'Gallito' pitches near-shutout in ‘Ballpark Boxing Series’ debut
Cesar Lopez dominates Alejandro Moreno in rematch; Guereca hammers Castillo in return bout

Ringside report by Ricardo Trujillo and Chris Cozzone
photos by cozzone

Boxing in a ballpark?

An Oscar De La Hoya card with no Oscar De La Hoya?

What’s the catch?

Just boxing. Solid bouts for a fight town that has, for the most part, been without a fight scene.

That’s what Golden Boy’s “Ballpark Boxing Series” strives to do.

And last night, in the debut card—the first of three slated for the summer in the outdoor Cohen Stadium where El Paso’s minor league team, the Diablos, play—they were batting a solid .800 with four out of five solid fights.

In the main event, El Paso’s Cesar “El Gallito” Lopez, rated #9 by the WBO proved he’s ready for the Big Leagues by winning nearly every round against proven veteran Alejandro “Apachito” Moreno in an eight-inning bout.

The fight was a rematch of their 2004 fight in Albuquerque in which Lopez won a lop-sided decision over Moreno for the NABA Super Flyweight title. This time around, Moreno was better prepared—but, unfortunately for him, so was Lopez. Using crafty angles and blinding speed, Lopez buzzed in and out of Moreno’s space, laying into him with solid combinations and bothersome jabs.

Moreno had half a chance in the opening rounds, trying to establish a counter-punching strategy—it worked well enough in the second round—but Lopez proved too busy and speedy. With each round, Lopez’s pace quickened as his punches landed with more authority, until the final round when Lopez appeared to stagger Moreno on two occasions.

After eight, the judges were, more or less, in agreement, with scores ranging from 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74.

Fightnews.com/NewMexicoBoxing had it 79-73, giving the second round to Moreno.

“Marrito” hammers 'Mafioso'

In the best fight of the night, El Paso’s Bernardo “Marrito” Guereca (12-5-1, 3 KOs) came off a seven-month layoff with an impressive win over the always-game Abdis “Mafioso” Castillo (6-10-1, 5 KOs)

Weighing in at a career record high of 154 pounds and with just three weeks in the gym, Guereca put on a show, outhustling and outpounding Castillo through six rounds.

In the first four rounds, Castillo plodded after Guereca looking to trade shots. Guereca obliged, hammering Castillo with thudding lefts before moving away. Switching from leftie to rightie kept Castillo guessing where the next punch was coming from, and footwork which escalated with each passing round had Castillo unable to keep pace or cut off the round. Guereca sped around the ring in Rounds Five and Six, landing single punches or one-two’s while the frustrated Castillo did his best, punching in pursuit.

After six rounds, the judges were, somehow, confused how one-sided this fight was. One judge (Martinez) was right on the money with 60-54; another had it 58-56; but the third was way off the mark with a 57-57 score.

Regardless, the right man, Guereca, won, albeit by majority decision.

Fightnews/NewMexicoBoxing had it for Guereca 60-54, with Round Six being the only close round.

Paz (lt.) vs. Mendoza		Soto (lt.) vs. Alvarado

Undercard action: Heavyweight fails, then falls; Quiroz & Alvarado score rare wins

In a war of opponents, Juarez’s Martin Quiroz Mendoza (4-10) outpointed Rudy Paz (0-3) of Austin, Texas.

Paz was too small for Mendoza but never let up, chasing him down and trying to land overhand rights that occasionally found their mark. For the most part, Mendoza’s big rights made the difference in the fight, landing with frequency on Paz’s poorly-defended head.

At the end of four, all three cards were in favor of Mendoza: 40-36, 40-36 and 39-37.

The second match gave two more common opponents the chance to score a win. This time it was Juarez’s Carlos Alvarado (3-4)  outpointing Chihuahua’s Orlando Soto (6-10-1).

Soto was in hot pursuit of Alvarado, who chose to fight on the outside, hitting Soto before scooting away.

After four, two judges had it for Alvarado, 40-36, while the third scored it a draw, 38-38.

The third undercard fight, which preceded the main event, was a horrific heavyweight bout.

For some reason, El Paso’s Eric David was being touted as one to watch. At 6’4” and 280 pounds of bodybuilder beefcake, he was certainly impressive to watch—until he started fighting.

Actually, after four rounds, fight fans were still waiting for him to start fighting, but, by then, it was too late for last-minute opponent Gostable Horton, of Houston, had stolen away the fight.

In the first, David was mildly successful with a slapping jab, but it was Horton’s aggression that won him the rounds.

Clean punching? There was just one clean shot the entire night: In the fourth round, Horton let loose with a right that missed David and landed cleanly on the referee. Despite being outweighed 60 pounds, the ref was unfazed and hurriedly told the unskilled fighters to finish up.

Fight fans booed continually through all four rounds—when they weren’t laughing, that is.

Judges were split: 39-37 for David (somehow) and 39-37 x 2 for Horton.

Fightnews had it 39-37 for Horton.

Clearly exhausted and leaning on the ropes, David collapsed in his corner following the announcement. After rolling himself out of the ring onto the table, then a chair, David was attended to by paramedics and taken by ambulance to Las Palmas Hospital.

Ringside physician Brian August said his condition might’ve been anything from dehydration to a mild heart attack.

BOXINGBALL

Reflections on Cohen Stadium by Ricardo Trujillo

It was naked, a diamond in a diamond, the squared circle. Red and blue on first and third with neutral parked at second and home. We’re under the lights, mercury vapor that is. It was a double-double hitter plus one. One was a shutout, a fancy dancing switch-hitter dominates, catchers played pitchers times two and a wounded duck.

We’re at Cohen Stadium home to devils, home cookin to minor league baseball team El Paso Diablos. A taste of what boxing used to be, outdoors under the lights in the early summer. Some of the greatest boxing spectacles of all time have taken place in ballparks, how about Schmeling vs. Sharkey at Yankee Stadium, Braddock vs. Louis at Comiskey Park and Marciano vs. Walcott at Philadelphia’s Municipal Stadium.

I had been here before for boxing, but it was different this time. It was more comfortable, real boxing. 

The main event was a shutout, speedy gamecock man, Cesar Lopez, looked on top of his game. Scored many runs to whip Alejandro Moreno, yet again.

The second half of the first double hitter is the best. Fancy dancing switch-hitter Bernardo Guereca slipped and slidded his way to a good lookin complete game performance over standing at the plate posing, “Mafioso” Abdis Castillo.

Next game, a guy who had cannons for arms and no punch, against a hungry rookie who grew up hard. Gostable Horton gobbled up Liberian, Eric David; it was a Monrovian nightmare with a scary ending (see report).

Our last trip to the grand old pastime had Martin Quiroz or Mendoza, whichever you like. Who took on “yet to win on the road” Rudy Paz, poor guy had no infield defense loses convincingly.

Two below .550 sluggers “take us out.” It just goes to show you boxing and baseball are really a like; it’s about coming home. Juarez’s Carlos Alvarado gets a streak going with a win over Chihuahuan Orlando Soto.

  # # #