Draws and Debuts
Two female wars end in draws; local pro debuters unleashed at Sky Ute’s first card of the year

Ringside report and photos by Chris Cozzone

After a long winter, the Sky Ute Casino in Ignacio, Colo. opened up their boxing season last night before a near-capacity crowd with their first card of the year.

In the most significant fight on the card, Albuquerque’s Holly Holm (7-0-2, 3 KOs) and Dallas’ Angel Martinez (2-1-1, 2 KOs) thrilled the crowd with a six-round rematch that ended in a majority draw.

In the first round, Martinez was slow to get busy, while Holm peppered her with jabs and an occasional straight left. At the end of the round, they started to mix it up and Martinez was able to land a right inside.

Martinez took over in the second round, slamming Holm with a solid right hand every time she came close. Holm walked into one every time she tried to throw something inside.

The tide switched back to Holm in the third round. She outhustled a less-busy Martinez and was careful not to get suckered with that short right again.

In the fourth, the two started to engage in heavy toe-to-toe exchanges. Holm, bleeding from the nose, was giving more than getting, and landing a variety of punches—uppercuts and right hooks in addition to her left—whereas Martinez was concentrating on her right. But while Holm took the round, Martinez was proving to be just as dangerous as she’d been the last time they fought, last December.

The final two rounds had Holm outboxing Martinez, maybe not landing as cleanly as her, but throwing more often and out-flurrying on their many close exchanges. Holm’s output gave her the rounds on my card, but not on some of the judges.

At the end of six, Judge Bagshaw had it 59-55 for Holm; the other two, Martinez and Sanchez, scored it dead even, 57-57, making it a majority draw.

Both camps thought they’d won the fight. Martinez’s trainer, Pete Rojas, thought that his fighter’s cleaner, harder punches should’ve given her the win while Holm’s trainer, Mike Winkeljohn, had Holly winning by controlling the fight and her work rate.

Holm returns to action on a Fresquez card June 27 in Albuquerque. Martinez is hoping to get a shot at Stephanie Jaramillo (4-1-1, 2 KOs) on that same card.

Ortiz returns in draw against Villareal

After a long, three-year layoff, Santa Fe’s Jayla Ortiz (11-3-4, 3 KOs) made a return to the ring in what should’ve been an easy—at least on paper—win over Albuquerque’s Leanne Villareal (0-2-1).

But Villareal came to fight, proving her record misleading.

Ortiz is one of those fighters you just can’t look good against—a sort of Chris Byrd of women’s boxing, outslicking most of her opponents. If you’re going to beat her, you have to crowd her and corner her.

Villareal did not catch on until the third round. Until then, Ortiz simply outhustled her, pop-popping her with punches and stealing away before Villareal could react. Villareal landed a couple overhands in the second but Ortiz had too much hustle.

In the third, though, Villareal snapped to it and had a much better round, crowding Ortiz against the ropes where she’d bomb away before Ortiz countered and slid away. One such bomb crashed into Ortiz’s head and she was momentarily dazed—it might’ve been enough to win the round.

Ortiz and Villareal went at it in the fourth—which was in the shorter Villlareal’s favor; but, in between exchanges, it was Ortiz controlling the action by outboxing.

I had it three rounds to one for Ortiz (39-37) at the end of four. Judge Bagshaw had it the same while Sanchez and Martinez had it 38-38, making it a majority draw.

Sky Ute unleashes handful of pro debuters on undercard

Three local fighters and a highly-touted Mexican amateur champ made their pro debuts—not all lived up to expectations.

In the opening bout of the night,  lightweight Isaac Brown was matched up against Tony “Rowdy” Loudy of Pueblo, Colorado.

It took all of 10 seconds to figure out that Brown had no business turning pro at this time.

Loudy bombed away and within the first minute, after chasing Brown around the ring, he pounded him down in the neutral corner with big right hands. After making the count, Brown could not figure out what to do and was soon after pounded down in the opposite corner, this time for good.

At 1:20 of the first frame, Loudy had his first professional win. He rises to 1-6 while the 0-1 “Pretty Boy” Brown makes an ugly impression in his debut.

Matched against 0-4 Juarez fighter Jose Luis Burgos, National Mexican superbantam amateur champion from Chihuahua, Pedro Davilia was next.

Granted, Burgos is not an easy fighter to take on. He runs, runs, and, occasionally, hits a bit while he runs. But still, Davilia did not show a whole lot while he chased Burgos from corner to corner, trying to land something.

Davilia’s aggression and greater number of punches easily won him the fight, but there was nothing dynamic.

Judges had it 40-36, 40-36 and a strange 40-34 for there were no knockdowns and Burgos was never hurt.

