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Zaganas Picks Up
Strawweight Title and Wildfires Steal the Show at Sky Ute’s “The Heat is On!”
Card
text and photos by chris
cozzone
“The
Heat Is On!”
Last night’s Sky Ute
Casino card in Ignacio, CO certainly lived up to its name—for reasons both in,
and out, of the ring.
The trouble started a
couple weeks ago for the pro-am card. Billed as the main event, Albuquerque’s
Joseph Brady was set to defend his WBC FecarBox jr. middleweight belt against
Denver’s “Educator,” Frankie Sanchez in what many thought would be a banger of a
fight. But then, for the first time in his pro career, Brady pulled out with a
lower back injury.
The heat was on: to find a
new main event.
Nothing suitable could be
arranged so the promoters brought professional opponent Eugene Lopez in for
Sanchez, demoted that match to the undercard, and brought up the women’s title
fight between Vaia Zaganas and Sarah Goodson, and the 4-rounder between
Farmington’s bantamweight hope Victor Barela and Canadian Shane Langford, as
dual co-mains.
The week of the fight,
more trouble broke out. In the mountains surrounding the area, wildfires erupted
and started to blaze out of control, filling the towns of Durango and Ignacio
with soot-stained air and smoke. The 200-foot wall of fire continues to destroy
woodlands, while more than 900 firefighters battle to contain it.
The Sky Ute card sustained
another blow: On the day of the weigh-in, Victor Barela’s opponent, for reasons
unknown, was not allowed to board his plane in Canada. A frantic quick-find fix
proved fruitless and “Bad Luck” Barela, who has prepared now for two fights in a
row with last-minute opponent deletions, was scratched off the card leaving just
four pro fights.
You could argue that four
pro fights weren’t enough to draw a crowd, and that was what accounted for the
less-than-half capacity at the casino (that has sold out its last few cards.) Or
maybe it was the Charlie Daniels band that was playing in the area that stole
Sky Ute’s fire. Others might reason that it was the absence of local pug Elco
Garcia that sapped the stands—although that argument is contradicted by Elco’s
last fight, on a card in Durango under a new promoter that brought in a sparse
crowd of 200 +/-.
Doesn’t take a genius to
figure out the obvious,though. One had but to walk out of the casino’s
“tent-on-steroids” erected in the parking lot where the fights are held, to see
half the sky filled with billowing, brown clouds, and to perceive the
overwhelming whiff of burning trees . . . .
Eleven amateur bouts
sanctioned by USA Boxing saved the 4-fight card inside the tent, offering the
best competition of the night.
In a supermatch at 119,
Moises Herrera of Herrera’s Boxing and Suanitu Hogue of Badoni’s Boxing, both
celebrated amateurs, fought a 3-round war. Herrera escaped a harrowing first
round by the much-busier and effective short-range scrapper Hogue to bounce back
in the 2nd after making a few adjustments. Using his reach and jab,
Herrera turned things around and took the fight, winning the decision. Both
fighters should be kept on radar for their eventual pro debuts.
Also on the amateur
portion of the card, in a rare match-up between sisters, Abigail Chavez and
Ramie Chavez, both of 11th Street Boxing in Farmington, battled each
other for three. Ramie had the edge in all three rounds and the bout was given
“Best Bout Award” by USA Boxing officials.
While Chavez vs. Chavez
was competitive, the judges who ruled it “Best Bout” must’ve been blind or
forgetful to rule it over the 3-round war between Franklin Laner of GIBC and
Lionel Starr of Telluride Boxing. Not only did Laner vs. Starr surpass all other
amateur bouts, but it blew away the professional fights of the night, as well.
In the 1st,
Laner pressed forward while Starr landed the meaningful blows. Midway through,
Laner ate a straight left that earned him a standing 8. Despite the blows that
rained down on him from the fancier Starr, Laner fought back with a crazy grin
and pressed on. In the 2nd, Laner got another standing 8, early on.
But he shook his head and took the fight to Starr, swinging wildly, swinging
continuously. Before long, he had Starr backing up, and after a couple
devastating right hands, had the ref giving Starr an 8-count.
In the 3rd,
Laner started to manhandle Starr for much of the round, although Starr had
moments when he opened up combos that pummeled Laner. Still, it wasn’t enough
for the judges to give him the round. Laner’s aggression and lack of fear earned
him the round, and the fight.
Neither fighter will ever
be an Oscar de la Hoya, but no one will ever be able to accuse them of lacking
heart. Nevermind USA Boxing, this reporter gives Laner and Starr “Best Bout of
the Night,” and Laner, “Best Brawler” award.
After a half-hour break,
the pro fights kicked up. Unfortunately, the overhead lights were then turned
off, leaving only a bank of lights over the ring to illuminate the action,
turning fighters into shadows.
In a four-round jr.
welterweight bout, Albuquerque’s Andre “Buzz” King was looking to make a quick
time of San Jo’s Nazareth Rojas, who was coming off a two-year layoff. King’s
camp had promised a first round knockout the day before, and when the bell rang,
someone switched on King’s “buzz button” and he came out swinging.
King came close. In the
first two minutes, he swarmed Rojas and popped him with combinations that had
his man backing up and eating leather. At one point, Rojas’ knees buckled—but he
bit down and weathered the storm.
Not too long after the
two-minute mark, King backed off and took a breather. It was the moment Rojas
had been waiting for. Nazareth buzzed a bit of his own and threw a right hand
that crashed into King’s head. Reeling from the punch, King spent the next 40
seconds on his bicycle trying to survive. He made it to the bell but the
expression on King’s face between rounds said it all.
