KINGDOM RESTORED!
Johnny Tapia gets his payback with a unanimous decision over Frankie Archuleta

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

Johnny's Back!
It was a night of redemption, and a show of experience last night in Albuquerque, New Mexico when five-time world champion Johnny Tapia (55-4-2, 28 KOs) took vengeance over Las Vegas rival Frankie Archuleta (24-5-1, 13 KOs).

The card, held at Tingley Coliseum and promoted by Fresquez Productions and Don Chargin, packed in 8,500 rowdy fight fans—the biggest crowd in the Duke City since Tapia won his fourth world title from Jorge Eliecer Julio in 2000.

Disproving critics that he was over the hill, Tapia showed his fans that while he may be long in the tooth, at 38, he is far from short on heart and skill.

The rematch little resembled the initial fight last year, in which Archuleta won a split decision.

To the roar of a deafening crowd, the two warriors wasted no time in Round One, setting the pace for what would be an electrifying fight. Tapia went at Archuleta, who stopped the former champ in his tracks with a lead right—the punch that started to swell Tapia’s eye. Archuleta continued his aggression, driving Tapia back in the last 30 seconds. Round to Archuleta.

Tapia took over in the second stanza, outboxing and toying with Archuleta. It was vintage Tapia, sending chopping rights down on Archuleta who had no solution for his elder. Constant movement by Tapia befuddled Archuleta, making him miss and reach to land. Easily, round to Tapia.

Although Archuleta had success with his lead rights, in Round Three, it was Tapia’s Boxing IQ that continued to school Archuleta—footwork, elusive in-and-out action for the veteran champion.

Tapia stunned Archuleta with a lead right in Round Four, but the Las Vegan was game, continuing his forward movement, turning this fight into a pitched battle. Again, Tapia outboxed Archuleta, giving him a 3-to-1 lead.

Still showing sharp reflexes, Tapia cruised through Round Five, giving Archuleta a boxing lesson. The two duked it out at the end of the round in an even slugfest.

By Round Six, the swelling under Tapia’s eye was beginning to look like a submerged golf ball. An accidental headbutt aggravated the injury but when the fight resumed, the old Johnny was back, outhustling Archuleta.

In the Seventh, there was yet another headbutt. Then, Archuleta started to wake up and take the fight back, bouncing a lead right off Tapia’s head, moving him back. The two went toe-to-toe in the final 30 seconds, in the best action yet, bringing the crowd to its feet.

By Round Eight, Tapia’s eye had nearly swollen shut, making it nearly impossible to see Archuleta’s right hands. Fighting on sheer will, he continued to outspeed Archuleta but not out-land. Round to Archuleta, making it 5-3 Tapia.

In the Ninth, Archuleta continued his turnaround, counter punching off the ropes with short, sharp punches while Tapia refused to back down.

Momentum swung back to Tapia in the tenth and final round. While Tapia lost his balance with a hard right by Archuleta, he came back with his best punches yet—hard rights to the top of Archuleta’s head to win the round.

All three judges, Levi Martinez, Anita Aragon and Margaret Chavez, all had it the same: 96-94 for Tapia.

Fightnews.com/NewMexicoBoxing had it the same way, 96-94 for Tapia, as did Governor Bill Richardson:

“I had it six to four. Tapia built up points in the first four rounds and won two of the last four. I thought it was very close.”

Archuleta disagreed with the scorecards.

“I was hurt by the decision,” said Archuleta. “Look how badly I left him. I guess the judges didn’t see my rights landing. He would hit a couple of times and the crowd went crazy and that excited the judges.

“I thought I did enough to win. I buckled him a couple of times. I hurt him more. I thought I did enough to pull out the win.

“He came out like he wanted it and I learned a lot. It’s a great honor to get in the ring with him. He caught me a couple of times, but not enough to hurt me. Oh well, that’s how it goes here in his home town.”

As expected, Tapia was in good cheer at the postfight press conference, offering Archuleta a drink of his Dr. Pepper and suggesting they “go get some tequila.”

“Frankie won the first fight, no excuses,” said Tapia. “But the second time, it was a different story. A lot of people thought I was shot because of what happened in my last two fights. I had a lot of proving to do.

“The truth is, look, Frankie fixed my nose, thank you Frankie. But the truth, he’s a good fighter, a strong kid, and he will go up to bigger and better things. Let him and David Martinez take over. A few more for me and I’m done.

“We’re friends inside and outside the ring. We just hit each other, then go get our check. Frankie and I want to heal and relax, now. Kick back. And if we do it again it has to be for more money for our families.”

The question on everyone’s mind was how Tapia was able to cope with Archuleta’s right hands with a swollen-shut left eye.

“I’m used to my wife hitting and showing me the right hand,” Tapia said.

“I don’t know how he saw those right hands coming,” said Teresa. “I think instinct and the years of fighting experience.”

Although trainer Oscar Suarez said the eye swelling had to do with a headbutt, others attributed the injury to a hard right hand thrown by Archuleta in Round One.

“He hit me hard and it woke me up,” said Tapia. “I made sure he wasn’t going to hit me that hard again.”

