The Year of the Debuters
Year 2007 in Review: Youngsters swell pro ranks and Holm continues to shine
Review & photos by Chris Cozzone
When the year began, the word was, “Boxing is dead.”
You also heard: “Boxing’s boring. UFC rules. MMA is the new sport!”
That’s what you heard nationwide, and that’s what you heard in New Mexico.
By the end of the year, however, both, the state and nation have reflected a dramatic change. Big name match-ups in boxing—from De La Hoya vs. Mayweather, to Pacquiao vs. Barrera—have helped resurrect a sport critics thought dead or dying.
In New Mexico, over the last dozen months, the upswing of boxing has reflected the nation’s trend—but for different reasons.
Despite the demand of local fight fans, there were no significant match-ups between the state’s top fighters—no Sanchez III vs. Zamora, no Gomez vs. Munoz, no Esquibel vs. Villanueva. But the revival has occurred for other reasons, namely, the increase in active promoters, and the incredible influx of new talent.
For that reason alone, 2007 deserves to be named “The Year of the Debuters.”
 For single fighters, Holly Holm, of course, gets the honor of being named “Fighter of the Year,” for who else continues to win, continues to fight the available and/or willing names out there?
Though she was less active in 2007, fighting but three times to her usual four appearances, Holm started out the year in March to become the only unified champion to hold all four major belts (WBA/WBC/WIBA and IFBA), by beating Ann Marie Saccurato by decision. She followed with a FOX Sports-televised card in May, defeating Chevelle Hallback, then closed the year in September with a fourth, final bout against Angel Martinez.
Despite Holm’s accomplishments, and attention she’s brought to the state, however, the collective group of pro debuters this year by-passes any accomplishments brought on by a single fighter between here and New Mexico.
Debuters loomed large in ‘07
It’s unlikely that New Mexico has ever seen so many talented amateurs turn pro in a single year-and this flood of talent guarantees years of life to a sport many thought was on the decline in ’06.
From Sammy DiPace IV to Abie Han to Archie Ray Marquez, to name just three of the dozen quality newcomers to the pro ranks, the debuters, winning or losing, gave the sport here a much-needed shot in the arm.
Marcos Acosta (2-0) opened the year for debuts on the early January Top Rank card in Las Cruces. He was followed by a handful of debuters on the Juan Romero card later that month at Sky City, when Socorro amateur Adrian Lopez (0-0-1) gave up his headgear to turn pro against a fighter no one knew much of. In a candidate for “Fight of the Year,” certainly “Debut of the Year,” Lopez took on Santa Fe’s Gabe Montoya (2-0-1) in a four-round war that resulted in a draw for both fighters. On the same night, Albuquerque’s David Proa (1-0, 1 KO) turned pro, stopping Steve Losoya (1-4) and treating the crowd to a Johnny Tapia back-flip.
Since that night, both Proa and Lopez disappeared from the ring, but Montoya went on to win an unpopular decision over Rio Rancho debuter Lucas Galle (2-1), then defeat comebacking Tim Salazar (1-1) in his next showing. Galle did not let the loss get to him, defeating El Paso’s Cornelius Shuler (1-2) in September, then hitting the road for an out-of-town win in Arizona. El Paso’s Shuler, on the other hand, 0-2 in his last two bouts, was impressive in his debut when he, on the Fresquez card in May, defeated 2-0 Daniel Gonzales.
Santa Fe’s Anthony Vialpondo (2-1) turned pro in April on the City card, racking up two wins before a surprise loss in December to 2-1 Jose Garcia. Albuquerque’s James Piar made a thriller out of his debut in July, defeating gutsy Fernando Duran (0-2) by a third-round TKO, but did not land another fight afterward. Top Duke City prospect Archie Ray Marquez (1-0, 1 KO) also went pro in impressive fashion, destroying Scott Furney (1-3, 1 KO) in one, on the Chavez-Sanchez card in December.
The biggest noise made by debuters came from down south, however, when Sammy DiPace (1-0, 1 KO), Abie Han (1-0, 1 KO) and Ricky Vasquez (2-1-1, 1 KO) turned pro in ’07. Vasquez was impressive in his El Paso debut, decisioning Anthony McGee (1-3), but the 2-0 fighter could only manage a draw, then a loss, against Gino Escamilla (4-1-1, 2 KOs) in his final ’07 bouts.
