MODESTO, CALIFORNIA – Jose Luis Vazquez scored a hard-fought eight-round unanimous decision over veteran gatekeeper and local favorite Giovannie Gonzalez to remain unbeaten in the main event of a seven-bout card from the Modesto Centre Plaza on Saturday night. 

Vazquez (17-0, 3 KOs) of Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, Mexico and Gonzalez (20-7-2, 15 KOs) of Stockton, California took the first round to feel each other out. Vazquez, 139, may have taken the opening stanza with a couple hard shots and his forward movement, as both he and Gonzalez, 137.4, had a low output. 

Vazquez, the larger man in the fight, had to sweat off some extra poundage in the moments before Friday’s official weigh-in and looked to have rehydrated into a full-fledged welterweight. The extra weight may have aided Vazquez in absorbing Gonzalez’s power, including the clean uppercut the Stockton native landed early in the second. Gonzalez took a shot that may have strayed below the belt line late in the round, which set off a heated exchange in the last 30 seconds. 

Vazquez maintained the distance he wanted in the third and let his hands go when the action stayed in the center of the ring. Gonzalez had to work hard to get inside, but had his moments when he could force Vazquez along the ropes. After Vazquez took the fourth with his left jab, Gonzalez had a solid fifth round, landing with an overhand right and some clean work to the body. 

Counter to what one would expect, Gonzalez, the 34-year-old, eight-year veteran, got busier as the fight moved into the later rounds. The 22-year-old Vazquez did not wilt in the later portion of the fight, but was more selective with his output in the final two rounds. Gonzalez applied pressure in the seventh and eighth, but just did not have the power to alter the course of the fight as he punched up to land on Vazquez, listed as holding a five inch height advantage. 

Judge Kru Michael Rinaldi had it 79-73, judge Melissa McMorrow scored it 78-74, while judge Michael Margado had it the closest at 77-75, all for Vazquez, recently signed by Toscano Boxing Promotions, promoter of tonight’s event, who was fighting outside his native Mexico for the first time. 

Gonzalez, known as “King Gio,” may have fought his last fight if his statement made after the bout holds true. 

“I have been doing this since I was twelve,” said Gonzalez after the fight. “It is a tough game. Father Time, nobody can beat it. This was probably my last fight.” 

Making his second trip to fight in the U.S., Gustavo Perez Alvarez (14-1, 4 KOs) of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico came into the backyard of Jesus Haro (12-3, 1 KO) of Merced, California and came away with a wide eight-round unanimous decision. 

The taller, southpaw Perez Alvarez, 106, established his right jab and maintained the distance he needed to be successful in the opening round. Haro, 105, found his way into range to land a clean combination in the last third of the second round and let go with his right hand early in the third round, but was not active enough to please his corner or the official judges. 

Things began to heat up in the middle rounds, with the action only slowed by accidental head clashes in the fourth and fifth, as the southpaw versus orthodox stances were to blame for the timeouts. 

Perez Alvarez’s left hand proved to be a problem for Haro as the fight progressed. Perez Alvarez, nicknamed “Smiley,” was able to land his left as a lead from a distance that Haro could not counter. Haro had a better round in the sixth, using his jab, but still did not let his right go with enough frequency. 

Perez Alvarez continued to find a home for his left hand for much of the seventh, before Haro came on late in the round with some combinations. After beginning the eighth aggressively, “Smiley” spun Haro’s head with a right midway through the stanza. Haro came on late in the round as Perez Alvarez seemed confident that he led on the scorecards. 

Judge Melissa McMorrow had the bout 78-74, while judges Edward Collantes and Kru Michael Rinaldi scored the shutout for Perez Alvarez, 80-72.  

“I have no words, this was a great night for me tonight,” said Perez Alvarez after the bout. “We knew we were facing a tough opponent as he was. In the second round, we adjusted to box and then pressure him, box and pressure him, back-and-forth.” 

Fighting outside of Mexico for the first time as a pro, Emiliano Cardenas Rodriguez (4-0, 3 KOs) of Union City, California scored a four-round unanimous decision over Eduardo Sanchez (1-1) of Watsonville, California by way of Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico in an entertaining and competitive contest. 

Cardenas Rodriguez, 117.8, carried the first round as his strength advantage was clear at the outset. Sanchez, 117, had strong stretches in the second round, but Cardenas Rodriguez had the ability to wipe away that solid work with his edge in power-punching. 

After a back-and-forth third, Sanchez had his best round in the fourth, as he outworked Cardenas Rodriguez and avoided getting caught by any head-snapping retorts for the three minutes. 

In the end, judges Melissa McMorrow, Kru Michael Rinaldi and Michael Margado all scored the bout 39-37 for Cardenas Rodriguez. 

Manuel Flores (5-0, 5 KOs) of Stockton proved his knockout record is not one of smoke and mirrors as he stopped rugged David Reyes Jr. (3-3-1, 2 KOs) of Fresno, California in the second round of a scheduled four. 

Flores, 139.2, and Reyes, 139.8, went at it from the opening bell, much to the delight of the boisterous onlookers in Modesto. Reyes, who had never been dropped coming into the bout, was rocked early in the first, but gathered himself quickly and got into the fight leading into the second round. 

Reyes opted to trade with Flores again as the second began. The two fired at each other in a heated exchange near a neutral corner, before the Stockton native broke through and dropped his opponent near the ropes. The always tough Reyes got to his feet and continued to fire instead of holding on. Eventually, as Flores landed power shots near the blue corner, referee Edward Collantes leaped in to stop the bout. Official time was 1:30 of the second round. 

Nicholas Saavedra (2-0) of Modesto used his size advantage en route to a four-round unanimous decision over game veteran Jonathan Almacen (7-14-3, 2 KOs) of Los Angeles, California by way of Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila, Philippines. 

Saavedra, 124.2, and Almacen, 124.2, traded power punches for much of the fight, but the Modesto resident withstood the shots of the former light flyweight contender better down the stretch of the fight. 

Almacen was game, but some well-placed body shots may have slowed him down over the second half of the bout. All three judges, Melissa McMorrow, Edward Collantes and Kru Michael Rinaldi, scored the shutout for Saavedra, 40-36.

Pedro Juarez (1-0) of Tracy, California downed Alec Acuavera (0-1) of Pittsburg, California in the third round en route to a hard-fought four-round unanimous decision in a bout pitting two pro MMA fighters making their professional boxing debuts.

Juarez, 134, and Acuavera, 136.4, each had their moments in the bout, especially over the first two rounds, as they traded on even ground. The fight began shifting towards Juarez’s favor late in the third, as he landed clean upstairs to slow Acuavera before finally dropping him with a left just before the bell to end the round. Juarez rocked Acuavera again seconds into the fourth, but the Pittsburg resident regained his balance and kept on throwing, finding some success late in the round. Before the bell sounded to end the bout, Juarez rocked Acuavera again just to keep it exciting until the last second. 

After four action-packed rounds, judges Melissa McMorrow and David Hartman scored the fight 39-36, while Michael Margado had it a shutout, 40-35, all for Juarez, who now turns his attention to his next scheduled MMA bout on November 15th in Wheatland, California. 

In the opening bout, Irving Xilohua (7-1, 4 KOs) of Stockton pounded out a four-round unanimous decision over John Mark Alimane (8-9-1, 4 KOs) of Laguna Nigel, California by way of Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines. 

Xilohua, 130.6, rocked Alimane, 131.4, with a counter right in the first round to set the tone. 

Xilohua hurt his opponent upstairs midway through the second round, which prompted Alimane to expose his body. Xilohua took advantage, which led Alimane to hold for the remainder of the round. In the third, Xilohua hurt Alimane to the body, which left the Filipino’s head as an open target. It was more of the same in the fourth, as Xilohua bloodied Alimane before the conclusion. 

All three judges, Melissa McMorrow, Edward Collantes and Kru Michael Rinaldi scored the bout a shutout for Xilohua by the score of 40-36. The bout had originally been slated for six rounds, but was ultimately reduced by the California State Athletic Commission. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

MODESTO, CALIFORNIA – Undefeated prospect Jose Luis Vazquez makes his United States debut against longtime local favorite Giovannie Gonzalez in the main event of a seven-bout card at the Modesto Centre Plaza on Saturday night. Fighters for the event, which will be streamed live on promoter Toscano Boxing Promotions’ YouTube channel, weighed-in on Friday afternoon at the host venue. 

Vazquez (16-0, 3 KOs) of Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, Mexico has fought entirely out of his native Mexico and may find a partially hostile crowd on Saturday as his opponent usually draws vocal supporters. In his last bout, Vazquez, recently signed to Toscano Boxing Promotions, scored an eight-round unanimous decision over Edgar De La Cruz in Jalisco, Mexico in July. 

The veteran Gonzalez (20-6-2, 15 KOs) of Stockton, California figures to provide a stern test for the 22-year-old Vazquez and help determine whether the Mexican’s record translates to stateside success. Gonzalez is coming off two quick wins in Tijuana, Mexico this past April and May as the eight-year veteran got back to his winning ways after an 0-2-1 three fight stretch. 

In the co-main event, Jesus Haro (12-2, 1 KO) of Merced, California takes on Gustavo Perez Alvarez (13-1, 4 KOs) of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico in an eight-round light flyweight bout. 

Haro, who scaled 105, is coming off of an eight-round decision over Lito Dante and this same venue in July. Perez Alvarez, who weighed-in at 106, was last in the ring just one month ago, scoring a third-round knockout in Mexico. 

Irving Xilohua (6-1, 4 KOs) of Stockton will meet John Mark Alimane (8-8-1, 4 KOs) of Laguna Nigel, California by way of Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines in a six-round super featherweight bout. Xilohua, who scaled 130.6, was last in the ring this past July, ending a one-year layoff by stopping Romshane Sarguilla at the Modesto Centre Plaza. The naturally larger Alimane, 131.4, is looking for his first victory since campaigning in the United States over the last two years. 

Emiliano Cardenas Rodriguez (3-0, 3 KOs) of Union City, California will take on Eduardo Sanchez (1-0) of Watsonville, California by way of Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico in a four-round pairing of unbeaten bantamweights. The 19-year-old Cardenas, who came in at 117.8-pounds, will be making his U.S. debut after three quick wins in Mexico to begin his career, which began in April. Sanchez, who trains out of Noble-Moreno Boxing and came in at 117-pounds even, turned pro in June with a split decision over Esteban Sital in Costa Mesa, California. 

Manuel Flores (4-0, 4 KOs) of Stockton will aim to continue his unbeaten run against the always tough David Reyes Jr. (3-2-1, 2 KOs) of Fresno, California in a four-round light welterweight bout. Flores, who weighed-in at 139.2-pounds, will be making his U.S. debut, having fought entirely in Mexico since beginning his career last February. Reyes, who came in at 139.8-pounds, was last in the ring this past August, dropping a four-round decision to Tony Hirsch Jr. in an entertaining and competitive bout. 

In a four-round pairing of professional MMA fighters making their pro boxing debuts, Pedro Juarez of Tracy, California will take on Alec Acuavera of Pittsburg, California in a lightweight bout. Juarez, who fights out of Oakdale MMA in Oakdale, California, weighed-in at 134-pounds even. Acuavera, who has been a pro MMA fighter since May of last year, came in heavy at 136.4-pounds. Acuavera received a fine for missing the weight by 1.4-pounds on Friday. 

Nicholas Saavedra (1-0) of Modesto attempts to defend his home turf against veteran Jonathan Almacen (7-13-3, 2 KOs) of Los Angeles, California by way of Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila, Philippines in a four-round featherweight bout. Saavedra, returning to the site of his pro debut this past July weighed-in at 124.2-pounds, as did the veteran Almacen. The Filipino holds a wide experience advantage, having gone the ten-round distance with former world champion Hekkie Budler two years ago. 

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Light welterweights, 8 Rounds

Vazquez 139

Gonzalez 137.4

Light flyweights, 8 Rounds

Haro 105

Perez Alvarez 106 

Super featherweights, 6 Rounds

Xilohua 130.6

Alimane 131.4

Bantamweights, 4 Rounds

Cardenas Rodriguez 117.8

Sanchez 117

Light welterweights, 4 Rounds

Flores 139.2

Reyes Jr. 139.8

Lightweights, 4 Rounds

Juarez 134

Acuavera 136.4*

Featherweights, 4 Rounds

Saavedra 124.2

Almacen 124.2

*missed weight by 1.4-pounds

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

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

In recent years, more and more fighters have taken their shot at competing in both mixed martial arts and professional boxing, to varying degrees of success. Tracy, California’s Pedro Juarez, a bantamweight in MMA, which translates to a lightweight in boxing, will attempt to begin his dual path pro journey this coming Saturday night, when he makes his professional boxing debut against Alec Acuavera in one of the supporting bouts on the Toscano Boxing Promotions event at the Modesto Centre Plaza in Modesto, California. 

