New Mexico Boxing

Romero Breaks Gomez!
Danny Shows Albuquerque He’s Back With Impressive 7^th Round TKO Win for NABA Belt

Ringside report by Chris Cozzone and Lalo Trujillo
Photos by Cozzone

Last night, before a sold-out crowd of 3,000 at the Isleta Casino & Resort, Danny Romero showed his hometown that he was back—for real.

In what was probably the best fight in New Mexico in years, Romero and Gomez slugged it out for six-plus rounds before referee Russell Mora stepped in to halt the action at 2:01 of the 7^th, awarding the TKO win and the vacant NABA bantamweight belt to Romero.

It was the first time Gomez had ever been stopped in 61 fights, barring injuries. Gomez, who has still never been down in a fight (from a punch,) showed a frightening capacity to take punishment, which Romero dished out consistently. Gomez was staggered in the 6^th and 7^th, and showed all the signs of eventually going down, before the ref stepped in to save Gomez from himself and Romero.

Romero took on the role of aggressor early on in the 1^st, pursuing Gomez and landing the harder blows. Gomez looked better in the 2^nd when the two began trading blows in brutal exchanges. Romero still had the edge, landing harder punches and putting up a tight gloves-up defense.

Romero went to Famosito’s body in the 3^rd, continuing his lead. The 4^th was a slugfest, with Gomez landing more solid shots but Romero showing a chin to match Gomez.

The 5^th nearly saw a potentially premature stoppage when Romero landed a devastating low blow that had Gomez curled up and groaning on the canvas for nearly five minutes. The crowd booed while Gomez tried to recover. To most, the low blow appeared deliberate—in retaliation to Gomez’s own several thrown low blows and intentional headbutts. Just prior to the low blow, Gomez had been warned for the second time to keep his gloves up.

In fact, later in the round, when the fight resumed, Gomez lost a point when he rammed his head into Romero’s. Gomez, though, got the worst of it, ending up with a cut over his eye.

Now bleeding, Gomez started to show the wear and tear of Romero’s power. He was staggered in the 6^th when Romero started to land more and more solid shots that had the crowd both cheering and groaning.

Pinning Gomez against the ropes in the 7^th, Romero landed his best punches, knocking the Mexican’s mouthpiece out and staggering Famosito yet again, until the ref stepped in and called it off.

Before the stoppage, Romero had won all the rounds but one on all three judges’ scorecards. The 2^nd had been scored a 10-10 round on one card.

Romero shows every sign of being back on track. In his fight against Gomez, he showed power, defense and a chin—everything was in place but his jab. And there was a reason for that: Backstage, as Romero was warming up with Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, he overextended his shoulder, spraining it.

“Forget the jab,” Danny Romero, Sr. told him. “We want you hooking all night.”

Last night, left hooks and straight rights are all Romero needed to take Gomez out.

Romero is looking at another world title shot by the end of the year. His next fight back should be in July or August.

Undercard Action

Last night’s card had a 4-fight undercard.

The action started out with Seboyeta’s “Sensational” Steve Aragon, who was fighting out of Sky City Casino for the first time in his career. Aragon was up against a last-minute opponent: Alberto Cepeda from Juarez, who was listed as 17-9-1, although his manager told us he was more like 10-10.

Regardless of his record, Cepeda was sucking wind for most of the fight while Aragon danced around him, peppering him with quick 1-2’s. In the 2^nd, Aragon gave Cepeda a cut on his cheek.

Aragon’s domination continued for most of the fight, although Cepeda showed a good chin and was able to land a few of his own in the later rounds. Aragon finished strong in the 6^th and won the near-shutout unanimous decision.

Aragon was coming off a close loss to Tommy Aragon in April. This tune-up should put him back on track for, hopefully, a rematch.

El Paso flyweight sensation Cesar “El Gallito” Lopez took on undefeated Dominican Augusto Jimenez in the night's second bout.

Through four rounds, Lopez stayed in control of the fight, outhustling and outlanding Jimenez. The Dominican was able to land his hard right in the 3^rd but Lopez showed a solid chin and returned fire at a 2-1 ratio. His solid left hooks to the body discharged a sonic boom every time they landed, drawing big cheers from the crowd.

At the end of 4, two judges had it 40-36 for Lopez; one had it 40-37.

