Rousing Rumbles in Roswell!
Gallegos outboxes Benjie, Zamora stops Hernandez!
De Los Santos, Cordova destroy foes in one!

Ringside report by Ricardo Trujillo
photos by chris cozzone

Last night in Roswell, New Mexico in front of 1,000 fight fans at the Roswell High School Gym, New Mexico State Jr. Welterweight Champion Shawn “The Educator” Gallegos displayed quality boxing skills in defeating grizzled Pueblo, Colorado veteran Benjie Marquez with a six round unanimous decision win—60-54 on all three judges score cards. NewMexicoBoxing.com and Fightnews concurred with the scoring.

All but one New Mexican came away with a win.

It was a card that almost didn’t come off when four fights fell apart on Wednesday. By Thursday however, the matchmaker had reassembled a decent entertaining ensemble of fisticuffs.

The main event was the only fight that went the distance. Although a pedestrian fight for us to watch, it was a good smart fight for Gallegos. Using his superior jab and reach to his advantage, Gallegos boxed his way to a UD on all three cards.

In the first, Gallegos’ stiff piston-like jab kept Marquez’s “bum rushes” off him. Marquez, clearly in the autumn of his career, if not the winter, tried desperately to catch his elusive young dance partner, but to no avail. ‘Don’t brawl with a brawler,’ so says the old boxing axiom, and Gallegos played it safe and coasted to a big lead, not falling prey to Benjie’s man-handling tactics.

In the middle rounds, it was obvious that Gallegos was not going to permit himself to be victimized and force the fight to Marquez. He let Marquez come to him and Benjie paid dearly. The shop-worn pug was still dangerous with wild body shots, but it was clear to any witness he was not going to catch Gallegos off guard. By the 5th round Marquez was reduced to dropping hands and sticking his tongue out in an attempt to lure his opponent inside his wheelhouse. In the final round, the action was more toe-to-toe with Gallegos becoming more flat footed and sitting down on his punches. The outcome would not be changed.

“I give myself a “C” grade,” said a less than enthusiastic Gallegos after the fight. “I didn’t step on the gas in the middle rounds because I was scared I would run out of gas.”

Gallegos has big plans for the rest of the year.

“I want a rematch with ‘Conan’ Torrecillas,” he said.

A possible August date for the rematch is on the table.

Marquez had rumors swirling around him that he would retire did he not win this fight.

“You’ve not seen the last of this man,” said Marquez with a big grin on his face.

Marquez falls further into oblivion at 28-31-2 12KOs, while Gallegos improves to 12-1, 5 KOs.

 

In one of the co-mains, Roswell’s own, Jeremy De Los Santos, destroyed pro-debuter Tommy Scott, with a vicious one punch KO at: 41 of round one.

In the first 30 seconds Scott, a mixed martial arts fighter by trade, tried to overwhelm his opponent but De Los Santos covered up beautifully then sent a sudden left hook with bad intentions whistling through Scott’s defense.

“Tiiimmmbberrr!—down went Scott in a heap.

At 147, De Los Santos looks strong but thinks he can still cut more weight.

“I feel strong now but I think I can make 140 pounds easy,”

De Los Santos is now being trained by Al Lovato after beginning his career with legendary trainer Tony Ayala.

“I was tired of being on the back burner with Tony,” he said after his fight. “Now I’m getting all the attention I need.”

De Los Santos moves up to 4-0, 2 KOs. Scott loses his pro boxing debut and mulls whether to return to mixed martial arts fulltime.

In the best fight of the night, Socorro, New Mexico’s Joaquin Zamora engaged in a pitched battle with Joe “Fists of Faith” Hernandez of Pueblo, Colorado.

In the first stanza, Zamora’s outstanding right jab was giving Hernandez fits. Zamora pushed the pace, showing Hernandez many angles. Not one to cave early, Hernandez showed his mettle by counter-punching Zamora and trying to force him to the ropes.

In the second, Hernandez hit the deck from a right-left-right hook combo. He took it well but it was a harbinger of things to come.

The third round was Hernandez’s best round, trying to work through the pressure by applying pressure himself. He knew hew as behind and had to do something dramatic to win—but the drama was left to Zamora when a beautifully executed three punch combo—left uppercut, right jab followed by a right hook—deposited Hernandez to the canvas like a kid busting his piggy bank on the floor, where he was counted out.

“I’m a different fighter now,” Zamora said afterward. “Al Lovato has me sitting down on my punches and following through. Boxing is a thinking mans game, I wanted to spring a trap and it worked.”

Zamora, moving up to 5-1-1, 4 KOs, says he would like another chance at Bobby Joe Valdez.

Hernandez falls to 10-9, 6 KOs.

Undercard action

Bobby Foster protégé Jason Cordova showed his skills by beating up pro-debuting-but-very-experienced-MMA-fighter John Cronk. After settling down nerves, Cordova went to work and clonked Cronk with a right hand over the top of a lazy jab and stopped the Cronk at 2:21 of the first round.

Cordova continues to show great power each time out and improves to 3-0, 3 KOs.

When asked who he wants next, the dashingly handsome Cordova said, “Either Holly Holm or Mia St. John.”

If Cordova makes 168, he could make some noise in an otherwise lackluster division—with a possible showdown against an MIA Jason Bray on the horizon.

Kudos to Bobby Foster for creating a potential contender who has the tools. 

The second fight of the night pitted Albuquerque’s Leanne Villareal against Denver’s Evangeline Abeyta. Action was the word for this fight.

In the first frame, Villareal came out like a polished veteran, and not the one seeking her first win as a pro. The shorter-armed Villareal pounded Abeyta into the corners and did not allow her to escape. In the last minute of the round, she dropped Abeyta with a classic one-two.

Looking none the worse for wear, Abeyta weathered the first round but circled to her left in the second, not letting Villareal reach her and winning the round on my card with effective ring generalship and defense—but it would all come crashing down the next round.

In the third and final frame of the fight, after a fairly even round, Villareal unleashed a right, left right combo that rendered Abeyta helpless against the ropes. After the first right, Abeyta’s hands dropped to her side like she was trying to tie her shoes; Villareal goes in for the kill and Abeyta slid to the canvas in a daze.

The ref waved it off quickly, official time 2:10.

Villareal gets her first pro win and moves to 1-2-1, 1 KO, while Abeyta drops to 1-8. Next up for Villareal: a rematch against Jayla Ortiz on July 17 in Ignacio, Colo.

Look out Jayla . . . .

In the final undercard bout, Albuquerque’s Jose Garcia and Colorado Springs’ Julio Lanzas squared off in middleweight bout.

In the first, Lanzas showed little respect for Garcia, taking care of business with a 3rd round stoppage over the outgunned Garcia. Utilizing a heavy-handed two-fisted attack, Lanzas worked his way to the inside of Garcia. He let Garcia do his work for him by not counter-punching well and pushing his punches when he did lead. Garcia tried to step up the pace in the third, but was clocked with a wicked left hook and ref Saiz reached the count of 10.

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