Juarez, a four-fight professional MMA fighter, actually began his combat sports career as a boxer, despite being drawn in by watching the UFC on television, after finding his way to his first boxing coach, Felipe Martinez. 

“I originally started off as a boxer and about 2012 is when I started training,” recalls Juarez. “One of my friends was going to the boxing gym and I had him take me there to Felipe’s Boxing Gym in Lathrop. I wanted to train and I was eager to learn. I started training in boxing and stayed with that because I didn’t really see MMA training. Once I started going to the boxing gym, I liked it and stuck with boxing for a long time. It was at his house, in his backyard. He had a ring and he had bags. He would train all the local kids. He would train a lot of fighters and was a cool guy. He wouldn’t charge a lot of people. We would just come over and train. Eventually, later down the road, I transitioned to MMA.”

Eventually, Juarez decided to pursue the combat sport that originally caught his eye, mixed martial arts, which led him to the well-regarded Oakdale MMA Last Stand Fight Team, led by Tom Theofanopoulos, more than 35 miles from his native Tracy. 

“At some point, I kind of ended up losing interest in boxing,” explains Juarez. “I went through a little rough period where, I don’t know, I just lost the passion. So I thought, I’ll transition into MMA, since that was what got me to start training, because I started watching it on TV. So I thought I’d make the transition and see how it went. I ended up going over to Oakdale MMA. I tried it and I liked it and have stuck with it ever since.”

Before turning professional in 2022, the highlight of Juarez’s amateur MMA career would be winning the 209 Beatdown bantamweight title over Raul Godinez at the Modesto Centre Plaza in 2019. Juarez would have to overcome some adversity before scoring the split decision victory to claim the title as Godinez landed an uppercut seconds into the bout that broke Juarez’s jaw. 

“We had a good fight,” remembers Juarez. “I ended up getting the win, but it was tough though, getting my jaw broken in the first round and having to battle through that, but I stayed in there. Stayed composed and got the win.” 

Nearly two years to the day after Juarez scored the biggest win of his amateur MMA career, the Tracy native was slated to make his professional debut as part of Bellator 266, which was televised by Showtime from the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Unfortunately for Juarez, that fight would not come to pass. 

“Everything was going good with training, but the week of the fight, something was going on with my MRI,” remembers Juarez. “They didn’t communicate that to us, so by the time we found out, there wasn’t enough time to follow-up and see what was going on. So the commission said he’s not cleared to fight and they scrapped it. I was there fight week. I was at the hotel and doing everything you have to do during fight week. On Wednesday, when they told us, it sucked, but everything happens for a reason I guess. After everything happened, I was really bummed out for a while. That was a really big opportunity, to turn pro under Bellator, the second biggest promotion out there as far as MMA, and when it fell through, it was devastating, but there wasn’t anything I could do really.”

Juarez would go on to turn professional in MMA a year after the scuttled bout in San Jose.  While pursuing his pro MMA career out of Oakdale MMA, Juarez saw an opportunity to bring one of his old boxing coaches, Alfredo Perez, on board the team when the fight compound expanded to include a boxing gym and program. 

“I have known Alfredo for a long time, since my early boxing days,” explains Juarez. “I was able to connect him to Oakdale MMA, because my MMA coach, Tom Theofanopoulos, is the instructor and owner of Oakdale MMA and he was looking to start a boxing program and looking for coaches. I linked up Alfredo and him and they made it work.” 

Before the COVID pandemic forced his gym, the Boxing Development Center in Oakdale, to close, Perez got to know and worked with Juarez during his amateur boxing run. The two forged a relationship and bond and with Perez in place at Oakdale MMA, Juarez could return to boxing with a familiar coach when the opportunity presented itself. 

“We have a really good relationship and I kind of look after him like he’s one of my own,” says Perez. “He’s just a really good kid; respectful, humble and a lot of class. The kid works hard. He’s got a day job, he goes and works eight hours and then comes out all the way to Oakdale almost every day. Sometimes I even have to back him down a little bit and tell him to get some rest so he doesn’t overtrain.”

With four pro MMA fights under his belt, Juarez had been slated for fight number five this past September. However, when promoters for the event could not find him an opponent, Juarez looked toward this coming Saturday’s event on the calendar as an opportunity to get back into the boxing ring. 

“Pedro let me know he wanted to continue in boxing as well,” says Perez.  “I said, ‘If you really want to do this, we have to do it 100 percent. We can’t half ass it.’ He’s always been a pretty good boxer. The transition was really not hard at all, it actually was pretty easy. He already has the skill set of stand-up. Working with him on mitts and taking him sparring and everything, we took him a couple different places, just to see where we were at three or four months ago, and he’s a totally different person. He’s in shape and ready to go.” 

Juarez, with the help of his team, has made the adjustments in the gym necessary to make the move from preparing for a mixed martial arts bout to making his professional boxing debut. 

“At first, it was a little different, because I am used to throwing kicks and the range is different,” explains Juarez. “But once I just focused solely on boxing and got into the groove of things, I was able to switch my mindset to that of just a boxer. I just focused a lot on my hands the last eight to ten weeks. It feels comfortable. I feel good.” 

Juarez will meet Alec Acuavera of Pittsburg, California, a fellow MMA fighter making his pro boxing debut, on Saturday in Modesto. Acuavera is somewhat of an unknown to the Juarez camp, who have made their preparation more about preparing Juarez rather than focusing on their match-up. 

“I have seen a couple of his fights, just to get an idea,” says Juarez. “But I have just been focused on me and what I am going to do.”

“To be honest, I don’t know anything about him,” admits Perez. “I saw a little video of him in one of his fights, but that is all I know. I believe he’s a little bit taller and probably a little longer. So in our camp, we had some guys that were a little bit taller than Pedro. So that helped with our game plan and what we are going to do, come this Saturday.” 

Juarez will become the first boxer to turn professional out of Oakdale MMA, which opened in 1988. As the first pro out of the boxing program, Juarez is someone the younger aspiring boxers and fighters look up to as they aim to achieve their dreams. 

“We have our amateurs that fight out of here and the kids like to see him and get excited,” explains Perez. “A few of them might even stop him for an autograph and Pedro gets a kick out of that. I told him, ‘You are inspiring kids and you have to use that platform so they can see that they can do this too.’ He definitely is inspiring them and sometimes he will even work out with some of the amateurs that are getting ready to compete. He’s definitely an inspiration at the gym.” 

Juarez plans on scoring a victory in his pro boxing debut this weekend and carrying that momentum into an MMA bout on November 15th in Wheatland, California. Should he come out unscathed in those bouts, Perez hopes Juarez can return to the boxing ring before the end of December. It is an ambitious plan, but Juarez seems ready to take on the challenge, beginning with Acuavera this Saturday in Modesto in a fight that takes place at the same venue of his biggest MMA victory in 2019. 

“I am excited to be going back to my first sport, because boxing is the first sport that I ever did,” says Juarez. “I am a boxer at heart. Doing a pro fight, that is always something that I wanted to do anyway. Now that the opportunity came, I jumped on it. I am excited to go out there and represent my team, the Last Stand Fight Team and Oakdale MMA.” 

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

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA – World ranked lightweight contender Gabriel Flores Jr. continued his run of success fighting at home, scoring a one-sided eight-round unanimous decision over journeyman Dennis Contreras at the Adventist Health Arena on Saturday night. 

Flores (24-2, 8 KOs) of Stockton utilized his superior boxing skills, giving Contreras (24-14-1, 22 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico angles and movement that the Mexican struggled to combat. Contreras was much more straightforward with his offense and had to sell out to get in close enough to land on the more elusive Flores. 

In the fifth, Flores, 134.6, pressured Contreras, 136.6, to the ropes and began to double up on stiff left hands. By leaning against the ropes, Contreras appeared to try to goad Flores into creating an opening, but if that was his plan it proved to be fruitless. 

Flores stood more flatfooted in stretches during the sixth, providing the home crowd with some excitement as he stood and traded headshots with Contreras early in the round. Contreras, whose power did not appear to carry up to the lightweight division, landed clean with several upstairs, but Flores walked through them and landed more of his own. 

Contreras kept coming forward as the fight moved into the final two rounds, but Flores was too clever for his Mexican adversary, picking his openings and moving away from counters. Flores sat down on his punches in the final rounds, but could not stop his forward-moving opponent in his tracks. Contreras was moving on less steady footing than earlier in the fight, but kept trying his best as the final bell rang. 

Judge Melissa McMorrow scored the bout 79-73, while judges Rey Danseco and Kermit Bayliss both scored the eight-rounder a shutout, 80-72. 

After the bout, Flores, the WBA #11 ranked lightweight, told ringside interviewer Aliyah Orozco that he hoped to land a top ten opponent in his next bout. 

Fighting days after his hometown was affected by Hurricane Milton, Dominique Francis (16-0, 10 KOs) of Opa-Locka, Florida scored a dominant fourth-round knockout of previously beaten Julio Carrera (18-1-1, 14 KOs) of Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico. 

Francis, 130.8, was the classier boxer and exploited the holes in the game of Carrera, 130.8, from the outset of the bout. Once Francis found Carrera’s body, the writing was on the wall. Late in the fourth, Francis landed a clean left to the body that was the damaging blow which ultimately led to the fight-ending knockdown. Two more shots upstairs and another left downstairs followed, sending Carrera down to a knee. With referee Michael Margado counting, Carrera made no effort in returning to his feet. Margado reached the count of ten for the stoppage at the time of 2:21 in round four. 

In an entertaining back-and-forth scrap, Jessie James Guerrero (4-0-3, 2 KOs) of Gilroy, California and Bryan Santiago (1-1-2) of Weslaco, Texas fought to a six-round split decision draw. 

Guerrero, 112.8, had more technique and speed, but Santiago, 114, applied relentless pressure throughout as each fighter had their moments of success. Guerrero was at his best when he could keep Santiago at arm’s length and use his jab and combinations to prevent Santiago from finding his way inside. Santiago was effective at times with his free-swinging style from the outside or when he got rough on the way inside. 

With several rounds difficult to score, judge Melissa McMorrow scored the bout 58-56 for Santiago, while judge Kermit Bayliss scored the fight the other way, 58-56 for Guerrero and judge Ray Danseco had the even card, 57-57, forcing the draw. 

Rising super flyweight Andrew Rodriguez (5-0, 1 KO) of Salinas, California scored a one-sided four-round unanimous decision over an overmatched Marcelino Rangel (1-1) of Toledo, Ohio. 

Rangel, 114.6, began round two motivated and after some gesturing to the crowd, landed clean with a couple right hands. Rodriguez, 114, soon found his range again and began doubling up his left hand to Rangel’s body and head. With Rangel withering from the body shots, Rodriguez kept up the attack, finally downing the Ohio resident with a left near the liver. Rangel rose, but absorbed much punishment along the ropes as the round came to a close. 

Rodriguez continued to damage Rangel to the body in the third, creating openings to land upstairs. Referee Michael Margado kept a close look, but Rangel managed to last the round. Margado ushered Rangel over to ringside physician Gary Furness to start the fourth, but the fight continued. Rodriguez continued to land from the outside, where the shorter Rangel had no ability to land in retort. Despite taking heavy punishment, Rangel lasted until the final bell. All three judges scored the bout a shutout, 40-35, for Rodriguez. 

Super bantamweight prospect Kyle Lacanlale (2-0, 2 KOs) of San Ramon, California pounded away at Ricardo Antonio Luna (0-2) of Glendale, California by way of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico en route to a third-round stoppage. 

Lacanlale, 122.6, punished Luna, 124.8, to the head and body for the entirety of the contest. Lacanlale landed in combination, often doubling on his left or mixing in his right. Luna started aggressively in the second round, but Lacanlale quickly made him pay for the openings his offensive outburst created. Lacanlale then continued the onslaught in the third. Eventually three unanswered overhand rights prompted referee Michael Margado to call a halt to the bout at :53 of round three.

Multi-combat sport star Jennah Creason (2-0) of Visalia, California bested her much larger short-notice opponent Seta Vatuvei (0-3) of Hayward, California via four-round technical decision. 

