Mickey goes duck hunting!
Filipino Reman Salim no threat for WBC World Youth 122-pound champ Miguel “Mickey Mouse” Roman

Ringside report by Ricardo Trujillo and Chris Cozzone
Photos by Chris Cozzone

Some things never happen in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

You never get out of there before 2 AM; the crowd never lets a bad decision get by without either booing or dousing the ring participants with beer; and Cesar “Cobrita” Soto never wins.

Last night’s Promociones del Pueblo card at the Poliforo was like an episode of The Twilight Zone.

Not only was the show over by 2 AM, but at least two debatable decisions went unheeded by the three-quarters full crowd.

And Cesar Soto won.

The main event went according to script.

The card was billed as ‘Filipino Invasion,’ but the offensive launched by Filipino Reman Salim was about as aggressive and tactical as an army of dead ducks.

Miguel ‘Mickey Mouse’ Roman had no problem disposing of this duck.

Entering the ring for the first time without his Mickey Mouse head, Roman made up for the pageantry by looking like a walking sandwich board, with all the sponsors—including a junkyard, a body shop and a bootmaker—splashed across his robe, trunks and back.

As if to give his sponsors their money’s worth, Roman took his time disposing of the challenger to his WBC World Youth Bantamweight title.

The much taller, long-reaching Salim made himself easy pickings, keeping his hands low and his chin out, while Roman, fighting from a compact crouch, took advantage of an easy target, bloodying the Filipino’s nose with the fist combination.

In Round Two, Salim struggled to figure out Roman. Snorting blood and breathing through his mouth, he threw away his height, fought small, and reached with his jabs, leaving Roman to easily counter to his body and head.

In the Third, it was more of the same, but with an increased body attack from the left-hooking Roman. What little there was of an offense for Salim—rights that landed on the back of Roman’s head when the Filipino punched downward—did nothing but get the attention of a complaining corner and a warning referee.

Both fighters were warned for fouls in the 4th—Salim for rabbit punching again, and Roman for low blows—but Roman stepped up the pace, keeping Salim on the run. In the last minute, Roman caught up with him against the ropes, landing a perfect right hand to the temple that splattered the Filipino on the canvas like a cup of thrown beer.

Salim was counted out at 2:39 and when he was clear enough to sit up—several minutes later—he found himself looking out of the ring on the crowd-side of the ropes.

While the crowd cheered Roman, the MC blasting ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’ theme song ad nauseum, Salim left the ring barefoot and broken down.

“I knew I had him,” Roman said afterward. “I waited, and was patient. He stood straight up—I knew it was just a matter of time.”

With the ‘Filipino Invasion’ nipped in the bud, the top Juarez draw earns his 13th win (13-0, 9 KOs) in his first title defense, while Salim drops his numbers to 9-3, 2 KOs.

“I dedicate this fight to my brother, who I will never forget. He will always support me from Heaven. He’s here now.”

Soto wins! . . . Soto wins?

To say Cesar “Cobrita” Soto has fallen on hard times since his brief stint as a WBC World Featherweight champion in 1999 would be like saying you get more than a massage in a massage parlor in Juarez.

Since losing his belt to Prince Hamed, his stats have been a shocking 0-8-1—including KO losses to Johnny Tapia and Adrian “Gallero” Valdez.

Some of those fights have been draws or split decisions when they should’ve been wins; others could’ve been draws instead of losses.

But last night’s fight ended his six year exile from the ‘W’ column and, at the same time, paid back ‘Gallero’ for last year’s loss.

Unfortunately for Soto, it’s yet another controversial fight that can easily be debated.

In a rare start, Soto came out of the blocks for Round One looking like someone who actually wanted to win a fight. Soto kept up the pressure and, in the first minute, dropped the gun-shy Valdez on his butt with a short right hand to the heart. Valdez hopped aboard his bike for the rest of the round, pursued by a venganza-seeking Soto.

Valdez tried to get his jab going in Round Two, in a hit-and-run game plan, but was running more than hitting, while Soto was plainly outboxing.

Round Three was a better round for the lefty, Valdez. Despite the increasing frequency of unintentional head clashes, Valdez was able to get his jab on track and win the round.

Valdez played cautious in the 4th, and his reluctance to trade with Soto drew jeers from the crowd. Soto tried to pressure but ended up trodding after the ever-circling, dizzying Valdez.

Valdez landed his first solid punch, backing up Soto for the first time. While easing into a winning plan, Valdez looked like he was beginning to take control of the fight when a right cross from Soto put Valdez on the canvas for the second time in a flash knockdown.

