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Sanchez III rebounds off loss but busts up hand in big kayo over Richard Ueding

Text and photos by chris cozzone

A compelling knockout was just what Ray Sanchez III needed to reinstate himself as the “New Pride of Albuquerque” following a sole-but-devastating loss last year in El Paso.

But while Sanchez made the first step in repairing his rep, destroying his opponent with a beautiful right hook in the final moments of the third round, he fell back again after injuring his left hand in the first.

A crowd estimated at just-under 2000 showed up to roar their support for the South Valley hopeful at Sanchez’s alma mater, Rio Grande High School, on a fight card promoted by KOX Productions. In a rare pro-am card (the last was in July 2000 in Las Cruces) that featured New Mexico’s top amateur fighters and five pro fights, KOX and Sanchez proved that, never mind the casinos, all you need is local talent, the support of your community and a reasonable ticket price ($10) to put on a successful show.

In his first fight as a welterweight, Sanchez gave his fans just what they wanted.

Sanchez’s prey, Richard Ueding (now 6-8, 3 KOs) of Austin, Texas, might’ve been a little overwhelmed at the crushing chorus of boos he received walking into the ring, but he came to fight.

The first frame was a feeling-out round. Sanchez controlled the pace with his jab and occasional straight left, but by the end of the round, Ueding was getting braver. After proving he could take Sanchez’s best left hand, he opened up at the end of the round, moving Ray back.

Sanchez would say later that he thought he’d broken his left hand in the opening round.

The next round-and-a-half had Sanchez outpointing from the outside, hitting Ueding mainly with jabs. Ueding started to move forward, lunging at the quicker, more elusive Sanchez, and landing a few of his own power shots.

Unable to throw his best shot, Sanchez steered clear of mixing it up with Ueding, making the third round a close one—until the final moments. Maneuvering Ueding against the ropes, Sanchez threw a left, then a picture-perfect right hook that dropped the Texan to the canvas like a bag of laundry.

At 2:59, Ueding was counted out and Sanchez was pumping his gloves into the air for his 9^th pro win (7 by kayos).

“I will do everything in my power to be a world champion and put New Mexico on the map!” Sanchez screamed into a mic after his win was officially announced.

But while he has relaunched his career, Sanchez, with his injured hand, could be headed right back into a lengthy lay-off again.

Undercard

The pro portion of the card opened up with a spirited four-rounder between Albuquerque’s Arturo Torres and Juarez’s Ruben Contreras.

While Torres showed an improvement in boxing skills, sticking to a hit-and-move game plan instead of his usual brawling, it was not enough to overcome the steady attack mode of Contreras.

Contreras, who came close to beating undefeated Victor Barela a couple weeks ago in Ignacio, Colo., started off slow but his hard right hands made the difference in the judges’ eyes.

Torres controlled the first, outscoring Contreras who steadily-but-slowly tried to walk him down. Near the end of the round, Contreras started to land his right hand.

Solid right hands continued to land through the 2^nd, wobbling Torres near the end of the round. Torres came back in the 3^rd, pestering Contreras on the run and trying to keep away from big right hands that made it a close round. The final round went to Contreras, who was cutting off the ring and landing rights.

At the end of four, I had it 39-37 for Contreras, as did all three judges.

Torres falls to 1-3; Contreras adds a win, and is now 7-10-2.

AMATEUR PHOTOS Leo vs. Godinez Sanchez vs. Alderete Dipace vs. Garza Crespin vs. Chavez Esquibel vs. Zubia   Garcia vs. Bazan   Lopez vs. Contreras

In a four-round pro kickboxing match, Albuquerque’s James Martinez won a decision over Del McCarty.

While Martinez dominated McCarty with footwork, it was, ironically, his right hands that floored his foe twice en route to a unanimous decision.

Martinez, the aggressor for most of the fight, scored early with hard kicks to the thigh and shin while McCarty sought to close the gap and land right hands. Winning up fighting exchanges, McCarty could not get past Martinez’s kicks.

In the 3^rd, McCarty was floored from a solid right hand. Martinez, tiring in the later round, finished off the frame with front kicks.

In the final round, McCarty was two more times—both from right hands—but was able to survive.

Scorecards read 40-34, 40-33 and 39-34, all for Martinez. I had it 40-33, Martinez, scoring one 10-8 round and the 4^th, 10-7.

Montoya Massacres

In his first fight in nearly a year, Albuquerque’s Lee Montoya had little difficulty beating up last-minute sub Israel Rivera.

Rivera, a pro debuter from Anthony, NM, was ill-prepared and ill-equipped to deal with the power, height and strength of Montoya.

Too short and too pudgy, Rivera was on the run from the opening bell from Montoya, who had to bend over at the waist to get anything to land on the shorter Rivera.