Rojas came out hungry in
the 2nd, backing up a confused King who, unknowingly, kept his gloves
too low. Rojas landed a couple more rights and then unloaded a bomb of a left
hook that hammered into King’s liver. King folded like a cheap lawn chair and
down he went.
He was able to make the
count but after ref Al Martinez asked him three times if he was alright to
continue, with no response, Al called it quits, giving the TKO win to Rojas.
With his strong comeback,
Rojas, trained by the Anayas, evens his record to 4-4. King falls to 1-2.
Fight #2 had Denver’s Tony
“Phantasm” Espinoza taking on Coachilla’s 122-pound prospect Rudy Dominguez, who
is trained by Lee Espinoza—who also trains the Diaz brothers. Ironically,
Dominguez even looks like one of the Diaz brothers.
Unfortunately, for Tony
Espinoza, he can also fight like them.
Dominguez has a pretty
style—he’s quick, he’s got moves and fancy footwork, and he can pop his punches
in quick, clean combinations. Espinoza, unable to get off anything but windmill
punches and unsuccessful in closing the distance, was controlled and taken to
clinic by Dominguez, who earned the shutout unanimous decision.
An unwarranted sequel
between Frankie “the Educator” Sanchez and Eugene Lopez was next—a rematch about
as enticing as a Holyfield vs. Ruiz IV. Sanchez had already outworked Lopez on a
previous occasion—this time would be no different, although many of us ringside
were hoping for an early stoppage as we had forgotten to bring our pillows.
Only problem with Eugene
Lopez is, he’s too tough for his own good. You need an elephant gun to take care
of him; taking him out is like trying to take down a big, lumbering dinosaur
with a .45. You can pop him all night with your handgun, but his body and brain
won’t know it’s supposed to fall down and be still.
Sanchez had him staggering
so many times; had him reeling and ready to go—but Lopez would just find his
balance, blink once or twice, then return fire with his arsenal of moves:
overhand rights, tying up, elbows and headbutts.
In the 7th,
after six-plus rounds of seeing Lopez always on the verge, the ref stepped in
and said no mas. Sanchez, who’d won every round, by evading fouls,
tie-ups and ‘Hail, Mary!’ shots, and by landing accurate combos, was given the
TKO win, upping his record to 11-2-1. Lopez drops to 10-23-1.
Although impressive over
Lopez, Sanchez still looks for that cancelled showdown against the undefeated
Joe Brady—a fight that does not fare well for the much shorter, blown-up
welterweight. While such a fight might be competitive, Brady’s boxing skills and
reach could prove too much for Sanchez. What the “Educator” needs, is to drop a
few pounds and fight as a welterweight. If he wants an undefeated New Mexican,
why not Vernon Payne?
As for Brady? He needs
someone his own size; someone like Elco Garcia, if you want to stay with
Colorado boxers. Elco, though, is looking at a potential match-up against
undefeated Andres Pacheco.
The last fight and main
event of the evening had celebrated Canadian amateur Vaia Zaganas looking to
take out workhorse Sarah Goodson for the vacant IFBA strawweight title.
Vaia is the complete
package. Though she may lack a bit of oomph on her punches, she’s got
everything else: angles, style, a masterful defense and the ability to throw a
wide range of accurate combinations. Plus, she ain’t hard on the eyes.
Goodson was no match for
her, although her dirty tactics had her looking for a way to equalize things.
While Goodson is aggressive, she’s a nasty fighter: elbows, rabbit punches, head
butts—you name it, she did it.
Goodson lost a point in
the 3rd for excessive holding; then, in the 8th, she lost
another point for wrestling tactics. Ticked off at ref Russell Mora, Goodson
spit out her mouthpiece, said something spiteful to Mora and stormed out of the
ring. At the official time of :36, Mora give the TKO win to the deserving
Zaganas.
Sporting her pretty new
white belt, in addition to a half-golf ball-size mouse over her left eye,
Zaganas, at just 5-1, was crowned the IFBA’s Strawweight champion.
# # #
Amateur Results:
9-10/100#/Female: Mishauna
Todacheenie of Shiprock Boys & Girls RSC 2 Brenda Rassmussen of GIBC.
SR/201#/Female: Janelle
Denetsosie of Morris Boxing Club RSC 2 Teresa Montano of GIBC.
12/100#: Servando Lopez of
11th St. RSC 1 Steve Victor of Victor’s Boxing Club.
14/100#/Female: Rochelle
Valdez of 11th Street RSC 1 Breana Cassus of Bloomfield.
15/124#: Ewing Todacheenie
of Bloomfield DEC Jazzma Hogue of Badoni’s.
SR/119#: Moises Herrera of
Herrera Boxing DEC Suanitu Hogue of Badoni’s.
SR/132#: Mark Neyene of
Telluride RSC 3 Jeremy Montoya of Malli’s VFW.
15-16/178/Female: Nicole
Salazar of Salazar’s Boxing RSC 3 Vangiliana Archuleta of La Familia.
SR/132: Franklin Laner of
GIBC DEC Lionel Starr of Telluride Boxing.
15/180#: Greg Diaz of 11th
Street DEC Jerome Lopez of GIBC.
SR/119#: Ramie Chavez of
11th Street DEC Abigail Chavez of 11th Street.
Moises
Herrera vs. Suanitu Hogue
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