Females turning pro included Suzanna Galvin (0-1) and Sonya Gurule (1-0), who gave a thriller on the Danny Romero card in March, and Clare de la Torre (1-2) who did not find a lot of success on the road.
N.M. boxing scene thrived in ‘07
The biggest change to the boxing scene was the return of Top Rank, who promoted five shows, between Las Cruces (2), Isleta (2) and Tingley (1)—all televised cards. The top promotion company based out of Vegas brought big names to N.M., from Martin Castillo to Jorge Arce, to Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.
Fresquez Productions cut back slightly in ’07, throwing four shows (two televised), including a FOX Sports show at Tingley, headlining Holly Holm in her welterweight unification bash, and the grand finale of Johnny Tapia, at Isleta, while Juan Romero—not to be confused with the promotional company run by his brother, former world champ Danny, and father, Dan—put on three great shows at Sky City. The other Romeros staged a show at Santa Ana.
The top attendance for ’07 was the 6,077 who showed up at Tingley to see the “Latin Fury” card, headlining Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. vs. Ray Sanchez III.
 The Chavez-Sanchez bout also marked the most significant fight of the year. After several years of stop-and-go layoffs and starts, Sanchez III was finally matched up tough, against the undefeated son of the Mexican legend. A win would’ve made a name out of the South Valley fighter, but, unfortunately, III was done in VI rounds, in what turned out to be a great fight.
Sanchez, now 20-2, 15 KOs, and still signed with Top Rank, had returned in May, fighting back-to-back bouts in tune-ups leading up to the Chavez bout.
Two other bouts ranking close in significance to the Sanchez-Chavez showdown: the Holly Holm welterweight unification bout promoted by Fresquez in March at Isleta, and what was billed as “Final Fury”, the (might be, might not be) final fight of Johnny Tapia (56-5-2, 28 KOs).
Tapia followed his possible-retirement with more drug problems, a lengthy rehabilitation and a move to Las Cruces where, weeks ago, looking healthy and in shape, the former five-time champ announced he was going to fight again.
Time will tell . . . .
Top Fighters on the Rise
Although Sanchez III down for the count on Dec. 1, several other top N.M. fighters continued their climb toward, if not into, contention.
Welterweight Joaquin Zamora (15-2-1, 10 KOs), of Luna, Socorro and Pecos, picked up a minor belt and broke into the WBC’s top ten. Now at No. 6 and inactive since July, Zamora showed more improvement than any other fighter in his three fights this year, all at Sky City Casino.
Las Cruces jr. middleweight Austin “No Doubt” Trout (13-0, 10 KOs) was the state’s busiest fighter, entering the ring six times for six wins, in ’07. Trout’s opposition ranged from a defenseless pro debuter, in an out-of-town bout, to a former WBC Latino beltholder.
Bloomfield welter Joe “Ironman” Gomez (13-1-1, 7 KOs) picked up four wins, the most impressive of which was a 7th round TKO of El Paso’s Bobby Joe Valdez (9-4-2, 4 KOs), who ended yet another layoff in his stop-and-go career.
Super bantamweight David “Finito” Martinez (18-3-1, 3 KOs), of Albuquerque, had a mixed year, winning two and losing one. The loss was a decision loss as a late replacement on an ESPN2 card against former world champ Clarence “Bones” Adams (43-6-4).
Espanola’s Monica Lovato (11-1, 4 KOs) had a good year, winning three fights, all with close decisions, two being split. At the year’s completion, though inactive since July, Lovato is the WBC’s No. 1 contender and holds two minor belts.
Other women did not fare so well. Former IFBA 122-pound champion Jackie Chavez (94, 3 KOs), of Los Lunas, lost her belt, and one other fight in ’07, making it four in a row now.
Other fighters of note, on the rise, or set back in ‘07:
- Light-heavy “Mad” Mike Alderete (6-1, 3 KOs) was 2-1 in ’07, scoring a huge win over previously undefeated Dewey Cooper (15-1-2).
