January 24, 2004 - San Felipe Casino Hollywood - Fresquez Productions

Slugfest at San Felipe!
Razor-thin twin-title fight between Lopez and Garcia tops off a host of wars in first card of 2004

Ringside report and photos by Chris Cozzone

The hometowners might"ve come up short last night, against a host of house fighters from El Paso, but they gave the packed house of 1,200 frenzied fight fans at San Felipe"s Casino Hollywood a hell of a show on the first card of 2004.

The Fresquez Productions" Rising Stars card sold out shortly before the opening bell and many who showed up to buy a ticket at the door had to be turned away.

In four of the six scheduled bouts, New Mexicans took on some of El Paso"s best fighters, but were unable to come out on top.

But they all came to fight . . . .

"El Gallito" edges Garcia in thriller!

In the main event for two vacant titles, El Paso"s Cesar "El Gallito" Lopez took on Santa Fe"s Bryan Garcia in a rematch for the New Mexico state and the North American Boxing Association (NABA) super flyweight belts.

Last summer, Lopez cruised his way to a unanimous six-round win over Garcia. Many thought this would be a repeat: Lopez outclassing Garcia.

"I"ve got a big, big surprise for Cesar Lopez," was what Garcia had been saying for the last couple of weeks leading up to the rematch.

Many doubted Garcia"s words, and for good reason. In the past, he"d come up short against solid opponents, and at 6-7, was no longer considered the prospect he"d once been as a nationally ranked amateur. Too much partying, inconsistent training and short-notice fights had turned Garcia into an opponent for fighters like Alex Becerra, Clarence Vinson, Victor Barela and Lopez.

In other words, Lopez was expected to walk away with the win and the two belts in a glorified sparring session.

But Garcia has finally made a transition that could turn his career around--the bad news was, he had to face "El Gallito", one of the Southwest"s biggest hopefuls. Even then, he came close to pulling off the upset.

Round One marked this fight as a highly tactical match. Lopez stayed on the fringe, looking to score points. Garcia, though, composed for the first time in years, gave Lopez the head"s up that this was not going to be an easy fight; in two exchanges, Garcia rifled Lopez with left hook counterpunches that landed flush.

Gallito evened the score in the second round, landing overhand rights whenever Garcia dropped his gloves in an exchange. Lopez, the faster fighter, was starting to use angles, slipping Garcia"s shots and coming up and over with loopy-but-accurate bombs.

Round Three was close. Lopez opened up the round in berserk fashion, backing Garcia up against the ropes and letting fly with blinding combinations. After the first minute, Garcia woke up and took the round back as the aggressor, keeping Lopez on the defense with flurries.

The tide shifted back to Gallito in the fourth round when he pinned Garcia on the ropes again, landing left hook after left hook on him, both up and downstairs. Garcia was stuck on defense.

The action in the fifth round slowed a bit, as Lopez began to fight on the outside, jabbing and outboxing Garcia who sought to pull Gallito into a fight. The pace sped up at the end and into the sixth, but it was still Lopez potshotting from the outside while Garcia tried to pin him down.

Garcia got his way in the seventh round and throughout the round, he had Lopez on defense.

The eighth was a toss-up: Garcia"s aggression vs. Lopez"s outpointing with in-and-out punches.

Lopez pulled ahead again throughout most of the ninth round, outhustling Garcia until the last half-minute when the two traded blows in the best exchanges yet.

Lopez let loose in the final round, expending his energy reserve and looking to keep his lead with a great last round--until Garcia landed a straight right that nearly floored Lopez.

Clearly stunned, Lopez held on for life while Garcia sought to hit him clean again. Gallito clinched whenever possible until recovered, then showed remarkable courage by trading blows with Garcia until the end of the round.

At the end of ten, I had it five rounds apiece: a 95-95 draw. While the hometown fans were screaming for Garcia, the judges were split.

One judge had it 96-95 for Garcia. The other two saw Lopez ahead, 97-93 and 98-92, making him the new NABA and NM state super flyweight champion.

"I said before it was going to be a war, and a war it was," says Lopez, now 12-1, 4 KOs.

"I just thought I edged him out a little bit. It was a hell of a fight."

Garcia, who falls to 6-8 (2 KOs), also agreed it was a close one--but thought he pulled it off in the last two rounds.

"I made him miss a lot and I was the aggressor," says Garcia. "I had him knocked out on his feet in the last round and he was holding on. I thought I had the edge. If I"d had another 10, 15 seconds I could"ve knocked him out."

Lopez admits he was stunned in the final round:

"The punch caught me by surprise. But I was able to stay on my feet and I went on to win--this one"s for Grandma."

Lopez"s grandmother passed away in 2002. Before she died, Lopez promised her that he would win a title for her.

Rematch?

Garcia would like to do it again--and despite two wins now over Garcia, so would Lopez.

"I"ll fight him again if he wants," says Lopez. "I know he"d do the same for me, so I"m willing to give him another chance. He"s a great fighter.

