Two title bouts highlight perhaps the most significant card in the history of the popular “Fight Night at the Tank” series tonight at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. In the main event, burgeoning female star Ana Julaton takes on veteran Donna Biggers for the vacant WBO Super Bantamweight title. In the co-feature, a world ranking could be at stake for rising super featherweight Eloy Perez, as he vies for the vacant WBO NABO 130-pound title against Juan Santiago. Fighters weighed in Thursday evening at the Clarion Hotel San Jose Airport.
Julaton (5-1-1, 1 KO) of Daly City, California returns to the ring for the first time since her ten-round decision victory over Kelsey Jeffries to claim the IBA Super Bantamweight title on September 12th. The victory gave Julaton a world title in just her seventh pro bout, and brought even more media attention to a fighter who had already been a media darling dating back to her amateur days. Now Julaton will attempt to build upon her new found stardom and credibility as a world champion by adding the WBO belt to her collection with a victory over Biggers. Julaton weighed right at the division limit of 122 pounds.
Biggers (19-8-1, 16 KOs) of Boiling Springs, South Carolina should provide an ample test for the younger Julaton, considering she has been in with a who’s who from super bantamweight to lightweight and almost always held her own. Biggers boasts one of the more daunting knockout percentages in all of women’s boxing, which provides an air of danger in the bout for the young champion. Biggers weighed in at 120 pounds Thursday.
Eloy Perez (14-0-2, 3 KOs) of Salinas, California is on the cusp of a world ranking and returns to the HP Pavilion for the fifth time in his career in hopes of breaking through. Perez is coming off of a career-best victory over fellow unbeaten prospect Dannie Williams which garnered himself the WBC USNBC Super Featherweight title. Perez, who trained in Big Bear, California alongside Shane Mosley for this bout, weighed in at 130 pounds.
Juan Santiago (11-2-1, 7 KOs) of Denver, Colorado will look the spoil the unbeaten run of an emerging contender for the second time in his last three fights. On October 10th, Santiago devastated light welterweight prospect Ty Barnett by knockout inside of a single round. Santiago also downed well regarded prospect Diego Magdaleno before dropping a four-round decision. Santiago, who fought at 140-pounds in his last fight, came in at 129 ½ for tonight’s WBO NABO Super Featherweight title bout.
The undercard will consist of three bouts, scheduled for four-rounds, with the winners eligible for the fan-voted “You Be The Judge” contest prize money and AMI Cup. The winner of the contest in September, cruiserweight Tony Johnson (3-0, 1 KO) of San Jose will take on Ron Simmons (3-3, 2 KOs) of Lewiston, Idaho. Last time out, Johnson obliterated Artis Walker just over a minute into the bout to win over the crowd. Johnson weighed in at 186 ½, while Simmons scaled 187.
In a rematch of their bout at the HP Pavilion in November of last year, former amateur star Melissa McMorrow (3-1-1) of San Carlos, California will go against Gloria Salas (1-3, 1 KO of Cathedral City, California in a minimumweight bout. Salas gave McMorrow a tough fight in their first go-around, despite the lopsided scores that favored the San Carlos resident. It appeared that McMorrow’s stronger punches gave her the edge in the bout.
In her last appearance at the HP Pavilion, McMorrow, who grew up in San Jose, went toe-to-toe with veteran Jolene Blackshear in a four-round thriller. McMorrow survived three second-round knockdowns and appeared to outbox Blackshear the rest of the way. With a point deducted from Blackshear’s tally in the second, a draw was the original announced decision, but it was later revealed that the cards were added up inaccurately and McMorrow had suffered her only pro defeat. Salas weighed in at 104 ½ Thursday, while McMorrow came in at 106 pounds.
In the opener, former decorated amateur Aaron Alafa (3-1, 1 KO) of Visalia, California will take on HP Pavilion favorite Jonathan Alcantara (1-1-1) of Novato, California in a super bantamweight bout. Alafa has got off to an up-and-down start to his professional career and has yet another tough test in front of him tonight in Alcantara, who wowed the crowd in San Jose with his two terrific battles against Juan Tepoz. Alafa weighed in at 119 ½, while Alcantara scaled 120 pounds.
Tickets for tonight’s event, promoted by Roy Englebrecht Events, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.
Quick Weigh-in Results:
WBO Super Bantamweight Championship, 10 Rounds
Julaton 122
Biggers 120
WBO NABO Super Featherweight Championship, 10 Rounds
Perez 130
Santiago 129 ½
Minimumweights, 4 Rounds
Salas 104 ½
McMorrow 106
Cruiserweights, 4 Rounds
Simmons 187
Johnson 186 ½
Super bantamweights, 4 Rounds
Alcantara 120
Alafa 119 ½
Photo by Alfredo Perez
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.