HOLMWRECKER!
Holly dominates Pennybaker with seventh round TKO
Montoya, Gomez KO foes; Martinez cruises to win

Ringside report by Chris Cozzone and Abraham Gallegos
Photos by Chris Cozzone

Pittsburgh pug Shadina Pennybaker talked about wearing her construction boots and hard hat when she came to Albuquerque for Holly Holm.

She might’ve also thought to bring safety goggles to protect her eyes from cuts, and maybe a chainsaw, if she was going to have a chance to get past Holly’s jackhammer jabs and drilling straight lefts last night at Isleta Casino south of Albuquerque.

It was another dominating win for Holm on another sold-out show at the casino, with New Mexico’s top draw packing in around 2,900 fans on Fresquez Productions’ opening show of 2006.

From the opening round, it was clear that Pennybaker lacked the necessary components needed to topple Holm from contention: she was too short, too slow, and not insistent enough in the ring. In the early rounds, she stood there and waited for Holm to  come on in, so she could counter—and come in, Holly did, jabbing and landing one-twos faster than Pennybaker wanted.

The challenger had some success in the second and third, landing overhand rights, but Holly’s movement, straight lefts and right hooks, and a cut that opened up over Pennybaker’s eye from an unintentional clash of heads—all contributed to the look of futility she had walking back to her corner after the third round.

In the fourth, Holly turned up the pressure, pleasing the fans who thought she was going to play it safe on the outside. Applying pressure, she had Pennybaker trying to land those single haymakers—a few of which landed, none of which appeared to do any damage—while piling up points and putting rounds in the bank. Halfway through the round, Holm was credited with a knockdown, although it was clear to most ringside that Pennybaker had stumbled into the ropes from tripping over Holm’s foot.

With any chance of winning a fight on points gone out the window, Pennybaker came out with a desperate edge in the fifth round, landing enough big right hands to steal the round from Holm, who had a slightly less active round.

But in the sixth, Holm poured it on Pennybaker, and the two went toe-to-toe in the best round yet. While Pennybaker took the first minute, Holm stole it back with big rights and lefts, in a flurry that had Pennybaker backing up against the ropes.

The two banged it out in the opening moments of the seventh, with Holly coming out on top, and looking like she might have a chance to win this by stoppage—which proved true, just not in the way expected. Before the first minute had elapsed, referee Russell Mora stopped the fight for the ringside doc to check out a new cut on the other side of Pennybaker’s face that was leaking a steady stream of fresh crimson into her eyes. The doc OK’d the gash, but when the fight resumed, Mora stopped it again and waved it off, for the cut was deep and the flow of blood, too much.

However, instead of the fight going to the scorecards—both cuts were due to head clashes and not caused by punches—the win was awarded to Holm as a seventh round TKO, with the official time of :57.

While Holm pumped her fists into the air to the chorus of cheers from a roaring crowd, Pennybaker went back to her corner with a look of disgust on her blood-wet face. One of her seconds entered the ring, and, after an exchange of words with Holm’s trainer, Mike Winkeljohn, nearly challenged him to a fight—the former world kickboxing champ rolled his eyes while the man was ordered to leave the ring.

Backstage, Pennybaker’s disgust turned to outrage:

“I am so p---- off, I am so upset, I’m ready to kill someone” she growled.

“Those cuts were caused by headbutts—she had blood on her forehead!And that knockdown was no knockdown! I tripped over her foot! She kept putting her foot out . . . I am so upset . . . .”

Pennybaker was not upset enough, however, to let anger cloud rationality:

“She’s quicker than I thought,” Pennybaker admitted. “I didn’t think I was not winning. I knew I’d have to knock her out to win . . .

“But let her fight Mary Jo Sanders—she would whup Holly’s ass.”

Pennybaker lost two fights to Sanders in 2003. Sanders, 20-0, 6 KOs,  is considered the No. 1 welterweight in women’s boxing.

With the loss, Pennybaker falls to 9-5-1, 2 KOs, while Holm continues to soar, and is now 13-1-2, 5 KOs.

Holm didn’t disagree with Pennybaker about the headbutts and knockdown, saying the knockdown might’ve been wrongly called—she’d have to see the tape—and that the difference in styles—rightie vs. leftie—oftentimes brings about unintentional head clashes and tripping over each other’s feet.

