SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – New disruptor in the boxing space, Ed Pereira, CEO of iVisit Boxing (iVB for short) officially announced on Friday a partnership with digital media juggernaut YouTube that will see multiple, massive scale live events take place this year in cities of historical significance for the sweet science. The announcement, which Pereira made across the steps of City Hall, alongside San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and representatives from the  Google-owned YouTube, did not make mention of any specific fights or fighters that will be featured, but the word among many in the industry is that a fight between unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and former kingpin Deontay Wilder is in play for the July 11th date announced to take place today in the “City by the Bay.” The event will be held outdoors at Civic Center Plaza. 

While Pereira’s name may be new to the average boxing observer, the Uruguay-born, Wales-raised promoter was a key figure behind the scenes while working alongside Saudi Arabian officials on last May’s “Fatal Fury” event in New York City’s Times Square as well as the Ring Magazine Awards Show, which took place this past January in London, England. 

“I have been in and around boxing for the last few years, but historically I have come from sport,” Pereira explained to TheBoxingHour.com on Friday. “I’ve worked for some of the biggest soccer teams in the world, for rugby, and for me the world of boxing is incredible. The people in boxing; the fighters, the fans – they have inspired me to come to the city of San Francisco and ask, ‘How are we going to create bigger and bolder events?’ I was inspired while working in the industry and I saw an opportunity.”  

The goal for Pereira and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is that the event will break the reported all-time boxing attendance record of 135,132 set by world middleweight champion Tony Zale’s title defense against Billy Pryor at Juneau Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 16, 1941. Zale dropped Pryor multiple times en route to a ninth-round stoppage in the main event of a free event sponsored by the Pabst Brewing Company. Lurie reiterated what Pereira had made known in recent interviews: that a large number of standing room tickets will be made available for free for the event in July. 

“I am so fired up to make sure that we see over 130,000 people on July 11th,” Lurie told the crowd gathered at today’s press conference. “What you all might not know is that San Francisco has a long history of boxing. Boxing was and still is a uniting force for our community. Today we are announcing a partnership that builds on that incredible history. This July, I am so excited that San Francisco will be host to iVisit Boxing and a weeklong series of events across San Francisco and the Bay Area, culminating in a historic match right here in our Civic Center. Every match will be free and open to the public, bringing world class sport directly to San Franciscans.” 

One of the criticisms of the Times Square event was that fans were unable to get close enough to see the fights in the ring. San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza obviously offers much more space than the Midtown Manhattan commercial intersection. Space is one of the aspects, alongside the city’s rich boxing history, that Pereira has said in interviews that drew him to the “The City by the Bay.”  

Should the rumored Usyk-Wilder clash end up at Civic Center Plaza, it would be the first world heavyweight championship fight the city has hosted since undefeated champion Rocky Marciano stopped overmatched Don Cockell in the ninth round at Kezar Stadium on May 16, 1955. The city, once one of boxing’s hotbeds, had hosted world heavyweight title fights dating back to a John L. Sullivan title defense in 1886. James J. Corbett, who had graduated from Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory High School in San Francisco, returned to the city for a world heavyweight title defense in 1897. The legendary James J. Jeffries also made multiple defenses at the turn of the 20th century. Today’s announcement did not include mention of Usyk, Wilder or any other specific fighters. Pereira explained those announcements will be forthcoming, but today was about getting the world excited about the sport being featured in a grand scale on the YouTube platform as well as getting the community in and around San Francisco excited about the July 11th event. 

“My focus has been very much about working with the Mayor’s team to put together everything for this announcement and obviously the YouTube announcement,” Pereira told TheBoxingHour.com. “Whenever those guys [Usyk and Wilder] get together, it is going to be a great card, right? Who wouldn’t want Usyk on their card?” 

iVisit Boxing has made mention on their social media platforms that the company plans to host twelve events this calendar year, including the first on April 4th, outdoors of Resorts World in Las Vegas, Nevada to recreate the feel of the old Caesars Palace open-air event center that hosted the majority of major fights on the Strip before the casino bosses wanted the patrons and potential gamblers closer to the the tables and slot machines indoors. The coming weeks and months could be very interesting as Pereira and iVB make their plans better known. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – Lightweight prospect and co-promoter Lorenzo Powell remained unbeaten in the blink of an eye, stopping Mexican import Javier Rojas Campos to cap a seven-bout event at the Oakland Marriott City Center on Saturday night. 

Powell (5-0, 2 KOs) of Sacramento, California moved quickly, forcing Campos (3-5, 1 KO) of Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California, Mexico down to his knees with an unrelenting flurry, highlighted by a left to the body and finished with the right hand. Rojas Campos, 135.4, grimaced in pain and made no signs of getting up as Powell, 136.8, moved to a neutral corner and waited for referee Edward Collantes’ count to reach ten. 

The official time of the stoppage was 1:30 of the opening round. Powell, part of the promotional team at G1 Promotions, co-promoters of tonight’s event alongside Lion’s Den Boxing Promotions, is tentatively slated to return to the ring this November. 

Light heavyweight prospect Kumar Prescod (3-0-1, 3 KOs) of Antioch, California looked to be on his way to a fourth professional victory over Michael Nelson (4-2-1, 2 KOs) of College Park, Georgia before an unfortunate accidental headbutt forced an early end to the contest after two completed rounds. 

After getting warmed up, Prescod, 176.1, stunned Nelson, 173, late in the first, forcing the Georgia native to hold on as the round came to a close. The bout took a turn in the following round as an accidental headbutt opened a cut above Nelson’s right eye, which did not aid his ability to see Prescod’s power left hand. After a dominant round for Prescod, referee Michael Margado called for a time-out prior to the start of the third. After taking a quick look at Nelson, ringside physician Kevin Mitchell advised referee Margado to end the contest, resulting in a technical draw. 

In a pairing of veteran middleweights, Aaron Coley (17-5-1, 7 KOs) of Oakland ended a nearly three-year layoff with a shutout six-round unanimous decision over a game Moris Rodriguez (8-18-3, 5 KOs) of Sacramento. 

Coley, 160.8, caught Rodriguez, 161.9, leaning in with a right to the body, then followed it upstairs in the third. Late in the round, Coley caught Rodriguez clean with a sweeping right to the head and pressured the Sacramento resident into a neutral corner. The veteran Rodriguez weathered the storm and the bell to end the round soon followed. 

Much of the fourth was fought at a measured pace, but Coley finished the round strong as he forced Rodriguez back into the blue corner with a clean left just before the end of the round. The pace picked up in the fifth, as Coley let his hands go and Rodriguez did his best to respond. 

Early in the sixth, Coley caught Rodriguez with a strong left after catching a punch on the gloves. Rodriguez shook his head to show the blow did not shake him and, after touching the canvas on a slip, kept coming until the final bell. 

Judges Melissa McMorrow, Kermit Bayless and Joel Farbstein all scored the bout 60-54 for Coley. 

In a thrilling offensive showing, Tony Hirsch Jr. (6-0-2, 4 KOs) of Oakland impressively halted veteran former regional title holder David Reyes (25-14-2, 13 KOs) of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico inside of two rounds. 

Hirsch, 134.5, was in constant motion from the opening bell, overwhelming Reyes, 133.7, in moments. Early in the second, Hirsch wobbled and then dropped Reyes with the follow-up right hand. With Reyes taking unanswered combinations, referee Michael Margado leaped-in to call a halt to the contest at 1:39 of the second. 

Pleasing his vocal crowd in attendance, Alberto Velasco (2-0, 1 KO) of Stockton, California made short work of an unrefined Antonio Ferrel (0-1) of Santa Rosa, California. 

Velasco, 131.7, landed with both hands from the outset as Ferrel, 128.7, struggled to defend or maintain his footing. After landing clean with both hands along the ropes, Velasco forced Ferrel into the blue corner and kept punching. Despite losing some of the steam on his punches towards the end of the continued onslaught, Velasco forced the hand of referee Edward Collantes, who called a halt to the bout at 1:46 of the first round. 

In a rematch of a bout in May, Alton Wiggins (3-1-1) of Ceres, California repeated the feat, this time via four-round split decision, over a tough and determined Michael Portales (3-5-1, 1 KO) of San Jose, California. 

The taller southpaw Wiggins, 154.6, engaged in more of a close range fight after positioning himself as more of a boxer-mover in their first engagement. With four full rounds already in their memory bank, neither fighter felt the need to feel out the other.

Wiggins had his best round in the second, rocking Portales, 155.6, with his right. Portales began to find a home for his overhand right, but Wiggins closed the round strong, forcing the San Jose native into a neutral corner as the round came to a close. Portales clearly won the fourth, repeatedly snapping Wiggins’ head back with his right. 

Judge Melissa McMorrow scored the bout 39-37 for Portales, but was overruled by judges Kermit Bayless and Joel Farbstein, who had it 39-37 the other way. Wiggins, who claimed victory by unanimous decision in their first go-around, admitted to the crowd on hand that the second fight was tougher. 

In the opener, Shawn McCollum (1-0-1) of Hayward, California edged out Ricky Esquibel (1-4, 1 KO) of Albuquerque, New Mexico via four-round unanimous decision. 

The action was frantic in spots, especially on the inside. McCollum, 140.8, backed up Esquibel, 136.9, with his jab early in the fight, but did not utilize it enough to make his night a little easier. Esquibel switched to southpaw at times and landed a left that forced McCollum to hold for a moment in the second. McCollum backed up with his hands down in the third, allowing Esquibel to double up without worrying about a return. Things heated up in the fourth. Esquibel landed first in an exchange of stiff right hands, but McCollum’s seemed to land with more authority. “The Irish Bad Boy” followed up and backed Esquibel up with a combination that likely gave him the round. 

All three judges; Melissa McMorrow, Kermit Bayless and Joel Farbstein, scored the bout 39-37 for McCollum, who thanked his coaches for believing in him as he earned his first professional victory. 

Photos by Michelle Morgan

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com

JAMESTOWN, CALIFORNIA – Unbeaten Noli Valenzuela fights outside of his native Mexico for the first time to meet streaking local prospect Irving Xilohua in the intriguing eight-round featherweight main event of the Toscano Boxing Promotions’ “Rising Stars” event from the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort on Thursday night. Fighters for the six-bout card weighed-in at the host venue on Wednesday afternoon. 

Valenzuela (12-0, 6 KOs) of Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico was last in the ring in April, scoring a fourth-round knockout of once-beaten Alan Zaid Rodriguez Montiel in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The win marked the third straight stoppage victory for the southpaw Valenzuela. 

Xilohua (9-1, 6 KOs) of Stockton, California has won four straight, including three stoppages, since his lone professional setback, a six-round majority decision defeat to tough journeyman Diuhl Olguin. In his last outing in May, Xilohua stopped Enrique Uvalle inside of two rounds at the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium. Xilohua will be stepping up to the eight-round distance for the first time as a professional, while Valenzuela has been scheduled for eight or more on five previous occasions and went the distance in two of those instances. 

There was a bit of drama at the official weigh-in on Wednesday afternoon. Xilohua stepped on the scale first, with the bout contracted at 126-pounds, and made 125.4-pounds. Valenzuela, who was one of the last fighters to arrive for the official weigh-in, came in one pound over at 127-pounds. After a bit of shouting between camps, Valenzuela left to attempt to sweat off the last pound. On his last attempt, Valenzuela came in at 126.6-pounds and an agreement was reached to keep the main event intact. 

Juan Zamorano (6-1, 6 KOs) of Rosamorada, Nayarit, Mexico will end a nearly two-year layoff against the rugged Marco Antonio Delgado (7-6-1, 5 KOs) of Turlock, California in a six-round light heavyweight bout. Zamorano, looking to get back on track after suffering his lone pro defeat in his last bout, weighed-in at 172-pounds. Delgado, whose previous five opponents had a combined record of 44-4, weighed-in at the light heavyweight limit of 175.

Lightweight prospect Nicholas Saavedra (3-0, 1 KO) of Modesto, California will move up to the six-round distance when he takes on Juan Guillermo Montero (4-2-1, 3 KOs) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico on Thursday night. Saavedra, fresh off of a third-round stoppage of Richard Esquibel on May 24th, weighed-in at 133.4-pounds, while Montero weighed-in just under the junior welterweight limit at 139-pounds. 

After posting two consecutive MMA victories since his pro boxing debut last year, Pedro Juarez (1-0) of Tracy, California will return to the ring to take on Harley Sampson (1-0, 1 KO) of Reno, Nevada in a four-round lightweight bout. For the bout that Toscano Boxing Promotions’ Israel Guajardo predicted will be the fight of the night, Juarez and Sampson both made the lightweight limit of 135-pounds. 

Making his U.S. debut, 19-year-old Damian Flores (2-0-1, 2 KOs) of Ceres, California will meet debuting Adrian Mendoza of Carson City, Nevada in a four-round super flyweight bout. The 5’8” Flores scaled 115.2, while the 5’4” Mendoza came in at 112.6-pounds. 

In the opener, Benigno Gaona Diaz (1-1, 1 KO) of Galt, California by way of Pabellon de Arteaga, Aguascalientes, Mexico will look to bounce back from a decision defeat in January against Lai Thang (1-3) of Dallas, Texas in a four-round featherweight bout. Gaona Diaz came in at 123.6-pounds, while Thang weighed-in at the division limit of 126. 

The “Rising Stars” event will be available for live stream on the Toscano Boxing Promotions’ YouTube page.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Featherweights, 8 Rounds 

Valenzuela 126.6*

Xilohua 125.4

Light heavyweights, 6 Rounds

Zamorano 172

Delgado 175

Lightweights, 6 Rounds

Saavedra 133.4

Montero 139

Lightweights, 4 Rounds

Juarez 135

Sampson 135

Super flyweights, 4 Rounds 

Flores 115.2

Mendoza 112.6 

Featherweights, 4 Rounds

Gaona Diaz 123.6

Thang 126

*Valenzuela originally weighed-in 1 pound over the contracted limit of 126 on first attempt

Tickets for the event, promoted by Toscano Boxing Promotions, are available online at Ticketon.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

SANTA YNEZ, CALIFORNIA – World ranked junior middleweight contender Callum Walsh, bloodied and swollen from an accidental headbutt, scored a five-round technical decision over veteran Elias Espadas in the main event of the UFC Fight Pass-broadcasted card at the Chumash Casino Resort on Saturday night. 

Walsh (14-0, 11 KOs) of Ventura, California by way of Cork, Munster, Ireland flashed his speed and power against the smaller Espadas (23-7-1, 16 KOs) of Merida, Yucatán, Mexico from the early moments of the bout. Walsh’s punches moved Espadas when he connected cleanly. The fight took an unfortunate turn in round two, when Espadas, 153.8, caught Walsh, 154, coming in with his head and opened a bad cut over the Irishman’s right eye. The blood followed immediately and understandably slowed Walsh’s output the rest of the round. 

Walsh, the WBC #6/IBF #6 ranked contender, would be looked over by the ringside physician at the start of each round the rest of the way. The bleeding was never stemmed, but the fight continued into the third and Walsh’s edge in class carried the bout. 

After a fourth round in which maybe Walsh was protecting his eye a bit, while still outboxing Espadas, referee Rudy Barragan ended the bout on the advice of ringside physician Tony Hicks. All three judges scored the bout for Walsh, 50-46, with the one second fifth-round being scored even. 

“First of all I want to apologize to everyone that came out to see us fight,” Walsh told the crowd after the decision. “I am disappointed to win a fight like this. It’s unfortunate, but it was impacting my vision and ability to see.” 

Pearl Gonzalez brought up fellow Southern California junior middleweight Fernando Vargas Jr., who has been mentioned as a potential opponent for Walsh, who successfully defended his regional WBC Continental Americas title on Saturday night. 