As for a rubber match? Not likely.

“No rematch,” said Tapia. “I’m going for a world title shot.”

That could happen as soon as July 2nd, against WBC Super Bantamweight champion Oscar Larios, here in Albuquerque.

“We have started negotiations for Johnny and Oscar Larios for the WBC 122 pound title,” said co-promoter Don Chargin. “In the next 72 hours the negotiations will be over.”

Vargas survives Urrabazzo for WBC Continental Americas belt!

The word in the arena was that an upset was in the making; that despite Francisco “Psycho” Urrabazo’s record (6-2-1, 5 KOs), he was no “opponent” for Cuauhtemoc “the Aztec Warrior” Vargas.

Urrabazo nearly pulled it off.

He proved himself a live underdog in the first round, firing his right jab and hard left at Vargas, who needed the round to figure out his larger opponent.

In the opening minute of the 2nd, Vargas started unleashing his punches—but a stunning left uppercut from Urrabazo crashed Vargas to the canvas for the first time in his career. Somehow, he was able to shake it off and by the end of the round, was back to his high volume of punches.

Urrabazo continued to take the play away from Vargas in the third round, keeping him at the end of his punches and covering up when Vargas moved inside.

By the Fourth, however, the fight switched direction and it was all Vargas.

Vargas pummeled Urrabazo with big lefts to the body in the fourth round; then stepped it up with more high-volume combinations in the Fifth.

Urrabazo appeared tired in the Sixth, letting Vargas unload his combinations but occasionally shaking it off and firing back. It was more of the same in the 7th and in the 8th, it was left hooks all night by Vargas.

Unable to execute the game plan he’d had in Rounds One through Three, Urrabazo coasted for the remaining rounds, letting Vargas unload while occasionally making him pay when pulling back.

In the last round, Vargas employed the uppercut behind the jab, coming at Urrabazo with a fresh attack, winning yet another round—and, no doubt, the fight.

Scorecards all read for Vargas: 97-92 and 96-93 twice, making him the new WBC Continental Americas Super Bantamweight champ.

Fightnews/NewmexicoBoxing had it 96-93 Vargas.

“It was a brawl,” said Urrabazo after the fight. “He was on the ground in the second round—I thought I was stronger. The fight could’ve went either way. I hurt my hand in the fourth round, it forced me to switch up.  it didn’t work though. Hopefully I get a rematch. I try not to let anything stop me. He just outboxed me and my nose kept on bleeding.”

Urrabazo drops to 6-3-1, 5 KOs.

Conan beats Aragon again

Like Tapia, Tommy Aragon was also looking for vengeance, from a KO loss to Miguel “Conan” Torrecillas in 2002—but was unable to act on it when the fight was stopped due to an injury.

It was good while it lasted:

Torrecillas won the first round with his jab and right hands, controlling the action and keeping out of the way of Aragon’s overhand lefts.

Aragon turned the fight around for much of the 2nd, timing those loopy lefts, although Torrecilllas might have stolen the round in the final 30 seconds with big right hands.

Round Three was a slugfest! Both landed shots—Aragon’s lefts, Torrecillas’ rights—that hurt one another, but it looked as if Aragon’s big overhands gave him the edge.

Round Four was clearly Torrecillas, who was landing harder and harder straight right hands on Aragon.

The fight was terminated before the 5th due to Aragon’s corner, who stopped the fight after discovering Aragon’s front teeth loose enough to fall out.

Torrecillas moves to 15-5-1 (6 KOs), Aragon falls to 8-9-1 (4 KOs).

Holm decisions Ramirez

In the first of two walkout bouts, Holly Holm outboxed her way to a unanimous decision over the experienced Gloria Ramirez.

Big lefts from the southpaw Holm, and footwork, won Holm the first round.

Ramirez had a better second round, but straight lefts from Holm gave her the round.

Rounds Three and Four had Holm timing Ramirez coming in, making two more easy rounds.

At the end of four, all three judges had it 40-36 for Holm.

Torres outslicks Salinas!

In the final bout of the night, Jeremiah Torres outhhustled Al Salinas with a six-round unanimous decision.

Torres’ footwork and jab made the difference in the first round.

It was more of the same in Rounds Two and Three, although Torres started to hit the body.

In the fourth frame, Salinas landed a right hand that staggered Torres. Toe-to-toe action started to tilt in favor of Salinas.

Torres recovered and regained his game plan in Rounds Five and Six, using jabs and footwork to outhustle Salinas.

At the end of six, Torres won with scores of 58-56 twice and 59-55.

“I moved more—he rocked me one time, but it’s all good,” said Torres afterward. “He was tougher than the last time.”

Torres evens out his record to 7-7 (1 KO) and Salinas, while dropping to 2-5-1 (1 KO), continues to prove himself a game fighter.

“I thought it was at least a draw,” Salinas said. “I pulled out a few rounds, especially in the end, although I let him off the hook when I had him hurt. But I proved I still have a couple of fights left in me. This old man can still punch and run with the young guys.”

Bonus Pics

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