Bloomfield featherweight Joseph Barela was the next pro debuter, in against another Pueblo fighter, 0-3 Eric Trujillo.

Now, this was a fight.

Barela, cousin to pro fighter Victor Barela (6-0), showed that ferocity runs in the family. He came out swinging, maybe a bit reckless, but fast and aggressive, keeping Trujillo the defensive for most of the round. But Trujillo countered and wasn’t afraid to mix it up—he was not here to lose.

Barela continued to outhustle until Gomez backed him into the neutral corner where he brutally pounded away at him, turning the fight around instantly. After the exchange, Barela was visibly hurt, the left side of his face red and his legs a bit unsteady. Trujillo, though, did not realize he’d hurt Barela, and he did not rush in for a finish.

After an exchange early in the 3rd that left Barela on shaky ground, Trujillo, once again, passed up the opportunity. By the middle of the round, Barela had had not only recovered  but he was recharged, shoving the fight right back at Trujillo. Big left hooks crashed into Trujillo, turning his legs to noodles.

Barela was all action in the fourth, pushing a tired and hurt Trujillo around the ring with more left hooks, clearly winning the round, and the fight.

All three judges had it right: 39-37 for Barela.

In the final fight of the evening, Farmington welterweight Joseph Gomez—clearly the reason most fans were there by the deafening applause—made a statement with a quick first round knockout of Pueblo’s Phil Gurule (0-5).

Gomez bulled Gurule around the ring for the first minute-and-a-half, then maneuvering him into the neutral corner, let loose a wicked left hook that slammed into Gurule’s liver at 1:56.

Gurule fell like a bag of wet laundry, bringing the crowd to its feet.

The final analysis on pro debuters?

Brown should return to the amateurs; the jury is still out on Davilia; but, if you want action, keep an eye on Gomez and Barela.

Sky Ute Casino picks it up again in July—expect to see Gomez and Barela on the card.

Loudy vs. Brown

Barela vs. Trujillo

Davilia vs. Burgos

Gomez vs. Gurule

Judges blow show on amateur preshow

(95#) Stanley Victor, Jr. of Shiprock decisions Ricardo Marinelarena of GIBC
Marinelarena outgunned by bigger, older Victor – but the little guy has a big heart and tries to stand his ground. 3 rounds to 0 for Victor. Judges get it right.

(152#) Shane Billsie of GIBC decisions Alberto Ibarra of Impact
Billsie tries to pick his shots but Ybarra’s wild aggression gives him the fight. Surprisingly, the judges give it to Billsie.

(132#) Anthony Ortiz of GIBC decisions Jazzma Hogue of Badoni’s
Hogue outguns a very game Ortiz with blazing combinations and right hands behind a short, piercing jab. He keeps Ortiz on the defensive but the game Ortiz has his moments, especially when in the third round, he lands three consecutive 1-2’s in what turns out to be a great round. It’s a no-brainer win for Hogue but amazingly, the judges have it for Ortiz. An obscene decision considering Hogue’s dominant style.

(201#) Kevin Holland of Yazzi wins by RSC 2 over Aron Smith of GIBC
A slugfest in the first with Holland in the lead. In the 2nd, Smith retires.

(201#) Frank Richards of GIBC decisions Darrel Yazzie of Shiprock
Southpaw Richards keeps switching in the 1st, throwing Yazzie off. Richards lands bombs, and floors Yazzie with a big left hand in the first. But in the 2nd, Yazzie turns the tables and come out bombing, trying to turn the fight around—he does. He outhustles Richards throughout the 2nd and 3rd yet somehow the judges give it to Richards.

(178#) Joseph Jean of GIBC decisions Alvaro Rodriguez of Impact
Jean takes the first round, using height and reach and keeping Rodriguez at bay with his jab and solid right hand. But Rodriguez starts to pressure, pressure and pressure in the 2nd, turning the fight around with wild punches—some land, some don’t, but the aggression clearly outpoints a tiring Jean. Once again, in the fourth ridiculous decision of the night, the judges get it wrong and give the fight to Jean.

  # # #

Quick pro scorecard
Holly Holm (7-0-2, 3 KOs) Maj. Draw 6 Angel Martinez (2-1-1, 2 KOs)
Jayla Ortiz (11-4-4, 3 KOs) Maj. Draw 4 Leanne Villareal (0-2-1)
Joseph Gomez (1-0, 1 KO) KO 1 Phil Gurule (0-5)
Joseph Barela (1-0) UD 4 Eric Trujillo (0-4)
Pedro Davilla (1-0) UD 4 Jose Luis Burgos (0-5)
Tony Loudy (1-6) KO 1 Isaac Brown (0-1)