After pursuing Rivera along the ropes, clobbering him with awkward thrown uppercuts and body shots, Montoya landed a left to the body that leveled Rivera, who was counted out at just :40 of the 1^st.

Montoya, looking to fight again as soon as possible, moves to 4-0, with 4 kayos. 

Rodriguez Bulldozes Butler

Unbeaten El Paso heavyweight David Rodriguez, too, had an easy night, battering uninspired Gary Butler around the ring on his way to yet another first round kayo.

Despite going down twice from left hooks, Butler was on his way to being the first Rodriguez opponent to make it out of the 1^st since Martin Lopez—until, at 2:59, he took a knee from another left hook and was counted out.

Still unchallenged, and untested since Lopez, Rodriguez makes it an even dozen wins, with an even dozen knockouts.

  # # #

Pro Results:
6 rounds welterweight:
Ray Sanchez III (9-1, 7 KOs) KO 3 Richard Ueding (6-8, 3 KOs)
6 rounds heavyweight:
David Rodriguez (12-0, 12 KOs) TKO 1 Gary Butler (12-22)
4 rounds welterweight:
Lee Montoya (4-0, 4 KOs) KO 1 Israel Rivera (0-1)
4 rounds jr. superbantam:
Ruben Contreras (7-12-2) UD Arturo Torres (1-3)
4 rounds kickboxing, jr. middle:
James Martinez KO 1 Del McCarty

# # #

Amateurs Commensurate with Pros

by Ricardo Trujillo

In an unusual Pro/Am card sanctioned by both the USA Boxing and The New Mexico State Athletic Commission, the state’s top amateurs showed off their wares in the first half of the card.

First up was Allen Sanchez of Burque 505, against Adrian Alderete from Henry’s Boxing. In a fight punctuated by ebb and flow, these 8-year-old 55-pounders put on a good show.

Sanchez was simply landing the harder cleaner shots throughout, although Alderete did not ask for any quarter--Sanchez obliged him by giving him none.

Sanchez won the spirited fight with good straight punches.

The next fight featured probably the state’s best young amateur in Las Cruces’ Sammy DiPace (this 13-year-old kid is going places) who dismantled Manuel Garcia of Texas with a persistent and effective attack.

From the opening bell, DiPace swarmed all over Garcia, befuddling him with his two-fisted assault, cutting off the ring and not permitting Garcia to get set.

In the 2^nd round DiPace scored two standing eight counts and had Garcia nearly defenseless as the bell sounded. In the third, the aggressive self-assured DiPace, once again, pounded his opponent to the ropes in the neutral corner, scoring yet another standing eight. Needless to say, the decision went to DiPace.

Next were 13-year-old 145 pounders, Arturo “Tutti” Crespin from Las Vegas and Josh Chavez of Burque 505.

Crespin drove his right jab into Chavez’s face the entire fight and won with superior aggressiveness and ring generalship.

The open division were the next three fights.

The state’s best 125 pounder Matthew Esquibel, made his debut in the open class by facing Edgar Zubia of Hobbs. The seasoned Esquibel showed that he knows his way around the ring, and won by controlling the pocket and boxing beautifully. In the 2^nd round, a straight right by Esquibel flopped Zubia to the canvas. He got back up but was wobbling; and a hard left hook to the body at the bell had him wincing. By the third and fourth, Esquibel was in total command, scoring a standing eight in the 3^rd. The game Zubia came a long way to get beat up.

Next was, possibly, the most entertaining fight of the night: Vincent Garcia vs. Untouchables' Leroy Bazan. These guys came to fight.

Garcia won the first round with his slick boxing style. However, by the 2^nd, you could see the frustration in Bazan who could not move with Garcia, who was giving him too many angles. Bazan was not so much undaunted as outgunned. As the bell sounded or a second after, Bazan hit Garcia when he was not looking and a melee nearly ensued as Garcia liberally answered back. The extra curricular actives were squelched as the corners and the ref broke up the combatants, but the crowd went nuts from the adrenalin.

In the third, Garcia continued his dominance with hard punches to both the body and head. And by the 4^th Garcia’s aggressiveness was tiring a fading Bazan, securing a decisioned win for Garcia.

By the way, the boxers hugged after the fight despite the animosity after the 2^nd round.

The last open fight was between Adrian Lopez of Socorro and Anthony Contreras from Untouchables. Their last fight in Las Cruces was a barnburner with Lopez winning a close decision. This one was not as close, but still very entertaining.

Lopez went to work in the 1^st with sharp straight jabs. In the 2^nd Lopez actually lifted Contreras’ foot off the floor from a left hook to the body, but Contreras fought back valiantly. In the middle of the 3^rd round, a wicked left right combo had Contreras’ bleeding profusely from the nose. Although not broken, it took over five minutes to stop the bleeding and the doc let the fight continue. In the 4^th the bloodied face of Contreras told the story: another 'W' under his belt for Lopez.