“But it doesn’t take away from the punches I was throwing. I think she was getting very frustrated and getting tired. In those late rounds, I knew my punches were sinking in. I knew I had the fight. I gauged distance and used my reach.

“It’s a good victory, and I feel good about it.”

As for who comes next? Sanders? An out-of-town fight?

“I just want a month where I don’t have to even think about a fight. Then, I’ll sit down with my promoter and team and decide what’s next. I’ll take whatever comes next.”

‘Jet’ crashes again from Montoya missile in bombs-away brawl

The first time Belen’s Jeremiah “Jet” Torres went up against top New Mexican welterweight Lee Montoya, he was hit so hard he couldn’t immediately remember what had hit him.

Last night, Montoya gave him a refresher course, knocking him out again, this time in two rather than six.

And, also, like the first encounter, in which Torres was on even terms with Montoya going into the sixth and final round, Torres poured it on and went toe-to-toe with Montoya—at least for one solid round—before the inevitable happened.

Round one was very close—and a shocker, when those of us, Torres’ corner included, watched game Jeremiah leave behind his game plan to box and move, on order to mix it up with Big Lee in the pocket, trying to dig into the ribs that gave Montoya trouble last July.

And not only mix it up, but land several big shots on Montoya, who remained calm, collected and composed, as  he fired back, landing the harder, but less frequent shots, on Torres.

Midway through the round, a cut opened up over the left eye of Torres, but he was briefly checked out and OK’d to resume his futile fistic efforts to outbomb the bomber.

Montoya wasted little time in the second round, putting the pressure on Torres and staggering him with a big right hand behind a calculated jab. Torres, his eyes rolling up, fell into the ropes and Montoya moved out of the way to give him room to crash.

Joe Gomez, who fought earlier in the evening, said the knockdown punch was so hard, he felt it 100 feet away—and that it opened up a cut on his face from a previous fight.

The “Jet” began his descent into Dreamland, and when he, somehow, made the count, he got up on shaky legs, Montoya was all over him until referee Rocky Burke stepped in to salvage the mess Montoya had made of Torres at :47.

Montoya was declared winner by TKO and Torres quickly recovered (and remembered the punch, this time) , exuberantly screaming into the mic, “ I FEELLL GREAAATTT!”

“I felt confident and strong in the first round,” said Torres, who falls to 7-10, 1 KO.

“I went at him . . . but he has those hard hands . . . .”

Torres says that, no, he won’t retire.

“But I wouldn’t mind getting an easy opponent—or, just, an easier one. I still want Vicente Garcia, too . . . .”

Torres might be the state’s gamiest fighter—certainly one of the most entertaining.  Unfortunately, for him, anyway, Montoya may be the state’s biggest puncher.

“I thought he’d come out boxing,” Montoya said after the fight. “He was strong, but was better the first time we fought.

“But this win was my chance to redeem myself. This time around, I trained hard and it paid off. I was prepared for eight hard rounds but, just so happens, it didn’t go that way.”

Montoya ended a seven-month layoff following his one loss on record—a regional title fight to Freddy Hernandez last July on a Telefutura-televised card that had Montoya, going into the fight with a busted rib, losing by TKO.

“I still have Freddy in my head,” says Montoya.

“We’ll have to see what the promoter has lined up, but I want that rematch.”

Sweet Science sours Hurtado’s chance of upsetting Martinez

In the first eight-round co-feature of the evening, Albuquerque’s David Martinez outboxed, outhustled and outpointed veteran Columbian Reynaldo Hurtado for a lop-sided unanimous victory.

There were many questions going into the fight: was Martinez taking on someone with too much firepower, too much experience, too much height? Or was the 35-year-old Columbian, 13 more years in the pro ranks, with 31 more fights and six more inches in height, a shot fighter, well past his prime? I mean, Hurtado had lost five in a row—but, then again, all to champs and near-champs ranging from 115-pound king Fernando Montiel to 2000 Olympian Rocky Juarez at featherweight.

The answers were given: No, Reynaldo is not a shot fighter—although he rarely poured it on like he’d reportedly done in past fights—and no, he wasn’t too much for Martinez, who added his name to the heady list of fighters who’ve beaten the Colombian.