- Featherweight Matthew “Papitas” Esquibel (7-0, 4 KOs), 3-0 in ’07, is quickly becoming the most popular in the Duke City.
- Jr. lightweight Willie Villanueva (7-0, 1 KO) was 4-0 in ’07.
- Light-heavy “Mad” Max Heyman (22-10-4, 13 KOs) won by DQ in March, then was TKO’d in 2 by undefeated Chris Henry (19-0) in a bout in Dallas for the vacant NABF title. An official retirement looms for Heyman, who is taking time away from the sport to be a firefighter.
- Farmington’s Victor Barela (9-1-1, 3 KOs) made a return after two-and-a-half years, winning two before getting outclassed by Denver’s Manny Perez (11-3) in a ten-rounder for the vacant WBC world youth featherweight belt.
- Albuquerque’s “Bad Boy,” Rudy Lovato (21-38-4, 7 KOs) ended his lengthy career, retiring after his 7th round KO to Joe Gomez in November.
El Paso in the House
El Paso lacked action, suffering its lowest count of fight cards seen in more than a decade. In June, a Main Events PPV card headlined former heavy great Evander Holyfield, who, in a decent fight, outclassed Lou Savarese before a meager crowd of 3,500. Then, in August, Top Rank hosted a Telefutura card at the County Coliseum, with 3,000 seeing a high-action card headlining Jesus Soto-Karass and Antonio Ojeda.
 El Paso’s Antonio Escalante (16-2, 10 KOs), last year’s best male fighter, was off to a good start in ’07—at least in the first seven rounds of his Telefutura-televised fight against former champ Willie Pastrano. In the 8th, however, Escalante was kayoed, but bounced back from the loss to win fights in July and Sept.
Heavyweight David Rodriguez (27-0, 25 KOs) continued to win, showing a slight increase in opposition. In June, Rodriguez defeated fellow undefeated Rick Dyer (13-1) and in December, struggled against journeyman Marcus McGee (19-15) for a close decision.
Former title challenger Juan Lazcano (37-4-1, 27 KOs), of El Paso, still a top-tenner, had but one fight in ’07: a unanimous decision loss to Vivian Harris in a WBC jr. welterweight eliminator.
Alex “Diablo” Becerra (19-5, 9 KOs) and stablemate Cesar “Gallito” Lopez (20-5, 4 KOs) had their worst years while Miguel “Conan” Torrecillas (17-5-1, 8 KOs) and Bernardo Guereca (15-7-1, 3 KOs) both staged quiet comebacks. Becerra had just one fight—a TKO loss in Quebec, Canada, to Sebastien Gauthier (11-1, 9 KOs)—while Lopez suffered two out-of-town losses, both by decision, to Isidro Garcia (24-4-2, 8 KOs) and undefeated Koki Kameda (16-0, 11 KOs).
Finally, though he was unwon in ’07 (0-2-2), lightweight Carlos Madrid (8-4-2, 2 KOs) actually showed the most improvement of any fighter between N.M. and El Paso. All four of Madrid’s fights in ’07 were televised wars, against tough foes.
M.I.A.s and Comebacks
Despite an attempted comeback in 2006, former two-time champ Danny Romero (45-5-2, 38 KOs) did not make yet-another attempt in ’07.
Former contender and Tapia-conqueror Frankie Archuleta (25-5-1, 14 KOs) did, however, ending a two-and-a-half year layoff to return in September when he showed his old-time power by TKOing Armando Cordoba (23-39-2, 17 KOs) in the eighth.
Also returning to the scene was heavyweight/cruiserweight Sean McClain (23-8-1, 21 KOs), who ended a six-year absence, and came in at his lightest weight (195) in 12 years, to TKO 275-pound Vernon Woodard (8-18-1) in two.
Disappearing from ring activity were several:
- Shawn “The Educator” Gallegos (16-3, 5 KOS), who was inactive since his TKO loss to Randall Bailey (35-6, 32 KOs).
- “Hurricane” Hector Munoz (17-1, 11 KOs), inactive since his TKO win over Jeremiah Torres in December 2006, pulling out of at least two slated bouts.
