‘Picosito’ picks ‘Rambo’ apart in 1:04
Knuckle Up pulls off first-time promotion despite hindrances

Ringside report & photos by Chris Cozzone

A disappointing turnout of an estimated 600 fans, a last-minute loss of two pro bouts with Monica Lovato and Matthew Esquibel, dim lighting, and the usual thousand problems that come with a first-time promotion might’ve hampered Knuckle Up Productions debut show at the Northern New Mexico Community College in Espanola, but the show was not quite the disaster most expected.

Well, it might’ve been a disaster for a few opponents—and especially for San Antonio’s Franz Hantindi.

Two weeks ago, Hantindi proved durable enough to go ten with Donald Camarena of Denver on a Santa Fe card. Last night in Espanola, Albuquerque’s Vicente “Picosito” Garcia bettered his Denver rival by cutting Hantindi’s lifespan in the ring from ten rounds down to a minute.

Garcia wasted no time playing and went right to work, dropping Hantindi with a right uppercut within the first 40 seconds. Hantindi was up at eight but when the fight resumed, Garcia jumped on his foe, hitting him with every conceivable punch—and then some.

Down went Hantindi again.

This time when he rose, bleeding from his nose and legs unsteady, referee Russell Mora stopped the contest with an official time of 1:04.

“I was surprised I took him out so easy,” said Garcia in the ring. “Very surprised.

“He’s usually a very durable opponent and came in very good shape, so I guess it had to be the right uppercut I threw that made the difference.”

With the win, Garcia gets back on the winning track with a record of 12-4, 8 KOs while the usually durable Hantindi loses for the second time in two weeks, dropping down to 10-8-2, 5 KOs.

Zamora cuts up game, overmatched Jensen

Outclassing and outsizing overmatched blown-up jr. welter Brad Jensen, now-welterweight Joaquin Zamora, of Socorro, had an easy time scoring a fourth round TKO in a sixer at 150 that had the ringside doc stopping the bout due to a cut.

The Denver veteran was game, and as Zamora poured on the punishment, he became increasingly gamer despite the damage.

The southpaw Zamora pumped away at a jab in the first, landing an occasional straight left that kept Jensen going back for most of the time.

The second was uneventful, Zamora merely pumping his jab, until a straight left put Jensen down for an eight-count.

Despite the wear and tear put on him, Jensen came out in the third gamer than ever but too many straights lefts from Zamora and an always-forward-jabbing movement had the Coloradoan in survival mode.

In the fourth, Jensen started to bleed from two cuts, one under the eye, the other, on the eyelid. After a round of pillar-to-post punishment, the ringside physician stopped the bout on account of the eyelid cut.

After several tough fights and well-earned wins on the road, Zamora, given a break with a no-surprise win, pumps his record to 11-2-1, 9 KOs. He plans to campaign as a welterweight now.

Jensen, almost always overmatched, loses for the sixth time in a row, dropping to 14-20-3, 5 KOs.

Losoya wins first bout, upsets Perez

Junior featherweight Steve Losoya (1-3) of Las Cruces opened up the show with a four-round unanimous decision over local favorite Beto Perez (1-2, 1 KO).

Losoya, a southpaw, to the surprise of the Perez camp, was the aggressor in the first, popping his jab and occasional straight left at Perez, who simply waited too long to do anything.

In the second, one good left hook and a handful of wildly missing overhand rights from Perez did not sway the judges who saw Losoya’s superior footwork, jab and faster combinations, albeit of the love tap variety, as the deciding factors.

Perez had his best round in the third, when he unloaded several solid left hooks and a right or two on Losoya, who was still the busier fighter in this close round.

The fourth swung back in favor of Losoya who not only outboxed Perez but landed clean straight left hands on the frustrated Santa Fean.

At the end of four, all three judges scored it for Losoya, 39-37, although the MC goofed, naming Perez winner before he was corrected.

Fightnews/NewMexicoBoxing had it for Losoya 39-37.

Mixed Martial Arts bouts

Hans Marrero of Scottsdale, Ariz. had Denver’s Ryan Roche tapping out at :14 from an armbar.

Santa Fe’s Isaac Vallie-Flagg submitted Eric Regan of Phoenix, Ariz. with a rear naked choke hold that had Regan passed out cold at 1:23 of the first round. He regained consciousness moments after the bout was stopped.

Lovato exhibition

In the walkout bout of the night—not really a bout but an exhibition, and unsanctioned, at that—Espanola’s Monica Lovato (7-1, 4 KOs) sparred three rounds with Santa Fe’s Claire De La Torre.

Lovato’s opponent changes went from bad to worse to unacceptable; from out-of-action Tracy Moulton (5-6), who was replaced by overmatched Lisa Wittle (0-1), who was replaced by an unskilled pro debuter out of Denver, which was, ultimately, denied by the New Mexico Athletic Commission.

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