garcia was knocked down with a wild haymaker. Saved by the bell he was able to return to his corner. Opening the 3rd Garcia again attacked with all he had and hurt Lugo again, but it was not to be as Garcia, out of gas, got caught with a small blow to the chin and colaspsed in exhaustion at :49 of the 3rd. WOW!!! Another undercard bout saw fireworks of a different kind as Jaime Ortiz scored a dramatic one punch KO over Luis Perez at :36 of the first round in a planned 6 round bantam bout. Also, 6 round S.Bantam - Elias Luna Wtko3 Juan C. Ramos. 4 round bantam - Jhony Gonzalez W4 Mario Rodriguez.
28 January Last night in San Marcos, Texas Mike Trejo survived a 12th round assault to keep the NABF Flyweight Title by decision over Mexico City based Oscar Arceniega .
My very informal poll of boxers, trainers, and managers in the Mexico City gyms about the Feb. 19th clash between Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales shows almost universal agreement that Morales will win the match. Remember that Barrera is the Mexico City based fighter so this came as something of a surprise to me. People seem to favor a win for Morales strongly or moderately, but there was no strong favor leaning toward Barrera - and very few moderately leaning for a Barrera victory. The consensus is that Morales is the better boxer and carries the heavier punch. This will supposedly nuetralize the aggressive Barrera and Morales can win the fight easily on points by boxing from the outside or win via mid to late round KO by mixing it up on the inside. My personal opinion is that Barrera will overpower and stop Morales inside of 6 rounds. I think Morales is too stiff and mechanical in the ring. He has also not been hit by someone who packs a punch like Barrera. And to me Morales is more media hype and hoped for greatness than the real thing. You can say I look for Morales to be exposed in this fight. With Morales unable to stop the easy to hit and light-punching Wayne McCoulough in their 12 round match I think it will be an easier night for Barrera than many expect. And should I turn out to be wrong I'll have to reevaluate my thinking on Morales. Any thoughts! Your welcome to sign the Message Board at the bottom of this page.
Who will win the Barrera vs Morales match? And how will he win?
26 January Mexico City based Oscar Arceniega ventures into hostile territory tomorrow night in San Marcos, Texas to challenge Mike Trejo for the NABF 112 pound title. The expected crowd of 3000+ may be in for a disappointment though as Arceniega is a top notch fighter who might pull off a win over the local favorite. While 1999 wasn't the best of years for him with a disputed loss to Ali Baba and another defeat at the hands of Eric Morel , Arceniega has prepared well for Trejo and Trejo's agressive style fits right in with Arceniega's boxing/counter-punching style. The edge goes to Trejo, but a new title holder is a distinct possibility as well.
This afternoon at the Poncho Rosales gym in Mexico City two highly skilled superflys - Genaro Garcia and Jorge Lacierva - provided some entertainment going 3 hard four minute rounds with each other. Garcia, ranked #6 WBC, was the stronger and more aggressive puncher. While Lacierva, who last year gave Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson a solid go, was the slick boxer at times spinning the advancing Garcia in circles. Action packed sparring that benefitted both fighters, who are friends and who both are realistically looking forward to winning World Titles in the future.
23 January Big win last night for Julio Alvarez , who stopped Pito Cardona in the 10th round. I had written Alvarez off as a game fighter who had been thru too many wars, but I guess he still had it in him to dig deep. In Mexico City, the weekly Saturday night shows got off to a big bang as Francisco Garcia succesfully defended his Mexican mini-fly title by stopping Oswaldo Guerrero on cuts after 5 brutal rounds. Guerrero attacked from the opening bell and had the taller Garcia on the defensive, but Garcia was able to manage some good inside work. In the 3rd the tide turned when Garcia connected and sent Guerrero to the canvas hard - but in a Gatti-like effort Guerrero stormed back as both went toe to toe and brought the crowd to its feet. The 4th was furious with both landing damaging blows. Opening the fifth Guerrero again mounted a strong assault that had Garcia fighting off the ropes. Garcia answered with a 3 punch inside combo that finished off with a right-cross that opened a nasty gash over Guerrero�s left eye. Seconds later the doctor stopped the fight. For the Guerrero brothers this was their second major recent setback. In December, rising Gerson Guerrero , younger bro of Oswaldo, was surprised and outclassed in a losing effort against Raul "Baby" Juarez . Remains to be seen whether the Guerrero brothers can regain the once promising expectations Mexico City boxing fans had for them. In other bouts at the Arena Coliseo, Jorge Louis Lopez scored a thunderous one punch knockout of Miguel Angel Alvarez in the 3rd round of a planned 8 round lightweight battle. Alvarez was on the canvas 10 minutes but managed to leave the ring under his own power. Also, 6 rounds feather - Francisco Dianzo Wtko1 Simon Reyes. 6 founds feather - Martin Sanchez Wsplit6 Isaac Chavarria. 4 rounds light - Ricardo Rodriguez W4 Ricardo Sosa.
5 January Happy New Year to everyone. I'm still in Texas for a few more weeks and will start updating again in late January. In the meantime there are three talented Mexico City fighters who are looking for action. Superfly Genaro Garcia has 20 wins and 2 defeats, ranked #6 WBC, right-handed and ready to go. He is calling out Erik Morel and wants to face him on Univision's upcoming show which Eric will headline. Promoters: you know how to find me!! Pedro Alonso Teran, a 13-2 right-handed lightweight, is training and looking for a fight. Also a young featherweight named Aldo Valtierra , 17-3, is looking to make his US debut. Aldo doesn't pack a huge punch but is hard-working and determined. He also needs to tighten up his D, but then again that adds somewhat to the excitement of his fights. All three looking for fights and ready to travel.
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