Six Poundings in Pojoaque!
Gallegos Survives Near-Knockout to Win Decision on Card with 5 Stoppages

text & photos by chris cozzone

What was supposed to be a get-back-in-the-ring fight for Shawn Gallegos nearly turned into a devastating loss for him last night at the KOX card in Pojoaque.

Nobody gave Juan Aranday too much thought before the fight. Having lost his last 9 fights and with a record of 3-28-3 with but one knockout, Aranday did not seem to pose much of a threat to the undefeated lightweight prospect from Las Vegas, NM. Aranday was fresh off the suspension list, too, having been stopped in the 2^nd round in January by Adrian Mora.

But Aranday came to fight.

Gallegos was in control of the fight in the first six rounds. Although much of his time was spent trying to keep Aranday from headbutting him, Gallegos fought with less abandon and more intelligence, staying within a game plan that had him jabbing and landing combinations from the outside. He did just about everything right.

Aranday pressed forward, sometimes lunging, never jabbing, always trying to corner Gallegos for rough in-house fighting. When inside, leading with his head that would always snap upright aimed for Gallegos’ chin, Aranday sought to land left hooks and occasional rights.

When toe-to-toe, Gallegos would come away landing the better punches, either pounding body shots or right hands—and while Aranday’s head would snap back every so often from hard shots, he would continue his forward advance and gesture, with a macho swaggering way, that he was unhurt.

While Gallegos continued to control the fight, Aranday started to close the rounds in an impressive way from the 5^th round on. He would let Gallegos back him into a corner and throw combinations, then he’d lurch forward while throwing crazy punches, backing Gallegos toward the opposite side of the ring until the bell rang.

But up to and including the 6^th round, it was Gallegos’ fight. Easy.

Early in the 7^th, Aranday launched an attack that had Gallegos on the defense. Then a left hand changed everything: a hook put Gallegos on the canvas for the 2^nd time in his pro career.

Gallegos took his time getting back up, wisely taking a knee until the count of 8. Then he spent the next 2 ½ minutes trying to survive.

No doubt about it, Gallegos was hurt. Aranday pursued him all over the unusually small ring, landing pounding body shots while Gallegos looked to tie up or stay out of range. He even spit out his mouthpiece, on advice to those screaming at ringside, but the ref didn’t catch it and he ended up fighting the last 30 seconds without one. Although Gallegos made it to the end of the 7^th, he did not look like he’d make it in the 8^th.

In the final round, Aranday landed early again but Gallegos dug deep and launched his own attacks, outlanding Aranday with jabs and 1-2’s but not still not taking the round for the Mexican’s harder blows. At this point it didn’t matter; survival meant a decision, which meant a win.

At the end of 8, all three judges had it for Gallegos: 76-75, 78-75 and 77-74. I had it 77-74. Gallegos makes it to 6-0, 4 KO’s and Aranday makes it an even ten losses in a row—since last year’s upset over Steve Aragon.

The Gallegos vs. Aranday fight was the only fight to make it out of the 2^nd round. Five stoppages preceded the main event.

The co-main had Espanola’s hot flyweight prospect Tony Valdez taking on 0-8 fighter Jose Martinez in an undeserving rematch.

In the first fight, Valdez destroyed Martinez in a minute and a half. This time, Valdez took his time and polished him off at 2:24. It wasn’t much of a fight and after a couple punches, Martinez spent his time looking for a good place to land on the canvas.

Martinez was unworthy of Valdez, who came in rock hard and ready to rumble. Valdez could not hide his disappointment, and as the ref raised his hand in victory, he was shaking his head.

The undercard opened up with pro debuter Arturo Torres from Albuquerque, who was up against a fighter with 13 fights: Heriberto Velasquez, who was 3-8-2 going into the fight.

Despite the gaping disparity in experience, Torres actually managed to win the first round. Torres landed one-two’s and with a well-placed right, put Velasquez on the canvas.

Torres came out slow in the 2^nd but as he started to warm up, he let Velasquez back him up against the ropes. Then, Torres got cocky and started to showboat. He put his gloves down as if to dare Velasquez to take a swing.

Well, Velasquez did take a swing—a damn good one. A right hand smashed against Torres’ head. Dazed, Torres could do nothing but stand there in a bewildered state. Velasquez followed up with a mighty left hook, then another right, which dropped Torres to the canvas.

He was done and as his body started to unfold itself, the ref waved it over at 1:17.

Torres later admitted that he’d gotten cocky and tried to showboat. After that first punch landed, he’d been in too much of a daze to put his gloves up.

Another bizarre fight was to follow.

Pro debuter Andre “the Buzz” King was up against a guy who might or might not have been a Mexican guy named Martin Mendoza, another pro debuter, so he claimed. Nevermind the name and possible advantage in experience; this guy outweighed King 10 pounds at the weigh-in the day before: 151 ½ to King’s 141. He later came down to 149, which still made it a dangerous difference in weight.

Regardless, King came out and took the first round. He was more aggressive than Mendoza, using his jab to move in and out. But sometime in the final minute, King started splurting blood from a cut over his eye. The doc checked it out and OK’d a continuance but in between the 1^st and 2^nd rounds, the bleeding could not be stopped and the bout was halted.

At first, Mendoza was given the TKO win, when officials decided the cut had come from a right hand. But that decision is now on hold until the Athletic Commission can review tapes that, from what I’ve seen, clearly show a headbutt causing the cut. In the event of a headbutt, the fight will be ruled a No Contest.

Female featherweight prospect Jackie Chavez was up next, against pro debuter Vangie Abeyta from Denver.

When the bell rang for the 1^st, as Chavez attempted to touch gloves with her opponent, Abeyta answered with a sneaky attack. Chavez covered up, got her bearings, and returned Abeyta’s sloppy shots with a vengeful combination.

Almost immediately, a right hand put Abeyta down. She made the count but Jackie went in for the finish, re-depositing Abeyta on the canvas. At just 50 seconds, Chavez was given the KO win.

The last undercard of the night saw the return of the “Goose,” Jose Ramirez who took on cruiserweight Sergio Vasquez from El Paso. Ramirez was outweighed by 8 pounds but Vasquez’s slower speed and age put the favor in the Goose’s court.

Ramirez won the 1^st with simple one-two’s and an occasional body shot. In the 2^nd, Vasquez started to come on while Ramirez looked to be taking a breather, but halfway through, Ramirez landed a right hand that floored Velasquez.

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Quick Results
Shawn Gallegos (6-0, 4 KO's) UD 8 Juan Aranday (3-39-3, 1 KO)
Tony Valdez (2-0, 2 KO's) KO 1 Jose Martinez (0-9)
Jose Ramirez (9-8, 6 KO's) KO 2 Sergio Vasquez (0-4)

Jackie Chavez (3-0, 2 KO's) KO 1 Vangie Abeyta (0-1)

Heriberto Velasquez (4-9-2) TKO 2 Arturo Torres (0-1)
Andre King (0-0)  NC* Martin Mendoza (0-0)

*Commission must rule by videotape whether fight stoppage was by punch or headbutt.
King was unable to continue due to excessive bleeding.

© 2002 by New Mexico Boxing.com