 “Fernando Vargas,” Walsh responded, “if you want this belt, come and get it kid.”

In the co-feature, Umar Dzambekov (12-0, 8 KOs) of Los Angeles, California by way of Grozny, Chechnya, Russia banked some much needed rounds and boxed his way to an eight-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Roamer Alexis Angulo (28-4, 23 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by way of Patia, Cauca, Colombia. 

Dzambekov, 176, boxed well in rounds one and two, but Angulo, 174.6, found a home for some of his power shots in round three and seemed to have the southpaw out of his comfort zone at times. Both fighters had their moments in round five, as Dzambekov did well to box and move, while Angulo, who had trouble slipping at various moments, landed some clean power punches. 

Angulo packed up his offense a bit in round seven, which left an opening for Dzambekov to sit down on his power punches in the closing moments of the round. Dzambekov, who stopped his last two opponents inside of two rounds, proved he could maintain his output over the duration of an eight-rounder and still had plenty in the tank down the stretch of the fight. 

All three judges scored the bout for Dzambekov. Judge Chris Leben had it a shutout, 80-72. Judge Lou Moret gave Angulo one round for a card of 79-73, while judge Mike Bell had it the closest at 77-75. 

Junior welterweight prospect Cain Sandoval (16-0, 14 KOs) of Sacramento, California stopped short-notice replacement Yonathan Eniz (36-23-1, 17 KOs) of Dolores, Buenos Aires, Argentina inside of two rounds. 

Sandoval, 142.6, walked the smaller Eniz, 142.6, down from the early moments of the fight and did not appear to be too worried about what the Argentinian had to offer in return. Early in the second, Sandoval upped his pressure even more and forced Eniz into a neutral corner, dropping him with a flurry just as referee Rudy Barragan began to leap in and stop the action at 2:31 of round two.

Rising featherweight Roxy Verduzco (5-0, 1 KO) of Los Angeles went the distance in her first scheduled eight-rounder, scoring a unanimous decision over veteran Celene Roman (6-5-1) of Chino, California by way of Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico.  

Verduzco, 125.8, outworked Roman, 124.4, over the first half of the fight while utilizing her movement to great effect, while Roman struggled to cut off the ring or match the southpaw’s output. In the latter third of the fight, Verduzco was more apt to fight at close range and sit on her punches in the center of the ring. Roman found a string of success in round eight and landed with some power punches in the final moments of the bout. 

In the end, all three judges scored the bout 79-73 for Verduzco. 

In a very competitive fight, Daniel Barrera (9-1-1, 4 KOs) of Eastvale, California scored a wide eight-round unanimous decision over a determined Basilio Franco (10-4, 8 KOs) of Norwalk, California by way of Yahualica De Gonzalez Gallo, Jalisco, Mexico. 

Franco, 113.6, outworked Barrera, 115, and controlled ring position for much of the first half of the bout. Barrera began to sit down on his body punches a little more in the fifth round and pressed the action as Franco’s output dipped. Barrera broke through with some power shots in round six, but Franco was still the busier fighter for much of the round. Barrera followed his success with power punches in the seventh, his best round of the fight. Franco was having a good round right, before Barrera unloaded a combination of power punches to close out the fight. 

Despite the competitive nature of the bout, the three official scorers gave Franco almost no credit, as judge Jack Reiss scored it a shutout, 80-72, while judges Chris Leben and Lou Moret had it only one round closer at 79-73. 

In an upset, Vernon Brown (14-2-1, 10 KOs) of Chicago, Illinois scored a come-from-behind seventh-round stoppage of highly-touted Gor Yeritsyan (20-2, 16 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Yerevan, Armenia. 

Yeritsyan, 146.4, was in control for the majority of the bout, landing in combination, while Brown, 146.2, threw mostly one at a time, looking to land with his left. In a precursor to what was to come, the southpaw Brown landed clean with a winging left that caught Yeritsyan’s attention in the second round. For the next four rounds, Brown looked to repeat that success. 

The fight was fought on the inside for much of the contest. Yeritsyan was able to land in combination, especially upstairs, and took control of the fight in the middle rounds. Yeritsyan had such a strong round six that referee David Solivan had the ringside physician take a look at Brown to begin round seven. The Chicago native seemed to take exception to the suggestion that he was in any sort of trouble and began the round aggressively, before landing a leaping left hook that dropped Yeritsyan hard early in the round. Yeritsyan managed to rise to his feet and attempted to weather the storm, but eventually Brown landed an unanswered flurry in the blue corner that prompted Solivan to leap in and wave off the bout at 2:46 of the seventh. The knockout victory ended a layoff of over three years for Brown. 

In the opener, MMA veteran Jenelyn Olsim (0-0-1) of Ventura by way of Baguio City, Benguet, Philippines was held to a four-round majority draw by Jessica Radtke Maltez (1-2-2) of Waconia, Minnesota. Olsim, 125, was the harder puncher, but Radtke Maltez, 124, stood up to them and had her moments in round four. Neither fighter really pressed on the gas and let their hands go for any prolonged stretch. Judge Lou Moret scored the bout 39-37 for Olsim, but was overruled by judges Mike Bell and Jack Reiss, who both scored it even, 38-38. 

Photos by Lina Baker/360 Promotions

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com

Four years into his journey as a boxer and nine years removed from the prom date that brought him into the public consciousness, Albert Ochoa is set to take to the ring for his second bout as a pro, and first in the United States, this coming Thursday night at the Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California. Ochoa, having just celebrated his first Father’s Day as one himself, will take on Leon Miles Jr. in a four-round welterweight bout as part of SOCA Fights’ Fight Club OC event, which will be streamed internationally by TrillerTV+. 

Ochoa (1-0, 1 KO) of Sacramento, California made his pro debut in February, scoring a first-round stoppage over Miguel Angel Ortiz in San Francisco del Rincón, Guanajuato, Mexico. Ochoa had been slated to meet an American opponent before Ortiz, an unknown commodity, stepped in on short notice to keep his debut bout intact.  

“I had one day’s notice [on my new opponent] and I was terrified,” admits Ochoa candidly. “I was scared. The guy I fought had more fights and I didn’t have amateur experience, so I wanted to pull out too, but I had to believe in myself and the work that I put in. With a last minute opponent switch, a lot of fighters would pull out of a fight, because you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, but I went in there and knocked him out.”

Ochoa, who came to prominence after reality TV star Kendall Jenner agreed to be his junior prom date in 2016, decided to turn professional after a run on the influencer boxing exhibition circuit and without any traditional amateur experience. As one could expect, Ochoa has heard from naysayers along the way, which ultimately made the taste of his first pro victory all the more sweet. 

“I got goosebumps and was very emotional,” recalls Ochoa of hearing his name announced victoriously after the win. “So many people have doubted me and people doubt me in this sport still. Being from Sacramento, I have a big target on my back. I knew whether I won or lost, people were going to talk. In the end, I had to do what was best for me and I went in and got the job done. I was very happy and emotional, because this sport isn’t easy.” 

Ochoa’s debut came after a brief camp with new trainer Stan Martyniouk, a former international level amateur with nearly 18 years of professional experience, dating back to his own pro debut in 2007. Martyniouk was pleased with what he saw out of his new charge in that first fight together. 

“We went into the fight and I had to keep him calm a little bit, so as not to waste a lot of energy,” explains Martyniouk. “He had a little bit of the jitters, so we warmed up and he shook out a little bit. He went into the fight and executed the game plan very well. He got the victory and everything was good.” 

Adding to the swirl of emotions Ochoa experienced on the night of his debut, his girlfriend Maricela Cornejo, who fought Cecilia Braekhus to a close decision in an attempt at an interim title last year, was in the home stretch of her pregnancy, as their son Ocean arrived just over a month later. 

“When I knocked that guy out, I was extremely happy, because now I could enjoy the time with my baby boy,” recalls Ochoa. “So that’s all I was thinking about, was the after effects. I got this job done and now I can spend some time with them and relax with them and be there for Mari as well.” 

Ochoa has managed to juggle his newfound responsibility as a father and as a professional fighter while preparing for his upcoming bout against Miles this Thursday. 

“My baby now is three months and we dialed-in [for this upcoming fight] when he was three-weeks-old,” explains Ochoa. “So I’ve been in camp about nine to ten weeks. I’ve been 100 percent focused and motivated. It does suck to be away from him, being at the gym twice a day. We had a media workout in Sacramento and so many people came, but it does suck being away. I know it is going to pay off in the long run and beating this guy in L.A. is going to be great, but the after effect is what I am looking forward to and that is spending time with my son.” 

In addition to being away from his newborn son, Ochoa has been training mostly out of the Salas Boxing Academy in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, while Martyniouk remained in the Bay Area. Despite the distance, Martyniouk has continued to be a guiding voice and will be in the Ochoa corner on Thursday night. Thus far, Ochoa has impressed Stan “The Man” with his improvement. 

“It has been a bit different, because I have been talking to him about what I’ve seen mostly through videos,” explains Martyniouk. “We discuss what he’s been doing, what he needs to improve and work on. Ever since we started working together, either over the phone or when he comes and sees me, his timing has improved a lot. His power and his ring IQ, have all improved. He looks like a whole different fighter. We worked a lot on speed and while he’s been out there in Vegas, you can tell the difference in speed. He looks like a seasoned fighter now.”  

“It’s been a long camp, but I’ve jumped so many levels,” says Ochoa. “My sparring competition has been higher. My IQ is higher and I’ve been boxing amazingly. I am keeping up with these pros coming up as well. So this camp has been my best camp, it really has. From my strength to my IQ, to letting my hands go in combination, I feel I have taken a big leap from the last fight until now.” 

Ochoa will meet a familiar face on Thursday, taking on Miles, known on social media as “Suede The Plug.” Miles comes from the influencer boxing circuit as well, which is where he and Ochoa met before. Ochoa boxed his way to a decision win over Miles in an exhibition in December of 2023. 

“I am sure he has grown as both a person and a fighter and I am definitely not taking him lightly,” says Ochoa of Miles. “I am training my butt off and doing everything I need to do to come out victorious. He was my toughest challenge. That influencer fight was fun for sure, but now I am going into the pros and it is a different game. Miles wanted to run it back and for [promoter] Roy [Englebrecht] to give me the opportunity, being from Sacramento, it is a blessing to be on that card. [Miles] is from L.A. and he’s a good fighter. We went the distance the last time we fought, but I just have to focus on myself and no matter who they put in front of me, I need to get the job done and that means winning.”

With all the motivation that comes with becoming a father for the first time and pursuing a passion, Ochoa is excited to show that all of his hard work has paid off as he goes for his second pro win on Thursday night in Costa Mesa. 

“The event is about sold out already I believe,” says Ochoa. “I am excited and it is going to be fun. I expect fireworks. I am going to put on a great performance and in this fight, I am going to show why I became a boxer. I think it is going to be a good fight, a really fun one and I plan to show out.”  

The few remaining tickets for the event, promoted by SOCA Fights, are available online at socafights.com 

Photos courtesy Team Ochoa

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Mario Ortega Jr.

SAN RAMON, CALIFORNIA – Undefeated featherweight prospect Kyle Lacanlale aims to defend his home turf when he returns to the ring this coming Saturday night against Rodolfo Molina at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in nearby Pleasanton, California. The four-round bout will serve as co-main event on the “Next Generation of Fighters” card presented by upstart promoters Elite Underdog Promotions and Benjamin’s Boxing. 

Lacanlale (4-0, 2 KOs) of San Ramon has fought in the Bay Area and elsewhere in Northern California before, but Saturday’s contest will take place less than 10 miles from Dougherty Valley High, where the young prospect attended school. Fighting so close to his home base for the first time has Lacanlale, whose nickname “Masanting” means handsome in Kapampangan, a Filipino language, looking forward to Saturday night. 

“I am really excited,” explains Lacanlale. “I grew up going to the Fairgrounds for the Fair and all the events they have there. To be the co-main event on a show there in Pleasanton, California and have all my family and friends and the local community behind me, it is something that I’ve been looking forward to.” 

For some young fighters, the responsibility that would come with being in the co-main event so close to home would be an intrusion on their preparation. However, the determined Lacanlale remained focused in camp and is ready to put on a show for his local following on Saturday night. 

“It is not a distraction,” says Lacanlale of fighting at home. “I take it as motivation. I am excited when my family comes out to support me and they get loud and a lot of people come through for me. It is just added fuel to the fire for me when I get in the ring.”

If preparing for his fifth pro bout was not enough of a workload, Lacanlale is simultaneously wrapping up his junior year at California State University, East Bay, where he studies kinesiology. Finding the balance between academics and athletics is something not foreign to the young pro.

“When I am not in the gym, I am at home taking care of my schoolwork,” explains Lacanlale. “I really have to manage my time and set my schedule straight to get everything I need to get done in a day. I went to Dougherty Valley High, which is a very academic school. I grew up doing this. Academics is something that has always been important in my family. I take care of business in the classroom and in the gym. It just shows how bad you want it. If you want it, you can get it. I put my 110% into everything I do from being in the classroom to being in the gym.” 

Last time out, Lacanlale scored a shutout four-round decision over a scrappy Brandon Badillo at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California this past March. All three judges scored every round for Lacanlale, who drew a sizable crowd to the Sacramento suburb. 

“That was my first southpaw in the pros,” says Lacanlale of Badillo. “I thought I performed very well. I beat him convincingly. He didn’t manage to win a round against me. I was able to box him and control the entire fight. I turned it up a little too late, otherwise I probably could have got him out of there, but I think I showed my skills on that night.” 

Saturday’s event is co-promoted by Juan Sanchez of Elite Underdog Promotions and Ali Benjamin, proprietor of Benjamin’s Boxing, where Lacanlale has trained for years. With Benjamin a longtime fixture in his corner, taking the co-main event slot on this card has some added significance for the San Ramon native. 

“To have Coach Ali putting this event together, along with Elite Underdog Promotions, means a lot and it is an honor for me to be the co-main event,” explains Lacanlale. “I just want to display my skills and put on a good show for everyone at the Fairgrounds.” 

Lacanlale will meet rugged Rodolfo Molina (0-1) of Antioch, California on Saturday night. Molina fought valiantly, but came up short in his pro debut against the well-regarded Irving Xilohua in Sacramento and was willing to sign for a bout with Lacanlale when many others passed on the opportunity. 

“I know he fought Irving in his first professional fight and we know Irving is a solid fighter,” explains Lacanlale. “We’ve seen him throughout the years. From Molina, I expect a tough fighter and we are not overlooking him. I train hard for every fight I step into the ring for and I think that my skills will carry me to a win.”  

Lacanlale, who will be one of the featured fighters taking part in a media day at Benjamin’s Boxing on Thursday afternoon, is determined to make his homecoming fight of sorts a memorable one for all of those who attend on Saturday night. 

“You can expect an exciting fight,” says Lacanlale. “I’ve been training hard and I am feeling sharp. I am ready and determined and I cannot wait to put on a show on May 24th.” 

Tickets for the event, promoted by Elite Underdog Promotions and Benjamin’s Boxing, are available online at Eventbrite.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – Unified super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue aims to bolster his bid for pound-for-pound kingpin status in a stateside showcase against once-beaten Ramon Cardenas at the T-Mobile Arena in an ESPN-televised main event on Sunday night. On a weekend in which some of the sport’s top stars will have already stated their case and another has dropped from contention, Inoue is the best bet to stand out spectacularly. Fighters for the eight-bout card weighed-in Saturday morning and then took part in a ceremonial event in the afternoon in one of the studios adjacent to the MGM Grand Garden Arena. 

Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs) of Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan continues what could become a Fighter of the Year 2025 campaign as he takes on heavy underdog Cardenas (26-1, 14 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas. Inoue made short work of late replacement opponent Ye Joon Kim in January and may fight twice more this calendar year if reported plans come to fruition. 

Reports surfaced in recent days that Inoue has already agreed for his next bout, to take place this September in Japan, against Murodjon Akhmadaliev, who holds claim to an interim version of the WBA title. When asked how he stays motivated to keep fighting, Inoue offered brief insights. 

“My goal is to just get stronger,” said Inoue. “For my final challenge, I want to move up to featherweight. That will be my final challenge,” said Inoue, through interpreter Nobu Ikushima on Saturday. 

Cardenas, the IBF #1 ranked 130-pounder, graduated to the national level in 2024, picking up two regional titles, followed by a career-best win over previously unbeaten Bryan Acosta this past February. There may not be any string of opponents one could have that would ready a fighter for the leap in class that Inoue represents, so it goes without saying “The Monster” represents a giant step-up in class for Cardenas. However, the San Antonio fighter does not appear to be in awe of the moment and has said the right things. 

“I am excited and ready to get the show on the road,” said Cardenas, fighting for his first world title on Sunday. “It doesn’t get real until tomorrow and I am ready.” 

Inoue, defending the WBC/WBA/WBO/IBF 122-pound titles, weighed-in at 121.9-pounds on Saturday, while the challenger Cardenas scaled 121.8. 

In the co-feature, budding star Rafael Espinoza (26-0, 22 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico will defend his WBO 126-pound title against former 130-pound title challenger Edward Vazquez (17-2, 4 KOs) of Fort Worth, Texas in a twelve-round featherweight bout. 

Espinoza, who scaled 125.4-pounds on Saturday, became one of the faces of the division over the last year-and-a-half, highlighted by his signature knockout of Robeisy Ramirez in the rematch of his title-winning effort last December. 

“It is a dream come true to be here on this Mexican Day and to fight for these beautiful people,” said Espinoza after hitting the scales for the ceremonial weigh-in. 

Vazquez, the WBO #10 ranked 126-pounder despite not fighting at that weight class in two years, was last seen at this level giving Joe Cordina all he could handle in an IBF super featherweight title bid that resulted in a majority decision defeat in November of 2023. The challenger weighed-in at 125.6-pounds on Saturday. 

WBO #10/WBC #15 ranked welterweight Rohan Polanco (15-0, 10 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic will see action against veteran Fabian Maidana (24-3, 18 KOs) of Jose Leon Suarez, Buenos Aires, Argentina in a ten-round bout. Polanco hopes to further add to his credentials, while Maidana aims to make good at the same venue he came up short in an interim title bid against Mario Barrios one year ago. Polanco, who risks his regional WBO Inter-Continental title, weighed-in at 146.2-pounds on Saturday, while Maidana made 146 even. 

Rising prospect Emiliano Fernando Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs) of Las Vegas will meet Juan Leon Alvarez (11-2-1, 2 KOs) of Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain by way of Guayaquil, Ecuador in an eight-round bout for the minor NABF Junior light welterweight title. Vargas, who made 138.7-pounds on Saturday, is back after a second-round stoppage of veteran Giovannie Gonzalez in late March. Leon Alvarez, who scaled 139.9-pounds, has built up his record against modest opposition, mainly in Spain. 

Mikito Nakano (12-0, 11 KOs) of Las Vegas, by way of Hiroshima, Japan will take on Pedro Marquez (16-1, 10 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico in a ten-round featherweight bout. Nakano, the IBF #8/WBC #10/WBA #10/WBO #11 ranked featherweight, made 125.9-pounds on Saturday. Marquez, who weighed-in at 126-pounds, will be taking a major step-up in class on Sunday as he fights out of his native Puerto Rico for the first time in his professional career. 

Fighting out of the famed Robert Garcia Boxing Academy, junior middleweight prospect Art Barrera Jr. (8-0, 6 KOs) of Paramount, California will meet Juan Carlos Guerra Jr. (6-1-1, 2 KOs) of Chicago, Illinois in a six-rounder. Barrera, who just saw action and scored a second-round stoppage a month ago, weighed-in at 152.7-pounds. Guerra, who gained fame with a victory over Nico Ali Walsh at Madison Square Garden this past February, weighed-in at 153.7-pounds. 

Featherweight contender Ra’eese Aleem (21-1, 12 KOs) of Las Vegas looks to get rolling again against Rudy Garcia (13-1-1, 2 KOs) of Los Angeles, California in a ten-round bout. Aleem, now signed to Top Rank after fighting just once a year for the last three years, made 125.6-pounds, while Garcia, who will be shaking off a little rust himself, scaled 125.3-pounds. 

Former amateur star Patrick O’Connor of Waldorf, Maryland makes his professional debut against Marcus Smith (2-1, 2 KOs) of Carlisle, Ohio in a four-round cruiserweight bout on Sunday. O’Connor weighed-in 196.1-pounds, while Smith scaled 188 even. 

Quick Weigh-in Results:

WBC Super Bantamweight Championship

WBO Super Bantamweight Championship

WBA Super Bantamweight Championship

IBF Super Bantamweight Championship, 12 Rounds

Inoue 121.9

Cardenas 121.8

WBO Featherweight Championship, 12 Rounds

Espinoza 125.4

Vazquez 125.6

WBO Inter-Continental Welterweight Championship, 10 Rounds

Polanco 146.2

Maidana 146

NABF Junior Light Welterweight Championship, 8 Rounds

Vargas 138.7 

Leon Alvarez 139.9

Featherweights, 10 Rounds

Nakano 125.9

Marquez 126

Light middleweights, 6 Rounds

Barrera Jr. 152.7

Guerra Jr. 153.7

Featherweights, 10 Rounds

Aleem 125.6

Garcia 125.3

Cruiserweights, 4 Rounds

O’Connor 196.1

Smith 188

Tickets for the event, promoted by Top Rank, in association with Ohashi Promotion, Teiken Promotions and Sampson Boxing, are available online at AXS.com 

Photos by Mikey Williams/Top Rank 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

JAMESTOWN, CALIFORNIA – Lightweight contender Gabriel Flores Jr. scored two knockdowns, but was taken to the limit by hard-charging Jose Arellano, despite wide official scores, en route to a ten-round unanimous decision in the ProBox TV main event from the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort. 

Flores (26-2, 8 KOs) of Stockton, California was the first to strike, scoring the first official knockdown of the bout in the early moments when a left counter forced Arellano (11-3, 6 KOs) Aurora, Colorado by way of Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico into the ropes. With Arellano gripping a stand to stay vertical, referee Michael Margado correctly ruled the knockdown. 

Arellano, 133.4, was more caught off balance and quickly made his presence known in the fight. Flores, 134.8, always the classy boxer, attempted to use his superior jab to keep the Colorado native at range, but Arellano was undeterred and found his way inside for much of the middle round action. 

With the fight that had the feel of one slipping away from the Stockton native, Flores, the WBO #10/WBA #12 ranked lightweight, found his distance in round six and was able to use his jab to better effect. Arellano still landed some clean power shots as the fight progressed into the later rounds as he continually pressed the action. 

Flores found a rhythm again early in round nine and would score a second knockdown to start round ten. Flores’ counter downed the forward-moving Arellano in a moment that felt more significant before the final cards would be read. Flores closed the fight strong, but ultimately did not require either knockdown to win over the judges. 

Judge Michael Rinaldi scored the bout 99-89, judge Dan Stell scored it 98-90 and judge Brian Tsukamoto had it the closest, 95-93. With the victory, Flores retained his WBA Continental USA lightweight title and remains viable in the 135-pound division. 

In the co-main event, Emiliano Moreno (12-0, 7 KOs) of Long Beach, California overcame a slow start to score a seventh-round stoppage of Cesar Francis (13-3, 8 KOs) of West New York, New Jersey. 

Moreno, 149.6, started methodically, but picked up the pace as the fight went along. Francis, 146.6, boxed well in the early rounds, pressing the action and setting the pace. 

Moreno was careful in his punch selection early, but landed the cleaner, harder shots when he found the opening. 

Francis began to show signs of wilting in the sixth as his output dipped considerably. Moreno broke through in the seventh, landing combinations upstairs. Francis buckled as a result, but regained his footing enough to find the corner. Before Moreno moved in to follow-up, referee Dan Stell moved in to stop the fight, receiving a mild protest from Francis, who was ahead on the cards at the time of the stoppage. Official time came at 2:44 of the seventh round. 

Anthony Cuba (9-1-2, 4 KOs) of Fontana, California overcame a knockdown to score an eight-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten DeMichael Harris (12-1-1, 11 KOs) of Smyrna, Georgia. 

Cuba, 137, was the aggressor throughout as Harris, 134.2, spent too much time on the ropes. By the sixth, Cuba was distancing himself on the cards with solid power shots. 

Harris had a moment early in the eighth, landing a tomahawk right that dropped Cuba in an exchange. The knockdown came too late, as Cuba regained his footing and claimed the wide unanimous verdict. 

Judge Michael Margado scored it 78-73, while judges Michael Rinaldi and Brian Tsukamoto had it a round closer, 77-74, all for Cuba. 

Kevin Soltero (4-0, 2 KOs) of Kansas City, Missouri sprung an upset over previously unbeaten Andrew Rodriguez (5-1, 1 KO) of Salinas, California via six-round majority decision. 

Rodriguez, 116.4, had to battle with a cut suffered from a headbutt in the second round., but closed that same act with some solid body work. Soltero, 116.6, applied relentless pressure in the third round, as Rodriguez looked to circle and box. 

The Kansas City native was finding a home for his right in the middle rounds and had a strong fourth as the blood seemed to bother Rodriguez. The final two rounds featured excellent two-way action, but it was ultimately Soltero that won over the judges. Judge Dan Stell scored the bout even, 57-57, but was overruled by judge Brian Tsukamoto, 58-56, and judge Mike Rinaldi, 60-54. 

Jennah Creason (2-0-1) of Visalia, California and Samantha Ginithan (1-0-1, 1 KO) of Las Cruces, New Mexico battled it out to a four-round majority draw. 

Ginithan, 140.2, and Creason, 139, both had their moments in a fight fought at close quarters for the eight scheduled minutes. With neither making a clear case, judges Michael Rinaldi and David Hartman both scored the bout even, 38-38. Judge Brian Tsukamoto turned in a dissenting card for Ginithan, 39-37. 

In the walk-out bout, Antonio Mireles (9-0-1, 7 KOs) of Des Moines, Iowa took an eight-round shutout decision over much shorter Josue Vargas (5-10-2, 2 KOs) of Panorama City, California. 

Vargas, 244, was able to make it a mauling, inside fight from the early going. When Mireles, 274, had daylight to punch, he was successful landing in combination. Mireles did not follow his corner’s repeated instructions to turn Vargas and get his back away from the ropes or create distance, but ultimately did enough to win every round, claiming all three cards, 80-72. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com

Highly-regarded super middleweight Diego Pacheco meets fellow unbeaten Steven Nelson at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in the headlining bout of the second leg of a two-continent DAZN broadcast on Saturday night. While two regional titles are at stake, the true prize for the winner of the twelve-rounder could be a bout against one of the major players at 168-pounds. Fighters weighed-in on Friday afternoon at the OPM Theater, one floor down from the host venue.

Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) of Los Angeles, California has gradually moved to the precipice of landing the marque bout he has vocally demanded during fight week. In his last time out, Pacheco impressively halted veteran Maciej Sulecki in the sixth with a perfectly-placed bodyshot. Sulecki, albeit naturally smaller and now older, had previously lasted the distance against Demetrius Andrade and Daniel Jacobs in his only two prior defeats.

The 36-year-old U.S. Army veteran Nelson (20-0, 16 KOs) of Omaha, Nebraska has moved along at a different pace and to less fanfare than his 23-year-old counterpart. Nelson’s resume does not have a Sulecki type to be found, as Pacheco marks the veteran’s first major headline opportunity. In his last bout, Nelson dropped previously undefeated Marcos Vazquez three times en route to a fifth-round stoppage, deep down on the undercard of Terence Crawford’s victory over Ismail Madrimov in Los Angeles last August.

Pacheco, the WBO #1/WBC #3/IBF #6 ranked super middleweight, is only one fight away from a bout with Canelo Alvarez, according to recent remarks by his promoter, Eddie Hearn. Pacheco is trained by Jose Benavidez Sr., no stranger to leading a 168-pounder to the doorstep of such a bout, as David Benavidez was in that same position not long ago. Benavidez Sr.’s first journey towards Canelo has thus proven fruitless and it remains to be seen where on the scale Alvarez will appear next.

Nelson, the WBO #9 ranked super middleweight, must look at his opportunity against Pacheco as his Canelo fight. The Nebraska native has developed quietly, in the shadows of Crawford, fighting mainly on his undercards in recent years. With a win over Pacheco, who defends the regional USWBC and WBO International titles on Saturday, Nelson would put himself in prime position to attract one of the big names at 168-pounds.

Pacheco made 166.4-pounds on Friday, while Nelson hit the super middleweight limit of 168. The public weigh-in ceremony got heated during the face-off, as a jawing back-and-forth turned into some shoving before camps went their seperate ways.

In the leading supporting bout, WBA #4/IBF#5/WBC #6/WBO #15 ranked lightweight Andy Cruz (4-0, 2 KOs) of Miami, Florida by way of Matanzas, Matanzas, Cuba defends the regional IBF International lightweight title against WBA #12 ranked Omar Salcido (20-1, 14 KOs) of Lakeside, California by way of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico in a ten-round bout.

Cruz, previously one of the most accomplished amateurs of all-time, appears to be on the fast-track towards a world title opportunity. Cruz has referred to himself as Keyshawn Davis’ daddy in the lead-up to Saturday’s bout, a nod to his four amateur victories over the fellow lightweight contender. While Davis will vie for a world title in February, Cruz will be defending the regional title he won in his pro debut for the fourth time. However, the 2020 Cuban Olympic gold medalist cannot afford to look past the veteran Salcido, who enters the bout fresh off of his signature victory to date, a ninth-round stoppage of Chris Colbert this past October.

For the bout, which will also see the WBA Continental Latin Americas title on the line, Cruz and Salcido scaled an identical 134.8-pounds each.

Junior welterweight prospect Ernesto Mercado (16-0, 15 KOs) of Pomona, California looks to march towards to bonafide contender status as he moves up in class against former two-division world champion Jose Pedraza (29-6-2, 14 KOs) of Cidra, Puerto Rico in a ten-round bout. Mercado, 142.4 at Friday’s weigh-in and recently signed to Matchroom Boxing, will be making his Las Vegas debut against a fighter in Pedraza, 143, that has fought a who’s who list from all over the world.

Junior welterweight prospect Leonardo Rubalcava (9-0, 3 KOs) of Jurupa Valley, California by way of Teocaltiche, Jalisco, Mexico takes on Israel Mercado (11-1, 7 KOs) of Montclair, California in an eight-round bout. Rubalcava, making his Las Vegas debut, scaled 141-pounds, as did Mercado, fighting in Vegas for the second straight occasion.

Former amateur standout Harley Mederos (7-0, 6 KOs) of Brooklyn, New York will meet Arturo de Isla (5-2-1, 4 KOs) of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico in a six-round lightweight bout. Mederos, who capped a well decorated amateur run as U.S. National champion in 2020, scaled 134.4-pounds, while de Isla made 135.6.

2024 Indian Olympic bronze medalist Nishant Dev of Woodland, California by way of Karnal, India will make his professional debut against Alton Wiggins (1-0-1) of Modesto, California in a six-round junior middleweight bout. Dev came in at 155.8-pounds, while Wiggins tipped 156.4.