With half the rounds in the bank, Soto had a safe lead with those two knockdowns—but Valdez clearly outhustled a slower, uninspired Soto for the next five rounds.

In the Sixth, Valdez continually bounced his jab off Soto, who came forward without throwing punches.

Round Seven was a mirror image—Valdez outpointing—although Soto nearly scored a third knockdown. Valdez managed to keep himself up by draping himself over Soto. Despite the near knockdown, Valdez stayed in control of the fight—not that anyone noticed, however, for during most of the round, a huge fight broke out in the crowd. By the time Security cleaned house, almost an entire section had emptied out.

With order restored, Round Eight began, but Soto was unable to absorb any of the adrenaline felt by the rioting crowd. Soto was . . . well, Soto was ‘Classic Soto’; he showed the audience why he’s gone six years without winning a fight, continually doing just enough to lose. Meanwhile, Valdez sped up his attack, his punches and his courage.

In Round Nine, it was Valdez fighting, and Soto posing. The former champ also received a second warning for holding and hitting—no doubt he was too tired to pursue Valdez.

In the final round, it looked as if Soto was just waiting for the final bell to ring. The crowd finally let the two fighters have it, booing and jeering—they wanted action, not a bicycle ride.

But bike ride or no, Valdez retained ring generalship for what was a clean sweep, on our cards, anyway, of Rounds Six through Ten.

The question was, with ‘Cobrita’ striking twice in the early rounds, would that be enough venom to close the gap for another draw or split decision loss?

Soto did not look like he thought he had a chance of winning, for when the numbers were being tallied, he stood in his corner with his just-can’t-believe-my-luck face on.

But when they read the scores, he raised his arms in victory, looking like he’d won the lottery.

Scorecards read 94-94, 95-94 and 96-92, giving Soto the win by majority decision.

Fightnews/NewMexicoBoxing had it 96-95—but for Valdez.

“Tonight I felt I had more energy and force,” said Soto, who puts a check on his once-failing record, moving to 54-15-3, 40 KOs. “There were actually three knockdowns, but they only counted two.

“Hallelujah! Tonight, I feel vindicated.”

With the loss, Valdez falls to 17-5-3, 9 KOs.

There is already talk of a third fight:

“I’m gonna talk to the promoters,” said Soto. “So, it’s in their hands.

Zamarripa rips Rivera, but settles for draw

Only in Juarez can a 1-0 fighter get matched against a 30-bout, former Mexican champion . . . and nearly win.

Manuel Zamarripa, “the new hero of the cholos,” as he was announced, a.k.a. “Come Lonches,” because he is, and looks to be, fond of eating lunches, showed the crowd that he is the new force to be reckoned with at 160 pounds.

His opponent, Arturo “Licenciado” Rivera used to be the Mexican Light Heavyweight champion. He used to be one of Juarez’s top names.

He used to be big and muscular; a big puncher; a big draw.

Last night, he came off a year’s layoff following a TKO loss to cross-town rival Kirino Garcia. By his appearances, he also looked like he was coming off the juice, for his once-beefed-up body now had him looking like he was just another middleweight.

Still, his experience, his power, should’ve been more than enough to win a six-rounder against still-green 1-0 pro Zamarripa (despite 200 amateur bouts and at least, according the announcer, 500 street fights.)

It wasn’t.

Both fighters showed desire and fire in Round One, testing each other’s chins in a phone booth war. Despite experience, though, Zamarripa’s punches had the harder impact.

In the 2nd, Rivera opened up, ripping Zamarripa to the body in a spirited battle. But in the 3rd, it was Zamarripa’s fight again. Supplementing his counter right hands, the glorified cholo spiced up his attacks with blatant headbutts, which, if nothing else, worked to mentally throw off Rivera. The crowd went along with it, and continued to chant, “Lonche! Lonche! Lonche!”

Rivera was back in the fight in Round Four, showing the grit of his former glory days by mixing it up with the insolent youngster on the inside.

After the first four rounds, it looked like an even fight—but the last two had momentum in Zamarippa’s pocket.

A hard right hand over the top rocked Rivera to the ropes in Round Five. ‘Licenciado’ responded with a barrage but then Zamarripa landed a crushing inside right uppercut that staggered the former Mexican champ (see photo above.)

In the final round, Zamarripa retained control by hammering Rivera pillar to post.

With the last two dominating rounds, Fightnews/NewMexicoBoxing had a clear win for the young buck, Zamarripa, 58-56.

