Remember the Alamodome!
Pacquiao conquers unbeaten Mexican! Arce upset by Mijares in bloody war! Viloria upset in thriller by Sosa! Chavez defeats Shuler!

Ringside by Jose Reyes
Photos by Chris Cozzone
- FightWireImages.com

Before a boisterous crowd of 14,793 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, the most explosive left-handed fighter in boxing today, also known as the “Pac Man”, lived up to his nickname, as he chased down and dropped Jorge Solis in the eighth round.

The last time Manny Pacquiao (44-3-2, 35 KOs) fought in the Alamodome he handed Marco Antonio Barrera a brutal beating that lasted 11 rounds. This time, Pacquiao beat another Mexican fighter in previously undefeated Jorge Solis (32-1-2, 23 KOs) who came in to the heart of Texas with high hopes of pulling the upset.

Credit has to be given to Solis for implementing his game plan of good lateral and head movement to prevent Pacquiao from scoring effective hard punches. The inevitable was how long would it take for Pacquiao to decipher Solis technique. 

Eight rounds was long enough, as Freddy Roach, who flew in from Puerto Rico to be in Pacquiao’s corner, had seen enough when a clash of heads in the sixth round produced a cut on Pacquiao’s right eyebrow. The instructions were to put him away and Pacquiao followed them to a tee, as he unleashed heavy blows that overpowered Solis and ended the fight.

“When he got the cut, I told him to turn it up a notch and get the guy out of there,” stated Freddy Roach to FightNews. “When you see Pacquiao in the ropes and trying to make the other guy miss, he is not fighting his fight or in his best interest. He is just fooling around, as you saw what happened when he turned it up. He is getting better each time he fights and I don’t see anyone that can even touch him,” stated Roach.

Round by Round

ROUND 1

The bout began with the fighters in the center of the ring, measuring each other’s moves. Pacquiao would be extremely patient in this tactical round that consisted of one-two combinations and single punches. Solis countered with his jab to keep the “Pac Man” at bay. Pacquiao would try to get his rhythm going, as he started bouncing on his feet and became more aggressive as the round came to a close.

ROUND 2
Pacquiao became more like himself, as he started looking to connect with his deadly left hand. But Solis would use his head movement and time the punches coming at him, making Pacquiao miss most of the time. The Pro-Mexican crowd seemed enthused with Solis’s boxing skills and started chanting “Si se puede, si se puede!” (Yes it can be done, Yes it can be done) in order to give their native prize fighter hope and confidence to build him up. The round ended the same as the first, with neither fighter hurt or damaged.

ROUND 3
Solis continued to use head movement and boxing skills to keep Pacquiao guessing and misfiring. It paid dividends, as Pacquiao was missing more punches than landing but it’s hard to award a round to a fighter without an offensive strategy. Pacquiao was more aggressive and was the busier fighter, despite the fact that he wasn’t that effective.

ROUND 4
Solis’s ability to nullify Pacquiao's hand speed with head and lateral movement became amazing. Solis landed a low blow that had the Pac Man grimacing in pain. The referee gave him a break to recover. Pacquiao pressed the fight and again was the busier fighter.

ROUND 5
Pacquiao returned to the style he’s become known for, as he launched his arsenal with complete disregard to what’s coming toward him. Solis retaliated and made it a fight by connecting with straight one-two combinations. Solis did well enough to back Pacquiao to the ropes with his combinations. After covering up well, Pacquiao breathed in deeply, as if to get his second wind, and immediately unleashed a flurry of his own. The action in this round surpassed the previous four rounds combined. Solis appeared to win it by scoring more than Pacquiao.

ROUND 6

Both fighters came at each other aggressively and the unavoidable happened, as they unintentionally butted heads, producing a cut over Pacquiao’s right eyebrow. After a break called by the referee, Pacquiao became enraged over the blood dripping on him and turned even more aggressive. He delivered punches in bunches, trying to finish the undefeated Mexican. Solis weathered the storm and connected with a left cross that settled Pacquiao down. Their heads clashed once again before the end the round.