19-year-old former amateur standout Zaquin Moses (1-0) of Newark, New Jersey will take on replacement opponent Mario Garcia (3-0, 3 KOs) of Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico in a four-round super featherweight bout. Moses was 130.4, giving up seven pounds to make the fight, with the short-notice Garcia at 137.4-pounds Friday.

For those watching from home, the DAZN marathon boxing broadcast begins with Dalton Smith’s junior welterweight headliner against Walid Ouizza from Nottingham, England, with coverage beginning at 12:15 EST. Coverage from Las Vegas begins at 5:45 EST.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

USWBC Super Middleweight Championship

WBO International Super Middleweight Championship, 12 Rounds

Pacheco 166.4

Nelson 168

WBA Continental Latin Americas Championship

IBF International Lightweight Championship, 10 Rounds

Cruz 134.8

Salcido 134.8

Light welterweights, 10 Rounds

Mercado 142.4

Pedraza 143

Light welterweights, 8 Rounds

Rubalcava 141

Mercado 141

Lightweights, 6 Rounds

Mederos 134.4

de Isla 135.6

Light middleweights, 6 Rounds

Dev 155.8

Wiggins 156.4

Super featherweights, 4 Rounds

Moses 130.4

Garcia 137.4

Tickets for the event, promoted by Matchroom Boxing, are available online at Ticketmaster.com

Photos by Melina Pizano/Matchroom

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – Undefeated 23-year-old super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco turned back the challenge of Steven Nelson, scoring a twelve-round unanimous decision at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in the main event of a multi-continent DAZN broadcast on Saturday night.

Attempting to stamp his position as the next in line at 168-pounds, Pacheco (23-0, 18 KOs) of Los Angeles, California opted to fight a previously undefeated fighter others have apparently avoided for good reason in Nelson (20-1, 16 KOs) of Omaha, Nebraska.

After a feeling out first round, Pacheco, 166.4, and Nelson, 168, opened up a bit more at the close of the second round. After Pacheco found a home for a few stiff jabs, Nelson landed clean just before the bell in retort.

Pacheco, the WBO #1/WBC #3/IBF #6 ranked contender, continued to rely on his jab in the third, but it was Nelson, the WBO #9 ranked super middleweight, who was busier and found a home for a couple power shots late in the stanza.

Just as Nelson was having a fairly successful fourth, outworking Pacheco, the pride of South Central Los Angeles timed the overhand right he had been looking to land and busted up the former Army veteran with his counter.

With the left side of his face turning into a crimson mask, Nelson was less apt to engage in the fifth. Pacheco began walking down the Nebraskan native, just missing the mark at times with potential night-enders.

Pacheco opened up more to close the fifth and kept up the output through the sixth and seventh, when the action really heated up. Pacheco still looked to time the perfect shot in the eighth, just missing the mark on a couple occasions.

After a tenth in which both combatants had their moments, Nelson came out with renewed vigor in the eleventh, landing clean with power punches with both hands. Even when Pacheco timed a couple well-placed uppercuts, Nelson was undeterred in his forward attack.

In the twelfth, Nelson maintained the pressure, snapping Pacheco’s head back on several occasions. Even when Pacheco landed, Nelson was hell-bent on maintaining his forward attack.

All three judges, Tim Cheatham, Max DeLuca and David Sutherland, scored the bout 117-111 for Pacheco, who holds onto his USWBC and WBO International super middleweight titles and place near the top of the rankings.

While he gave a great technical performance against a solid, previously undefeated fighter, Saturday’s win may not have been the type to create a public outcry for the money man in the division, Canelo Alvarez, to sign on for a bout with Pacheco just yet.

In the co-featured bout, lightweight contender Andy Cruz (5-0, 2 KOs) of Miami, Florida by way of Matanzas, Matanzas, Cuba passed the stiffest test of his pro career to date, pounding out a ten-round unanimous decision over a game Omar Salcido (20-2, 14 KOs) of Lakeside, California by way of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.

Cruz, 134.8, had more gears and dimensions than did his Mexican counterpart, Salcido, 134.8. Cruz seemed content to utilize the boxing skills that made him one of the most decorated amateurs of recent years through the first nine rounds. The WBA #4/IBF#5/WBC #6/WBO #15 ranked lightweight Cruz attempted to close the show in style in the final round, but the WBA #12 ranked Salcido hung tough and held his own through the ten rounds.

In the end, Cruz outboxed Salcido by scores of 99-91 (judge Chris Migliore) and 98-92 (judges Dave Moretti and Zachary Young) twice, taking home two regional titles: the WBA Continental Latin Americas and IBF International lightweight belts.

Undefeated junior welterweight Ernesto Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) of Pomona, California stamped himself a contender with a fourth-round kayo over former world champion Jose Pedraza (29-7-2, 14 KOs) of Cidra, Puerto Rico.

Mercado, 142.4, was the naturally larger fighter in the bout and utilized that size advantage to great effect. In the end, it looked as though the knockout blow to Pedraza, 143, may have strayed to the back of the head. However, referee Robert Hoyle opted to count and then wave off the bout when Pedraza did not appear to be in any condition to continue. Official time of the stoppage was 2:08 of round four.

After the bout, the still unbeaten fighter called out Shakur Stevenson, “I want that punk right there,” said Mercado, pointing towards the three-division champion, who was less-than-thrilled to hear his name being called.

Leonardo Rubalcava (9-0-1, 3 KOs) of Jurupa Valley, California by way of Teocaltiche, Jalisco, Mexico narrowly escaped with his unbeaten record intact, fighting to an eight-round majority draw in his bout against a determined Israel Mercado (11-1-1, 7 KOs) of Montclair, California.

Mercado, 141, controlled almost all of the first, before Rubalcava, 141, landed one right that should have scored an official knockdown immediately. Referee Allen Huggins dusted the gloves of Mercado and let the action resume, but indicated before the start of round two, that Mercado was in fact down.

By the end of the fourth, Mercado was dictating the fight in extended moments, beating the young prospect to the punch.

However, Mercado was deducted a point late in round seven for a low blow, which would unfortunately play a key factor in the scoring.

After the knockdown and the point deduction, two judges (Chris Migliore and Dave Moretti) scored the bout a draw, 75-75. Judge Zachary Young had the dissenting card for the underdog, Mercado, 76-74.

In his professional debut, Nishant Dev (1-0, 1 KO) of Woodland, California by way of Karnal, India flashed his power in the lighter gloves, scoring a first-round round stoppage of Alton Wiggins (1-1-1) of Modesto, California.

Dev, 155.8, and Wiggins, 156.4, both fought out of the southpaw stance. However, Dev, who won bronze for India at the 2020 Olympic Games, had a clear edge in power and flurried Wiggins for the first of two knockdowns. The game Wiggins was able to continue briefly, but soon enough Dev scored a second knockdown, prompting referee Robert Hoyle to call for the end at 2:48 of round one.

Power-punching former amateur star Harley Mederos (8-0, 7 KOs) of Brooklyn, New York scored a third-round stoppage of Arturo de Isla (5-3-1, 4 KOs) of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico

Mederos, 134.4, varied his attack from the opening bell and all de Isla, 135.6, could hope to do was to hang in there. The sound from Mederos’ punches alone were thudding and reverberating throughout the Chelsea.

Mederos broke through in the third, dropping Mederos hard with a right hand. Referee Raul Caiz Jr. immediately stopped the contest at 1:27 of the third round.

In the opening bout, 19-year-old wunderkind Zaquin Moses (2-0, 1 KO) of Newark, New Jersey was just getting warmed-up after one round of boxing when short-notice replacement Mario Garcia (3-1, 3 KOs) of Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico remained on his stool.

Moses, 130.4, began to open-up from his southpaw stance in the final moments. Garcia, 137.4, seemed fine going to his corner, but ultimately the fight ended after just minutes.

Photo by Melina Pizano/Matchroom

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com

The official fight week for the Canelo Alvarez-Edgar Berlanga super middleweight clash is underway in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fighters for the mega card are either on their way or have already arrived in Sin City, still the world’s fight capital for now, to take part in the mandatory media blitz on the stretch drive of selling tickets and pay-per-view buys for this Saturday’s event taking place at the T-Mobile Arena, located just to the west of the Strip. For Richard Medina, slated to open the preliminary broadcast against Canelo camp fighter and unbeaten prospect Jonathan Lopez, his first professional trip to Las Vegas represents a calculated gamble with the potential for a large windfall in the near future. 

Medina (15-2, 8 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas has had the benefit of fighting more than half of his professional fights in his hometown or the neighboring Floresville, Texas after concluding a well-decorated amateur career. While home cooking is always nice, most professional fighters have ideas of fighting under the bright lights in Las Vegas, for many years the host city of the biggest fights that could be made. Medina, known as “El Castigo,” is no different. 

“I’m excited,” explained Medina. “I’m really excited. This is like a boxing bucket list to fight in Las Vegas. It was one of my dreams to fight in Las Vegas, so now that it is happening I am really excited and more motivated for sure. I’ve been ready for something to come up like this. I’ve been staying busy in the gym, so I am ready. Canelo is a good fighter. I watch him, and everyone watches him when he fights, so to fight under him, it is a good experience for sure.” 

If there is one aspect that may alter Medina’s perspective on fighting on Canelo Alvarez’s undercard on Saturday, it could be that while Lopez is fighting far from his Orlando, Florida home, he is still the house fighter in the fight. Lopez is trained by Eddy Reynoso, the man that will be in Alvarez’s corner roughly five hours after their television opener. However, Medina is focused on the fighter in front of him and is prepared for what Lopez brings to the table. 

“He’s a good fighter,” Medina says of Lopez. “He has a lot of experience. He fought a couple guys in the amateurs that I know from around here. We’ve been watching a lot of film on him. He’s a counter-puncher. So we’ve been working on stuff to counter that.” 

Promoter Rick Morones Jr. of TMB Promotions has been with Medina since his professional debut in 2018. Morones, who promotes in the San Antonio area and has had a hand in developing many of the top fighters that have emerged from the region in recent years on his shows, understands the tough assignment Lopez presents, but is confident Medina brings challenges the undefeated fighter has not seen before. 

“Lopez is one hell of a fighter,” admits Morones. “He is very talented, he can punch. But I think this is Lopez’ toughest fight. Rick is very skillful, has good footwork, good speed. He had over 130 amateur fights, so he has experience as well. It was something, when this fight happened, we knew what type of fight it was going to be. At the same time, Lopez has not fought anybody like Rick. I think if Rick is on his A-game, he is going to give [Lopez] a lot of problems.” 

The glossy knockout record of Lopez, twelve kayos in 16 fights, catches the eye, but Medina believes that is one edge he has over his 21-year-old opponent. Medina has fought into the seventh round on seven occasions as a professional. On one of those instances, Medina went the full ten-round distance against eventual world champion Raymond Ford, far and away the highest profile fighter on either Medina or Lopez’s ledger. 

“I feel like I am more of an eight-round fighter [than he is,] and I do more damage in the late rounds,” explains Medina, who has fought well late into his last two fights, both of which went eight full rounds. “I think that will definitely benefit me in this upcoming fight.” 

The last time Medina went up against a house fighter in an eight-rounder was his last fight, a unanimous decision defeat to once-beaten George Acosta in Long Beach, California last December. The result of the bout is something of a sore subject to the Medina team. The San Antonio fighter traveled and performed well, to the point many ringside thought the fight was his before the scores were read by Lupe Contreras. Instead, the scores were wide the other way, with one judge managing to find only one round for Medina, making the defeat too hard to swallow. 

“This last fight with Acosta, everybody that was there in attendance thought Rick won that fight,” explains Morones. “I rarely complain, but when they announced the decision, and one of the judges had it 7-1, it was like they thought Rick was never in the fight. It was crazy. If you watch the fight, Rick is touching him up the whole fight and Acosta is just coming forward with his head, holding. I gave that kid two rounds. There’s the photo of them two afterwards and Rick isn’t beat up at all. It was a tough one to swallow, but he got over it. Here we are again, given an opportunity, and he’s here to make the most of it.” 

The moment that presents itself on Saturday is not lost on the 23-year-old Medina. “This is another great opportunity to put my name out there and to keep on moving up in my career,” says Medina. “Last fight, it was tough, fighting in another guy’s backyard. You need to knock him out or win by an overwhelming majority, and I guess I did not do that. So for this opportunity to come up, it is more motivating and I am grateful for it for sure.” 

The fight with Lopez on Saturday is not only an opportunity for the young Medina, but also for  Rick Medina Sr., the father-trainer of the San Antonio native. The elder Medina has only one client, his son, and they are traveling to Las Vegas to make the most of their crack at the big time together. 

“This is both of our dreams right here,” says Richard Medina, groomed to be a fighter since birth by his father. “He and I are both beyond grateful and happy for this. I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else. He has always been by my side, through thick-and-thin. Bumping heads, but he has always stuck by me through the bad and the good. He always told me, and told my mom, even before I was born, that I was going to be a fighter. It was spoken into existence. So this is for both of us, when I win, it will be for both of us for sure.”  

While he will not have the large supportive crowd on hand that he became accustomed to fighting in San Antonio when steps in between the ropes in Las Vegas on Saturday, Medina is ready to kick the pay-per-view watch parties off back home with some excitement. 

“I am feeling amazing,” says Medina. “I am feeling confident. I have been working all year for an opportunity like this. I know it is going to be a good fight, maybe even a knockout I feel like. I would love that. I am looking forward to September 14th. It’s just around the corner. We’re ready.”

Tickets for the event, promoted by Canelo Promotions and TGB Promotions, in association with Premier Boxing Champions, are available online at AXS.com 

The preliminary undercard broadcast, opened by the Medina-Lopez bout, will stream live on Prime Video. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Mario Ortega Jr. (Ringside)

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – Middleweight prospect Amari Jones moved into the main event spotlight in commanding fashion before his hometown supporters with a third-round stoppage of veteran journeyman Daniel Echeverria to conclude a nine-bout card at the Oakland Marriott City Center on Saturday night.  

From the opening bell, it was fairly clear Echeverria (21-13, 18 KOs) of Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico would be fighting up an insurmountable hill for as long as the bout lasted. Jones (13-0, 12 KOs) of Oakland, fighting for the second time in four months, may have held back on the gas in the opening rounds to ensure his friends and family had enough time to take some photos and enjoy themselves before he sent them to the exits with a smile. 

The Oakland-born Jones, 160, took his main event position seriously, adding to the spectacle of the night as he was led to the ring with a walkout performance by Vallejo hip hop artist DaBoii, before zeroing-in on his opponent Echeverria, 161.5. 

After feeling out his southpaw opponent for the first half of round one, Jones opted to join Echeverria in the unorthodox stance and landed a left that had the Mexican fighter looking to clinch late in the round. Jones then switched back to orthodox to finish the first, landing with a clean overhand right to conclude the first three minutes. 

With Jones back in the orthodox stance to begin round two, Echeverria got his courage up and had a brief moment of aggression, leading in with a left. Jones saw the opening and landed a left to the body that dropped the southpaw to the seat of his pants. Echeverria rose quickly, appealing to referee Dan Stell that it was their leg entanglement that caused him to lose his footing. Despite the protest, Stell continued his mandatory eight count before action resumed. 

Early in the third, Echeverria went down to his knee on his own volition, before returning upright to take some unprotected head shots. The combination of unsteady legs and lack of defense appeared to bring the referee into the nearby, looking-for-a-reason to stop the fight position. When Jones obliged by landing a chopping left to down Echeverria to all fours, referee Stell immediately waved off the bout, despite further protest from the overmatched journeyman. Official time was 1:39 of the third. 