Martinez dished out a steady dose of scientific boxing to Hurtado, who, for the most part, fought in spurts and although connecting at times, could do little to stop the hometown hopeful’s constant movement.

Martinez attacked the body in the first round, landing big left hooks in between jabs. In the second, Martinez added big rights to his arsenal, putting on a clinic for the crowd who cheered every time the Albuquerque kid dug in a left hook to Hurtado’s ribcage.

The Colombian started to get busy in the third, although a low blow landed on Martinez, who took it well, followed by an elbow, of which he was warned for. Martinez continued his clinic, pouring on left hooks and rights, thrown from a crouch.

Circling around his opponent, Martinez timed his shots in the fourth, leaping in with right hooks, right past Hurtado’s long-reaching guard. Hurtado upped his tempo, and had his best round, but, still, could not do enough to steal one away from the hometowner.

The rounds began to repeat. Martinez rocked Hurtado’s head back in the fifth, further negated the height difference in the sixth with fast and furious in-and-out combinations. Martinez made a show of leaping in with that right, almost always taking Hurtado unaware, but sometimes having to eat a bit of leather to get there. Hurtado also lost a point for hitting after the bell in the sixth.

In the seventh, Hurtado landed his best shot—an uppercut—but Martinez was unfazed, and continued to outslick with his jabs and hooks. In the eighth, the two went all-out, closing the show by trading uppercuts but with Martinez completing his near-shutout win with big rights and big hooks.

At the end of ten, all three judges had it for Martinez: 79-72 twice and 80-71.

NewMexicoBoxing/Fightnews had it 80-71 for Martinez, who continues his climb up the super bantamweight ladder with his record of 15-1-1, 3 KOs—Hurtado falls to 37-10-1, 28 KOs.

“I wanted the K.O.—I wanted it bad—but I’m happy with a decision,” said Martinez.

“He was more awkward than a hard puncher, and threw at odd angles. But I got in underneath his reach and I showed I could stand with the other guys who beat him. I’m one step closer to a world title."

Four Corners’ hopeful KOs Santa Fean

In a six-round welterweight affair, Bloomfield hopeful Joe “Ironman” Gomez (7-1, 3 KOs) made an impressive Duke City debut with a third round technical knockout of Santa Fean Rubel Tafoya (2-2, 2 KOs), who made his return to the ring after six years of inactivity—the hard way.

Tafoya came out, landing a left, countered by Gomez who traded with a straight right and left hook, both to the body. Tafoya fired back at Gomez, who began to take his time on the Santa Fean, slowing pressuring him and timing cautious shots. Tafoya, however, throwing more punches than he received, edged Gomez on activity in the first.

Gomez took over in the second round, attacking Tafoya’s body  and landing big hooks that quickly put the Santa Fean in trouble and had him hanging on by the third minute of the round. A big right in the final 30 staggered Tafoya and he sunk to one knee for a breather.

In the third round, Gomez came out for what he hoped would be a quick finish—and he didn’t disappoint, dropping Tafoya again, by another left hook. Seeing that Tafoya, a big mouse on the side of his right eye, was having trouble getting up, ref Burke stopped the contest at :46.

“I was a little nervous in front of such a big crowd,” said Gomez, who’s been the chief draw at the Sky Ute Casino in Ignacio, Colo. for the last two years.

“But I wanted to impress the crowd with a knockout. We’ve been working on power punching and balance, and it looks like something’s working.”

Gomez has had balance problems in the past, which accounted for several trips to the canvas. He also suffered a broken jaw last year in his epic encounter with Vicente Garcia—a fight he won by split decision.

“It’s healed up nicely,” says Gomez. “The X-rays show the broken side is thicker than the other one now—maybe we can do the same with the other side.”

Be vigilant! Here comes Villanueva . . . .

Every year, there’s one New Mexican debuter who gives the hometown a glimmer of hope that there’s an upcoming champ in the making. Last year, there was Austin Trout. The year before, Vicente Garcia.

This year, Willie Villanueuva could be the man.

And, usually, you have to wait five or six fights, or ten or twelve, sometimes two or three years, to see what sort of stuff a pro debut is made of—but, with Villanueva, we already know.

Last night, the Albuquerque junior lightweight made an extremely impressive pro debut, winning a decision over much-tougher-than-we-all-dreamed-of Caesar Holguin-Gutierrez, who fights out of Santa Fe but is originally from Chihuahua, Mexico.