The pro debut of 4-time national amateur champion David Martinez, Jr. was up next.

Martinez had insisted on fighting someone tough in his pro debut, and not a powderpuff walk-through opponent. They gave him Jorge Lopez from Phoenix—a 2-1-1 fighter with an iron jaw trained by former champ Michael Carbajal.

In what turned out to be the best undercard fight, Martinez and Lopez threw down for four rounds of battle.

Martinez was clearly the superior boxer, finding the openings and outscoring Lopez. But Lopez is one of those guys who, like Famosito Gomez, can take a lot of punishment. He can also dish it out . . . . The Romero-trained Martinez, too, was able to showcase his chin, for Lopez was able to land his right hand several times when Martinez was rushing in.

Lopez had his best moments in the beginning of the 3^rd, but started to fade afterward. Martinez picked up the pace and finished strong.

Judges all saw it for Martinez: 40-36, 39-37 and 40-37.

The co-main of the night saw “El Diablo”, Alex Becerra in his first 8-rounder, against the hard-hitting Joey “Li’l Bad” Garcia from Sacramento, CA.

Becerra took control from the 1^st but it wasn’t long into the round when Becerra found himself bleeding from a bad gash over his left eye. The ref ruled the cut caused by a punch.

Becerra seemed distracted by his bleeding cut in the 2^nd, although he was still landing the better punches than Garcia who was taking his time but ever pressing Becerra on.

With the cut still bleeding between the 2^nd and 3^rd, and the fight now in danger of being stopped, Becerra’s corner told “El Diablo” to pick up the pace. Becerra came out hard in the 3^rd, landing clean shots that gave him the round.

In the 4^th, a near-desperate Becerra overwhelmed Garcia with a flurry of punches. Unable to cope, Garcia took a knee and was counted out, giving the KO win to Becerra.

Becerra gets his 10^th win.

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The Blow-by-Blow

by Ricardo Trujillo

ROMERO VS. GOMEZ

RD. 1—ROMERO COMES OUT LOOKING MEAN AND READY TO GO.

FAMOSITO CAME TO FIGHT AND DOES NOT BACK UP. A LEFT HOOK TO THE BODY GETS ROMERO’S ATTENTION, AND RUSSELL MORA WARNS FAMOSITO ABOUT LOW BLOWS.ROMERO LANDS THE HARDER PUNCHES AND WINS THE ROUND.

RD. 2—IT’S A FIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING. ROMERO SHOWS SOME SLIGHT SWELLING IN HIS LEFT EYE. STILL OUTPUNCHING FAMOSITO ROMERO IS KEEPING THE FIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING. ANOTHER ROUND TO ROMERO.

RD. 3—ROMERO COMES OUT WITH MEAN INTENTIONS AND SCORES WITH A HARD RIGHT TO THE FACE OF FAMOSITO. MUSTAFA SCREAMS AT ROMERO TO MOVE HIS HEAD AND MOVE LATERALLY. STILL IN THE CENTER OF THE RING ROMERO HAS SOME WICKED EXCHANGES WITH FAMOSITO. ROMERO TIMING IS OFF AND LOOKS A BIT CONFUSED.

RD. 4—ROMERO IS LANDING MORE TO THE BODY BUT FAMOSITO IS NO SLOUCH AND TAKES THE PUNCHES WELL. CIRCLING TO HIS LEFT FAMOSITO HAS HIS BEST ROUND. 3-1 ROMERO

RD. 5—HOOKING TO THE BODY WITH HIS LEFT, DANNY HITS LOW AND FAMOSITO IS WRITHING IN PAIN ON THE CANVAS. REF RUSSELL mora GIVES FAMOSITO THE FULL FIVE MINUTES. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 4 MIN. FAMOSITO IS UP AND THE ROUND CONTINUES. A LARGE CUT ON THE TOP OF FAMOSITO’S HEAD IS FROM A HEAD BUTT BY ROMERO. BUT FAMOSITO LOSES A POINT.

RD. 6—STILL IN THE CENTER OF THE RING ROMERO HOOKS TO THE BODY AND SCORES. FAMOSITO’S MOUTYH PIECE FALLS OUT AND RUSSELL MORA STOPS THE ACTION TO REPLACE. BODY SHOTS WIN THE ROUND FOR ROMERO.