With the victory, Jones, who looked untouched after the bout, maintains his position on the upcoming “Thunder Showdown” card set for September 21st at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California. With the strong turnout on Saturday, hope for an Oakland return looks probable in the near future. Saturday’s event, promoted by Lion’s Den Boxing Promotions and Upper Cut Promotions, marked the first pro boxing event held in Oakland since 2018. 

In the last appetizer before the main event, “Sugar” Suray Mahmutovic (7-1-1, 6 KOs) of Daly City, California worked off the rust of a fifteen month layoff, scoring a six-round unanimous decision over a tentative Anthony Hollaway (7-7-3, 6 KOs) of Peoria, Illinois. 

In what had the potential to be an entertaining and competitive match on paper, neither Mahmutovic, 177.1, nor Hollaway, 178, looked eager to make the fight. After three rounds, Mahmutovic picked up the pace a bit in round four, finding Hollaway with more regularity with clean punches. Despite their knockout-heavy records, neither fighter looked eager to add a seventh stoppage to their six career kayo tally.  

After six completed rounds, judge Rey Danseco scored the bout a shutout for Mahmutovic, 60-54, while judges Kermit Bayliss and Brian Tsukamoto both had it 59-55. 

In perhaps a tougher assignment than expected, super featherweight prospect Gabriel Garcia (11-0, 6 KOs) of Antioch, California moved past a game road warrior in Giovanni Gutierrez (11-10-1, 6 KOs of Tipitapa, Managua, Nicaragua by six-round unanimous decision. 

The bout would end up including point deductions from both fighters, after many more warnings to each for various infractions, including low blows and hitting behind the head. Despite his opponent’s less than stellar physique, Garcia, 129.1, did not opt for a concentrated body attack that may have slowed the well-traveled Gutierrez, 129. 

Prior to the point deductions, Garcia landed a short right in close at the ten second warning of round four that dropped Gutierrez, who debated with referee Dan Stell that an entanglement caused him to lose his footing and not a punch. After the bell, Gutierrez, who was in a full sprint, swung wildly and missed with what would have been a blatant late punch, but served as a precursor to the later deductions. 

After the rough-and-tumble bout, all three judges scored the contest for Garcia, despite not agreeing on the scoring itself. Judge Rey Danseco had it 56-53, judge Brian Tsukamoto scored it 57-54 and Kermit Bayliss turned in what was a shutout after one point deduction, 59-52. 

Stanford University student Dante Kirkman (2-0) of Palo Alto, California pressed journeyman Miguel Soto-Garcia (1-4) of Fresno by way of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico over four-rounds en route to a one-sided unanimous decision victory.

Kirkman, 153, was clearly the more technically sound and athletically gifted fighter, but Soto-Garcia, 152.5, knew how to tie up when he found himself in any trouble. Down the stretch, Kirkman went into full headhunter mode, when some well-placed body work may have made his night easier.  

In the end, all three judges were in agreement on the shutout victory for Kirkman as Brian Tsukamoto, Rey Danseco and Kermit Bayliss all had it 40-36. 

In his professional debut, Marcos Antonio Perez (1-0) of Brentwood, California battled his way to a four-round unanimous decision over Ebert Diaz (1-2-1, 1 KO) of Richmond, California in a thrilling back-and-forth affair.

Perez, 144, and Diaz, 143.5, opted to stay in the pocket and trade, much to the delight of the crowd on hand. Despite landing maybe the most telling blow in the bout, a right that rocked Perez early in the third, Diaz was shutout on the card of Brian Tsukamoto, while judges Kermit Bayliss and Rey Danseco both had it 39-37, all for Perez.

Alton Wiggins (1-1) of Modesto, California scored a workmanlike four-round majority decision over late replacement opponent Henry Rivera (2-8, 1 KO) of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Wiggins, 158.2, and the Oakland-born Rivera, 158.2, traded on fairly even terms over the course of the four rounds, but judges Brian Tsukamoto and Rey Danseco both had it a shutout, 40-36 for Wiggins. Judge Kermit Bayliss was the lone dissenting scorer, scoring the bout even 38-38.

Making his long-awaited debut, former amateur standout Kyle Lacanlale (1-0, 1 KO) of San Ramon, California steamrolled Michael Hernandez (0-4) of Banning, California on his way to a first-round stoppage.

Lacanlale, 126.5, quickly hurt Hernandez, 122.5, with one of the first combinations he threw. When Lacanlale eventually dropped Hernandez near the blue corner, referee Kru Michael Rinaldi began a count, before eventually waving off the bout at 1:00 of round one.

In his professional debut, Braulio Ceja Navarro (1-0, 1 KO) of Concord, California forced his will on a game Jaycee King (0-2) of Sacramento, California en route scoring a third-round stoppage.

Ceja Navarro, 132, landed a short right hand late in round one that dropped King, 132, near a neutral corner. Ceja Navarro rocked King again with a combination before the bell sounded to end the first. Ceja Navarro continued the pressure and rocked King again midway through the second round.

By the start of the third, referee Dan Stell was taking a closer look. When Ceja Navarro uncorked a combination early in the round, referee Dan Stell had seen enough. King was stopped standing at :32 of round three. 

In the opening bout, Tony Hirsch Jr. (4-0-2, 3 KOs) of Oakland earned a hard-fought four-round unanimous decision over a determined David Reyes Jr. (3-2-1, 2 KOs) of Fresno, California.

Hirsch, 138.5, was successful controlling the distance and catching the onrushing Reyes, 138.5, on the way inside. Every round featured two-way action, but Hirsch was more adept defensively on the inside.

Judges Brian Tsukamoto, Kermit Bayliss and Rey Danseco all scored the bout 39-37 for Hirsch, who made good in his hometown debut. 

Upper Cut Promotions, co-promoter of Saturday’s event along with Lion’s Den Boxing Promotions, hosts their next event on Saturday, September 21st at the Venue at Thunder Valley, a brand new event space at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California. Tickets for the event are available online at uppercutpro.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Mario Ortega Jr. (Ringside)

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – Emerging lightweight prospect Adrian Torres made short work of veteran Ardin Diale before a boisterous crowd of supporters in the main event of a six-bout card on Saturday night at the Four Points by Sheraton.    

Torres (9-0, 6 KOs) of Chula Vista, California by way Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico looked to be taking a step-up on paper heading into the bout. Diale (35-20-4, 17 KOs) of La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines is by far and away the most experienced fighter the young Tijuanese prospect has met thus far. 

What could have been a test for the 20-year-old Torres ended up more like a routine pop quiz. 

Torres, 134, pressured and punished Diale, 133.6, to the body for much of the opening round. Diale is now fighting much higher on the scale than in his prime and Torres made the Filipino’s soft midsection his primary target. 

Early in the second round, Torres moved in with Diale on the ropes and landed a right to the body that dropped the Filipino to a knee. Diale returned to his feet, but soon felt another solid right to the body that brought him to his knees. With referee David Soliven almost to the count of ten, Diale made a veiled attempt at rising, but the fight was over at 2:03 of the second round. 

With the dominant victory over Diale, who had dropped Julio Cesar Miranda before succumbing to a fourth-round stoppage in a failed bid at the WBO 112-pound title in 2011, Torres looks ready for bigger game.  

Adrian Vargas (14-0-1, 9 KOs) of National City, California made a successful return to the ring from a nearly nine-year layoff to halt Jose Belloso (5-5, 5 KOs) of Rogers, Arkansas by way of Carson, California in the third of a scheduled six-rounder. 

Vargas, 146, scored two knockdowns of Belloso, 146, in rapid succession in the opening round. Vargas connected with an overhand right to score the first knockdown  when Belloso fell into the ropes. Moments later, Vargas connected with a stiff right hand to cap a combination and drop Belloso a second time. 

Belloso did not have the technique or power to keep Vargas at bay for long. Late in the third, just when it looked like Belloso would hear another bell, Vargas landed a combination upstairs that wobbled the Arkansas transplant. Referee Ivan Guillermo had seen enough and Belloso was stopped standing at 2:57 of the third.  

Diego Luna (4-1-1, 3 KOs) of San Diego turned back a strong effort from tough-as-nails Pedro Pinillo (5-9, 5 KOs) of Cali, Colombia, scoring a four-round unanimous decision. 

Pinillo, 138.2, started strong, landing two clean left hands out of his southpaw stance that echoed in the pavilion in the first. Luna, 138.8, featured a more traditional style than the awkward, free-swinging Pinillo. 

As the fight wore on, Luna became more comfortable in the ring, eventually slowing Pinillo’s output with several clean body shots. By the final moments of the bout, Luna clearly had more in the tank and dominated the final moments before the bell. Judge Alejandro Rochin scored the bout 39-37, while judges Pat Russell and Jose Cobian agreed to a shutout, 40-36. 

Jose Chollet (4-1, 3 KOs) of San Diego scored three knockdowns en route to a dominant first-round knockout of Genesis Wynn (2-6, 1 KO) of Los Angeles, California.

Chollet, 143.6, scored knockdown number one early in the round, downing Wynn in a neutral corner. Wynn, 143, returned to his feet, but was soon deposited on the canvas again when Chollet touched him to the body with the left. Against his better judgment, Wynn rose again. With his prone opponent protecting his weakened body, Chollet fired a straight right upstairs that dropped Wynn for the third time and ended matters at 1:42 of the opening round.

Making his U.S. debut before an excited gathering of supporters, Matthew Jacinto (2-0, 1 KO) of San Diego successfully battled a game Victor Saravia (1-5-2, 1 KO) of North Hollywood, California en route to a four-round unanimous decision. 

Jacinto, 129.2, and Saravia, 129.6, fought on even ground over much of the first two thrilling rounds, which featured heated two-way action throughout. 

Jacinto took control in the third, as the body attack may have slowed the determined Saravia a bit. Down the stretch, Jacinto picked his shots effectively, but Saravia gave the crowd a solid effort and proved to be a tough foe for a hometown debut. 

Judge Pat Russell scored the bout 39-38, while judges Jose Cobian and Alejandro Rochin scored it a shutout, 40-36, all for Jacinto.

In his U.S. debut, Andy Ramirez (6-0, 5 KOs) of Ensenada by way of Denver, Colorado finished veteran M.J. Bo (9-9-2, 5 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines with a combination to the body in the second round of a scheduled four. 

Bo, 124.6, was active early, pressing Ramirez back at times during first round. Ramirez, 125.8, stayed controlled until things heated up early in the second, with two-way action. The end came suddenly when Ramirez landed a combination to Bo’s body, punctuated with a left placed near the liver. Bo went down holding his abdomen and was not going to get up. Referee Ivan Guillermo called the contest officially at 1:44 of the second. 

Promoter Saul Rios’ Borizteca Boxing will bring their next event back to Ensenada on October 18th. Their next boxing event back in San Diego at the Four Points by Sheraton, with No Boxing No Life and Clase Y Talento, is tenatively slated for December 7th.

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

This past May, many hours before one of the faces actively representing the long-storied tradition of fighters from Tijuana, Mexico, Jaime Munguia, came up short in a valiant effort against the leading name in professional boxing as a whole, Canelo Alvarez, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, one of the leading prospects to add to the border town’s fighting mythology, Adrian Torres, gave the production crew and smattering of early onlookers a taste of what the future could hold. Torres, now making his home north of the border, aims to continue his upward trajectory as he takes on veteran Ardin Diale in the six-round lightweight main event at the Four Points by Sheraton in San Diego, California this Saturday night. 

Torres (8-0, 6 KOs) now resides in the San Diego suburb of Chula Vista, having grown up in the Tijuana colonia of La Gloria, with a population of just over 2,600 according to published sources. Over the years, Tijuana as a whole has produced many noteworthy fighters, such as two-division champion Raul Perez, more controversial figure Antonio Margarito, the great Erik Morales to the present day representatives like Munguia and recently dethroned super bantamweight champion Luis Nery. 

“I like “Panterita” Nery,” explains Torres when asked about fighters from his famous hometown. “I like his style and there have been occasions at the Canelo gym in the past where I was able to spar with him and he gave me some encouraging words. I like what he does in the ring, so right now I look up to him.” 

Despite his geographical affiliation with Jaime Munguia, it was Torres’ connections to Canelo, through his team, that landed the aspiring Tijuana fighter known as “Ratón” the coveted slot to open the event on May 4th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since the tailend of his limited amateur career, estimated to be around 25 fights, Torres has been trained and managed by a dedicated, multi-generational family unit, with chief trainer Carlos Barragán Sr., assistant Carlos Barragán Jr. and manager David Barragán. 

“Since [Canelo’s trainer] Eddy Reynoso helps us out and I work for Eddy, he says, ‘Carlos, let’s put Adrian Torres on,” recounts Barragán Jr. of the discussion that led to Torres’ bout against Arsen Poghosyan in May. “He’s from Tijuana and Jaime Munguia is from Tijuana.’ So I said, ‘Thank you very much’ and we went from there.” 

Prior to the May fight in Las Vegas, six of Torres’ seven pro bouts had taken place before a hometown crowd at the intimate Four Points by Sheraton in San Diego, with the lone exception taking place in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Despite being the first bout of the evening and performing before a sparsely populated audience, the experience gained of taking part in a Canelo Alvarez fight week alone cannot be underestimated. 

“That is a monster in-and-of itself,” explains Barragán Jr. “Just to have some obligations with the media and have to go make weight. You have to go and find the places to train, especially in Vegas. Then just the arena…walking into that arena is a different monster. When people say they want to fight Canelo, that is what some don’t understand. You have to handle the arena, the media. It was a great experience for the kid.” 

Torres met the moment and won every round on all three official judges’ scorecards over a solid opponent, while going the six-round distance for the first time in his career. 

“It was a great experience,” says Torres of competing on the Canelo-Munguia card. “It is a little different in those kinds of arenas, with the cameras, but it was a great experience. We went six rounds, working with my corner and following their instructions and making little changes along the way, but it was good to go the six rounds.” 

Poghosyan, who competed at a high level as an amateur in Armenia, maintained a trend of tough matchmaking by Torres’ team as they continue to prepare their charge for bigger fights down the road. In just his second pro bout, Torres was matched against a very tough Christian Avalos of Carson City, Nevada, but was able to earn a hard-fought unanimous decision in January of last year. 

“I took that fight when I was really busy, on the road, and opponents were not coming through,” explains Barragán Jr. “They called me on Avalos and, in reality, I didn’t really do my homework and just said let’s go. The contract came in and I started really doing my homework and I said, ‘We have a live one.’ [Avalos] had gone to the nationals, won a silver medal at nationals. Adrian Torres is just a local kid that is learning along the way and Avalos, in that fight, was not going to lay down. We hit him with everything and the kitchen sink, but he was just a tough cookie.”

With only Poghosyan and Avalos, two fighters with accomplished amateur backgrounds and solid chins, having lasted the distance with Torres, it would appear that Tijuana may have another ferocious finisher on the horizon.

“I don’t think it is my actual strength or power [that lead to the stoppages,]” explains Torres. “I think it is the precision of the punches that I throw. Looking at everything, they fall with the shot to the liver, so I really like that shot. I understand that power is good, but sometimes it is good to get the experience of the full rounds, so I can get that experience instead of only having short fights.”  

In the two fights prior to traveling to Las Vegas, Torres impressively dispatched fighters, in William Flenoy and Pedro Pinillo, that had either upset or hung tough against well-regarded prospects between lightweight and 140-pounds. Flenoy entered their bout 2-0-1 in his last three against fighters with a combined 13-0-2 record. Pinillo would go on to last the six-round distance against full 140-pound mega prospect David Lopez this past July. 