- Lee Montoya (10-1, 7 KOs), who says he has retired.
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Cozzone’s Picks of the Year
Best Fights of 2007
1. Jesus Soto-Karass DRAW-12 Gilbert Venegas (May 25 @ Isleta, Top Rank) While lacking the local significance and drama of Chavez, Jr.-Sanchez III, Soto-Karass-Venegas was a toe-to-toe war for 12 rounds.
2. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. KO-6 Ray Sanchez III (Dec. 1 @ Tingley, Top Rank)
Sanchez showed his heart but lacked the armor to beat the legend’s son, losing by KO in the sixth. The most significant fight of the year, also the loudest and most-attended, saw back-and-forth action through five-plus rounds.
3. Adrian Lopez DRAW-4 Gabe Montoya (Jan. 27 @ Sky City, Juan Romero)
This four-rounder of non-stop action, between pro debuters, was one of many such fights on a dynamite card.
4. Johnny Tapia MAJ-DEC-10 Evaristo Primero (Feb. 23 @ Isleta, Fresquez)
In what was supposed to be his grand finale, Tapia, 40-years-old, might’ve been short on reflexes and his legendary speed, but his willingness to throw down made a thrilling fight.
Runners-up: Monica Lovato UD-8 Julie Rubalcava (Jan. 27 @ Sky City, Juan Romero); Brandon Rios SD-6 Carlos Madrid (May 25 @ Isleta, Top Rank); Monica Lovato SD-10 Mariana Juarez (July 28 @ Sky City, Juan Romero);
Worst Fights of 2007: Though 2007 had a few snoozers, the worst fights were those that were mismatches.
1. Austin Trout TKO-1 Roderick McGary (Nov. 17 in Auburn, Ind.)
A shameless match-up: 2004 National amateur champ Trout, 12-0, against a defenseless pro debuter.
2. Vanessa Juarez TKO-1 Selena Jordan (Aug. 31 @ County Coliseum, El Paso, Top Rank)
A terrible match-up between the talented 7-0 Juarez and the defenseless, skill-less 0-1 Jordan.
3. Joaquin Zamora [UD-10] James Crayton (Apr. 28 @ Sky City, Juan Romero)
Virtually, a sparring session for Zamora, against journeyman Crayton, a late-sub.
4. Cisse Salif TKO-1 Tim Shocks (Apr. 28 @ Sky City, Juan Romero)
Shocks was looking for a place to fall before the bell even rang.
5. Alejandro Perez TKO-4 Martin Armenta (July 27 @ Isleta, Top Rank)
After losing 12 of last 13 bouts, Armenta was beaten up in a gimme win for Perez.
6. Ray Sanchez III TKO-1 Travis Hartman (July 27 @ Isleta, Top Rank)
Mismatch win for Sanchez.
7. Miguel Torrecillas TKO-4 Jeremiah Torres (May 23 @ Tingley, Fresquez)
Torres replaced Hector Munoz and lost his 8th straight bout. A mismatch that should not have taken place.
Runners-up: Villanueva KO-3 Lopez (Mar. 22 @ Isleta, Fresquez); De La Torre TKO-1 Moody (May 23 @ Tingley, Fresquez); Sanchez III vs. Overbey (May 25 @ Isleta, Top Rank); Trout UD-6 Castillo (May 25 @ Isleta, Top Rank); Griffis KO-1 Brock (Mar. 10 @ Santa Ana, Danny Romero Productions).
The Worst Decisions and/or Robberies of 2007
1. Jose Humberto Corral UD-4 Danny Perez (Mar. 10 @ Santa Ana, Danny Romero Productions)
In this case, it wasn’t the scorecards that reflected a bad decision—it was the Santa Ana Tribal commission’s approval of the bout that makes this bout the worst decision of the year. Corral was 9-3 and Perez, a mere pro debuter.
2. Saul Palacios SD-4 Steve Cannell (July 28 @ Sky City, Juan Romero)
Two of three N.M. judges were blind, scoring what was clearly a win for Cannell, for Palacios.
3. Marcos Acosta UD-4 Anthony McGee (May 25 @ Isleta, Top Rank)
Acosta was down in the third and, while clearly losing at least two of four rounds, walked away with the hometown win.