RD. 7—ROMERO IS SLOWING DOWN TO TAKE A BREATHER, A HEAD BUTT BY FAMOSITO COSTS HIM ANOTHER POINT. HEADHUNTING ROMERO IS STARTING TO GET TO FAMOSITO A WHIRLWIND OF PUNCHES ALONG THE ROPES AND THE REF STOPS THE BOUT AT 2:01.

BECERRA VS. GARCIA

RD. 1—BECERRA COMES OUT TENTATIVE BUT REMAINS FLAT FOOTED READY TO PUNCH. GARCIA THE CALIFORNIAN IS CONTENT TO STAY IN THE POCKET BUT IS STILL NOT SCORING EFFECTIVELY. BECERRA IS CUT ON THE LEFT CORNER OF HIS EYE AND THE CORNER GOES TO WORK.

RD. 2—JABBING AND MOVING NOW BECAUSE OF THE CUT BECERRA, HE CATCHES A HARD RIGHT TO THE TEMPLE BY THE COUNTER PUNCHING GARCIA. THE DR. SEATED NEXT TO ME IS TAKING A LONG HARD LOOK AT BECERRA’S CUT EYE. THE CORNER OF BECERRA IS WORKING FEVERISHLY ON THAT CUT AND THE DR. SAYS IT’S VERY DEEP.

RD.3—GARCIA IS SHOWING A LITTLE TIREDNESS AND FOR NOW THE BLOOD IS STILL FLOWING, IF BECERRA DOES NOT DO SOMETHING DRAMATIC, HE MIGHT LOSE BY TKO STOPPAGE. GARCIA IS NOT THE BETTER FIGHTER BUT HAS BECERRA FIGHTING TENTATIVELY AS THE 10 SECOND COUNT BEGINS. 2-1 BECERRA.

RD. 4—MORE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FIGHTERS AS THE ROUND BEGINS A FLURRY BY BECERRA HAS GARCIA AGAINST THE ROPES ABOVE PRESS ROW. GARCIA TAKES A KNEE AND IS COUNTED OUT BY REF LORENZO SAIZ AFTER ABARRAGE OF PUNCHES BY BECERRA

MARTINEZ VS. LOPEZ

RD. 1—LOOKING BIGGER THAN A BANTAMWEIGHT MARTINEZ COMES OUT STRONG JABBING AND MOVING TO HIS LEFT. A COUNTER RIGHT BY LOPEZ SCORES AS MARTINEZ MOVES TO THE ROPES. BIG DANNY ROMERO, SR. IMPLORES HIS PROTÉGÉ TO BOX MORE.

RD. 2—MARTINEZ PUSHES LOPEZ’S HEAD DOWN As the round starts. CONTENT TO BOX FROM THE OUTSIDE MARTINEZ IS FIRST WITH HIS PUNCHES. THE FORMER GG CHAMP TAKES A GOOD BODY SHOT AND IT'S TURNING INTO A WAR IN THE CENTER OF THE RING. A MORE EVEN ROUND BUT MARTINEZ IS LEADING 2-0 BASED ON HIS STRENGTH TO MOVE LOPEZ AROUND.

RD. 3—LOPEZ IS LANDING EARLY BUT MARTINEZ COUNTERS WELL AS HE HAS TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET CAUGHT COMING IN. LOPEZ BACK TO THE ROPES IS SUCKING AIR. MARTINEZ IS SLOWING DOWN THE DURABLE LOPEZ WITH HIS BODY ATTACK. ANOTHER ROUND TO MARTINEZ.

RD. 4—THE FIGHTERS TOUCH GLOVES, MARTINEZ IS WINNING BUT ITS STILL CLOSE. ROMERO, SR. HIS TRAINER IS SHOUTING FOR MARTINEZ TO PUNCH TO THE BODY. BOTH FIGHTERS LOOK TRIED AS THE 10 SECOND WARNING SOUNDS. UD MARTINEZ.

LOPEZ VS. JIMENEZ

RD. 1 NOT WANTING TO TOUCH GLOVES THE DOMINICAN JIMENEZ IS BOOED BY THE CROWD. EL GALLITO IS TRYING TO DOUBLE HIS LEFT JAB BUT THE DOMINCAN IS ELUSIVE. A GOOD BODY PUNCH BY GALLITO AT THE END OF THE ROUND PUNCTUATES A GOOD ROUND BY LOPEZ.