Holguin-Gutierrez—also a top prospect despite his loss—is a lesson for, both, fighters and journalists—don’t take anyone lightly.

Most of us who did not do our homework on Holguin-Gutierrez (we plead guilty), took Holguin-Gutierrez, an unfamiliar name in New Mexico, as just another unskilled gym rat looking to make a few bucks in the ring—there’s been quite a few of them lately from up north.

But, as it turns out, Holguin-Gutierrez’s amateur record is as solid—if not more so—then Villanueva’s, and, in the ring, he was announced as a 2005 Golden Gloves regional champ of Chihuahua, Mexico.

He backed up his claim with his skill when the bell rang, coming out of his corner, and at Villanueva, like a seasoned fighter.  Caught somewhat unaware, Villanueuva, who’d, most likely, been expecting the usual “gimme” debut fight, dropped the first round trying to figure who, and what, he was up against.

Holguin-Gutierrez put the pressure on the taller Villanueva, pressuring him into the ropes and landing short bombs inside, uppercuts, hooks, rights, upstairs, downstairs—you name it. Villanueuva did his best to weather the storm, then bravely fired back with big rights, trying to establish an outside game but unable to keep the Mexican-Santa Fean from swarming over him close quarters.

After the first round, it looked as if Villanueva’s sweet debut had gone sour—there was a new kid in town now.

In between rounds, however, in the corner with trainer Melcor Chavez, Villanueva regrouped, then came out  with all the necessary adjustments.

Keeping Gutierrez at the end of his range, he caught the Santa Fean with a big left, then a big right. Gutierrez pressured, jabbed to get in, landed a low one, but Villanueva used his footwork, moved and jabbed back, and started to turn the fight around with big shots of his own—big, big rights and left hooks.

With his game plan down, Villanueuva did not sway, but continued to do what worked. What worked for Gutierrez in the first no longer did the trick, and he was outhustled in the third round by the faster, longer-reaching Villanueva, who peppered him with big, bold rights and crisp lefts before moving away out of harm’s reach. Gutierrez planted a couple uppercuts in close but Villanueva closed the round with a combination that staggered the Santa Fean.

In the last round, it was more of the same—if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it—and Villanueva closed the show with more hooks shown dangerously close quarter when the two traded blows.

After four, all three judges scored it for Villanueva, but only one judge (Rocky Burke) had it right with a 39-37 score. The other two had an impossible shutout for Villanueuva, 40-36, who could not possibly have won that first round.

NewMexicoBoxing.com/Fightnews had it for Villanueuva, 39-37.

“We knew absolutely nothing about him,” said trainer Melcor Chavez about Gutierrez after the fight.  “We had no idea he had that kind of amateur experience.”

‘Donamite’ explodes, then implodes

In the opening four-round curtain raiser, Albuquerque’s Donnell “Donamite” Wade (3-1-1) came off a two-year layoff to defeat MMA-fighter-turn-boxer Clint Rhodes (0-1) by way of split decision.

It looked like an easy fight in the first round, when Wade, throwing the harder shots, caught Rhodes with a right that sent him to the canvas. Rhodes got up, did a Zab Judah-like dance to the other side of the canvas, tripping over his feet on wobbly legs, and went down again—but beat the count. Unbelievingly, Wade let him survive.

In the second, Wade had Rhodes hurt again, despite the former MMA fighter coming out aggressive. Again, he was staggered by a right from Wade. Again, Wade let him off the hook, and when he recovered, he started taking the fight to the man who’d almost knocked him out.

Wade tired in the third and fourth while Rhodes picked up steam and went at the shorter-but-bulkier opponent. Now, it was Rhodes’ fight—a somewhat feisty bout that had its moments but also periods of nothing going on, during which, Rhodes and Wades spent conversing and laughing, at times.

Despite hurting his opponent in the first two rounds, Wade backed off in the latter rounds, perhaps tired, while Rhodes piled on enough points to make it an interesting tallying at the scorecards.

Judge Mora had it 38-37 for Wade—which was also our score, two rounds apiece but an extra point going to Wade for the knockdown in the first; Judge Garcia, somehow, had it for Rhodes, 39-37; and Judge Lopez had it for Wade, 39-36, giving him the win by split decision.

Bonus photos

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