4. Gabe Montoya MD-4 Lucas Galle (July 28 @ Sky City, Juan Romero)
Galle went down in the third but clearly outboxed Montoya in the other three rounds. N.M. judges had it 39-37 twice and 38-38.
Biggest Upsets of Year
1. Mauricio Pastrana TKO-8 Antonio Escalante (Jan. 26 in Cicero, Ill., on Telefutura)
Escalante was winning the fight when, in the 8th, he walked into the knockout punch. Escalante bounced back from the TKO loss with wins in July and Sept.
2. “Mad” Mike Alderete MD-6 Dewey Cooper (Dec. 6 in California)
Outweighed, outsized and taking a fight last minute, Albuquerque’s Alderete handed the 15-0 Cooper his first pro loss.
3. Scott Furney TKO-5 Joseph Barela (Nov. 10 @ Sky Ute in Ignacio, Colo.)
Furney brutally outclassed local favorite Barela.
Runners-up: Ricky Vasquez’s draw, then loss, to Gino Escamilla (July 27 @ Isleta, Top Rank; Aug. 17 @ El Paso County Coliseum, Top Rank); Anthony Vialpondo’s loss to Jose Garcia on Dec. 1 (Dec. 1 @ Tingley, Top Rank).
Best Cards of 2007
1. The Sky City Casino card promoted by Juan Romero on Jan. 27 packed the most bang for your buck, with non-stop action in nearly every bout. Headlined by Monica Lovato vs. Julie Rubalcava.
2. The Top Rank card May 25 at Isleta not only headlined the Fight of the Year—Soto-Karass vs. Venegas—but Madrid vs. Rios.
3. The Sky City Casino card, also promoted by Juan Romero, on July 28, headlined Lovato vs. Juarez, and a handful of dramatic fights that might not have seen the best judging, but had plenty of action.
Runners-up: For star power and the top attendance for ’07 (6,077), the Dec. 21 Top Rank card at Tingley, headlining Chavez, Jr., Arce, Calderon and Alvarado ranks high.
Top Male Fighter of the Year for 2007
1. Johnny Tapia (56-5-2, 28 KOs)
Tapia finished his career with ten-round thriller with Juarez’s Evaristo Primero. By virtue of his past achievements, Tapia earns the top spot over other fighters still-on-the-rise.
2. Joaquin Zamora (15-2-1, 10 KOs)
Ranked No. 6 by the WBC, Zamora fought three times, against tough opposition, and is now in position for a major fight.
3. Austin Trout (13-0, 10 KOs)
Went from 7-0 to 13-0 in ’07, with (but for one bout) against increasingly tougher opposition. Currently has the most potential of any N.M. fighter.
4. Joe Gomez (13-1-1, 7 KOs)
Fought four times in ’07, in step-up bouts. TKO over Bobby Joe Valdez was biggest win to date.
5. Mike Alderete (6-1, 3 KOs)
Heavyweight-turned-light-heavy Alderete had a hard time getting a fight but put it all on the line at the end of the year in two on-the-road fights. Lost a close decision to Carlos Ibarra in Denver on Nov. 15 but then, became the first fighter to beat 15-0 Dewey Cooper, on Dec. 6.
Runners-up: Matthew Esquibel (7-0, 4 KOs), quickly becoming THE fan favorite, at least in Albuquerque; David Martinez (18-3-1, 3 KOs), who took on former champ Bones Adams on quick notice; and last, but not least, Ray Sanchez III (20-2, 15 KOs), who showed what he was made of, in his bout against Chavez, Jr., on Dec. 1.
Female Fighter of the Year for 2007
1. Holly Holm (19-1-2, 5 KOs)
Who else? The six-time world champion not only unified the four major women’s belts at welter, but continues to fight only ranked fighters.
2. Monica Lovato (11-1, 4 KOs)
Picked up two minor belts and is ranked No. 1 with the WBC. Gave N.M. three exciting fights in three close decision wins at Sky City.
3. Jodi Esquibel (2-2, 2 KOs)
Only fought twice, but in a rubber match, defeated Melissa Shaffer at Sky Ute.