ROUND 7
Pacquiao comes out of the gates again trying to finish the fight, but he was greeted willingly by Solis, who seemed to have more confidence after surviving the previous round. The pro-Mexican crowd chanted their support for their man to spring the upset. Solis’s nose began to drip with blood, along with Pacquiao’s right eyebrow. Pacquiao established his strength superiority while Solis returned to a more defensive posture, trying his best not to get hit flush. This round was, no doubt, Pac Man’s.

ROUND 8

The round started with both fighters trading jabs, but again there was a clash of heads because of the aggressiveness of the fighters. Pacquiao unleashed vicious combinations, and this time, dropped Solis with an uppercut and then a powerful hook. Solis beat the count, but Pacquiao found him with a brutal left hand that kept him down for the count at 1:16 of the round.

Mijares Gives Arce a Boxing Lesson

WBC Super Flyweight Champion, Cristian Mijares (31-3-2, 12 KOs), retained his title against charismatic and spontaneous Jorge “El Travieso” Arce (46-4-1, 35 KOs) by way of unanimous 12-round decision. 

Arce, Mexico’s most popular prize fighter since Julio Cesar Chavez, has been on the airways on Televisa’s "Big Brother VIP" reality show and garners a huge contingent of fans.

Yet the night belonged to Mijares. You could have tied his left hand behind his back and he still would have won the fight with his southpaw stance and accurate stiff jabs.

“El Travieso” tried hard enough to solve the puzzle that was Mijares, who time and time again would fire rapid accurate jabs that disfigured Arce’s tough mug with blood. It was Boxing 101 that Mijares taught tonight over all 12 rounds.

The judges scored it 117-111, 118-110 and 119-109 all for Mijares who stated he would give Arce a rematch if he wanted it.

“I think you all received a great surprise tonight and I won a fight that I always had dreamed of winning. I have always admired Jorge Arce and, unfortunately, tonight I had to face him. He is a great fighter and a great warrior and I said that to him after the decision was announced. But this is a sport. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Thanks to God, tonight it was my turn to win, and I am very happy. I would like for everyone to applaud Jorge Arce because he is a great warrior,” stated Mijares.

“I am very disappointed. I feel bad because I failed everyone. I will not make any excuses. I am a real man. Tonight, Mijares was the better man in every sense of the word. I will not discredit Cristian Mijares great victory, but in fact, I will celebrate him and congratulate him and I will always remember him. I only want to tell everyone that has supported me that I apologize to you and I feel that the great champions aren’t the ones who never lose, but those who do fall and fight toget back up. I feel I am one of them. I want to thank you all for your love and I want to tell all of you who were here to support Cristian from Mexico that you have a great champion. I only ask for a second opportunity because I now have a thorn in my side and I am a man, and I don’t want to stay with it,” stated Arce.

Mijares then interrupted: “Just like Arce gave me the opportunity to fight against him because he is a great star, I would gladly give him the rematch. He is a great champion.”

”I would like to also say,” Arce continued, “coming into this fight, there was a lot of things said back and forth but I want to apologize to you, your team and your promoter and anyone that took exception to what I said and I would like to congratulate you. You are a great champion.”

Round by Round

ROUND 1

The bout began with Arce taking a one two combination from Mijares’ southpaw stance that would set the tempo for the bout. Arce seemed hesitant to pressure Mijares, as he would get countered every time he mounted an offense. Mijares used the reach and distance advantage very well. Mijares took the round by being consistently effective.

ROUND 2
Arce seemed determined to take the fight to Mijares, realizing he had to close up the gap to be effective. Mijares hit Arce any time he threw his lengthy punches. Arce was undeterred and continued to press Mijares, who, in turn, would meet Arce with his southpaw jab again and again. This time, when the bell rang to end the round, Arce would return to his corner with redness in his face from the blows Mijares was landing.

ROUND 3
Mijares continued to box from the outside and tied up Arce intelligently when he felt he had breached his reach advantage. The fight continued in the center of the ring and both Mexican prizefighters would battle, with Mijares landing the better punches. Another round scored for the champion.