Creason, 148.8, was the faster and more accurate puncher throughout the bout. Vatuvei, 154.8, wound up cut from an accidental head clash in the opening round. By the second round, the blood was running freely and Creason was starting to overwhelm Vatuvei in spots with her output. The trend continued in the third round, with referee Edward Collantes and ringside physician Gary Furness each keeping a keen eye on the cut. Three seconds officially into round four, Furness recommended the fight end and it went to the scorecards. All four judges scored the shutout for Creason, 40-36

Former amateur standout Steve Canela (1-0) of San Jose, California was tested and passed, scoring a four-round unanimous decision over a game David Music (0-1) of Findlay, Ohio. 

Canela, 136.2, turned up the aggression in the second round, as his right hand began to find a home upstairs. Music, 136.8, bounced back to have his moments in round three and got off to a solid start in round four, before Canela turned the fight back in his direction. Canela began landing some clean power punches in succession late in the round. By the end, Music’s nose was bloodied, but he kept coming. All three judges were in agreement on a shutout for Canela, 40-36. 

In the opening bout, Tatiana Almaraz (1-4) of Concord, California by way of Guatemala City, Guatemala moved into the win column with a four-round unanimous decision victory over Vicky Zhao (0-1) of Capitola, California by way of Chongqing, China. 

Almaraz, 110.6, appeared to be the more powerful of the two fighters, but Zhao, 108.8, was willing to trade all through the fight. After four competitive rounds, judge Ray Danseco scored the bout 39-37, while judges Kermit Bayliss and Melissa McMorrow scored the bout a shutout, 40-36, all for Almaraz. 

Photo by Julio C. Sanchez/G-Squad Entertainment

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA – Local favorite Gabriel Flores Jr. continues his busy year of defending his home turf tomorrow night as he takes on Dennis Contreras in the eight-round lightweight main event of an eight-bout card at Adventist Health Arena. Fighters on the card, dubbed “Nightmare in the Arena,” weighed-in Friday morning at the host venue. 

Flores (24-2, 8 KOs) of Stockton is back indoors at the venue where he will be competing for the third time in his last four bouts. Last time out, Flores, an excellent ticket seller in his hometown, scored an eight-round unanimous decision over tough Ronal Ron at the open air Banner Island Ballpark that sits a few steps down from the arena. Despite some fairly wide scores in his favor, Flores was challenged in the bout by Ron, who gave a solid account of himself. Flores, the WBA #11 ranked lightweight, will be fighting for the third time under the G-Squad Entertainment banner, as he and his father-promoter Gabe Flores Sr. chart their course towards bigger and better game, while creating some excitement at home. Flores came in just under the contracted weight at 134.6-pounds on Friday. 

Contreras (24-14-1, 22 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico enters the bout with an eye-catching knockout to win ratio, but he will be coming up in weight to the 135-pound lightweight division for the first time in his career. Contreras has fought as low as 118-pounds and only recently moved up to 130-pounds from featherweight three fights back. In his first bout at super featherweight, Contreras was stopped by Michael Magnesi in a failed bid for the lightly regarded IBO title in 2022. Contreras failed to make the contracted weight, coming in 1.6-pounds over at 136.6-pounds. As of press time, Contreras was attempting to drop the extra poundage. 

In the co-feature, Dominique Francis (15-0, 9 KOs) of Opa-Locka, Florida will take on fellow unbeaten Julio Carrera (18-0-1, 14 KOs) of Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico in an eight-round super featherweight bout. 

Francis, whose hometown was affected by Hurricane Milton this week, has been well-traveled for a 23-year-old U.S.-based prospect, having competed in Mexico, Argentina and Colombia in his last five bouts. Two fights back, in a bout internationally-televised by TyC Sports, Francis showed his resiliency and ring smarts, surviving a knockdown early in the ninth round of a bout he was winning handily on the cards en route to a ten-round unanimous decision over Argentinian Braian Ariel Arguello in Argentina. On the other hand, Carrera has fought his career entirely in his native Mexico and his one small step-up opponent, Nazario Castro Nieblas, accounts for the draw on his ledger. Francis and Carrera both scaled in at 130.8-pounds. 

Returning to Stockton, super flyweight prospect Andrew Rodriguez (4-0, 1 KO) of Salinas, California will meet Marcelino Rangel (1-0) of Toledo, Ohio in a four-rounder. The 21-year-old Rodriguez was matched with tough Alejandro Robles and dealt with a bad cut between his eyes, but scored the decision win in an entertaining U.S. debut at Banner Island Ballpark in July. Rangel turned professional in May with a four-round unanimous decision in Fostoria, Ohio. Rodriguez made 114-pounds, while Rangel weighed-in at 114.6-pounds. 

In a six-round super flyweight bout, Jessie James Guerrero (4-0-2, 2 KOs) of Gilroy, California returns to the ring for the first time since the birth of his first-born daughter as he takes on rugged Bryan Santiago (1-1-1) of Weslaco, Texas. Guerrero, who was last in the ring in March, scoring three knockdowns en route to a second-round knockout at this same venue in Stockton, came in at 112.8-pounds. Santiago, who engaged in two crowd-pleasing brawls with Ricardo Castillo in Hidalgo, Texas this year, winning the first and ending up with a draw in the second, made 114-pounds. 

Making his long awaited professional debut, former amateur standout Steve Canela of San Jose, California will take on debuting David Music of Findlay, Ohio in a four-round lightweight bout. Canela had been slated to debut on the last G-Squad Entertainment card in July, but the California State Athletic Commission would not approve his short notice opponent due to having fought the week prior. Canela did end up fighting that night, but in an exhibition. Canela came in at 136.2, while Music scaled 136.8-pounds. 

Multi-combat sport star Jennah Creason (1-0) of Visalia, California meets tough Seta Vatuvei (0-2) of Hayward, California in a four-round junior middleweight bout. Creason, who has had many potential opponents drop out after researching her accomplishments, moved up in weight to make the fight happen Saturday. Vatuvei has not shied away from tough competition in her brief pro career, having taken on well-regarded former amateur standouts in every fight thus far. Creason stayed closer to her normal fighting weight at 148.8-pounds, while Vatuvei came in at 154.8-pounds on Friday. 

Vicky Zhao of Capitola, California by way of Chongqing, China will make her professional debut against Tatiana Almaraz (0-4) of Pittsburg, California by way of Guatemala City, Guatemala in a four-round light flyweight bout. Despite her record, Almaraz, 110.6-pounds, is a very capable fighter that has been matched tough in her career to this point, but should provide a solid test for the debuting Zhao, who scaled 108.8-pounds.

Former amateur standout Kyle Lacanlale (1-0, 1 KO) of San Ramon, California will take on Ricardo Antonio Luna (0-1) of Glendale, California by way of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico in a four-round super bantamweight bout. Lacanlale is fresh off an impressive pro debut in August where he scored a first-round knockout in a bout that lasted one minute. Lacanlale weighed-in at 122.6-pounds, while Luna scaled 124.8-pounds.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Lightweights, 8 Rounds

Flores Jr. 134.6

Contreras 136.6*

Super featherweights, 8 Rounds

Francis 130.8

Carrera 130.8

Super flyweights, 4 Rounds

Rodriguez 114

Rangel 114.6

Super flyweights, 6 Rounds

Guerrero 112.8

Santiago 114

Lightweights, 4 Rounds

Canela 136.2

Music 136.8

Welterweights, 4 Rounds

Creason 148.8

Vatuvei 154.8

Light flyweights, 4 Rounds

Almaraz 110.6

Zhao 108.8

Super bantamweights, 4 Rounds

Lacanlale 122.6

Luna 124.8

*1.6-pounds over contracted weight, attempting to shed weight at press time

Tickets for the event, promoted by G-Squad Entertainment, are available online at Gsquadent.com 

Photo by Julio C. Sanchez/G-Squad Entertainment

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

From the famed fighting clan centered in Gilroy, California, Jessie James Guerrero will return to the ring this coming Saturday night for the first time since beginning his own family with the birth of his daughter Luna this past June. With the newfound inspiration that comes with being a father, Guerrero aims to advance his career as he takes on Bryan Santiago in a six-round super flyweight attraction as part of the Gabriel Flores Jr.-Dennis Contreras card streamed by BLK Prime from the Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, California. 

Guerrero (4-0-2, 4 KOs) was last in the ring in March, scoring a second-round stoppage of Jose Rodriguez Montemayor at the same venue in Stockton. Emotions ran high, as the fight took place on Guerrero’s expecting girlfriend Ariel’s birthday. 

“When I was walking to the ring, I had a little emotion before I was coming out of the tunnel,” recalls Guerrero. “I was just thinking about having a baby and everything. It just hit me. But I was able to hold my emotion once I saw the crowd. Everything changed and I got locked in.”

With the added pressure and motivation to put on a performance, Guerrero did just that. Guerrero would find Rodriguez Montemayor’s sweet spot, dropping him three times in the second round with a punishing body attack to force the stoppage.

“He was a good opponent,” Guerrero says of Rodriguez Montemayor. “It was a good fight. Everything I did in the training camp is what I displayed that night. Everything worked out perfect and everything was set in place.” 

Though the fight only lasted into the second round in March, it was Guerrero’s first scheduled six-rounder. Guerrero, whose pro ledger fails to include two bouts he won as a 16-year-old in Tijuana, Mexico that have yet to be recognized by official record keeper BoxRec, has been moved along by his team, which includes his grandfather Ruben Sr., his dad Ruben Jr. and his uncle, multi-time world champion Robert Guerrero. 

“We all work together and make the best decisions,” says Ruben Sr. of the family operation, which includes five active professional fighting Guerreros, including Robert, who is eyeing a return in the near future, and many respected trainers. “We are a family. That is the way we prepare the boys, as one big family. We take care of my grandsons. My sons learned a lot from me and we are doing the best we can for them. It is their turn now.” 

After a quick return to the ring was ruled out by the California State Athletic Commission, Guerrero turned his focus to his blossoming family as Ariel’s pregnancy wound down. Luna, who was due on Father’s Day, arrived a week earlier. As any parent knows, everything changes once you bring your first born into the world. 

“It is going good,” explains Guerrero of his new family life. “There are just a lot of things to look out for now. It’s not just get up and go. We have to work around our schedules. She is four months old now. It has not been as hard as we thought it would be. We have family and everybody helps out. I stay with her for four or five hours, just me and her, while my lady goes to work. We have our family time together and then I go to the gym and they have their time together.” 

There are so few things in the world that could come close to motivating a man as much as their newborn daughter. “It has put a spark in me,” says Guerrero. “It made me realize that I got a little one to provide for and that is going to look up to me. I know that I want to do the best for her, whatever it takes. It is a lot of emotions, but I am handling it. As long as my family is healthy and I stay healthy, that is all that matters.” 

Having adjusted to family life, Guerrero can resume focus on his promising pro career. For many fighters competing in the lower weight divisions, any time away from the gym could be problematic, as every pound gained has added significance when you need to make 115 or 112-pounds on fight night. Guerrero, still a young pro, seems to have a strong hold on what he needs to do to be on point when it is time to hit the scales on Friday. 

“At first, about a year or two ago, it was easy,” says Guerrero of his ability to rebound from time away from the ring and make weight. “But as I’ve been getting older and my body is changing, I’ve noticed that I go up a few more pounds than I usually had. But it is easy for me to cut the weight. I have a fast metabolism and I do it the smart way. I don’t do it like some of these guys that do it, the last week, where they feel weak. That is not a good way to cut weight at the last minute. I start about two-and-a-half weeks out from the fight. Then I just have the last little bit to cut to get the last pound when it is time to make weight.” 

Guerrero will be dropping down from his last fight in March for his second scheduled six-rounder, this time at the 112-pound flyweight division against Bryan Santiago (1-1-1) of Donna, Texas.  

“He has three fights,” explains Guerrero, as Santiago’s listed record fails to include a July 27th bout in Harlingen, Texas. “I found a third fight. He lost his first fight, won his second fight and then he rematched the kid again and got a draw. I did my research.” 

Guerrero, who will be entering the ring for his ninth pro fight when including the two victories he had in Tijuana not as of yet officially recognized, will have the edge in ring time over Santiago and also feels he has an ace in the hole helping him prepare for his opponent’s style. 

“He’s 21 and I am 20, so he is a year older than me, but I feel like I am the more experienced one coming into the fight. This is my ninth pro fight and he only has three. I think this is his first time being in a six-rounder too. He’s a come forward, pressure fighter. But one of the good things is that one of my buddies, one of the pros in our gym, is a pressure fighter too, so I have been working with him for the whole month.” 