Road Warrior of the Year award goes to Mike Alderete, who lost to Carlos Ibarra on Nov. 15, but then beat Dewey Cooper, on short notice, Dec. 6.
Pro Debuter of the Year: Very tough to pick, having so many talented fighters debuting in ’07. Weighing potential against activity, my top pick would have to be Sammy DiPace IV, who debuted Dec. 1. Close runners-up include Abie Han, Archie Ray Marquez, Lucas Galle (whose one loss was a bad decision), Gabe Montoya and James Piar, who, along with DiPace, has the most potential of becoming N.M.’s most exciting & charismatic fighter.
Most Exciting Fighters for 2007: For New Mexico, Matthew “Papitas” Esquibel; for El Paso, Antonio Escalante. Runners-up: Mike Alderete, Sammy DiPace, James Piar and Monica Lovato.
Most Underrated Fighter for 2007: Joaquin Zamora and Gabe Montoya.
Most Overrated Fighter for 2007: Despite his gutsy fight against Chavez, Jr., Ray Sanchez III did not live up to the hype when it came to results, but, on the other hand, showed more heart than anyone gave him credit for.
Top Venue for Boxing in N.M.: Sky City Casino had the best action, but, on the other hand, has the worst venue, physically. Santa Ana has the best venue, physically, but only held two cards—one good, one not. Top venue, then, goes to Isleta, who held cards promoted by, both, Fresquez Productions and Top Rank.
Top Amateurs for 2007
1. Siju Shabazz
Won the 2007 National Golden Gloves and fought on the U.S. team in several international meets.
2. Sammy DiPace
Finished the year—and amateur career—with a record of 236-10 and 14 national amateur titles.
Most Improved Fighter of 2007: For the amateurs, Siju Shabazz, followed by Arturo Crespin and Fidel Maldonado. For female amateurs, Jennifer Han, Amanda Crespin & Ayanna Vasquez. For the pros: Carlos Madrid, followed by Joaquin Zamora & Mike Alderete.
Biggest Disappointments of the Year: The deaths of former great Joey Olguin, Journal sports writer Mike Hall, and trainer/official Jerry Wright; competing promoters staging fights to close to one another; no big local showdowns; Trout vs. Estupinan; and inactivity of several fighters, namely Shawn Gallegos & Hector Munoz; and, in MMA, two losses by Diego Sanchez.
KAYO of the Year: Mauricio Pastrana TKO-8 Antonio Escalante (Jan. 26 in Cicero, Ill., on Telefutura)
Best Trainer(s) of the Year: For the second year in a row, the trainers at the Las Cruces PAL gym, Louie Burke, Sam DiPace & Rick Vasquez. Followed closely by Mike Winkeljohn, for his work with Holly Holm.
Top Promoter of the Year: Although Fresquez gets his props for continuing to keep the boxing scene going, and Juan Romero, for putting on the toughest matches with the most action, Top Rank gets the top vote for their renewed commitment to New Mexico, and for bringing so many TV fights and big names to N.M.
Fights to see? Not that any are likely to ever happen, but once Ray Sanchez III gets the one or two “get-back” fights he’s bound to get, a showdown with Joaquin Zamora ranks highest on my list of local showdowns. Joe Gomez also deserves attention, either against Hector Munoz (somewhat likely), Zamora (not likely) or Sanchez (really not likely.) Also: Esquibel vs. Villanueva needs to happen. As for Holly Holm, with Mary Jo Sanders avoiding a showdown, there’s not much else out there between 140-147.
What does N.M. boxing need? Willing venues—especially in Las Cruces, where the top fighters appear to be developing; more opportunities for the many fighters who cannot get spots on local cards; and all three prominent promoters in the state—Fresquez, Top Rank/Prime Time, and Juan Romero—continuing to throw shows.
Best official for N.M. was, once again, Levi Martinez, whose scorecards continue to be on target. Referees Russell Mora and Rocky Burke rank next.
Top MMA fighter in New Mexico for 2007 was Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine. Despite a loss, to Houston Alexander, his big win over Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell puts Jardine at the top spot in N.M., but he's followed closely by Carlos Condit who was undefeated in '07 and is a WEC champ. |