ROUND 4
Arce came out pressuring Mijares and showing some urgency that the fight was getting away from him. Arce tried to make his fight on the inside and coerce Mijares into a toe-to-toe exchange. Arce tried to land his trademark swinging punches, but Mijares applied his experience and held on. Mijares resumed using his reach and jab as Arce signaled to Mijares to come out and fight him. Mijares would not fall into Arce’s tactics and continued his game plan of hit and move.

ROUND 5
The round began with lateral movement and jabs by Mijares that are a trainer’s dream, executed with great accuracy. Arce continued to stalk Mijares and kept motioning Mijares to fight. A one-two connected by Mijares that kept Arce in check. The battle had begun to take shape with emotions running wild. At the sound of the bell, both fighters continued to look at each other as if to say “I’m tougher than you,” for a brief second and then changed their minds and touched gloves with respect.

ROUND 6
Mijares continued to exhibit his boxing skills and kept Arce at a distance with the same fight plan that had earned him the first six of the scheduled 12 rounds. However, Mijares’ face now began to show swelling. Arce seemed to be getting his second wind.

ROUND 7

Two Mijares uppercuts catch Arce off guard and lessen hopes that he can mount an incredible comeback. In the closing seconds of the round, Mijares landed a left hand that had Arce wobbling.

ROUND 8
Mijares continued using the distance punching and it appeared Arce was in a lot of trouble when Miguel Diaz started to earn his money as the cut man in Arce’s corner. Arce suffered a bloody nose caused by a headbutt and a cut on the bridge of his nose, reminiscent to the one he sustained against Hussein Hussein.

ROUND 9

The blood started to pour all over Arce’s face after a couple of straight rights that landed by Mijares. Mijares realized he can work on the cut by using his effective jab. Arce seemed to be bothered by the blood and it appears his vision has become impaired. He tried to wipe it off with his gloves during the round. Arce relentlessly continued trying to catch Mijares with his overhand rights and showed how courageous he is by never giving up.

ROUND 10

More of the same, as the valiant Arce kept taking heavy-handed right jabs by Mijares on his cut nose. After the round ended, the ringside physician came in to take a closer look at the cut, but allowed it to continue.

ROUND 11
Mijares drove Arce into his corner with the effective stiff jab he applied all night. Arce covered up and tried to land whenever Mijares stopped throwing. Clearly, another Mijares round.

ROUND 12

Both fighters hugged at the beginning of the round in show of respect for one another and then resumed fighting with aggressiveness. Arce sidestepped and danced to show he is not hurt by a left cross that landed by Mijares. The boxing lesson continued until the end of the fight. Arce never figured out the puzzle of the countering right jab of Mijares. There was no doubt who had impressively won this one-sided fight. 

Sosa upsets Viloria

Super-flyweight  Brian Viloria (19-2, 12 KO’s) tasted defeat at the hands of a Mexican prize fighter for the second time in as many losses. Edgar Sosa (27-5, 14 KO’s) scored an upset win over Viloria with his relentless punches that took a toll in the championship rounds.

Viloria had stated that his volume punching would be the difference which had him excited now that he is working with his new trainer Joe Goossen however it was Sosa’s work rate and heart that proved to be the difference instead

Round by Round:

ROUND 1

Viloria connected with the better more effective punches in the round as both fighters took the first round as a study round. Much of the action was relegated to counters and jabs with very few solid exchanges.

ROUND 2

Sosa began to feel the effects of the Hawaiian punch  as straight right hands that landed upon the Mexican prizefighter started to show redness on the left side of his face.

ROUND 3

Viloria comes out throwing combinations and connects with accurate precision and bad intentioned punches that land on their mark. Sosa retaliates with combinations of his own and a real battle begins to take shape. In the final minute of the round, the crowd began to ask for more of the action. Both fighters decide to gauge their energy and throw less punches with fear of getting countered.

ROUND 4

The action in this round calms down and it becomes a break of sorts, in an uneventful round. Both fighters are wary of getting countered. Sosa does enough to take the round over the Hawaian Punch by landing the more effective low count punches.

ROUND 5

The pro-Mexican crowd gets behind Sosa as Viloria steps around to the side and away from heavy glancing shots delivered by Sosa. Viloria scores more effective punches and wins another round. But it now seems the crowed might play a factor in the latter rounds should it go the distance.