The fighter in camp with Guerrero, helping him prepare most for Santiago, is Angel Luis Cavazos, a bantamweight that won his professional debut on September 21st by first round knockout in Tijuana. 

“Angel fights exactly like [Santiago,”] explains Guerrero. “He comes forward and he’s a pressure fighter. After I saw the video on him, I knew exactly who I needed to work with. And Angel was already getting ready for his pro debut too, so he was in shape and in camp. He started his three weeks before I started my camp.” 

With all the motivation in the world to succeed now, Guerrero is ready to show the world the type of fighter he has become on Saturday night in Stockton.

“It is not going to be the same as the last time I was in Stockton,” says Guerero. “Last time I was a young teenager and now I am a father, so it is completely different. It is going to be a whole different performance, a whole different Jessie James.” 

Tickets for the event, promoted by G-Squad Entertainment, are available online at gsquadent.com

Photo by Trini Guerrero/@trinigphotography

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

LINCOLN, CALIFORNIA – In a highly competitive affair, Alan Sanchez managed to edge out an eight-round majority decision over Salvador Briceño in a battle of two hard-nosed veteran warriors in the main event of a well-matched ten-bout card at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort on Saturday night. 

Both Sanchez (24-6-1, 10 KOs) of Fairfield, California by way of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and Briceño (18-9-1, 11 KOs) of Roseville, California also by way of Guadalajara entered the evening looking for a win after hard-fought decision defeats in their last bouts. Instead of taking on easy get-back opponents, the two Guadalajara-born and locally-based welterweights opted to take on one another with the hopes of jumping back into bigger opportunities with a victory. 

After a feeling-out opening round, Briceño, 146, did well to control the action in round two behind his jab. Sanchez, 146.3, was a bit slower on the draw in the opening rounds, but stayed disciplined on his defense, which made it difficult for Briceño to land clean coming off of his left hand.

The action picked-up in round three, as Sanchez began to open up a bit more, but Briceño stuck with him, ready to counter. Both fighters had their moments in a high output round four. The Guadalajarans also began to show some bravado. Whenever their opponent would land something clean, the recipient would get out of range and then shake their head or hold their forearms out apathetically to signal no damage had been done. 

Briceño was the busier fighter in rounds five and six, mostly with the jab, but with some well-timed right hands as well. Sanchez did not attempt as many punches, but landed a few eye-catching power shots that would end up swaying the judges. 

Sanchez took control in the last quarter of the fight, having his best round to date in the seventh. Sanchez landed several power punches in the last minute that made it one of the easier rounds to score in the fight. Briceño packed his jab away in the eighth, which gave Sanchez free entry in close, where the Fairfield resident let his hands go, unlike early in the fight. 

With his strong close to the bout, Sanchez wound up a majority decision winner, as judge Michael Margado’s 76-76 card was overruled. Judge Brian Tsukamoto scored the bout 77-75, while judge Kru Michael Rinaldi scored the fight a shutout for Sanchez, 80-72. With his victory over known tough out Briceño, Sanchez figures to be in line for a profitable opportunity. 

In the co-main event, Blake McKernan (15-2, 8 KOs) of Sacramento, California continued his march on the comeback trail with a decisive fourth-round knockout of veteran Milton Nunez (40-34-1, 33 KOs) of Miami, Florida by way of Barranquilla, Colombia.

McKernan, 200, who displayed the habit of shaking out his right hand throughout the bout, had little trouble finding the plodding Nunez, 204, who seemed satisfied to cover up and look for one home run shot at a time. McKernan was busier and found great success leading with right hand power punches. 

Late in the third stanza, McKernan landed with a clean left hook that staggered Nunez and had the Colombian leaning on the ropes for much of the remaining time in the round. Early in the fourth, with referee Dan Stell already in close, McKernan landed a left to the body that brought Nunez’s hands down to protect. With the Colombian’s head open, McKernan landed a left upstairs that forced Nunez to a knee. With the trajectory of the bout clear, Stell opted to immediately wave off the bout, without any protest from Nunez. Official time was 1:00 of round four. 

Unbeaten middleweight Victor Guerrero (8-0, 6 KOs) of Morgan Hill, California got off of the canvas early to drop and eventually halt veteran spoiler Moris Rodriguez (8-17-2, 5 KOs) of Sacramento in round four. 

Guerrero, 160, did well to keep the much shorter Rodriguez, 160.3, at bay with his jab for much of the first round. However, Rodriguez did exploit an opening for a lead overhand right that appeared to momentarily bother the unbeaten fighter. Roughly ten seconds into the second round, Rodriguez targeted the same opening, landing a stiff left and an overhand right over Guerrero’s lowered left that dropped the prospect to the seat of his pants. Guerrero reached his knee and took a nine count before action resumed. Guerrero would hold on enough to clear his cobwebs and, despite taking some clean uppercuts and rights, would ultimately land well in the final seconds of the round. 

After allowing Rodriguez in close during the second round, Guerrero found his distance again in the third and took over with his right hand. Rodriguez, fighting for only the second time since the pandemic, may have gassed out a bit going for the stoppage the previous round as well. Seconds into the fourth, Guerrero landed with a left that snapped Rodriguez’s head back and sent him to the ropes. With Rodriguez’s right glove hooked on the ropes, Guerrero unleashed with a flurry that eventually had the Sacramento resident holding on as the action moved around the ring. After a warning from referee Michael Margado, Guerrero clubbed Rodriguez to the mat for a knockdown. When action resumed, Rodriguez opted to trade with Guerrero, actually landing clean with a left, before a right uppercut staggered him along the ropes. Margado did not like what he saw from Rodriguez and called for the stoppage at 1:09 of the fourth round. 

Ruben Torres (6-2-2, 1 KO) of Sacramento and William Davis (3-2-2, 1 KO) of Sacramento failed to settle bragging rights over their hometown, but did not fail to entertain the crowd on hand en route to a six-round majority draw.

Things got hot in round three, as Davis, 145, seemed to hurt Torres, 147, early before the tide turned late in the round. Most of the fight was an even back-and-forth. The southpaw Davis was at his best when he could get distance, fire and move. Torres, the constant pursuer, was most effective when he could cut the ring or force Davis along the ropes. 

By the end of an exciting fight, Torres was bloodied but undeterred as both men fought until the final bell of round six. In the end, the scorecard of judge Brian Tsukamoto read 58-56 for Torres, but was overruled by the cards of judges Dan Stell and Kru Michael Rinaldi, who both had the fight even, 57-57. 

Islam Abdusamadov (4-0, 3 KOs) of Santa Clara, California by way of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia scored a first-round knockdown and weathered some moments in the final act en route to a four-round unanimous decision over Andrew Buchanan (3-2-1, 2 KOs) of Hesperia, California. 

Abdusamadov, 158, and Buchanan, 159, were open to trading leather from the opening bell. During the midst of an exchange about a minute into the fight, Abdusamadov connected with a left that snapped back Buchanan’s head and dropped him to his knees for a knockdown. Buchanan did well to get on his toes and box for the remainder of the round, clearing any cloudiness in the process. 

Abdusamadov was mostly the hunter in rounds two, three and early in round four, while Buchanan remained in boxer mode. Things changed briefly about a minute into the fourth, when a short and clean right on the inside from Buchanan rocked Abdusamadov. Despite being implored by his corner, Buchanan did not really follow-up with urgency and Abusamadov was able to get back to being the pressure fighter in the bout. 

Judges Brian Tsukamoto, Kru Michael Rinaldi and Dan Stell all scored the bout idenitically, 39-37 for Abdusamadov. 

Jamaar Collins (2-0, 2 KOs) of Merced, California took little time in dispatching Cashton Young (3-3-1, 1 KO) of Encino, California by first-round stoppage. Collins, 220, dropped Young, 230, with a left in the midst of an exchange roughly half of a minute into the bout. Young managed to get up and tried to get through the round with his jab. Collins had other things in mind and hurt Young along the ropes. When the punches stopped coming back from Young, referee Dan Stell leaped in to call an end to the fight at 2:19 of round one. 

In a competitive and entertaining bout, Brenda Hernandez Cardenas (2-0, 1 KO) of San Diego, California scored a four-round split decision over tough luck Maribel Guerrero (0-3) of Gilroy, California. 

Many of the rounds were tough to score, especially with only the two minutes to differentiate between the two. Hernandez Cardenas, 116, may have sewn up round two with a head-snapping left near the bell, one of the more telling blows landed in the contest. 

Guerrero, 118, was at her best when she could get distance, box and move. Even when backed to the ropes, Hernandez Cardenas did well in exchanges when Guerrero pressured her in close. In the end, judge Dan Stell scored the bout for Guerrero, 39-37, but was overruled by judges Brian Tsukamoto and Kru Michael Rinaldi, who both had the fight for Hernandez Cardenas, 40-36. 

In a rough-and-tumble affair, Christian Avalos (3-1-2) of Carson City, Nevada used his superior technique to turn back the rugged Luciano Ramos (2-6) of Stockton, California by way of Buenos Aires, Argentina via four-round unanimous decision.

Ramos, 139, did well early to thwart the boxing style of Avalos, 138, while falling back on his MMA background for some inside roughness. Avalos settled down and began to box better from the outside in round two. By round three Avalos took over the bout. 

Judges Michael Margado, Brian Tsukamoto and Kru Michael Rinaldi were all in agreement with a score of 39-37 for Avalos. 

In an action-packed encounter, Alexander Espinoza (23-6-2, 8 KOs) of Sacramento by way of Managua, Nicaragua pounded out a six-round unanimous over tough-as-nails Diuhl Olguin (16-40-7, 10 KOs) of Oak Hills, California. 

Espinoza, 128, just had more gears and facets than Olguin, 126, who has to be one of the better 40-loss fighters of recent times. Olguin kept the pressure, despite getting rocked on a couple of occasions during the bout. 

Judge Kru Michael Rinaldi scored the bout 60-54, while judges Brian Tsukamoto and Michael Margado both had the fight 59-55, all for Espinoza. 

Over two fights and eight rounds, Mario Hernandez (2-1-1) of Sparks, Nevada and Marco Ortiz (1-3, 1 KO) of Red Bluff, California have provided fans in the Sacramento area with non-stop action. For the second time in two fights, it was Hernandez that was declared the victor in the end. 

Hernandez, 175, and Ortiz, 173 ½, each stood their ground and traded throughout the twelve minutes in which they shared the ring on Saturday night. Each had their moments, but Hernandez landed the most eye-catching and head-snapping shots when all totaled. 

All three judges scored the bout 40-36 for Hernandez. In August of last year, Hernandez scored a four-round unanimous decision over Ortiz in an exciting fight in Sacramento. 

Saturday’s event was the first boxing card held at the new Venue at Thunder Valley. Promoter Nasser Niavaroni of Upper Cut Promotions aims to bring boxing back to the venue early next year.

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

By Mario Ortega Jr.

ROSEVILLE, CALIFORNIA – Last week in Las Vegas, Nevada, the fighting pride of Guadalajara, and the most known boxer in all of the world, Canelo Alvarez thrilled all of his supporters, from Mexico and elsewhere, with a dominant performance on the biggest stage in the sport. Tomorrow night, two more of Guadalajara’s fighting sons will battle it out against one another when Salvador Briceño meets Alan Sanchez in the eight-round welterweight main event at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California. Their bout headlines a ten-bout card, dubbed “Thunder Showdown,” the first boxing event held at the new Venue at Thunder Valley. Fighters weighed-in Friday morning at Kickboxing, Inc. in nearby Roseville. 

Briceño (18-8-1, 11 KOs) of Sacramento, California by way of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico has fought a long list of contenders and prospects on even terms, but is still looking for that one landmark victory that could catapult him into a marquee fight. Briceño is looking to rebound from a six-round decision defeat in April to comebacking Jonathan Garcia. Briceño got off of the deck in a thrilling slugfest on that night in Oroville, California, but the loss adds importance to securing a victory over Sanchez on Saturday. 

Sanchez (23-6-1, 10 KOs) of Fairfield, California also by way of Guadalajara fought his way to the main stage back in 2013, coming up short against former world champion Luis Collazo. Sanchez saw a three-fight win streak snapped in his last bout, a closely-contested eight-round unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Louie Lopez on the July undercard of Nate Diaz-Jorge Masvidal in Carson, California. 

