SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA — Giving away 52 ½-pounds, local heavyweight and current James Toney sparring partner Hector Martinez avenged a closely-contested decision defeat with a six-round unanimous decision over Yohan Banks in the featured attraction at the Red Lion Hotel on Friday night.
The fight was not the action-packed slugfest their first encounter was last year, but surely Martinez (6-5, 4 KOs) of Broderick, California was happy to reverse the result no matter how the route. Banks (4-5-3, 2 KOs) of Redwood City, California was tentative in the early going, as he allowed Martinez to control the distance with his long arms.
Martinez, 225, landed his first telling combination in the second, catching Banks, 277 ½, with a jab, followed up by a right. Once the punch landed, Martinez was in Banks’ range, and thus forced a clinch to get back on the outside. It would be a strategy that would work well for Martinez for much of the contest. In the moments that Martinez would stay in range, Banks was quick to fire his right, but the shot hit the target only sparingly.
Banks began the third well, snapping Martinez’ head back with a looping right. Martinez quickly got on his bicycle. Once Martinez got his legs back to one hundred percent, the local favorite went right back to his one-two and hold technique to great effect. Action picked up in the fourth, as Martinez began to fire quick combinations when on the inside, before backing back out at range. Banks looked quite drained by the fourth, as the big guy threw even less and often took heavy breaths.
Wearing out Banks further, could have been Martinez’ longs arms and tall body hanging on him when they would clinch. When the fight was a wrestling match, Martinez had the advantage because he would look for an opening to throw in those situations. Banks on the other hand, looked to be looking for a rest when they would come together on the inside. After some mauling rounds, Martinez took the fight by scores of 58-57, 59-56 and 60-54.
“I felt that I had to redeem myself,” said Martinez Monday. Banks had scored a four-round split decision over Martinez in Oroville, California in March of last year. Martinez has been in training camp with future hall of famer James Toney. “It’s like going to college,” said Martinez of the experience. “I’m going to the school of hard knocks and learning from the professor. The living legend: James “Lights Out” Toney.”
Martinez will return to the ring on the undercard of Toney’s upcoming fight with Vinny Maddalone. That bout will take place May 21st at a casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. Martinez is already scheduled to come back to the Red Lion Hotel on June 17th as well.
In the co-feature, rising prospect Maximilliano Becerra (5-0-1, 2 KOs) of Vacaville, California scored a four-round unanimous decision as he turned back the challenge of a game Christian Gonzalez (2-1, 1 KO) of Bakersfield, California by way of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.
Gonzalez, 136, came out throwing in the first, but his punches clearly did not have the same force behind them as the ones that would be uncorked by Becerra, 136. After competitive exchanges in the first, Becerra turned the fight completely in his favor in the second round. Seconds in, Becerra unloaded a right hook that dropped Gonzalez into a corner. Gonzalez got up, but was soon downed by a flurry which looked to be helped by the tangling of their feet. When Gonzalez got up he was rocked by a straight left and right hook combo that almost put him down a third time. Had Gonzalez not stayed up, the fight would have been over.
Gonzalez managed to make it out of the second, even throwing back as the round concluded. In the third, the Bakersfield resident caught Becerra with a solid right, which began a good back-and-forth between the two. Gonzalez’ main problem was getting inside on the much taller and longer Becerra. The Mexican native almost had to eat one or two punches just to get close enough to throw one of his own.
Still, Gonzalez continued to press the fight, even landing a pretty combination in the fourth. The power difference remained clear however, as Becerra shook off the Gonzalez rally before taking all three official cards by the scores of 38-36 and 40-34 twice. Becerra will likely be back in the ring June 3rd at the Fairfield Sports Center in Fairfield, California and then return to the Red Lion Hotel on June 17th.
Former New York Golden Gloves champion Joshua Landers (1-0, 1 KO) of Hollywood, California spoiled the pro debut of locally popular former Badge VS. Badge and toughman competitor Larry Ward (0-1) of Sacramento via first-round stoppage to silence the boisterous Red Lion crowd.
Ward, who works full-time at the California Medical Facility, a state prison in nearby Vacaville, backed Landers to the ropes early and seemed to get overconfident after his brief success. Landers, 230, turned the momentum in his favor with a right that stunned Ward. Landers followed up the right with a left hook that rocked Ward, 223, almost wobbling him to the mat.
For a moment, it looked as though Landers was letting Ward off the hook, as he backed into the ropes and allowed Ward to come in throwing shots. With his back to the ropes, Landers landed a left hook that dropped Ward hard to the canvas. Referee Ed Collantes immediately waved off the fight at the time of 2:47 of the first round. Despite the loss, Ward will try it again June 17th back at the Red Lion Hotel.
In one of two exciting four-rounders on the card that evenly matched fighters making their pro debut, Brett De La Torre (1-0) of Vacaville scored a four-round majority decision over Will Walters (0-1) of Sacramento.
The action was fast and furious from round one on and throughout the fight. De La Torre, 142 ½, got things going as he quickly backed Walters, 142 ½, into the ropes. De La Torre, who kept his hands unusually low almost the entire fight, got a little cocky, which opened the door for Walters to take a turn at forcing the action. De La Torre then landed a pretty one-two combination before Walters came on again just before the bell.