“I’m not giving him all scrubs,” says Barragán Jr. “We are developing him and doing some good things. It is just a matter of slowly building, polishing and going from there.” 

Torres’ polishing continues this coming Saturday as he steps up to meet the most experienced opponent of his brief career in 58-fight Filipino veteran and former world title challenger Ardin Diale in a six-rounder this Saturday in San Diego.

“The man is a tough guy with a lot of experience,” says Barragán Jr. of Diale. “He’s fought “Gallo” Estrada, he’s fought some good guys and knows what he is doing. That is the type of experience that is going to get Adrian experience too. Those men are just as dangerous as some of the kids, because they understand where to place punches and those are the types of fighters we want to expose Adrian to.”

Despite the vast difference in professional experience, Torres does not seem too worried that Diale (35-19-4, 17 KOs) of La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines will be able to present anything that he cannot handle.  

“We are just going to go in and work with our speed and counter attacks and not let the experience ruffle our feathers or get us nervous,” explains Torres. “I think it is going to be a great fight, because he is coming in with a lot of experience. We are finalizing everything, checking the weight and focusing on the opponent. Everything is good.” 

The Four Points by Sheraton in San Diego has long been a hot venue for aspiring fighters from both sides of the border and all over Southern California to ply their trade and develop en route to bigger and more lucrative bouts. For many years, famed promoter Bobby DePhilippis made the hotel a destination for fight fans to see exciting, well-matched fight nights. In recent years Saul Rios of Borizteca Boxing, along with Eddy Reynoso’s No Boxing No Life, have proven to be exceptional caretakers of the established tradition. 

“I want to thank Eddy Reynoso from No Boxing No Life and I want to thank Saul Rios from Borizteca Promotions for providing this main event,” says Torres. “I am not going to let anybody down and we are going to have a great show. I want to let the fans know that, just like in the past, when they come to see a “Raton” fight, I will not predict anything, but they can understand that I am going to give them a great fight.”

Tickets for the event, promoted by Borizteca Boxing, No Boxing No Life and Clase Y Talento Boxeo, are available at the House of Boxing Training Center in San Diego. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

Veteran light heavyweight Jasper McCargo entered the ring at a fork-in-the-road moment in time as a professional fighter on Saturday night in Sacramento, California. Should returning Blake McKernan get the best of him in their scheduled six-rounder, “Smooth Jazz” would seriously consider closing up shop on fighting and concentrate on his other life’s work as owner and proprietor of Pound for Pound Fitness, a personal training studio in his hometown of Richmond, California. McCargo did not leave the ring with his hand raised, but the manner in which defeat was dealt has left McCargo with unfinished business. 

Going into the third round on Saturday at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, the local fight fans appeared to be taking in an exciting and competitive fight. McCargo boxed well for most of the first round, but McKernan landed some eye-catching shots late that may have swayed it his way. Round two featured two-way action as well, with McCargo playing the boxer and counter-puncher and McKernan looking to close the distance. 

As is the case in boxing, things can change with one punch and they soon did in the third. McCargo was caught with a stiff right, which was the precursor to a knockdown, as ruled officially by referee Michael Margado, though disputed by McCargo’s own recollection. Upon resumption of the round, McCargo appeared to clear the cobwebs and actually boxed well to close out what had been previously a disastrous stanza. 

Things abruptly came to a halt at the start of round four. Long-tenured and well-respected ringside physician Dr. Gary Furness stood at a neutral corner to assess McCargo and before long referee Margado was waving off the bout, officially at :01 of the fourth, to the dismay of many ringside and despite the animated protest of “Smooth Jazz.”  

“I feel it was definitely an unfair situation that happened,” says McCargo. “To just stop the fight, it was not right. I feel like I deserved to be able to continue in the fight. In no way, shape or form, should he have stopped the fight. It definitely wasn’t right that he did that. I feel it was pretty unfair. We still had three more rounds to go and who knows what would have happened in those next three rounds. Especially the way Blake was getting tired anyway. I was feeling strong.”

To be fair to the ringside doctor, his chief concern is fighter safety and the disappointed fans and spectators ringside did not have the same face-to-face view of McCargo at the time of the stoppage. However, based on McCargo’s performance at the tail end of round three, and his fluidity in the immediate aftermath of the bout, one would have been hard-pressed to find a neutral party ringside that agreed with the timing of stoppage. 

“He didn’t say much to me,” recounts McCargo of his interaction with the doctor in the corner. “He called me over there and as soon as I went over there, I told him, ‘Hey, I feel great. You saw that I finished the round strong.’ He told me to follow his finger, and I know I followed his finger. I was getting ready to start the round and he just waved it off. There was nothing in regards to me, where he should have waved it off. 

I questioned him more about it in the locker room. He said, ‘Your left eye looked funny, like you might have had a concussion.’ I said, ‘Well my left eye is not the same as my right eye anyway.’ And I reminded him that I was talking fine, I was finishing the round strong and I was still punching and making him miss. We had that minute between rounds to recover. There was no reason to stop a fight like that. He just kind of did the brief post-fight test, said that I looked ok and gave me the basic 45-days [post-fight suspension]. And that was the end of the conversation.” 

McCargo (4-6-3, 2 KOs) is also of the opinion that it was not the right hand or any follow-up that finally drove him to the canvas in the third round, which ultimately prompted the ringside doctor’s concern. 

“Even with the knockdown, he caught me with a good shot, but really he shoved me down,” claims McCargo. “I tried to clinch after the shot, and as I was clinching he was actually pulling me down. So it wasn’t the actual shot that made me go down. It was him pulling me down. I guess it could go either way, but still, it wasn’t the type of blow that should stop the fight. If I had a concussion, he should have been able to finish me right there. I wouldn’t have been punching him and making him miss and talking clearly to him. If it was a concussion, I would have been still woozy and not able to punch like that. I just don’t feel like that was a good enough explanation.” 

With the result of their meeting on August 3rd carved into the record books, McCargo’s only recourse is to convince McKernan into giving him a rematch.  “Smooth Jazz” does not want to end his career on the sour note of a questionable stoppage in a fight he and many others felt was still undecided. 

“I feel like I deserve a rematch and all the people that came to see the fight deserve a rematch,” says McCargo. “I feel like if Blake was a real fighter, like a real serious fighter, then he should want to get a clear victory against me. Instead of bragging about a situation like that, as if it was a clear victory. 

The way I feel and the way a lot of other people feel: they paid 75 or 110 dollars to get in there and next thing you know, Blake lands one punch and the referee just stops the fight. And the fight doesn’t continue. I would have been mad too, if I had just come as a fan.” 

Blake McKernan (14-2, 7 KOs) of Sacramento will next fight on September 21st at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in nearby Lincoln, California. McCargo initiated a push online for fans to voice their desire to see the rematch take place on that date next month and continues to make his case in the hopes the fight can be made in short order. 

“I was already supposed to fight on that show anyway,” says McCargo. “It was in the contract, if I had won, the rematch, with us fighting again, would have been on the 21st [of September]. So we should just fight on the 21st. What should happen is that we have a second fight and continue the first fight, that is what is fair.”  

The ball is likely in McKernan’s court. The rematch would conceivably be the easiest fight to make. Fan interest appears to be there as well. 

“If there were ever any situation where there should be a rematch, this is definitely that situation,” says McCargo. “Otherwise it is just unfinished.” 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

Without the support of one of the big-time promoters, fighters aiming to be successful in building their resumes often live by the motto,“I stay ready, so I don’t have to get ready.” Some of the best opportunities free agents receive come from accepting fights on short notice. In recent years, veteran light heavyweight Tony Hernandez has learned the value of staying ready, so when the opportunity came to fight this Saturday in Sacramento, California, “Pretty Boy” did not have to get ready and jumped at the chance. 

Hernandez (6-3-1, 4 KOs) of Live Oak, California is a longtime venue favorite at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, where Saturday night’s event takes place, but he was not originally slated to appear as part of promoter Nasser Niavaroni’s “Showdown in Sactown” card and did not get the call until three weeks out. 

“I was supposed to have one of my fighters make their debut on this card and he ended up getting hurt,” recalls Hernandez, who has owned and operated the Hernandez Boxing Academy in Yuba City for four years. “When that happened, Nasser asked if I could take his spot. So I ended up taking his spot and this is sort of a stay-busy fight for me, because I am looking for bigger fights in August and September.” 

Before Hernandez can shift focus to those potentially more profitable bouts in the coming months, he will first take on Jawan Jackson (0-3) of Sacramento in a four-rounder on Saturday. Jackson sports a novice pro boxing record, but has also competed professionally in MMA and kickboxing. 

“I’ve never heard of him,” admits Hernandez. “He’s almost 40 as well. I don’t know where he trains at. Maybe he is self-taught. He does have a lot of MMA fights though.” 

The one potential hiccup that could even the playing field for the less experienced Jackson would be the fact that Hernandez enters the bout at less than 100 percent. When preparing to fight in late April, Hernandez injured one of his hands in sparring and has been nursing it ever since. 

“I was sparring with Mike Guy and ended up hitting him on the top of the head,” recalls Hernandez. “So I laid off of it before I was offered a fight in Florida and ended up taking it. I was sparring with Joeshon James and hurt it again when I hit him on top of the head and then the elbow.” 

With a late August or September return originally planned, Hernandez has not been sparring since reinjuring himself in order to preserve his hand. 

“After that sparring, my hand was all swollen, and I figured I needed to let it heal,” explains Hernandez. “I couldn’t just keep hurting it, saying yes to fights and keep getting hurt. I wasn’t going to fight until September [until this fight was offered]. I haven’t sparred for this fight to be honest. I’m nursing the hand still. I’m just basically going off of being active and my experience, having been fighting for so long.”

One of the benefits of experience is the opportunity to learn from your past mistakes. Hernandez has gained a better understanding of his body and how to manage his weight between fights. 

“I was walking around at about 190,” explains Hernandez, who had previously begun camps, such as the one before Kenny Lopez Jr., as high as 225-pounds. “I’ll be coming in at 175 [on Saturday]. Right now I am about 183, so I only have about seven pounds to cut. I will just be sitting in a hot bath on Friday morning and drop the rest of the weight. This hasn’t been too bad with such a short notice.”

Without the ability to spar, for the fear of reinjuring his hand, Hernandez has concentrated on other areas of preparation. 

“For a three-week notice, I feel pretty good,” exclaims Hernandez. “I was running the mountains before [I was offered the fight] and staying active. I had hurt my hand so I was taking some time off, but still trying to stay active.”

Should Hernandez come out victorious with two healthy hands he could potentially be back in action before the end of the month on the Amari Jones-Daniel Echevarria undercard in Oakland, California. 

“Nasser might put me on to stay busy,” says Hernandez of the August 31st event, which takes place at the Oakland Marriott City Center.  “I was supposed to fight Amari, but he didn’t want to fight me at a catch-weight of 165. He wanted me to get down to 160. So we’ll see. Nasser was originally going to try and set that up for August, but maybe it is a possibility for September 21st.” 

Hernandez last touched the 160-pound middleweight limit in February of 2020. In the six fights since, including this coming Saturday, Hernandez has competed between 168- and 175-pounds. To get down to 160-pounds, to meet Amari Jones at Thunder Valley Casino, would be quite the undertaking.

“If I could make 160 by September that would be nice, but that’s a tough one,” admits Hernandez of a potential Amari Jones fight. “I’d have to do some serious training for that one.” 

Before he can shift gears and look toward August or September, Hernandez has the task at hand: win on Saturday and leave the ring healthy. 

“I am just hoping for a good show,” says Hernandez, who always draws a boisterous crowd in Sacramento. “I haven’t knocked anybody out since [May 2022,] so I am hoping for a knockout. I am going to push the pace and see how my hand feels. I am expecting this to end and it won’t go the whole four rounds, that is for sure. I’d just be playing with my food at that point.”

After Saturday, Hernandez’s meals could potentially get much bigger in the ring, while also getting smaller out of the ring. 

Tickets for Saturday night’s event, promoted by Upper Cut Promotions, are available online at uppercutpro.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Mario Ortega Jr. (Ringside)

STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA – In the first-ever boxing event held at Banner Island Ballpark, local hero Gabriel Flores Jr. bested a determined Ronal Ron en route to a hotly-contested eight-round unanimous decision victory. 

Ron (14-6, 11 KOs) of Chino Hills, California by way of Caracas, Distrito Capital, Venezuela proved better than advertised, especially considering one would be hard-pressed to find any pre-fight ballyhoo mentioning him by name. 

Flores (23-2, 8 KOs) of Stockton was satisfied to play the role of the boxer as Ron was the aggressor for much of the bout. 

Flores, the WBA #12 ranked lightweight, started the fight in control, as his superior technical skill proved a problem for Ron, 134.4, through the first two rounds. 

Ron pressed the action for much of the third stanza, as Flores, 134.8, was content to fight off of his back foot. Flores may have been urged by his corner after the third, as he seemed to come out with renewed vigor. After a heated exchange, Ron developed a cut near his left eye that referee Edward Collantes ruled was from a punch in the fourth. 

Following a competitive fifth round, Ron landed well with combinations in the sixth, as Flores continued to play the role of counter-puncher to varying degrees of success. When the Stockton native boxed and moved, Ron had trouble finding the target. When Flores found himself stationary or on the ropes, the Venezuelan was far more successful. 

Flores took a more forceful approach to close out the final two rounds, snapping Ron’s head back along the ropes late. Flores boxed well down the stretch to punctuate his performance. 

Final scores read a little wider than some of the action indicated, as Flores earned the unanimous verdict by scores of 79-73 and 78-74 twice. 

With the win, Flores successfully defended his regional WBA Continental USA title and more importantly stays on track for bigger and better things in the lightweight division. 

Journeyman Andrew Rogers (9-12-3, 3 KOs) of Elkhart, Indiana scored a workmanlike eight-round unanimous decision to notch an upset over Julian Rodarte (19-2-2, 8 KOs) of Downey, California. 

Some of the pre-fight shenanigans will likely garner some scrutiny from those in the know, as Rogers, 140, weighed-in five pounds over the contracted weight on Friday morning. After some negotiating, the bout was allowed to proceed, with Rogers agreeing to a secondary weigh-in Saturday to limit his rehydration. 

Rodarte, 134.4, opened the bout well, outworking Rogers in the first two rounds. The fight began to turn in the third after a left hook staggered Rodarte briefly and may have initiated a small cut.

Rodarte pressed the action in the fourth and slowed Rogers with his body attack  but with was the Indiana native that had more in the tank down the stretch. 

Rodarte, looking a little weary in the seventh, finding himself on his knees twice from slips. Rogers was rough on the inside and looked to be the heavier, stronger fighter as the fight came to a close. All three judges scored the bout for Rogers, 77-75. 

Former standout amateur Lorenzo Powell (2-0, 1 KO) of Sacramento, California scored two knockdowns en route to a one-sided drubbing of converted MMA fighter Ethan Rowan (0-1) of Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Powell, 137.2, rocked Rowan, 139, with the first combination he threw and quickly scored knockdown number one. When Rowan returned to his feet, Powell moved-in quickly and downed Rowan with a left to the body. As soon as Rowan crumpled to the ground, referee Edward Collantes called the one-sided bout at 51 seconds of round one. 

In an entertaining scrap, super flyweight prospect Andrew Rodriguez (4-0, 1 KO) of Salinas, California turned back a determined Alejandro Robles (0-4) of Modesto, California via four-round majority decision. 

The term “better-than-his record” was created for guys like Robles, 115.8, who stood in there with the multidimensional Rodriguez, 113.8, throughout the bout. 

In the end, official judges preferred the offensive output of Rodriguez. Judge Kermit Bayliss scored the bout even, 38-38, but was overruled by judges David Hartman, 40-36, and Brian Tsukamoto, 39-37. 