Zamora survives Valdez in technical draw

In a six-rounder, Socorro"s Joaquin Zamora took a big step-up to take on El Paso"s Bobby Joe Valdez.

What many saw as the potential war on the card ended prematurely after an accidental headbutt opened up a gash over the left eye of Zamora.

The opening round had the southpaw Zamora using speed and footwork to outwork Valdez from a safe distance. Valdez tried to close the gap but Zamora would dance away, or tie up whenever he got near. Round to Zamora.

The second round started to see a transition. Valdez, ever the aggressor, started to close the space and land left hooks. Zamora, trying to keep his plan, continued to outpoint until a headbutt opened up a cut on the top of his head. Turning to complain to the ref only earned him a right hand.

Clearly thrown off his plan, Zamora was tracked down by Valdez for the remainder, making the round a toss-up for either fighter.

Zamora fell apart in the third round. More concerned with Valdez"s battering ram of a forehead than his left hooks or overhand rights had Zamora in trouble for most of the round. Instead of hitting and moving, Zamora was standing right in front of Valdez.

By the end of the round, Zamora was bleeding bad from his cut, and if he did not regain composure, he was on his way to the canvas.

Before that could happen--either Zamora regaining poise or Valdez scoring a knockdown--an accidental clash of heads opened up an even worse cut over Zamora"s right eye. The fight was stopped and the doc halted the contest.

In a moment of confusion, the fight went to the scorecards, despite ABC rules stating that a fight had to complete four rounds before scores could be tallied in event of an accidental headbutt ending the fight.

Judges had it split--29-28 for Zamora, and 29-28 x 2 for Valdez--giving the win to Valdez, at least for 20 minutes, until the Commission realized their mistake the fight was ruled a technical draw.

"I thought I hurt him good in the second," Valdez said afterward. "I threw a left hook over the top and I heard him wince. I knew I had him then. I was going to take my time breaking him down--I thought I had time--before the fight was stopped."

Zamora had his own version:

"I know I won the first two rounds and after he came on strong in the third, I was just trying to cover up. He caught me with a couple good punches, they were strong enough to knock me back, but there was nothing that dazed me."

Rematch, anyone?

Before that can happen--and IF it does--Zamora will be out while his cut heals.

Valdez will return on February 21 in Roswell, New Mexico to headline the North Star card against Albuquerque"s Fernando Yguado (5-4, 5 KOs by body shots).

Guereca punishes Torres in stirring slugfest!

This one should be a candidate of the year for best fight in New Mexico.

Like the Garcia vs. Lopez rematch, this one had little resemblance to the original fight.

Last summer, in a close four-rounder, Torres danced around Guereca, losing the four-round decision but making things difficult for the El Pasoan. But this time, he did exactly what Guereca wanted him to do--forget to box and stay right in front of him.

Round One set the stage, with Guereca applying pressure and landing short, crisp combinations inside. Torres looked lost, trying to figure out what he was going to do while fending off while Guereca started to heap it on.

The second round was uglier. Guereca hit Torres with so many combinations, he made him look like a safe. Torres, already cut on the bridge of his nose, took it, trying to fire back but not able to get off.

Torres had a better third round. It looked like he was going to play Guereca"s game now, and punch it out, rather than the hit-and-move routine he"s much better at. Midway through the round, Torres walloped Guereca with a one-two that got his attention, but it was still the El Pasoan"s round. At the end of the round, they both opened up in the best exchange yet, with Torres, for once, giving better than getting, but still not enough to steal the round.

Guereca came out like an animal in the fourth, brutally taking it to Torres who was now bleeding profusely from what looked like two cuts on the bridge of his nose. In the final minute, a furious flurry floored Torres and he made the count and barely survived the remaining seconds.

It wouldn"t have been a surprise had Torres" cornermen, Sammy Kidd and Joe Olivas, thrown in the towel but Torres wasn"t done. Surprising everyone, he came out in the fourth for his best round yet. Still not enough to win the round, but the furious exchanges in the first minute had the crowd on its feet.

The final round was even closer, with Torres having a better around against a slower Guereca. Still a toss-up round, and a case of too-little-too-late for Torres who was headed for the shut-out decision loss.

All three judges had it 60-53 for Guereca.

Torres, now 5-5 (1 KO), should be commended for showing an enormous heart, but in a phonebooth fight, there are not very many welters or jr. welters in this region who are going to outdo Guereca. Another factor was coming too heavy and having to lose a few pounds the day of the weigh-in.

Guereca gets better every time we see him. Now 10-4-1, he"s a dangerous opponent for anyone at 140-147.

A cornerless Munoz corners Aguila

"Hurricane" Hector Munoz, forced to fight with a borrowed corner, showed his stuff against his toughest opponent yet.