The judges, however, at least two of ‘em, saw an even fight, 58-58 and 57-57. The third saw it for Zamarripa, 59-56.

Terry 'Castro-ates' Ramirez

In an eight-round lightweight bout, Casas Grandes hopeful Javier “Terry” Castro had an easy time with Jose Mario “El Zurdo” Ramirez, stopping him out in Round Three.

Castro scored a very controversial win over Cesar Soto in his last outing—this time around, it was back to padding his record with an all-too-easy win.

Ramirez picked up an eight-count in the first round when he touched canvas from an early onslaught by Castro. Castro was just too big, too strong, too determined for Ramirez.

Round Two was spent breaking down Ramirez. Castro’s free-swinging aggression had Ramirez losing his mouthpiece, perhaps to buy a few moments of recovery.

In the Third, Ramirez was dropped with a right lead. He was up at eight but after Castro resumed his attack, Ramirez’s corner mercifully threw in the towel at 1:45.

Castro ups his stats to 6-0, 5 KOs: Ramirez falls to 0-2-1.

'Ranchero' barely wins

Looking overweight, fighting uninspired, and avoiding serious contact, former NABF Featherweight champion Juan Carlos “Ranchero” Ramirez struggled for a win over Ismael “Bolillito” Gonzalez in a ten-round super lightweight bout.

Round One should’ve been scored 9-9 for lack of action on both fighters’ part. Neither fighter seemed willing to throw, and the two circled each other for three looooooonnng minutes.

The action picked up in the 2nd, with ‘Ranchero’ rocking Gonzalez back with a right hand. That was bout it for action—Gonzalez looked happy playing the part of an opponent while Ramirez just didn’t look right, and was continually blinking.

Trainer Felipe de la Torre implored his fighter, Ramirez, to go in and out, throw up and down, but Ramirez was strangely unwilling to trade. Meanwhile, Gonzalez picked up the action, landing first, landing harder while chasing the ever-circling Ramirez around the ring to win the next four rounds easily. In the absence of action from their hometown favorite, the crowd started to bring up cheers for the Chilango opponent.

Ramirez came out for Round Seven with a Vaseline beard but rather than focus on defense, which is what he’d been doing for most of the fight, he finally picked up the pace and started to score with combinations, opening up a cut over Gonzalez’s right eye. Gonzalez counted with hard rights and left hooks, one of which sent a glob of Vaseline into the second row.

With blood streaming from his right eye, Gonzalez stood in the center of the ring and stomped his foot to the canvas, as if either to revive his legs, or invite Ranchero to get-over-here-and-fight. To the crowd’s delight, Ranchero tentatively obliged.

Looking more like his old self, Ramirez stood his ground in Round Nine and traded with Gonzalez, winning his third straight round, but in the final frame, Gonzalez emptied his gas tank and took the fight to the hometown favorite, outbombing Ramirez.

Surprisingly, two judges scored it for Ramirez, 96-95; and, unbelievably, the third had a runaway score of 98-92 for the hometowner.

Fightnews/NewMexicoBoxing had it 96-94—for the out-of-towner, Gonzalez.

Olivas gives Mendez the runaround, wins the unanimous

In the second bout of the night, an eight-round featherweight bout, Oscar Olivas (7-2, 1 KO) gave Juan Jose “Maromerito” Mendez (11-11-3, 4 KOs) the runaround, winning a clear-cut unanimous decision.

Mendez, looking like a sliver of his brawling self, got in a couple good whacks over eight rounds, but could not pin down the ever-moving, ever-jabbing Olivas.

Jabs and counters from Olivas had Mendez fighting half-blind from Round Five on, but even if he could see those jabs and counters, there was little the too-short Mendez could do to get Olivas to stay in one place.

Avila beats Lopez in thriller

In what just might be the best fight of the night—and, possibly, the best opening round seen in years, Martin “Azteca” Avila (4-0, 1 KO) out-bombed Arturo Lopez (9-25, 5 KOs) in an all-out, bombs-away six-round welterweight war.

Lopez left-hooked his way to an explosive first round over the favored Avila, staggering him early.

Avila learned his lesson from the First, and got his jab going. Keeping the ever-aggressive Lopez at a safer distance, he timed his rights and lefts but still tasted occasional leather from a loopy overhand bomb from Lopez.

Lopez was tired by the fourth frame, though, showing fatigue by precariously dangling his mouthpiece outside his gums.

By the 5th and 6th, Avila had swept away any notion that Lopez could reach him as he did in the first round.

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