Former amateur star Steve Canela of San Jose, California had hoped to make his pro debut tonight, but a late opponent switch was only approved for an exhibition by the California State Athletic Commission. 

Veteran Pedro Pinillo (5-8, 5 KOs) of Cali, Colombia had fought just eight days ago in Georgia, but was willing to fight Canela Saturday night in Stockton. 

Canela, 144.6, was consistently first throughout the contest as Pinillo, 145.4, kept a low guard, but hung in there with his fresher adversary. At the bout’s conclusion, ring announcer Lupe Contreeras declared the exhibition had been scored even. 

In under one-round, super bantamweight prospect Ab Lozano (2-0, 2 KOs) of Martinez, California made short work of Wild Card Boxing Club regular sparring partner Rod Sarguilla (2-6, 1 KO) of Los Angeles, California by way of Midsayap, Cotabato, Philippines.

Throughout the brief contest, the stronger Lozano, 123.8, was in complete control of 

Sarguilla, 123. Lozano forced Sarguilla to the ropes and was unrelenting in his assault. Referee Michael Margado repeatedly asked Sarguilla to show him something, but when the southpaw Lozano rocked Sarguilla late in the round, the official had seen enough. Time of the stoppage was 2:50 of round one.

G-Squad Entertainment has an October 12th date on hold at the Stockton Memorial Auditorium, which lines up perfectly for a Flores return. 
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com

By Mario Ortega Jr.

After a year of cancellations due to everything from opponent pullouts to promoted events that never took place after false weather reports or multiple postponements, Salinas, California-based super flyweight prospect Andrew Rodriguez will finally get to ply his trade in the United States for the first time as a professional this coming Saturday, just 130 miles north of home, at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton. For Rodriguez, fighting at the Minor League Baseball stadium represents his first opportunity to show his local fanbase that, after years of perfecting his craft, he is ready for the major league of pro boxing. 

Rodriguez (3-0, 1 KO) entered the paid ranks in February of last year, earning a unanimous decision win over a 32-fight veteran in Rosarito, Mexico. For the former National Junior Golden Gloves champion, traveling south for his debut represented the culmination of years of hard work in the gym, dating back to Rodriguez’s early years of grade school. 

“It was pretty wild,” recalls Rodriguez of his debut. “It was like stepping into a new world. You don’t exactly forget about the amateurs, but you have to understand this is the real deal now. You can lose your life in boxing. One wrong hit and it is over. It was an eye opener. I had to tell myself, all the stuff you do outside of the gym is just as important as everything you do in the gym. I take that information I told myself and try to apply it to every day. Whenever I am in the boxing ring as a professional, I need to take care of myself.”

After notching his first knockout two months later in Tijuana, Mexico, Rodriguez was slated to make his stateside debut last April in Santa Ynez, California. After matchmakers for the event could not find an opponent willing to fight Rodriguez at his weight class, the super flyweight stayed the course in the gym, only to have several more agreed to dates fall apart that fall and into early this year. Rodriguez returned to the ring this past April, almost one year to the day of his last fight, scoring a four-round unanimous decision over 32-bout veteran Julio Jacobo back at the Evolution Club in Tijuana. 

“I was glad I went to get those cobwebs out of the way and he was a tough, game fighter,” says Rodriguez of the Jacobo fight. “It was a good fight and it went all four rounds for a unanimous decision win. If the knockout comes, it comes, but I would rather look good the whole fight, than have a shitty performance with a knockout win. I am glad I got that experience for my second full, four-round fight. It felt good after being without a fight for almost a full year. It was good to get in there, get the jitters out and it prepared me mentally for what is coming next.” 

Next up for Rodriguez is a familiar face in Alejandro Robles (0-3) of Modesto, California this Saturday night. After a year of gearing up for bouts that never came to fruition in his home country, the Salinas product had to have a pragmatic view of the proposed date until his opponent signed and it still may not feel like a reality until they step on the scale Friday in Stockton. 

“We got this date in Stockton to finally make my U.S. debut and I was hoping and praying it was going to come through,” says Rodriguez of when the July 20th date was first discussed. “Especially since we didn’t get that call [on the opponent] until late June. So when we got that contract, that was the confirmation stamp that we finally got it. We signed the contract, so it is official.” 

When Rodriguez was offered the fight, his opponent’s name rang familiar, even though he had never been offered to fight him over the last year of searching for bouts in California. After doing some digging, Rodriguez came across an old fight tape and realized they had shared a ring before. 

“I just remembered recently, I had fought him in the Golden Gloves in 2022,” says Rodriguez. “We fought back then and I came out victorious. For a while I didn’t recognize him, but I went back into some old files from amateurs and found out for sure that I had fought him. That was the amateurs though, and it is a whole different game in the pros. You can never underestimate anybody. In the pros, all it takes is that one hit. So looking at him, I am taking it like he is undefeated. He has that chip on his shoulder and I am pretty sure he knows who I am. So we are coming strong, coming hard for him.” 

Despite Robles’ winless pro record, Rodriguez is expecting his foe to come ready and be the best version of himself possible. 

“In his eyes, it has to be a make or break and against a guy that beat him in amateurs,” explains Rodriguez. “He’s fighting close to home for him, so I know he is coming to fight. I am not overlooking him or taking him lightly. I know I beat him in the amateurs, but it is a whole different game in the pros. We have eight ounce gloves on. I am coming mentally ready and physically strong. I’ve had some great work this camp and I feel it will all display this Saturday, July 20th.” 

In preparation for this fight, Rodriguez was in camp with his godbrother and featherweight contender Ruben Villa. The two also traveled to Riverside, California to get work with Robert Garcia’s vast stable of fighters before Villa wrapped up camp for his fight, which took place last Saturday. 

“I got some great work with all undefeated guys, working in the heat out there,” explains Rodriguez of his time in Riverside at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy. “I got to turn heads and earn some respect out there from them.” 

Back home, finishing up his in-ring preparation, Rodriguez spent time in the squared circle with undefeated super bantamweight prospect Anthony Garnica in Oakland, California, who fights next month. “Garnica is a really solid fighter and one of the best fighters at my weight that I can get work with in the area,” says Rodriguez. 

Should things go according to plan on Saturday, Rodriguez and his team are eyeing potential dates locally in October and November to hopefully keep things rolling into 2025. 

“I want to get one or two more fights before the end of the year,” exclaims Rodriguez. “From there, hopefully five fights next year. I just want to stay active going into 2025 and hopefully be a lot busier all of next year.” 

Rodriguez, who ideally wants to campaign at 115-pounds, but is willing to take fights in the 118-pound bantamweight division, wants to build his career locally as much as possible and solidify his brand, joining Salinas’ storied line of professional fighters. 

“I feel a lot of people don’t know who I really am, just because all my pro fights have been in Mexico,” explains Rodriguez. “I took a break from the amateurs when I was about thirteen, so a lot of people didn’t really get to know me. I do wish my name was a little more out there. That is why we are working right now. I just have to keep working and my time will eventually come. I hope to put on an amazing performance this Saturday and turn a lot more heads.”

Despite all the trouble landing local fights, Rodriguez has continued to gain support from family, friends and fans throughout his early journey in the paid ranks. “Superfly” had a large contingent make the journey to Rosarito for his debut last year and plans to reward everyone that makes the shorter drive north as he fights on the undercard of the first boxing event ever held at Banner Island Ballpark this weekend. 

“I want to thank everyone for all the support,” says Rodriguez. “I know it has been a bumpy first year-and-a-half and I appreciate everyone that has trusted the process, sticking with me through all these fallouts. I just can’t wait to put on this performance on Saturday and show everyone what they have been missing out on.” 

Tickets for the event, promoted by G-Squad Entertainment and available via pay-per-view on the BLK Prime streaming service, are available online at gsquadent.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Mario Ortega Jr.

While often overlooked and underappreciated, the lower weight divisions in boxing produce some of the best fights each year. Rarely able to rely on punching power to win fights, the elite fighters furthest down the scale more often than not are superb technicians that have honed their craft in the gym. Historically, the American boxing public has been most drawn to the knockout punchers of the heaviest divisions, or the flashy athleticism of welterweights and lightweights. Former amateur sensation David Cardenas Jr. has begun to chart his rise and could one day become a fighter that draws eyeballs to the lowest weight divisions. Cardenas continues his ascension up the ranks Saturday, July 6th in Floresville, Texas.

Cardenas (6-0, 4 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas capped a distinguished amateur career by winning the USA Boxing National Championship at 106-pounds in December 2022 and becoming the #1-ranked fighter in his weight division before turning professional last August in Mexico. For most amateur fighters at the top of their respective weight class, the ultimate goal is the Olympic Games. With the 2024 Summer Olympics on the horizon, but the lightest weight division in competition set at 112-pounds, Cardenas and his team had a decision to make.

“We thought about [qualifying for the U.S. team,] because not everyone gets to go to the Olympics, but 112 isn’t really my weight class, so we decided to just go pro,” recounts Cardenas.

The 105-pound weight class in professional boxing, a division that first became recognized by the professional governing bodies of the sport in the late 1980’s, is often overlooked by even the most ardent followers of the sweet science in the United States. The division’s failure to break through into the public consciousness could be partially contributed to the fact that the division has never had a U.S.-born standout star and had never had a world champion born stateside until Oscar Collazo claimed the WBO title just last year.

Cardenas plans to make his campaign at 105-pounds, or the 108-pound light flyweight division, eventually. Six fights into his professional career, Cardenas has fought opponents as heavy as 121-pound Rodric Cherry, whom he stopped in two-rounds in his second pro bout late last August in San Antonio, and no lighter than 14-fight veteran Richard Hernandez, who made 112-pounds before lasting the four-round distance this past December.

“The difficult part is his weight class,” explains Rick Morones Jr. of TMB Promotions, promoter for Saturday’s event in Floresville. “It is hard to find those little guys. You run out of them pretty fast, so I think that will be the most difficult task for promoters [attempting to match David.] Promoters will tell you that weight class is a problem.”

Helping guide Cardenas’ career and charged with pointing him towards the right opponents as he progresses is his trainer Rick Nunez. “I have been guiding him throughout his fights,” says Nunez, a twenty-year veteran of the sport. “I have a lot of experience in that. I have been trying to build him up and get him to contender status.”

During his stellar amateur run, Cardenas was trained by well-respected U.S. National Team coach Jeffery Mays, among others. Across town, Nunez trained fighters out of his South Park Boxing Academy, including one consistent opponent from Cardenas’ weight class. Unbeknownst to the two, Nunez and Cardenas would eventually stumble into realizing they were in fact of family relation.

“David and his dad showed up to a local boxing event, with his uncle, who I knew was my cousin and I asked how they knew each other, and his uncle said [David Sr.] was his little brother,” recalls Nunez. “I was like, ‘What do you mean this is your brother?’ I still didn’t believe him, so I called my aunt and asked her about it.”

A year or so after getting the verification from his aunt of their family relation, Nunez took on the assignments of training Cardenas and steering his career in the right direction as the young amateur star was set to begin his run as a professional.

“Once he turned pro, I guess he realized he needed to make the transition and I already had a really good resume with building pro fighters and helping guys get to the next level as pros,” says Nunez, who was a part of the team that guided Mario Barrios to a world title. “He just told me, ‘Hey Cus, once I get ready to turn pro I want to come over to work with you.’ We have been working together ever since. We started off last August, so this August will be one year and hopefully he will be 8-0 in one year [of fighting professionally].”

For Cardenas’ first bout, Nunez opted to take his young charge on the road to Tamaulipas, a border state in Mexico, just south of Texas. It was a positive experience for Cardenas, one that he will be able to draw from down the line, as his weight class may require that he pack his passport to seek out the biggest possible bouts.

“It was a good experience,” recalls Cardenas, who never fought internationally as an amateur. “Rick was like, ‘Let’s go to Mexico and get all the nerves out in Mexico.’ I know a lot of fighters do that at the beginning of their career. I trusted in my team and I did that.”

Since his debut in Mexico, Cardenas has enjoyed the luxury of fighting in or within driving distance of his native San Antonio each time out, a streak that continues with his next scheduled bouts, July 6th in Floresville and August 24th back in his hometown.

“I enjoy [fighting at home,”] says Cardenas. “I have a lot of supporters in San Antonio and throughout Texas. They are the reason why I am here in this spot. Later on, it is going to be hard to fight as much here in San Antonio, Texas.”

The fight on Saturday in Floresville will be a rematch, as well as Cardenas’ first bout scheduled for six rounds. Getting ready for the longer distance only requires minor adjustments for a fighter that will have competed eight times in just over his first twelve months as a professional.

“We just do twice as much work,” says Cardenas. “If I am fighting six rounds, I do eight rounds or ten rounds in sparring. I am just doing everything harder.”

“We spar a few extra rounds here and there,” explains Nunez. “I have a lot of amateurs in my gym, but I am not big on amateur boxing, so everyone in my gym is training as if they are a pro or going to turn pro sometime down the line. It is nothing different. It is just about being more patient in the ring and being comfortable with the longer distance.”

For his first bout scheduled for six, Cardenas will meet a familiar foe in 16-fight veteran Steveen Angeles Cruz. The two met in March, with Cardenas winning every round on the judges’ scorecards en route to a four-round decision. Despite the lopsided scoring, it was a tougher-than-expected fight the first time out. With the rematch set for six-rounds Saturday, Cardenas has a second chance to silence any doubters, and two extra rounds to accomplish that feat.

“That was probably one of David’s only not-so-good, not-so-exciting performances,” admits Nunez. “Within the first two rounds, it looked like David was going to knock the kid out, but David just got tired. He just couldn’t put him away and it’s just extra motivation for David. So that is the only reason [for a rematch.] There were some people that said he didn’t look too good against this guy. So we said he had a bad night, we will take it and show everybody that he just had a bad night. He is human like anybody else and it happens.”

Promoter Rick Morones Jr. expects to see an interesting fight on Saturday, with both the young prospect David Cardenas Jr. and the game veteran Steveen Angeles Cruz having something to prove.

“With these types of fights, especially with the first one being tough, you are going to get the best version of Steveen Cruz, so this one will be even better,” says Morones. “But you are also probably going to get a better version of David Cardenas, which makes the fight all that more interesting.”

Should things go according to plan on July 6th, Cardenas will keep the busy schedule rolling into an August 24th bout back in San Antonio. “The first year or two, it is always good to move them at a good pace, because they are only four-round fights and obviously he is not going to go the distance in every one of them,” says Nunez. “He’s not getting into ring wars. His skillset is very good and his IQ is also. He’s not taking punishment, so it’s good to keep him busy. When we get him to that next level, then we will look to back him down to three or four fights a year.”

While it is early to look too far down the road, Cardenas’ team have designs on building him up over roughly the next two years, before setting their sights on challenging for a title. With the aforementioned New Jersey-born, but Puerto Rico-raised and based Oscar Collazo representing the only previous American champion in his division, Cardenas could one day be the first 105-pound champion with a strong hometown fanbase to fight out of the continental United States.

“My career is moving pretty fast and it is going pretty good,” says Cardenas. “I have just been staying in the gym throughout the year and trusting my team and my dad. I stay in the gym and trust that they will get me the fights and wins I need to keep moving forward. Keep expecting exciting fights. Expect to see me keep on improving in these fights and looking better. The tougher the competition is, the better I look.”

Tickets for Saturday’s event at the Floresville Event Center, promoted by TMB Promotions, are available by calling 210-449-5599 or 210-322-9974.

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

OROVILLE, CALIFORNIA – Veteran welterweight Jonathan Garcia revitalized his career with a spirited six-round unanimous decision over Salvador Briceño at the Gold Country Casino Resort on Friday night. 