Not that Briceño nor Sanchez have ever needed any extra incentive to put on a show for attending fans, given the fact they are both fighting near their adopted hometowns and the stages they are in their careers, the two Mexican warriors figure to lay it all on the line tomorrow night in what should be a memorable eight rounds or less. Briceño weighed-in at 146-pounds, while Sanchez scaled 146.3 on Friday.

In the co-main event, cruiserweight contender Blake McKernan makes a quick return to the ring against Colombian veteran Milton Nunez in a six-round bout.

McKernan (14-2, 7 KOs) of Sacramento, California ended a long layoff on August 3rd with a physician stoppage over Jasper McCargo. McKernan had been out of the ring due to multiple shoulder surgeries and a bout with severe sepsis, which caused organ dysfunction. 

Nunez (40-33-1, 33 KOs) of Miami, Florida by way of Barranquilla, Colombia will be fighting for the fourth time this year, coming off of a eight-round unanimous decision over Eduardo Flores on July 27th. McKernan scaled 200-pounds, while the late arriving Nunez made 204-pounds.

Alexander Espinoza (22-6-2, 8 KOs) of Sacramento by way of Managua, Nicaragua will take on tough-as-nails journeyman Diuhl Olguin (16-39-7, 10 KOs) of Oak Hills, California by way of Guadalajara in a six-round featherweight bout. Espinoza made 128-pounds, while Olguin scaled-in at 126.

Undefeated middleweight prospect Victor Guerrero (7-0, 5 KOs) of Morgan Hill, California will move up to the six-round distance against the most experienced opponent of his young career in Moris Rodriguez (8-16-2, 5 KOs) of Sacramento, California.

Guerrero, nephew of former world champion Robert Guerrero and son of former pro Victor Guerrero Sr., made his U.S. debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Matthew Monroe back in January. Guerrero made 160-pounds even. 

Rodriguez, who turned pro back in May of 2009 when Guerrero was just a few years into attending grade school, has been known to spring an upset on occasion against well-regarded prospects and rarely gets this much notice ahead of his fights. Rodriguez came in at 160.3-pounds. 

Ruben Torres (6-2-1, 1 KO) of Sacramento will take on William Davis (3-2-1, 1 KO) of Sacramento in an intriguing six-round welterweight bout. Torres last was in the ring in July, edging out a close six-round decision over tough Xavier Madrid in Modesto, California. Davis notched a decisive four-round decision over Miguel Soto-Garcia in Sacramento in August. Torres scaled 147-pounds, while Davis was 145 on Friday.  

Islam Abdusamadov (3-0, 2 KOs) of Santa Clara, California by way of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia steps up his competition against Andrew Buchanan (3-1-1, 2 KOs) of Hesperia, California in a four-round middleweight bout. 

Abdusamadov, who came in at 158-pounds, is coming off of his most dominant victory, a first-round stoppage of normally durable Matthew Monroe just last month.

Buchanan, weighing-in at 159-pounds, has already been the six-round distance twice in his young pro career. Only prospect George Liddard has been able to get one over the Hesperia resident, which came in the form of a six-round unanimous decision.

Maribel Guerrero (0-2) of the famed fighting Guerrero family out of Gilroy, California, will take on unbeaten Brenda Hernandez Cardenas (1-0, 1 KO) of San Diego, California in a four-round bantamweight bout.

Guerrero has taken on tough competition early in her career. In her last bout, Guerrero and unbeaten Iris Contreras put on a show back in April. After four rounds, Contreras had edged out the fight on the cards. Guerrero weighed-in at 118-pounds on Friday. 

Hernandez Cardenas turned pro back in May after an amateur career that included some national tournament experience. Hernandez Cardenas, who scaled 116-pounds on Friday, scored a first-round stoppage over Jazmin Contreras in just over a minute into her debut. 

In a light heavyweight rematch, Mario Hernandez (1-1-1) of Sparks, Nevada will aim to make it two-for-two against Marco Ortiz (1-2, 1 KO) of Red Bluff, California in a four-rounder.

In August of last year, Hernandez scored a four-round unanimous decision over Ortiz in an exciting fight in Sacramento. Ortiz has fought only one other opponent in his three pro fights thus far, but hopes a trend will continue on Saturday. Ortiz was last seen avenging his other defeat by way of knockout over Matthew Monroe in April. 

Hernandez, who made 175-pounds on Friday, is coming off of a four-round unanimous draw with undefeated Jaime Cerna last November. Ortiz, the shorter man again, made 173 ½-pounds. 

All-action lightweight Christian Avalos (2-1-2) of Carson City, Nevada returns to Northern California to take on rugged Luciano Ramos (2-5) of Stockton, California by way of Buenos Aires, Argentina in a four-round light welterweight bout.

Avalos moved up to the six-round distance in his last fight, getting the nod over Pedro Angel Cruz in an entertaining back-and-forth slugfest by unanimous decision in Oroville, California this past April. Avalos scaled-in at 138-pounds on Friday.

Ramos, also a veteran of 20 MMA bouts, trains out of the Nick Diaz Academy in Stockton. Ramos and Avalos have one common opponent, Mark Salgado. Ramos defeated Salgado by split decision in January 2022. Avalos fought Salgado twice and both memorable bouts ended in draws in May and August of 2023. Ramos made 139-pounds on Friday.

Jamaar Collins (1-0, 1 KO) of Merced, California will take on Cashton Young (3-2-1, 1 KO) of Encino, in a four-round heavyweight bout. Collins turned professional with a quick first-round kayo of Herman Hodnett in Sacramento in August. Young has fought once since 2018, a four-round decision win in January of 2003 that was later changed to a no contest. The solid Collins came in at 220-pounds, while Young was ten pounds heavier at 230.

Quick Weigh-in Results: 

Welterweights, 8 Rounds

Briceño 146

Sanchez 146.3

Cruiserweights, 6 Rounds

McKernan 200 

Nunez 204

Featherweights, 6 Rounds

Espinoza 128

Olguin 126

Middleweights, 6 Rounds 

Guerrero 160

Rodriguez 160.3 

Welterweights, 6 Rounds

Torres 147

Davis 145

Middleweights, 4 Rounds

Abdusamadov 158

Buchanan 159

Bantamweights, 4 Rounds

Guerrero 118

Cardenas Hernandez 116 

Light heavyweights, 4 Rounds

Hernandez 175

Ortiz 173 1/2

Light welterweights, 4 Rounds

Avalos 138

Ramos 139

Heavyweights, 4 Rounds

Collins 220

Young 230

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

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

One of the more sprawling fighting families will be well represented when professional boxing debuts at the new indoor venue at Thunder Valley Resort Casino in Lincoln, California this coming Saturday night. Gilroy, California’s Guerrero family, helmed by Ruben Guerrero Sr., has produced one world champion and eventual hall of famer and many more professional and amateur standouts, almost too numerous to tally. Two of the five active pros currently representing the Guerrero clan will appear in Lincoln on Saturday: Victor and his cousin Maribel. The unbeaten Victor Guerrero moves up in class and scheduled distance when he takes on veteran Moris Rodriguez in a six-round middleweight attraction. 

Victor Guerrero (7-0, 5 KOs) is the grandson of Ruben Sr. and son of Victor Sr., known in the family as “Big Vic,” a former professional fighter himself, who trains his son. While the Guerreros have their roots in Gilroy, the family business has expanded to other parts of California as well as Las Vegas, Nevada, where Victor spends most of his camps. 

“Whenever I go out to California, I live in Morgan Hill, which is about ten minutes from Gilroy, my grandpa Ruben has a gym in downtown Gilroy, so I always go by there and train there,” explains Victor. “My uncle Russell also has a gym out in Galt, which isn’t too far from Sac. So whenever I am out there in Sac, they are telling me to come by there and train. But for the most part, I have been training out here in Vegas, getting that good work. There’s a boxing gym on almost every corner in Vegas. It is the boxing capital of the world. The best of the best train here and I am very thankful that I get to train here in Vegas too.” 

“We all work together,” says Ruben Sr., who helps put the finishing touches on Victor’s camp when he arrives in California, as well as leads the corner on fight night. “We put everything together. We are a family. That is the way we prepare the boys, as one big family. We take care of my grandsons. My sons learned a lot from me and we are doing the best we can for them. It is their turn now.” 

Thus far, the decisions the Guerreros have made in preparation have led to an undefeated run for 25-year-old Victor, who made his U.S. debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Matthew Monroe in Sacramento in January. The original plan was for Victor to return in April, against Moris Rodriguez, his scheduled opponent this Saturday, before a right shoulder injury postponed the bout. The delayed start only gave Victor more time to prepare for his veteran opponent and the six-round distance.  

“We just have to be in better shape, because we are fighting six rounds, but he’s always in shape,” explains Ruben Sr. “He just has to do what he’s got to do. Go in there focused and he’s super ready because he’s been preparing for a while. His last fight got canceled, so we moved it up a month-and-a-half and he’s ready.”

Rodriguez (8-16-2, 5 KOs) of Sacramento, California has made a career out of derailing promising young fighters and hanging tough with others, more often than not on short notice. This time however, Rodriguez, who turned pro when Victor was only a few years into grade school, will have had months to prepare for Guerrero. Despite the experience gap, the young Guerrero is confident he is ready for whatever Rodriguez throws at him. 

“He is a veteran,” recognizes Victor. “He likes to come forward and box on the inside. He has a couple more fights than me, well actually a lot more fights, but I have done my training. I’ve checked all the boxes and come Saturday night, I am ready with a game plan. I’ve sparred the right guys for him, so I’ll be set.” 

“He’s a good little fighter,” says Ruben of Rodriguez. “I see my grandson Victor on a different level. He’s going to be ready and these are the kinds of guys that we want. He’s tough, but Victor is in shape and shouldn’t have a problem with this guy. Whoever they put in front of us, we are ready. We are not picking and choosing the fighters. If he fights tougher fighters, it is better for him. That is how he is going to learn.” 

Aiding in Guerrero’s confidence may be his size advantage. Rodriguez turned pro as a lightweight and was a welterweight before the pandemic, having fought just once as a middleweight in his last bout, a six-round draw against Cristian Cabral last November.

“I am 6’3” and I have seen he’s about 5’9” and I am definitely going to have the reach, the height and the weight,” says Victor. “He’s coming up, so I think I have all the advantages, so that is in my favor as well.” 

Despite his size advantage, and given the quality of his opponent, Victor will not go looking for a knockout on Saturday night.  

“We’ll see Saturday night,” says Guerrero of the potential outcome. “I don’t like to predict knockouts or anything like that. I just let the fight come to me. I don’t look for the knockout right away. I just let the fight happen. If it is six or just two or three rounds, I am prepared for whatever comes.” 

Prior to his fight, Victor will have an ear out for how his cousin Maribel, who fights unbeaten Brenda Hernandez Cardenas earlier in the night, fares in her bout.  

“It gets me pumped up for my fight, watching her fight go down,” explains Victor. “I’ll probably be in the back, stretching, getting warmed up and focused for my fight, but I will definitely have someone watching to let me know how she is doing. I just have to stay locked in for my fight as well.” 

While they will be fighting on a card together for the first time, Victor does not expect the unique situation to add any nerves come fight night. The Guerreros are fighters by blood and having his cousin Maribel go out before he does only adds to the night for Victor. 

“We’ve trained together in the past and it adds a little excitement,” explains Victor. “She is going to fight before me. We’ve both been training extremely hard, so we will both be ready for our fights. We are going to put on a show on Saturday night.”  

Should things go according to plan on Saturday, Victor hopes to get right back in the ring and continue his upward trajectory. However, he understands the challenge in front of him this weekend and refuses to get ahead of himself. 

“After this fight, I am seeking to get back into the ring right away,” says Victor. “Hopefully one more fight at the end of the year and then get an early fight at the start of next year as well. I am going to stay in the gym and try to stay active as much as I can. Especially being at this young age that I am, I want to take full advantage of that. We’ll see what happens. Hopefully we can line up a bigger name or make it onto a bigger card. I like to take it one fight at a time. My focus is Moris Rodriguez, this Saturday, September 21st. I am locked in for that first, and whatever happens after, happens.” 