The rumor was that "Paco" Aguila was really Francisco Aguila, who was 3-0 in Mexico against solid opponents. But that rumor can be squashed now: the real Francisco Aguila is a super bantamweight who"s fought in Juarez twice--no relation or likeness to the 148-pound Luis Aguila brought in from Denver to take on Munoz.

But Paco Aguila, according to more than one source, is no slouch--and carries a punch.

Munoz, though, carries a punch of his own, not to mention a much-improved composure and a good chin.

Sticking to game plan, Munoz won the first with basic one-two"s, but banged when he had to. Aguila fought wildly, and oftentimes, dirty, landing left blows and hitting while holding.

Munoz remained calm, and in the second round, went to work on Aguila, battering him against the ropes, keeping him on his bicycle, and/or holding.

Things slowed down in the third round, and after another low blow, a point was deducted from Aguila. Munoz remained in control, jabbing, coming forward, and setting up the right or left hook. Aguila"s punches went from wild to slappy.

The fourth was a repeat, until the final 30 seconds when Aguila unleashed everything he had left in the best brawling yet--Munoz stood his ground and fired back, winning the round and the fight.

Scorecards read 40-37, 40-35 and 39-37 for Munoz.

Munoz says Aguila fought dirty, throwing intentional headbutts and hitting low, but he was able to keep to plan.

"I didn"t think he could hurt me so I decided to go toe to toe," says Munoz.

"What messed me up was, my corner wasn"t there."

Munoz trains under the Romeros but neither Danny Sr. nor Jr. were allowed to work with Munoz as cornerman due to their past problems and break-up with promoter Lenny Fresquez.

Both Romeros had to buy tickets to watch the fight, although Munoz took a chair from backstage and, in the aisles of the auditorium, had Romero, Sr. wrap and tape his hands before his fight.

Working corner for Munoz was Al and Jorge Garcia of JCG Boxing in El Paso.

"I listened to what they say, but it"s different when the people you"re used to aren"t in your corner," says Munoz. "You get used to hearing one voice and they become family. If the Romeros were allowed in to work with me, I would"ve knocked this guy out."

El Paso pro debuters Armijo & Tapia arrive!

A night of defeat for New Mexicans at the hands of some of El Paso"s best opened up with the pro debuts of two fighters who are here to stay.

Light heavyweight powerhouse Carlos Tapia fought the opening bout in a last-minute pairing with ill-equipped Denver pro debuter Arthur Mennare.

Tapia was originally scheduled to fight Albuquerque"s Jason Cordova (1-0, 1 KO) who pulled out on a few days notice due to bronchitis.

From what the brief seconds we saw of Tapia, and from the weight of his reputation in El Paso, the outcome might"ve been the same.

Mennare could do little but topple after Tapia went to work on him, slipping and setting up knockout punches that did its work at just :36 into the first round. Mennare hit the canvas, got up bewildered, and after a quick chat with the ref, was spared any further destruction at the hands of Tapia.

Winner by TKO: Tapia, who gets his first win in the pros.

Texas Golden Gloves amateur welterweight champion Rene "the Manimal" Armijo was next, taking on Albuquerque"s kickboxer-turn-boxer Dale McCartey.

McCartey made his pro debut in boxing in December, losing to Geoffrey Sprewell (2-2) on the Triple Threat card. As a boxer, McCartey was awkward, and constantly raising his knee as if to kick. But this time, he was a different fighter, and he gave Armijo a workout. If he"d fought this way in December, he could"ve beaten Sprewell. Unfortunately for him, he was, once again, outmatched with Armijo.

Armijo, 37-3 as an amateur, and part of the JCG stable, showed his stuff and overcame a rugged first round to outslick McCartey for the shutout unanimous decision.

While Armijo, a southpaw, sought his rhythm in the first, McCartey went on the attack, throwing more punches and pressuring Armijo. It would"ve been his round had it not been for a right hook that put McCartey on the seat of his shorts.

McCartey was game but outclassed by Armijo, who not only had superior skills but the reach and height advantage. Another hook in the second put McCartey down again but he survived and did not back down.

McCartey had a better third round, but Armijo"s hooks and uppercuts gave him the edge. The final round was a closer round as McCartey gave it his all and Armijo started to tire a bit.

At the end of four, all three judges saw it for Armijo, 40-34.

McCartey falls to 0-2 and Armijo gets his first win.

Coming Soon

Fresquez Productions' next card is the March 5th showdown in Las Vegas, NM with five-time world champion Johnny Tapia and Las Vegas" Frankie Archuleta. Cuauhtemoc Vargas, Shawn Gallegos, Alex Becerra and Shawn Gallegos are also on the card.

Before that, in February, both KOX and North Star Productions return with boxing cards.

North Star will headline Bobby Joe Valdez vs. Fernando Yguado on February 21 in Roswell. KOX brings boxing back to Santa Ana Star Casino on February 28 with Albuquerque"s Lee Montoya and Stephanie Jaramillo headlining. Montoya will take on Jose Juan Mendez, who defeated Ray Sanchez III in 2002.