After Walters had a successful round two, De La Torre clearly took the third with some excellent combination and counter-punching. The high work rate seemed to catch up to De La Torre late in the third, as he was visibly breathing heavily before the round ended. With De La Torre still looking a bit winded, Walters rocked the Vacaville native against the ropes in the fourth.
The tired De La Torre was in retreat much of the final round, but Walters did not cut off the ring enough to do any real damage. In the end, one judge had the fight even, 38-38. The other two favored De La Torre, 40-36 and 39-37. The 40-36 card seems highly questionable, considering De La Torre barely landed a punch in the fourth.
The joy of yet another Sacramento fighter’s pro debut was dampened by an out-of-towner, as Lee Reyes (1-0) of Hollywood scored a unanimous decision over Juan Luna (0-1) of Sacramento in an action-packed four-round affair. Reyes, the son of well known Santa Clara, California-based martial artist Ernie Reyes Sr, was also making his pro debut.
Luna, 159, got off to a great start, landing a stiff left hook that got the attention of Reyes, 160. Reyes soon landed a left hook of his own and the fight was on from there. Luna was controlling the round with his boxing for a moment, before Reyes landed another left hook that rocked the local product and likely stole the round.
Reyes, who trains out of the Wild Card, found himself bloodied over his left eye sometime in the second, but that turn of events would not deter him as he controlled the round with his higher output. Reyes began to utilize his right more in the third, often following it with a left that would rock Luna. In the fourth, Luna came out determined and forced Reyes into a neutral corner. Reyes adeptly fought his way off the turnbuckle and had a winded Luna in some trouble as the round progressed. Luna then briefly turned the tide, before getting stunned again to close out a thrilling final round of action. In the end, all three judges favored Reyes, 40-36. However, just as in the De La Torre-Walters bout, the loser had nothing to be down about and looks to have a bright future as a fighter for pay.
Fighting for the first time in almost two-and-a-half years, Andrey Kim (3-3, 1 KO) of Sacramento jumpstarted his pro career again with an impressive third-round knockout of Matt Mahler (0-3) of Stockton, California. Mahler, who himself had been out of action since a January 2009 knockout, was never a factor in the bout.
Kim, 137, wobbled Mahler, 137, with the first left hook he landed in the bout’s opening moments. The left would be there all night for Kim, who also controlled the distance with his movement. Finally in the third, Kim caught Mahler with a straight right, followed by that left hook again. The combo had Mahler stumbling around the ring, before Kim planted him with a right hook that put him down flat on to the right side of his face. No count was need, as referee Jon Schorle waved it off at 2:01 of the third.
Mixed Martial Arts
Derrick Burnsed (7-1, 3 KOs, 4 Submissions) of Citrus Heights, California flashed some power with a scary first-round knockout of Moses Baca (3-5) of Pleasant Hill, California. Burnsed, 154, dropped Baca seconds in and quickly pounced on his prone body before the referee could step in and call off the fight. Official time of the knockout was 1:01 of the first round. Baca was taken out of the ring by paramedics on a stretcher.
Amateur Boxing
Five amateur boxing exhibitions combined to open and close the card. Drew Heneffe of Overcome Training in Cameron Park, California scored a first-round stoppage of Arnulfo Rizo of the Cal Street Fight Club in Stockton, California in the opening fight of the night. Heneffe, 199, forced a standing eight count with two left hooks. When action resumed, Heneffe again landed a couple clean left hooks against Rizo, 192, which was enough for referee Ed Collantes to end the bout.
Joshua Green out of California Total Fitness in Manteca, California scored a three-round unanimous decision over Koran Richardson of the Cal Street Fight Club. It was a competitive contest throughout. Green, 161 ½, closed out the first well, while Richardson, 172 ½, did well in the second. With the fight apparently on the table, both fighters fought the third hard. Green did best with a straight right hand, while Green had his moments with the Manteca resident against the ropes. In the end, all three judges gave two of the three rounds to Green, 29-28.
Ukrainian import Aleksander Muza continually found a home for his overhand right on his way to a three-round unanimous decision over Jesus “Chuy” Sandoval of the Cal Street Fight Club. Muza, 116, who trains out of Niavaroni Kickboxing in Roseville, California, fought a very measured fight throughout. Muza seemed comfortable waiting for Sandoval, 123, to throw and leave an opening before offering up any offense of his own. Muza did come out of this shell in the third, as he closed the fight as the aggressor. In the end, all three judges gave the fight to Muza and his overhand right by scores of 30-27 three times.
James Davis out of Smash Time Boxing in Sacramento scored a hard-fought three round decision over Jared Moore of Anaheim, California. Moore, 175, took round one with two left hooks. Davis, 178, found a right hook and a solid body shot with his left in the second to take that round. The third was competitive, but judges favored Davis 29-28 across the board.
In the final fight of the evening, amateurs Jason Williams and Albert Avina of the Cal Street Fight Club traded at close quarters and fought at a steady pace for three rounds. In the end, all three judges had the fight for Williams.
Promoter Nasser Niavaroni of Uppercut Promotions is arranging to host the next event at the Red Lion Hotel on June 17th. When tickets for the event, planned to be held outdoors, do go on sale, they will be made available by calling the hotel at 916-782-4757.
Photos by Stephanie Trapp/[email protected]
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected].