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

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

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 [email protected] 

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 [email protected] 

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – Once one of the greatest sporting towns in all of the country, in just over a month’s time, “The Town” will no longer field a team in any of the three major sports leagues. All three Oakland franchises, world champions many times over, have left a void on the green pages of the local newspaper and in the hearts of many local sports fans. Once upon a time, professional boxing served as perhaps the fourth major sport in town. This Saturday night at the Oakland Marriott City Center, well-regarded middleweight prospect Amari Jones, Oakland-born, aims to take his first steps in rebranding his hometown as a fight town when he takes on veteran Daniel Echeverria in the eight-round main event of “Showdown in the Town.” 

As late as the 1960’s, monthly pro boxing events were held in either the Oakland Coliseum or Oakland Auditorium. When Andre Ward made his Oakland debut as a professional by claiming his first world championship over Mikkel Kessler in November 2009, it began a nine-year run of big time fights in town, making the former Olympic gold medalist essentially the fourth major sporting franchise across the bridge from San Francisco. Since Ward’s last hometown card in 2016, just one event has been held in Oakland, taking place in 2018.

Should Saturday’s event be a success, promoters will surely look to bring the sweet science back to prominence in the region. Much of that, however, will hinge on Jones; how he draws and how he performs. Thus far, Jones has performed at every turn, garnering praise from many fight prognosticators both locally and nationally. 

Jones (12-0, 11 KOs) was last seen making his New York debut in April, stopping previously once-beaten Armel Mbumba-Yassa in the sixth-round while winning every round on the cards to that point in the fight. Last December, Jones, who trains out of the Lion’s Den Boxing Gym in Pittsburg, made his Bay Area debut with a dominant fifth-round kayo of rugged Quilisto Madera at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Jones was the first to the scale on Friday afternoon, scaling 160-pounds even.

Attempting to spoil the homecoming party will be veteran Daniel Echeverria (21-12, 18 KOs) of Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico. “Tocado” has been fighting professionally since 2012, debuting as a junior welterweight before gradually moving up the scale over the following twelve years. Notable names on his resume include Jorge Paez Jr., Carlos Ocampo and Egidijus Kavaliauskas. Echevarria came up short in those step-up bouts. The Mexican native also came up short when it came to making the contracted 161-pounds on Friday. After scaling one-half-of-a-pound over, Echeverria made a brief attempt at dropping the extra weight, but soon opted for the fine instead. 

In the co-main event, Gabriel Garcia (10-0, 6 KOs) of Antioch, California will take on Giovanni Gutierrez (11-9-1, 6 KOs of Tipitapa, Managua, Nicaragua in a six-round super featherweight bout. Garcia, a Lion’s Den gym mate of Jones, made the move to fighting in the United States last year, after beginning his pro run in Mexico, with two six-round decisions in California and Nevada respectively. Gutierrez has struggled since making his move to campaigning in the United States, while also being matched against undefeated fighters in six of his last seven contests. Garcia scaled 129.1-pounds, while Gutierrez made 129-even. 

In an intriguing six-round light heavyweight bout, “Sugar” Suray Mahmutovic (6-1-1, 6 KOs) of Daly City, California returns to the ring after a year away to take on veteran puncher Anthony Hollaway (7-6-3, 6 KOs) of Peoria, Illinois. Mahmutovic is looking to rebound from his only defeat, a hard-fought majority decision loss to then-unbeaten prospect Sonny McEwen in May of last year. McEwen is a then-unbeaten prospect because he ran into Hollaway this past March. In a rematch of a January 2023 bout in which Hollaway dropped McEwen, but settled for a six-round unanimous defeat, the Peoria fighter stopped McEwen in under two rounds. Mahmutovic weighed in at 177.1-pounds, while Hollaway made 178-even. 

In a four-round junior welterweight bout that may rival the Mahmutovic-Hollaway clash for fight of the night honors when the night is over, Tony Hirsch Jr. (3-0-2, 3 KOs) of Oakland will take on rugged David Reyes Jr. (3-1-1, 2 KOs) of Fresno, California. Hirsch, son of longtime middleweight spoiler Tony Hirsch, will be fighting at home for the first time as a professional. Reyes, a tough choice opponent for a hometown debut, has gone unbeaten since a close defeat to Pedro Angel Cruz in his first pro fight in May of last year. Hirsch and Reyes weighed-in identically at 138.5-pounds.  

Making his highly anticipated professional debut, Concord, California’s Braulio Ceja Navarro will meet Jaycee King (0-1) of Sacramento, California in a four-round lightweight bout. The 19-year-old Navarro, fighting out of the Lion’s Den Boxing Gym, weighed-in at 132-pounds. King, who just turned professional on August 1st, dropping a decision to Dorrel Fore Jr., also made 132-pounds on the nose. 

In another long awaited pro debut, Kyle Lacanlale of San Ramon, California will take on Michael Hernandez (0-3) of Banning, California in a four-round featherweight bout. Lacanlale, who now has former world middleweight champion James Page joining his father Lyndon Lacanlale in training him, made 126.5-pounds. Hernandez, yet to see the final bell as a pro, scaled 122.5-pounds. 

Alton Wiggins (0-1) of Modesto, California will take on replacement opponent Henry Rivera (2-7, 1 KO) of Las Vegas, Nevada in a four-round middleweight bout. Wiggins, born town over in Berkeley, and the Oakland-born Rivera, both scaled 158.2-pounds on Friday afternoon. 

Making his much looked-forward-to professional debut, tattoo artist and former California Golden Gloves champion Marcos Antonio Perez of Brentwood, California takes on tough assignment Ebert Diaz (1-1-1, 1 KO) of Richmond, California in what should be an entertaining four-round welterweight fight. The Oakland-born Perez, also known as “Smokey P,” weighed-in at 144-pounds. Diaz, a frequent sparring partner of lightweight prospect Manuel Jaimes, made 143.5-pounds. 

Stanford University student and undefeated boxer Dante Kirkman (1-0) of Palo Alto, California takes on unorthodox Miguel Soto-Garcia (1-3) of Fresno by way of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico in a four-round light middleweight bout. Kirkman, a decorated former amateur trained by the well-respected Eddie Croft, came in at 153-pounds. Soto-Garcia, up ten pounds from his last bout just 28 days ago, scaled 152.5-pounds on Friday. 

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Middleweights, 8 Rounds

Jones 160

Echeverria 161.5*

Super featherweights, 6 Rounds

Garcia 129.1

Gutierrez 129

Light heavyweights, 6 Rounds

Mahmutovic 177.1

Hollaway 178

Light welterweights, 4 Rounds

Hirsch Jr. 138.5

Reyes Jr. 138.5

Lightweights, 4 Rounds

Ceja Navarro 132

King 132

Featherweights, 4 Rounds

Lacanlale 126.5

Hernandez 122.5

Welterweights, 4 Rounds

Wiggins 158.2

Rivera 158.2

Welterweights, 4 Rounds

Perez 144

Diaz 143.5

Light middleweights, 4 Rounds

Kirkman 153

Soto-Garcia 152.5

*Echeverria .5 pounds over contracted weight. After brief attempt at shedding excess, opted for a fine instead. 

Tickets for the event, promoted by Lion’s Den Boxing Promotions and Upper Cut Promotions, are available online at uppercutpro.com or at the door on Saturday night. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

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 [email protected] 

By Mario Ortega Jr.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – Back in his home venue having recently conquered Vegas, budding lightweight attraction Adrian Torres will step-up against former world title challenger Ardin Diale in the six-round main event at the Four Points by Sheraton on Saturday night. Fighters for the six-bout card weighed-in at the host venue on Friday morning. 

Torres (8-0, 6 KOs) of Chula Vista, California by way Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico was last seen going the six-round distance for the first time in a unanimous decision victory in the opening bout of the Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia card this past May at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Prior to the May fight, six of Torres’ seven pro bouts had taken place before a hometown crowd in the the Four Points by Sheraton ring, with the lone exception taking place in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.

By contrast, Diale (35-19-4, 17 KOs) of La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines has participated in 20 bouts scheduled for the twelve-round distance. Among those contests, Diale unsuccessfully challenged Julio Cesar Miranda for the WBO flyweight title back in February of 2011, losing by fourth-round stoppage. Torres, who has fought all, but two of his pro bouts at the Four Points by Sheraton, scaled 134.6-pounds. Diale, who has fought in the same number of countries as Vargas has fights, made 133.6-pounds.

Adrian Vargas (13-0-1, 8 KOs) of National City, California returns to the ring from nearly a nine-year layoff to take on Jose Belloso (5-4, 5 KOs) of Carson, California in a six-round welterweight bout. 

Vargas, returning from taking a long break from the sport, looked in great shape as he scaled 146-pounds. Belloso, who sprung an upset knockout in his last fight in June, also scaled 146-even. 

In what has fight of the night potential, Diego Luna (3-1-1, 3 KOs) of San Diego takes on tough journeyman Pedro Pinillo (5-8, 5 KOs) of Cali, Colombia in a four-round light welterweight bout. 

All eight of Pinillo’s defeats have come against undefeated fighters, whose records combined stood at 38-0-1 at the time of their bouts. Luna, who scaled 138.8, returned to the win column in his last bout after suffering a one-point decision defeat to undefeated Adrian Boler at this venue in March. Pinillo, who fought an exhibition in Stockton, California on June 20th, which was made such because he had just fought one week prior, came in at 138.2-pounds. 

Local favorite Jose Chollet (3-1, 2 KOs) of San Diego looks to rebound from his sole career defeat as he takes on Genesis Wynn (2-5, 1 KO) of Los Angeles, California in a four-round light welterweight bout. Chollet scaled 143.6-pounds, while Wynn came in at 143-even. 

Matthew Jacinto (1-0, 1 KO) of El Cajon, California makes his U.S. debut against veteran Victor Saravia (1-4-2, 1 KO) of North Hollywood, California in a four-round super featherweight bout. Jacinto, who turned pro in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico two months back, scaled 129.2-pounds. Saravilla, also a veteran of professional kickboxing and Muay Thai, made 129.6. 

Andy Ramirez (5-0, 4 KOs) of Ensenada by way of Denver, Colorado makes his U.S. debut in the opener against veteran M.J. Bo (9-8-2, 5 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines in a four-round super featherweight bout. Ramirez, U.S.-born and Mexico-raised, weighed-in at 125.8-pounds. Bo, fighting for the fourth time since relocating to the U.S., scaled 124.6-pounds. 

Any remaining tickets for the event, promoted by Borizteca Boxing, No Boxing No Life and Clase Y Talento Boxeo, will be made available at the door. 

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Lightweights, 6 Rounds

Torres 134.6

Diale 133.6

Welterweights, 6 Rounds

Vargas 146

Belloso 146

Light welterweights, 4 Rounds 

Luna 138.8

Pinillo 138.2

Welterweights, 4 Rounds

Chollet 143.6

Wynn 143

Super featherweights, 4 Rounds

Jacinto 129.2

Saravilla 129.6

Featherweights, 4 Rounds

Ramirez 125.8

Bo 124.6

Mario Ortega Jr. can be contacted at [email protected] 

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

Good things come to those who wait, or so they say. Aspiring super bantamweight Kyle Lacanlale is hoping to prove that saying true when he finally steps into the squared circle for the first time as a professional next Saturday, August 31st, in a scheduled four-rounder at the Oakland Marriott City Center in Oakland, California. The bout, with an opponent agreed to, but not yet signed as of press time, will serve as one of the special attractions in support of Amari Jones’ hometown debut against Daniel Echevarria. For Lacanlale, it is an event roughly fourteen-years in the making.

Lacanlale, born in San Mateo, California and residing in nearby San Ramon, first found the sport of boxing at the young age of six-years-old. Like many boys his age, Lacanlale was inexhaustible, which led his parents to steer their young son towards athletics. 

“Originally I played basketball when I was little and I was just a super energetic kid,” explains Lacanlale. “There was a boxing gym down from where I lived, so they wanted me to go and burn that extra energy. I was excelling by the time I was eight, so they wanted me to start competing. I had my first fight a month after I turned eight-years-old and I fell in love with the sport. Since then I have been competing and growing at every level.” 

Lacanlale found boxing at a time when the most popular fighter in the world was a fellow Filipino and the San Francisco Bay Area boasted three incredible representatives at the highest level. Lacanlale became a student of the game at a very young age and took note that men very much like himself were succeeding in the sport he was growing to love. Now that he is turning professional, Lacanlale is ready to carry on the tradition and represent his heritage and region in the example set before. 

“I am Filipino, so I grew up watching Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire. Their exciting styles is something that drew me into the sport. Andre Ward, being local, helped me out a lot in getting into the game as a fighter. He’s dropped a lot of knowledge and still does. So picking things from their styles and adding it into my game, as well as listening to their past experiences, are some things that have really helped me out. Andre Ward, Robert Guerrero, Nonito Donaire, James Page…I grew up on those fighters. Just to have my moment to be able to turn pro and to represent the Bay Area and my culture, it is special to me.” 

