By Mario Ortega Jr. –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Mario Ortega Jr.-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Welterweights, 6 rounds

Briceño 144

Garcia 144

Lightweights, 6 Rounds

Avalos 134.5

Cruz 136

Super middleweights, 4 Rounds

Monroe 165

Ortiz 168.5

Light welterweights, 4 Rounds

Diaz 142

Hibbert 142

Welterweights, 4 Rounds

Hayward 145.5

Soto-Garcia 148.5

Bantamweights, 4 Rounds

Guerrero 117

Contreras 116.5

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

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

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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