PHOENIX, Ariz. – The fury was uninterrupted. Unrelenting from beginning to end. It lasted six rounds. It felt like 12.
Twelve rounds jammed into half that many left a mark on the bruised, bloodied faces of Adrian Servin and Edgar Ortiz, a couple of super-flyweights and Phoenix rivals whose punches created heavyweight echoes Saturday night throughout Celebrity Theatre.
There were bruises, blood, counters and courage enough for a title. In the end, there was one – Arizona’s 115-pound state title — and it went to Servin (7-0-1, 2 KOs), whose power appeared to pound out an edge in the fifth and sixth rounds of a 59-55, 60-54, 59-55 decision over Ortiz (7-2-1, 4 KOs). Ortiz drew first blood, opening up cuts near Servin’s eyes and nose in the third and fourth rounds.
In the fifth, however, Servin’s power and precision cut Ortiz near his left eye. In the sixth, a wild crowd could see in a way that Ortiz couldn’t. Clearly. But Ortiz wouldn’t blame the cut for the loss. He didn’t have to, not after unabbreviated drama in a match-making gem by Iron Boy Promotions.
The Servin-Ortiz bout was supposed to be the co-main event. But the super-flyweights took the co out of it, stealing the show from Phoenix light-heavyweights Fidel Hernandez (19-5-1, 10 KOs) and Andrew Hernandez (20-7-2, 9 KOs). They fought to a majority draw in a 10-round bout for an International Boxing Federation version of a vacant USBA title.
Best of the Undercard: Phoenix super-featherweight Alexis Zazueta (11-0, 5 KOs) relied on superior reach and power against a gritty Giovanni Norriega (2-3-1, 2 KOs), a Bakersfield, Calif., fighter who battled back in the fifth round and yet was knocked to his knees in the final round of a six-rounder he lost by unanimous decision.
After it was all over, it almost looked as if Zazueta would have to fight a double-header. He called out Phoenix rival Ryan Rydell, who climbed through the ropes as though he wanted to fight then and there. Rydell was ordered to leave the ring by the Arizona Commission. He’ll have to wait for his day with Zazueta, probably until the next Iron Boy card at Celebrity.
Second Best: Mesa lightweight Trini Ochoa (4-0, 1 KOs) and Mexican Hugo Padilla got the old Phoenix concert hall rocking and rolling in a wild fourth round full of moments when both fighters were in danger of suffering a knockout. After the last punch in wild succession of them, Ochoa prevailed, winning a unanimous decision.
The Rest: Jesus Ibarra (6-0, 3 KOs), a featherweight from Mesa, Ariz., chased, chased and chased and finally scored a six-round unanimous decision over Raymond Chacon, a Los Angeles fighter who lost for the 35th time on a record that includes 43 fights, including seven victories and a draw.
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