Lacanlale, much like Guerrero, Donaire and Ward before him, excelled as an amateur during a long career that he began at a very young age. 

“I won a national title early on when I was really young,” explains Lacanlale. “Then I took a break and once I came back in, I became ranked in the 119-pound division and beat multiple national champions in national tournaments. I think I established myself as one of the top fighters in those divisions.” 

In June of last year, Lacanlale made a second consecutive appearance at the U.S. National Championships in Lubbock, Texas. After scoring a decision win in his first bout, Lacanlale came up short via three-round split decision in the next round two days later. With success in national tournaments, Lacanlale had designs on qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team, but a training injury scuttled those plans. Soon after, Kyle and his father Lyndon made the decision to shift focus to the paid ranks, first eyeing a potential November 2023 debut. 

“Since last November, we have been trying to get a fight,” explains Lacanlale. “We’ve tried everything, from going to L.A., to going up north, and some things just haven’t worked out. Some fights fell through and some opponents pulled out.I just stay in the gym and stay focused and it just has given me more time to stay sharp. It has just been like one, long camp. I have been having fun, continuing to get sharper.” 

Since the last couple years of his amateur run, Lacanlale has fought out of Benjamin’s Boxing, owned and operated by Ali Benjamin, in his hometown of San Ramon. Over the last few months, Lacanlale has spent time working with former world middleweight champion James Page, who has taken to training out of the Lion’s Den Boxing Gym in nearby Pittsburg, California. 

“[James Page’s] experience from when he was a fighter, he definitely uses that and pushes me,” says Lacanlale. “His work ethic is there and he’s telling me the things he wishes he could have done. So now I am just implementing that and it has worked out well so far. My pops has been training me out of Ali’s gym here in San Ramon and the last three or four months we have been working with James Page. He has been working with my dad and correcting the things we need to correct and I have been making those adjustments. We have seen that my game has been elevating and going where it needs to go.” 

Despite not learning who he would be fighting until about two weeks before the fight, Lacanlale feels well-prepared for whatever style opposes him in his debut. Experience is earned and not learned and luckily for Lacanlale he has many years’ worth of amateur tournament match-ups to draw from. 

“I feel like I have a lot of experience, having fought in the amateurs for so long, so it won’t be too different than being in an amateur tournament, when you don’t know who could be coming up next,” compares Lacanlale. “So I feel like I can make those adjustments pretty quickly. I have been sparing a lot of different looks, so I am prepared for whatever is going to come. I am really training hard so my work is going to show. I have been ready for this since last November. It is just time to go.” 

The chief benefit of Lacanlale’s somewhat delayed debut could be that now all of his Bay Area fans, friends and family will be able to attend and witness his big night in person. With the Oakland Marriott City Center a short 30 minute drive through Crown Canyon Road onto Interstate-880 from Benjamin’s Boxing in San Ramon, expect to hear a raucous cheering section in support of the budding Fil-Am star. 

“We were getting ready to fight in LA and other places and my family was getting ready to fly out and rent out hotels to be able to see my fight,” recalls Lacanlale. “So to have this fight here in Oakland, near home, it is going to be packed-out. My family is so supportive, since I was eight-years-old, so you can expect there to be a lot of people there on August 31st. They can expect to see me show out. I am ready to put on a show for all of them because they have been supporting me for so long. I am ready to make a statement in my professional debut as the start to a long career.” 

Tickets for the event, promoted by Lion’s Den Boxing Promotions and Upper Cut Promotions, are available online at uppercutpro.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

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 [email protected] 

By Mario Ortega Jr.

For Stockton, California-based lightweight prospect Manuel Jaimes and his team, 2024 has been the year when maneuvering the minefield that is the professional boxing business went from a game of checkers to one of high stakes chess. When Jaimes boards a plane to Las Vegas in September, making his fourth fight trip of the year, but hopefully the third to actually bear out an appearance in the ring, the six-year pro will be on his way to the most important weekend of his boxing life. Jaimes finds himself in the position fighters from all over the world dream of gaining as he is set to take on former interim lightweight champion Rolando Romero on the Canelo Alvarez-Edgar Belanga pay-per-view- telecast emanating from the T-Mobile Arena on Mexican Independence Day weekend. 

Jaimes (16-1-1, 11 KOs) is a relative unknown on the national fight scene despite his impressive record. Earlier this year, Jaimes was poised to make his first impression at the international level with a scheduled ESPN+-streamed bout against Top Rank prospect Charlie Sheehy in San Diego, California. At the time of their scheduled bout, slated to take place on the May 18th undercard of Denys Berinchyk-Emmanuel Navarrete, Jaimes had fought almost exclusively between 130 and 135-pounds, but agreed to give up a pound to make the fight at 136. Unfortunately, Sheehy could not come close and the fight never took place. 

“We were all really excited when that fight came together,” recalls Jaimes of the Sheehy bout, which had many aficionados in the region intrigued. “I went down to camp in Riverside at Robert Garcia’s gym. We put in a lot of work for that fight. A lot of sparring, a lot of rounds. We came to the weigh-ins and I was on weight. My coach told me to go rest, so I stayed back at the hotel room because we knew he was overweight already, it was just a matter of how much and if we were going to be able to come to an agreement and make something happen. Maybe an hour and 30 minutes later, Coach came up and said it was not going to happen and that was a bummer.”

With the disappointment of a fruitless trip down to San Diego in the rearview, Jaimes turned his attention to a July bout against former world super bantamweight champion Jonathan Romero. 

“Having just got out of the camp for the [canceled Sheehy] fight in May, we jumped right back in to prepare for July, so I felt sharp,” says Jaimes. “He was an Olympian, a former world champion, and obviously he’s not in his prime now, but he still is a high caliber fighter with the IQ and mindset of a world class fighter, so it was a good test for me.” 

Leading up to the July bout, it was Jaimes on this occasion that struggled to make weight. Ultimately an agreement was reached and the bout was set to take place at 139-pounds. Jaimes is of the belief that his struggle with the scale may have helped to put him on the radar during the search for possible Rolando Romero opponents. 

“I feel like it was because of my last fight…because I am usually a 135-pounder,” says Jaimes. “That’s the weight I want to be at and the weight I’ve fought at. But in my last fight I had a bad weight cut and came in at 139. We worked it out with the opponent and everything went through. So I was 139 for my last fight. We received a couple calls while I was on my break after that last fight. I had been training since this past February. I fought in March, I was supposed to fight in May and then I had that fight in July. So I was training pretty much the whole first half of the year. I was on my break and feeling like I didn’t want to do anything right now. But when I got back to the gym from my break, they said they had got a couple calls for fights at 140. I pretty much told them I didn’t want to take any fights at 140. But then my promoter Jorge Toscano called me with the Rolly fight, and said, ‘I know you said no fights at 140, but we have this opportunity here and it is on the Canelo card. You’d be opening the pay-per-view…’ And I was like, ‘Damn, let me think about this.’ I decided that it was time. This is the opportunity we’ve been waiting for, so let’s do it.” 

Despite not wanting to give up weight to Charlie Sheehy earlier this year or entertaining other offers for fights at 140-pounds subsequent to the July bout with Jonathan Romero, Jaimes’ team believes the proposed fight with Rolando Romero fit the requirements for an exception.

“One of the things I looked at was that [Romero’s] last two fights were the only ones at 140 and he made that weight,” explains Steve Salas, Jaimes’ head trainer, who has been with the Stockton product since he was 14-years-old. “Prior to that [Romero] actually made the 135-pound limit or less as opposed to Charlie Sheehy, who was a “lightweight,” but always had fought above that limit.”   

With the fight set for September 14th, Jaimes took part in some of the media blitz over the last week. With little national exposure, outside of YouTube-available streams, Jaimes was an unfamiliar face to much of the boxing media covering the festivities.  

“I have been more of a local fighter, so I am known here in the Bay Area, but I am not really known [outside of the region,] so even at the press conference, not many people knew who I was,” explains Jaimes. “A lot of people were doing interviews and I was basically just there. So I haven’t had a lot of people coming to me and asking me stuff. A couple people have, but not too many.”

When Jaimes found himself in the presence of Romero for the first time since signing for the bout, during the press tour last week, the Stockton prospect found a more subdued Rolly than maybe he had expected. 

“I know the first time we locked eyes, it felt like he knew who I was, and I know who he is,” says Jaimes. “During the face-off, he didn’t say anything and I thought he would have. During the press conference, there was not too much trash talk and I expected a little more. I think it is because I am not well-known, so it is probably harder to find something to bash me on.” 

Preparing for Romero’s unorthodox style presents challenges. Jaimes seems more intent on testing himself against naturally larger junior welterweights in preparation, while he will draw on prior experience to thwart what Rolly presents in September. 

“I feel it would be hard to find someone to mimic his wild style, but we are going to go down to Riverside again,” said Jaimes on Saturday, referring to the famed camp of Robert Garcia. “I will be leaving in about ten days. I just came back today and sparred with Ebert Diaz. He’s a real solid, big strong guy with the strength of a big 140-pounder.” 

“We have been fortunate enough to have been in the ring with unorthodox boxers before, so it’s not his first time,” says Salas. “At the same time, Manny is going to present some problems that Rolly will have to deal with.” 

Perhaps equally difficult to prepare for, Jaimes will have the adjustment of fighting on the largest stage possible in the sport of boxing. Canelo Alvarez is the biggest gate attraction active in boxing, especially in the United States. Fighting in front of a crowd, that even if many attendees have failed to find their seat by the opening bell, will be the largest of his career, Jaimes understands the gravity of the moment. 

“There is nothing that could compare,” says Jaimes. “This is definitely the biggest stage you could possibly be on: opening a pay-per-view card for Canelo, who is probably top one or two on most people’s pound-for-pound lists right now. To be opening that, I am not sure there are any ways to prepare for that. I just have to try to not let those lights get too bright and stay focused on the task.” 

One of the great aspects of professional boxing is that it is one of the few sports where you can witness an athlete completely change the trajectory of their life in one night, or with just one punch. Jaimes has been building to this moment for six years as a pro and he is determined to take advantage of the opportunity.  

 “I am really excited and I am going to put the performance of my life on in this one,” says Jaimes. “It puts me on the main scene, being put on the card has kind of put me there. But with a win, then you can start throwing my name up there with the top contenders, the guys that are fighting for world titles. This is big. I need this one and I am going to win.” 

Photo by Esther Lin/Premier Boxing Champions 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected]  

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 [email protected] 

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – Returning from a nearly two-year layoff, Blake McKernan sent his local following home happy with a fourth-round stoppage of veteran Jasper McCargo in the main event at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel on Saturday night. 

McKernan (14-2, 7 KOs) of Sacramento had been out of action following multiple shoulder surgeries and a battle with Stage 2 sepsis, but looked to be back to his old self against McCargo (4-6-3, 2 KOs) of Richmond, California. 

McKernan, 197, edged round one on aggression and a well-placed power right near the bell. McCargo, 184, fought out the shell defense and looked to time the forward-moving McKernan on the way inside. 

An accidental headbutt cut top of McKernan’s head in round two, but did not appear to bother the retired Army veteran in the bout. 

McKernan landed a stiff right in close that rocked McCargo late in the third. The Sacramento native moved in, knocking McCargo’s mouthpiece out before dropping him to the canvas. McCargo managed to get to his feet and actually boxed well to close out the round.

To start round four, referee Michael Margado brought in Dr. Gary Furness to look over McCargo. In collaboration with the doctor, Margado waved off the bout officially at :01 of round four, despite the vehement protests of McCargo. 

With the win, McKernan looks ahead to fighting September 21st at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in nearby Lincoln, California. 

Islam Abdusamadov (3-0, 2 KOs) of San Jose, California by way of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia scored a devastating first-round stoppage of normally durable Matthew Monroe (1-4) of Sacramento.

Abdusamadov, 164, landed with two short rights in close that dropped Monroe,165, early in the round. Monroe bravely made it to his feet, but was soon forced into a neutral corner as Abdusamadov flurried for the stoppage at 2:35 of the first. 

Tony Hernandez (7-3-1, 5 KOs) of Live Oak, California returned to his home away from home in style, stopping Jawan Jackson (0-4) of Sacramento inside of the opening round. 