RD. 2—THE EL PASOAN IS NOW OPENING UP AND USING HIS JAB TO CREATE OPENINGS ESPECIALLY TO THE BODY. JIMENEZ IS TRYING TO MEASURE GALLITO WITH A PROBING JAB TO BUT NO AVAIL, A HARD BODY SHOT BY GALLITO HAS JIMENEZ GASPING. A WORKMAN LIKE PERFORMANCE BY EL GALLITO.

RD. 3—MORE OF THE SAME BY EL GALLITO WHO SEES THE OPENINGS JIMENEZ PRESENTS TO THE BODY. THE CROWD DOES NOT LIKE THAT THE ACTION HAS WANED, GALLITO STILL IN COMMAND STALKS JIMENEZ. GALLITO CATCHES A RIGHT COMING IN THAT STOPS GALLITO MOMENTARILY. Gallito 3-0.

Rd. 4—JIMENEZ NEEDS A KO TO WIN, ALTHOUGH THE LAST ROUND WAS MORE EVEN. STILL FIGHTING FROM HIS COMPACT STYLE GALLITO IS OUT BOXING JIMENEZ . UD GALLITO.

ARAGON VS. CEPEDA

RD. 1—ARAGON CIRCLES TO HIS LEFT AS THE ROUND STARTS. LOOKING SPEEDIER THAN CEPEDA, A HARD RIGHT TO THE FACE OF CEPEDA IS ARAGON’S BEST PUNCH OF THE FIGHT MID WAY THROUGH THE ROUND. CEPEDA FROM JUAREZ IS STANDING IN THERE NOT AFRAID TO ENGAGE.

RD. 2—A LEFT AND RIGHT TO START THE ROUND AS ARAGON BEGINS TO TAKE COMMAND OF THE FIGHT. A SMALL CUT TO CEPEDA’S CHEEK BONE BEGINS TO FLOW BLOOD, THE CORNER OF ARAGON SAYS TO GO THE BODY. ARAGON’S RING GENERALSHIP IS PROVING TO BE THE DIFFERENCE.

RD. 3—BOBBING AND WEAVING TO START THE ROUND ARAGON GETS CLOSER LOOKNG FOR THE KILL. CEPEDA CAME TO FIGHT THOUGH, THROWING MORE PUNCHES THAN CEPEDA ARAGON WANTS TO LOOK IMPRESSIVE. AS THE ROUND ENDS CEPEDA LANDS A HARD RIGHT UPPERCUT. ARAGON 3-0.

RD. 4—ARAGON THE SOUTHPAW IS DISTRACTED WHILE CEPEDA GETS HIS SHOE TIED. THE BLOOD IS STYMIED BY CEPEDA’S CORNER WHO HAS DONE A GOOD JOB ON THE CUT TO THE CHEEK. SHOOTING HIS RIGHT HOOK MORE ARAGON IS ONCE AGAIN DOMINATING THE ROUND.

RD. 5—CEPEDA THE VETERAN IS TRYING TAKE THE INITIATIVE BUT ARAGON IS PUNCHING MORE EFFECTIVELY THE BODY. LEAD RIGHTS BY CEPEDA MOMENTARILY STOPS ARAGON’S OFFENSIVE. ANOTHER ROUND TO ARAGON. CEPEDA NEEDS A KO TO WIN.

RD. 6—TOUCHING GLOVES THE COMBATANTS SQUARE OFF IN THE CENTER OF THE RING. CEPEDA IS SURVIVING NOW TO MAKE SURELY LESS THAN A $1,000. A UD FOR THE SEBOYETA NATIVE STEVE ARAGON.

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Quick Results:
Danny Romero (42-4-1, 35 KO’s) TKO 7 Famosito Gomez (48-12, 28 KO's)
Alex "El Diablo" Becerra (10-1, 5 KO's) KO 4 Joey Garcia (8-5-1, 1 KO)
David Martinez (1-0) UD 4 Jorge “YNot?” Lopez (2-2-1)
Cesar "El Gallito" Lopez (6-1, 3 KO's) UD 4 Augusto Jimenez (2-1, 1 KO)
"Sensational" Steve Aragon (7-2, 3 KO's) UD 6 Alberto Cepeda (17-10-1, 12 KO's)