Briceño (18-8-1, 11 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and representing the Jose Morales Boxing Academy in Roseville, California started off well, landing early with some head-snapping rights and the occasional uppercut. 

Garcia (21-2, 16 KOs) of Watsonville, California began to turn the fight subtly in the third. Garcia, ending a two-and-one-half year layoff, started to land first and get the best of exchanges. 

After starting off well in the fourth, Briceño, 144, may have been overconfident swinging an overhand right that Garcia would counter with a shorter left. Garcia, 144, then came forward and landed his own overhand right that wobbled Briceño. Garcia would land twice more in close as Briceño failed to maintain his footing, resulting in a knockdown.  With half the round to go, Briceño did well to stay on his feet and regain his composure. 

After a rough fourth round, Briceño came on strong late in the fifth. By the last third, Briceño was pressuring Garcia and landing well to close it out. Briceño forced the action in the sixth as well, but was never able to pin down the elusive Garcia. 

Judge Brian Tsukamoto scored the fight 59-54, while judges Reynante Danseco and Kermit Bayliss both scored it 58-55. With the victory, Garcia, now training under Ruben Guerrero, may become an attractive potential opponent for a young prospect on the rise. 

Christian Avalos (2-1-2) of Carson City, Nevada fought through a bloody nose to earn a six-round nod in the eyes of the official scorers ringside over a determined Pedro Angel Cruz (3-5, 2 KOs) of San Jose, California.  

Avalos, 134.5, was rocked back with a hard left and performed a minor miracle to keep his balance to avoid a knockdown in the second. Cruz, 136, would find great success with his left hand throughout the bout. 

Avalos regained his footing and got back into the flow of fight in the third round. The Cruz left hand appeared to be the difference in the fourth as both exchanged willingly. 

By the fifth, the blood was flowing freely from Avalos’ nose as Cruz landed clean with the left. Avalos had a strong sixth round, which ended up sealing the bout on the official cards. 

Judges Brian Tsukamoto and Kermit Bayliss scored the bout 58-56, while Reynante Danseco had it 59-55. Cruz was shocked by the decision, which seemingly could have gone his way. 

Iris Contreras (4-0) of Richmond, California showed no signs of ring rust as she took a hard-fought four-round unanimous decision over Maribel Guerrero (0-2) of Gilroy, California in an action-packed encounter. 

After a close first round, Guerrero, 117, had her best round in the second as she found a home for her right hand. With renewed determination to start the next round, Contreras outworked Guerrero early in the third, before the Gilroy native came on late. Both fighters left it all in the ring to close out the fight, firing in an even exchange until the final bell. 

When the fight concluded, all three judges, Reynante Danseco, Kermit Bayliss and Brian Tsukamoto, had scored the bout 39-37 for Contreras. 

In a battle between fighters with mixed martial arts backgrounds, Miguel Soto-Garcia (1-2) of Fresno, California by way of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico scored a four-round unanimous decision over Scott Hayward (0-1) of Redding, California 

Soto-Garcia, 148.5, was the slightly more polished boxer. What Hayward, 145.5, lacked in technique he made up for in heart, but a flash knockdown in the second sealed the fight for Soto-Garcia. 

Judge Brian Tsukamoto scored the bout 38-37, while judges Kermit Bayliss and Reynante Danseco both had it 39-36.

Clayton Hibbert (1-2) of Los Angeles, California moved into the win column with a first-round stoppage of Ebert Diaz (1-1-1, 1 KO) of Richmond. 

Fighting out of the southpaw stance, Hibbert, 142, stunned Diaz, 142, with a clean left hand. Before Diaz could shake the cobwebs, Hibbert landed with the ensuing combinations to score a knockdown. Diaz got to his feet, but was stopped standing shortly after as referee David Hartman did not like what he saw. Time of the stoppage was 2:44. 

Marco Ortiz (1-2, 1 KO) of Red Bluff, California avenged a prior defeat in emphatic fashion, stopping Matthew Monroe (1-3) of Sacramento, California in the second round. 

Ortiz, 168.5, took control of the fight late in the first round, landing clean with an uppercut with Monroe, 165, backed into a neutral corner. 

When action resumed in the second, Ortiz came out aggressively and caught Monroe with a flurry that staggered the Sacramento resident. Referee Michael Margado ruled the ropes held up Monroe to score a knockdown. With Monroe on unsteady footing, Margado called the bout at 1:09 of the round. Monroe edged Ortiz by split decision in their first meeting last year. 

Upper Cut Promotions and Fisticuffs Productions, promoters of Friday’s event, present their next card back at Gold Country Casino Resort on July 26th. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Mario Ortega Jr.-

OROVILLE, CALIFORNIA – Salvador Briceño takes on comebacking Jonathan Garcia in a six-round welterweight bout to headline the return of professional boxing to the Gold Country Casino Resort on Friday night. The match-up of offensive-minded veterans will cap a six-bout card. Fighters weighed-in Thursday afternoon at the host venue. 

Briceño (18-7-1, 11 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and representing the Jose Morales Boxing Academy in Roseville, California is fresh off an eight-round unanimous decision over veteran Cameron Krael on March 16th and with a win Friday, hopes to keep a busy pace the rest of the year. 

“The plan Jose and I have is to win five or six more fights and then find the bigger fights,” Briceño explained. “We are taking it slow, making the right decisions for my career.”

Garcia (20-2, 16 KOs) of Watsonville, California will look to shake-off the second longest inactive period of his pro career with a tough assignment in Briceño. Garcia, looking to derail his opponent’s plans, went 5-1 entirely in Mexico after ending his last layoff of over four years in 2019. 

Garcia was known as a fan-friendly fighter during his rise in the Southern California boxing scene early in his career. Briceño is not often outworked in the ring, so the bout with Garcia figures to be entertaining as long as it lasts. Both fighters came in at 144-pounds on Thursday afternoon. 

In a lightweight fight that promises action, Christian Avalos (1-1-2) of Carson City, Nevada will take on Pedro Angel Cruz (3-4, 2 KOs) of San Jose, California over a scheduled six rounds. 

Avalos and Cruz are no stranger to fans that attended last May’s event at the Gold Country Casino Resort. On that night, Avalos engaged in a four-round war with Mark Salgado that ended in a draw. On that same May card, Cruz pounded out a four-round unanimous decision over tough David Reyes.

Avalos and Cruz were the last fighters to weigh-in Thursday. Avalos weighed-in one-half pound under the contracted weight at 134.5. Cruz, having attempted to sweat down to the contracted 135-pounds, came up short and scaled 136. The extra pound will cost Cruz, but the fight is on. 

Ebert Diaz (1-0-1, 1 KO) of Richmond, California will return to the Gold Country Casino Resort to take on Clayton Hibbert (0-2) of Los Angeles, California in a four-round light welterweight bout. Diaz and Hibbert both made 142-pounds. 

In a middleweight rematch, Marco Ortiz (0-2) of Red Bluff, California gets a second crack Matthew Monroe (1-2) of Sacramento, California. Monroe scored a four-round decision over Ortiz last November. Monroe made 165-pounds, while Ortiz scaled 168.5. When they met the first time, Monroe, at 176-pounds, was four pounds heavier than Ortiz.

Two fighters with mixed martial arts backgrounds will throw hands in a four-round welterweight bout when Scott Hayward of Redding, California makes his professional boxing debut against Miguel Soto-Garcia (0-2) of Fresno, California by way of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. Soto-Garcia came in heavy at 148.5 to Hayward’s 145.5-pounds. 

Maribel Guerrero (0-1) of Gilroy will take on Iris Contreras (3-0) of Richmond in a four-round bantamweight bout. Guerrero, cousin of Robert Guerrero and trained by her uncle Ruben Guerrero Sr., weighed-in at 117-pounds. Contreras, trained by her father Filemon Contreras, scaled 116.5-pounds. 

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Welterweights, 6 rounds

Briceño 144

Garcia 144

Lightweights, 6 Rounds

Avalos 134.5

Cruz 136

Super middleweights, 4 Rounds

Monroe 165

Ortiz 168.5

Light welterweights, 4 Rounds

Diaz 142

Hibbert 142

Welterweights, 4 Rounds

Hayward 145.5

Soto-Garcia 148.5

Bantamweights, 4 Rounds

Guerrero 117

Contreras 116.5

Tickets for the event, promoted by Upper Cut Promotions and Fisticuffs Productions, are available online at uppercutpro.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

Veteran junior welterweight Salvador Briceño fights for the second consecutive calendar month when he takes on Jonathan Garcia this Friday night at the Gold Country Casino Resort in Oroville, California in a six-round bout at 147-pounds. The active schedule is all part of the plan Briceño and team have to get the California transplant ready for bigger fights in the near future. 

Briceño (18-7-1, 11 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and fighting out of the Jose Morales Boxing Academy in Roseville, California comes into Friday night fresh off of an eight-round unanimous decision over 56-fight workhorse Cameron Krael just six weeks ago. 

The March bout against Krael marked Briceño’s second working with Morales as his trainer. The first was a draw against Southern California-based Louie Lopez in November. 

“The last two fights weren’t easy either,” explains Morales. “We went to L.A. and went to his opponent’s hometown as the B-side and got a draw. It was really a win, but they weren’t going to give us that. Same thing last fight, we fought a tough, veteran guy with over 50 fights and won unanimously.”

Briceño found his way to his new team, led by Jose Morales, after attempting to navigate the difficult pro boxing landscape largely on his own to mixed results.  

“I originally came from Mexico to pursue fighting in the States,” recalls Briceño. “When I originally moved here, I was training at a gym in Woodland, and I came to [the Jose Morales Boxing Academy in Roseville] to spar Ruben Torres. I met Jose then and eventually decided to switch gyms and work with Jose instead.”

Prior to hooking up with Morales, Briceño had come up short in pandemic era bouts against well regarded prospect Lindolfo Delgado and contender Josue Vargas. Despite traveling to Vegas alone, without a corner, Briceño acquitted himself well enough to last the distance against both of his favored opponents.  

“The plan is to have rematches with them,” says Briceño. “When I was fighting them, my team did not go with me to the fights and I also took those fights on very short notice. It was difficult because my team wasn’t there in my corner.”

After the Delgado fight, Briceño stepped away for two years, which led him to seek fights seven pounds north at welterweight for the time being. That trend continues Friday when he takes on Garcia. 

“I’ve only had two fights at welterweight, but I’ve felt strong,” explains Briceño. “The plan is to go [back down] to 140-pounds. I had taken a year off from fighting and had gained weight, so I am fighting at welterweight for now.”

Garcia (20-2, 16 KOs) of Watsonville, California finds himself in a position similar to where Briceño was before returning to the ring last November. Garcia, with a new team behind him, will be ending a two-and-a-half year layoff Friday. 

“We look forward to the challenge,” exclaims Morales. “He has a good record and he’s coming off of a layoff, so I know he is probably hungry and determined to make a statement. We are excited for the challenge and the opportunity to showcase our skills against a tough opponent and put on a good show for everybody.”

In preparation for Friday’s contest Briceño has logged rounds with Sacramento’s rising contender Cain Sandoval, highly-touted Stockton prospect Sachery Sam and rugged veteran Jose Gomez, among others. 

“He’s definitely in shape and ready to go,” reports Gomez. “We sparred eight strong rounds. He just keeps coming and holds a good pop to his punches when he sits down on them. Overall he’s a great friend and very humble guy.”

Should everything go according to plan in Oroville, Briceño will return to the ring in July in Stockton, with his friend and sparring partner Jose Gomez a possible option for the bout. 

“The goal is to try to keep him as busy as possible against good opponents and get traction going into the next year when we will start to look for bigger opportunities,” explains Morales. “He’s got the skill, he’s got the work ethic and now he’s got the team behind him. He’s creating a fanbase and I think he’s trending in the right direction.”

“I feel good, better than ever before,” proclaims Briceño. “I am ready to fight. I am confident in the work I have put in. My fans who come out are going to see a good fight. We are going to fight in the front, and with my experience, we are hoping to put on a good show and win by a knockout. Don’t miss out on these fights.” 

Tickets for Friday’s event, promoted by Upper Cut Promotions and Fisticuffs Productions, are available online at uppercutpro.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

Middleweight prospect Victor Guerrero will meet his toughest test to date in veteran spoiler Moris Rodriguez as Upper Cut Promotions and Fisticuffs Productions bring live professional boxing back to the Gold Country Casino Resort in Oroville, California on Friday, April 26th. The six-round main event will cap an exciting night of action featuring some highly competitive match-ups. 

Guerrero (7-0, 5 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Gilroy, California made his U.S. debut with a thrilling four-round unanimous decision over a determined Matthew Monroe in Sacramento, California in January. Representing the next generation of the fighting Guerrero family, Victor will meet the most experienced opponent of his young pro career as he moves up to the six-round scheduled distance for the first time. 

“I am just very thankful to be part of a great card with great fights, as well as being the main event,” says Guerrero. “I am truly blessed with the opportunity to perform in front of my friends and family. Being my first six-rounder, it’s driven me to put in that extra work and pushed me to push myself to that next level in training. I can’t wait for April 26 to show everyone what’s coming.” 

Rodriguez (8-16-2, 5 KOs) of Sacramento has been matched incredibly tough throughout his nearly fifteen-year professional career. Despite taking tough fights, sometimes on very short notice, Rodriguez has the scalps of several previously undefeated or well-regarded prospects on his mantle. Now, taking on one of the biggest opponents in his career, Rodriguez will aim to spring another upset. 

In a pick ‘em fight between two hard-nosed veterans, Salvador Briseño will take on Jonathan Garcia in a six-round welterweight clash.

Briseño (18-7-1, 11 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and representing the Jose Morales Boxing Academy in Roseville, California is fresh off an eight-round unanimous decision over veteran Cameron Krael on March 16th. 

Garcia (20-2, 16 KOs) of Watsonville, California will look to shake-off the second longest inactive period of his pro career with a tough assignment in Briseño. Garcia, once one rising prospects of the California scene, went 5-1 entirely in Mexico after ending his last layoff of over four years in 2019.

In a lightweight battle that promises action, Christian Avalos (1-1-2) of Carson City, Nevada will take on Pedro Angel Cruz (3-4, 2 KOs) of San Jose, California over a scheduled six rounds. 

Avalos broke through into the win column in his last bout after two successive wars with another San Jose-based fighter in Mark Salgado. The first Avalos-Salgado war took place at Gold Country Casino Resort last May. On that same May card, Cruz pounded out a four-round unanimous decision over tough David Reyes.

Ebert Diaz (1-0-1, 1 KO) of Richmond, California will return to the Gold Country Casino Resort to take on Clayton Hibbert (0-2) of Los Angeles, California in a four-round light welterweight bout. 

In a middleweight rematch, Marco Ortiz (0-2) of Red Bluff, California will attempt to avenge a hotly contested four-round split decision he suffered at the hands of Matthew Monroe (1-2) of Sacramento, California last November.

Two fighters with mixed martial arts backgrounds will throw hands in a four-round welterweight bout when Scott Hayward of Redding, California makes his professional boxing debut against Miguel Soto-Garcia (0-2) of Fresno, California by way of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. 

Maribel Guerrero (0-1) of Gilroy will take on Iris Contreras (3-0) of Richmond in a four-round super flyweight bout. Guerrero, cousin of Robert Guerrero and trained by her uncle Ruben Guerrero Sr., turned pro in March. Contreras, trained by her father Filemon Contreras, holds a win over top ranked Shurretta Metcalf. 

Tickets for the event, promoted by Upper Cut Promotions and Fisticuffs Productions, are available online at uppercutpro.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com