ROUND 6

Viloria exhibits great defensive skills  and maneuvers himself exceptionally well to counter Sosa’s ineffective aggressiveness by landing the more telling blows. Sosa appears to have a game plan of attack and uses more body punches that maybe will take their toll later in the fight.

ROUND 7

Once again Viloria displayshis bending and side to side boxing skills. Sosa retreats when a straight right connects perfectly by Viloria and he recovers well and closes the round by landing a right cross combination that stops Viloria in his tracks. Very close round to score.

ROUND 8

Viloria opens up the round well with landing blows but he gets countered and hurt by coming in carelessly and dropping his guard. Viloria scores well with an uppercut that staggers Sosa and keeps him at bay. However Viloria does not commit and pursues Sosa, trying to inflict more damage. Viloria works the body as well with power punches to close the round.

ROUND 9

The battle continues with Sosa putting pressure on Viloria by landing crisp combinations and the pro-Mexican crowds chants S-O-S-A, S-O-S-A. The Filipino Viloria crowd counters with their own cheer ofV-I-L-O-R-I-A, V-I-L-O-R-I-A . Sosa closes the round well as he corners and boxes up Viloria into his own corner  by charging aggressively and throwing heavy handed blows.

ROUND 10

Viloria scores a tremendous right hand that sends Sosa back a step. Sosa decides to step it up and bangs Viloria himself. Both fighters touch gloves out of respect after an unintentional head butt. Sosa lands great punishing blows that seem to stun Viloria. As Viloria recovers well, he then connects an uppercut and straight right that  has Sosa‘s face swelling up, yet Sosa doesn’t retreat and keeps coming forward to connect punches himself.

ROUND 11

The championship rounds begin as Sosa seems determined to take with his aggressiveness and relentless style and bravado.  A low blow lands on Viloria and the referee calls for time. The battle resumes with both fighters in the center of the ring trading, and Sosa landing more than Viloria who has his right eye now closingshut from the damaging blows landed by Sosa.

Round 12

Both corners cut men have their hands full with work on their fighters swelled and bruised up mugs.

The final round begins and Sosa keeps up the pressure on the back-pedaling Viloria, who tries hard  to box and move, to no avail. Sosa keeps landing his relentless blows that keep connecting on the swollen face of Viloria. The crowd erupts as  Sosa is declared the new WBC junior flyweight champion.

Chavez defeats Shuler with ease

Welterweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (31-0, 24 KOs) impressively demolished Anthony Shuler (20-5-1, 14 KOs).

The son of the legend floored Shuler twice in round two with left hooks to end it at 1:32 of that stanza.

Chavez said he's ready to step up the caliber of competition.

"Next welterweight champion," promised Chavez, Jr,.

UNDERCARD

Ortiz stops Barrientes

In a wild one, super lightweight Victor Ortiz (17-1-1, 12 KOs) stopped Tomas Barrientes (27-11-1, 17 KOs) in round five.

Ortiz dropped Barrientes twice in round one, but Barrientes came back to floor Ortiz in round two, only to be dropped again by Ortiz moments later.

The bout ended in the fifth after Ortiz floored Barrientes for the fourth time in the bout and Barrientes' corner threw in the towel. Times was 2:42.

Zurita-Kelly draw

In a high-action Texas showdown between female flyweights, Maribel Zurita ( 8-8-2, 1 KO), of San Antonio, and Emily Kelly (2-2-1), of Houston,  fought a six-round majority draw.

Rios debuts with win

San Antonio bantamweight Joseph Rios (2-0, 1 KO) defeated Lubbock debuter Jeremy Valderez (0-1) at 2:24 of the fourth round by TKO.

Concepcion defends belt

In the opening bout on the card, a ten-round WBC World Youth superbantamweight title bout, highly-touted Filipino Bernabe “Real Deal” Concepcion (20-1-1, 10 KOs) defeated San Antonio’s Benjamin Flores (14-2, 4 KOs) by unanimous decision.

The hard-punching Concepcion controlled most of the fight until the final rounds, when he started to tire. Flores came on strong in the final rounds.

Scores were 97-93 twice and 96-94.