Hernandez, 180, controlled the fight early, slowed only by a warning for a low blow late in the first. Soon after action resumed, Hernandez caught Jackson, 169, with a hooking right on the inside that sent the journeyman down in the red corner. Referee Michael Margado called it without much of a count at 2:23 of round one. 

Hernandez is eyeing two possible dates for his next bout; August 31st in Oakland at the Marriott City Center or September 21st at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort.  

Dorrel Fore Jr. (1-0) of Sacramento won the battle for Sactown with a four-round unanimous decision over Jaycee King (0-1) also of Sacramento.  

After a spirited first, Fore, 134, had King, 131, retreating in trouble to end round two. In the next act, King was having a good round of counter-punching before Fore knocked his mouthpiece out and followed up to close round three. King continued his trend of trying to change the fight with his overhand right in the final round, but was never able to accomplish that feat. 

Judge Brian Tsukamoto scored it 39-37, while judges Rey Danseco and Brian Tsukamoto both had it 40-36, all for Fore. 

Jamaar Collins (1-0, 1 KO) of Merced, California made short work of debuting ex-basketballer Herman Hodnett (0-1) of Oroville, California via first-round stoppage. 

Collins, 217, stunned Hodnett, 216, with the first overhand right he threw and dropped the dazed 6’8” Oroville resident with the ensuing left just moments into the bout. Hodnett made it to his feet, but referee Michael Margado opted to call it at :27 of the first. 

In the opening bout, William Davis (3-2-1, 1 KO) of Sacramento took a four-round unanimous decision over Miguel Soto-Garcia (1-3) of Fresno, California by way of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico.

Davis, 145, opened the bout in the orthodox stance and was kept on uneven footing during an awkward first round. 

After a clear first for Soto-Garcia, 142, Davis switched southpaw to much greater effect in round two and controlled the fight from that point on. Judges Brian Tsukamoto and Rey Danseco both scored it 39-37 and judge Kermit Bayliss had it 40-36, all for Davis.

Promoter for tonight’s event, Nasser Niavaroni of Upper Cut Promotions, will next present “Showdown in the Town,” a co-promotion with Lion’s Den Promotions, taking place August 31st at the Oakland Marriott City Center. 

photo by Julio Sanchez

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – Solidly-built cruiserweight Blake McKernan returns to the site of his professional debut to take on a tough assignment in Jasper “Smooth Jazz” McCargo while hoping to begin his comeback story on the right note at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel on Saturday night. Fighters for the six-bout card, dubbed “Showdown in Sactown,” weighed-in on Friday afternoon at the host venue. 

McKernan (13-2, 6 KOs) of Sacramento has fought just once since coming up short against former world champion Badou Jack on the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. undercard in November of 2020. The time away from the ring was due to multiple shoulder surgeries and a bout with severe sepsis, which caused organ dysfunction that had McKernan bedridden for a time. McKernan, known as “The Beast,” is back healthy and looked to be in great shape at Friday afternoon’s weigh-in, scaling 197-pounds. 

McCargo (4-5-3, 2 KOs) of Richmond, California is a veteran with over eight years of professional experience, which was preceded by a successful amateur run on the national level. After a three-fight stretch where McCargo took on three of the most well-regarded prospects he could find, “Smooth Jazz” looked rejuvenated in two fights against Sacramento’s Terrell Glynn last year. In their first meeting, which took place at the DoubleTree, many ringside felt it was McCargo that deserved the four-round decision that ultimately went to the hometown fighter in a majority verdict. In their rematch, the bout was stopped after nearly two rounds due to a cut and declared a technical draw. McCargo was the last fighter to weigh-in Friday, coming in at a trim 184-pounds. 

Islam Abdusamadov (2-0, 1 KO) of San Jose, California by way of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia will take on Matthew Monroe (1-3) of Sacramento in a four-round middleweight bout between two fighters familiar with the DoubleTree ring. 

Abdusamadov was tested in his last bout against Juan Meza Moreno at this same venue in January, as a second-round knockdown proved the difference in the bout. Monroe fought on the same January card, taking undefeated Victor Guerrero to  the four-round distance. Abdusamadov weighed-in at 164, while Monroe made 165-pounds. 

The squared circle will look undersized when heavyweights Jamaar Collins and Herman Hodnett make their professional debuts against one another on Saturday. Collins, who stands 6’4” and fights out of Merced, California, will look up at the 6’8” Hodnett of Oroville, California, as they meet in a four-rounder. Collins, an ex-footballer, came in at 217-pounds. Hodnett, who played football and basketball at Butte Community College, came in at 216-pounds. 

Tony “Pretty Boy” Hernandez returns to his home away from home in a short-notice four-round light heavyweight bout against Jawan Jackson (0-3) of Sacramento. 

Hernandez (6-3-1, 4 KOs) of Live Oak, California turned in an impressive performance this past January 20th at the DoubleTree in scoring a six-round unanimous decision over veteran gatekeeper Ramon Ayala. 

Jackson, who has also fought professionally in MMA and kickboxing, weighed-in at 169-pounds, while Hernandez came in heavy at 180-pounds. An agreement was reached, which included a fine for Hernandez, and the fight will proceed on Saturday night. 

In an all-Sacramento super featherweight pairing, Dorrel Fore Jr. will take on Jaycee King over four-rounds. Both fighters are making their professional debut. The two locals had the most contentious face-off at Friday afternoon’s weigh-in, with some brief light shoving. Fore Jr. scaled 134-pounds, while King came in at 131. 

William Davis (2-2-1, 1 KO) of Oakland, California will take on Miguel Soto-Garcia (1-2) of Fresno, California by way of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico in a four-round welterweight bout. Davis came in at 145-pounds, while Soto-Garcia scaled 142. 

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Cruiserweights, 6 Rounds

McKernan 197

McCargo 184 

Middleweights, 4 Rounds

Abdusamadov 164

Monroe 165

Light heavyweights, 4 Rounds 

Hernandez 180* 

Jackson 169

Heavyweights, 4 Rounds

Collins 217

Hodnett 216

Super featherweights, 4 Rounds

Fore Jr. 134

King 131

Welterweights, 4 Rounds

Davis 145

Soto-Garcia 142

*Hernandez eight pounds over the contracted 172-pounds. 

Tickets for the event, promoted by Upper Cut Promotions, are available online at uppercutpro.com or tomorrow night at the door. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be contacted at [email protected] 

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 [email protected] 

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 [email protected]

STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA – Julian Rodarte was slated to take on Andrew Rogers in an eight-round lightweight bout as the co-feature to the Gabriel Flores Jr. headlined streaming pay-per-view from Banner Island Ballpark tonight. The only problem was Rogers weighed-in at the junior welterweight limit of 140-pounds instead on Friday morning. 

After the camps for each fighter met with representatives of the California State Athletic Commission, Rogers (8-12-3, 3 KOs) of Elkhart, Indiana has been given the opportunity to take to the scales a second time the following afternoon under the condition he could only rehydrate up to 143-pounds maximum in order to salvage the bout. 

So far this morning, Rogers has shown he is game for fight night, having weighed-in for Rodarte’s team this morning, having gained just one-pound to weigh 141. Rogers will still weigh-in again at 3 p.m. and needs to not exceed the 143. 

Rodarte (19-1-2, 8 KOs) of Downey, California, who scaled a ready 134.4-pounds Friday, is looking to bounce back from a majority decision loss to Flores in March. 

In the main event, Flores (23-2, 8 KOs) of Stockton defends his WBA Continental USA title against Ronal Ron (14-6, 11 KOs) of Chino Hills, California by way of Caracas, Distrito Capital, Venezuela in an eight-round lightweight bout.

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

Mario Ortega can be reached at [email protected] 

By Mario Ortega Jr.

STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA – Lightweight contender Gabriel Flores Jr. returns to his hometown and brings pro boxing to a venue more accustomed to hosting sluggers of another variety in Banner Island Ballpark on Saturday night. Flores will take on veteran Ronal Ron in the eight-round main event of a six-bout card. Fighters weighed-in at the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel on Friday morning.

Flores (23-2, 8 KOs) is the headlining attraction for the first-ever boxing event hosted at the home of Minor League Baseball’s Stockton Ports. Eventual World Series champions such as Max Muncy and Matt Olson once slugged their share of home runs on the same field where Flores will hope to continue his road to a crack at a world title of his own. 

Last time out, fighting under his father’s G-Squad Entertainment promotional banner for the first time, Flores packed the Adventist Health Arena next door en route to a decision win over previously unbeaten Julian Rodarte. Flores’ large local following will have more room to stretch out on Saturday, as the young contender may provide fireworks of his own before the pyrotechnics are set to fill the stadium’s open air at the conclusion of the event. 

Ron (14-6, 11 KOs) of Chino Hills, California by way of Caracas, Distrito Capital, Venezuela has been cast in the part of durable opponent, charged with giving the local favorite son a good enough fight that it is not just the peanuts and crackerjack sending the crowd home satisfied.

Ron may have more stoppage victories under his belt than does Flores, but a comparison of their resumes reveals that none could be fairly made. The two times Ron has stepped up to the upper level also represent his two knockout defeats. Eventual 130-pound champion Hector Luis Garcia halted Ron in three in 2019 and Abdullah Mason needed four rounds this past April. 

Flores, defending the WBA Continental USA title he claimed in March with the win over Rodarte, weighed-in at 134.8-pounds. 

Ron, who looked to provoke some heat during the face-off, scaled 134.4. 

Former Flores foe, the aforementioned Julian Rodarte (19-1-2, 8 KOs) of Downey, California returns to Stockton to take on Andrew Rogers (8-12-3, 3 KOs) of Elkhart, Indiana in an eight-round lightweight bout. 

Rodarte, who lost a majority decision to Flores on his last visit to the “Port City” in March and is now promoted by G-Squad Entertainment, made 134.4-pounds. Rogers, 0-3-1 in his previous four trips to California, came in a whopping five pounds over the limit.

As of press time it was unclear whether or not this bout would actually come to fruition due to the weight discrepancy. 

Andrew Rodriguez (3-0, 1 KO) of Salinas, California makes his long-awaited U.S. debut against former amateur opponent Alejandro Robles (0-3) of Modesto, California in a four-round super flyweight fight. 

Rodriguez made the weight with a little room to spare at 113.8-pounds. Robles just missed the contracted weight at 115.8-pounds. After some discussion, Robles opted not to attempt to lose the extra weight and will instead receive a fine. 

Former standout amateur Lorenzo Powell (1-0) of Sacramento, California will meet Ethan Rowan (0-1) of Saint Paul, Minnesota in a four-round lightweight contest. Powell, who turned pro in Stockton in March, scaled 137.2-pounds. Rowan, a veteran of mixed martial arts prior to taking up pro boxing, made 139-pounds. 

Ab Lozano (1-0, 1 KO) of Martinez, California will take on Rod Sarguilla (2-5, 1 KO) Los Angeles, California by way of Midsayap, Cotabato, Philippines in a four-round featherweight bout. The well-regarded Lozano scaled 123.8-pounds, while Sarguilla, based out of the famed Wild Card Boxing Club, made 123-pounds even. 

Former amateur star Steve Canela of San Jose, California had hoped to be making his professional debut on Saturday night. Instead, Canela’s four-round bout with Pedro Pinillo (5-8, 5 KOs) of Cali, Colombia will be sanctioned as an exhibition. 

Pinillo would have made for an experienced opponent for a debut, but Canela will have to wait a bit longer to make it official. Pinillo, having just fought well-regarded prospect David Lopez for a full six-rounds one week ago, is under a routine seven-day suspension by the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission, set to run through today’s date, July 19th. 

Quick Weigh-in Results:

WBA Continental USA Lightweight Championship, 8 Rounds

Flores Jr. 134.8

Ron 134.4

Lightweights, 8 Rounds

Rodarte 134.4

Rogers 140*

Super Flyweights, 4 Rounds

Rodriguez 113.8

Robles 115.8**

Light welterweights, 4 Rounds

Powell 137.2

Rowan 139

Featherweights, 4 Rounds

Lozano 123.8

Sarguilla 123 

Welterweights, 4 Rounds (Exhibition)

Canela 144.6

Pinillo 145.4

*Rogers 5 pounds over contracted weight

**Robles .8 over contracted weight 

Tickets for the event, which will be streamed via pay-per-view by the BLK Prime streaming service, are available online at gsquadent.com 

Photo by Julio Sanchez/G-Squad Entertainment 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

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 [email protected] 

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 [email protected]