Split win, split lip
Hoopla in Houston with big wins for Diaz, Juarez

Ringside report by Byron Spurlock and Chris Cozzone
Photography by Chris Cozzone
- FightWireImages.com

One victory scored by split win, the other, by split lip, Houston’s principal pugilists, Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz and Ricardo “Rocky” Juarez, headlining their hometown together for the first time, scored major wins for a couple of minor belts last night at the Toyota Center.

The Golden Boy-promoted card, televised on HBO’s “Boxing After Dark,” attracted a roaring crowd of 15,000 and a host of sports celebs that included Evander Holyfield, George Foreman, Houston Rocket Ron Artest and Carlos Hernandez.

It was a must-win for both fighters.

Both Diaz and Katsidis were coming off their first pro loss; Diaz losing three of the four major lightweight belts to Nate Campbell in March, and the Australian, his interim WBO strap to Joel Casamayor in a thriller, two weeks later.

Having to settle for an oddly-scored split verdict in his hometown, Diaz proved a master technician for much of the fight, though he had to dig in and fight off the relentless Michael “The Great” Katsidis in the latter half of their all-action scrap.

Following the pattern showed by the scorecards, in which all but four rounds were in disagreement, ringside Fightnews writers also saw a somewhat different fight, through the first six or so rounds.

While both writers agreed that Katsidis was the stronger, bigger fighter, Spurlock saw the Australian stealing rounds by outworking Diaz and landing harder shots, while Cozzone scored nearly all but one round through the seventh for the “Baby Bull,” in what was seen as a masterful boxing clinic.

The expected all-out brawl never quite materialized, but what took its place was a gutsy battle that wavered between Diaz’s clinic and Katsidis’ increasingly desperate, increasingly successful attempts to wage war.

Round one was a toss-up, but Diaz mystified Katsidis with his angles in the second. Though connecting on big rights, the more aggressive Diaz staked a claim as ring general—at least in one reporter’s eyes—that lasted through round seven.

Outlanding, outhustling and—aye, at times—outclassing, Diaz bamboozled Katsidis, inside, outside and besides. Jabbing at arm’s length, uppercutting in close, all the while blocking most of Katsidis’ attacks, Diaz chose his moments to pour on the leather.

On the other hand, or glove, the other half of this reporting team saw Katsidis stealing rounds with furious flurries, oftentimes stopping Diaz in his tracks with a barrage of power shots, all the while making rounds that could—and did—go either way.

Katsidis had a best-yet round in the seventh, but inside trading and big body shots by Diaz scored the hometown champ his last definitive round.

The Greek Aussie suddenly came alive in round eight, while Diaz took a breather to work on his defense. Katsidis, right eye swelling quick now, jabbed his way back into the fight, loading up on big right hands.

In the ninth, Diaz woke from his nap, countering Katsidis, who continued his new, successful plan of attack. In the tenth, Diaz curtailed Katsidis’ attack, driving his foe back, though clearly missing the relative ease in which he’d handled Katsidis earlier. Momentum swung back to Katsidis in the 11^th, but returned to Diaz in the final round, when he edged out a fairly desperate Katsidis, who, by now was cut around both eyes, with the right, nearly shut.

While the judges appeared unsure of what they’d seen—at least, in terms of comparing the fight, round by round—the consensus ringside, and with two of the judges, was that Diaz had pulled off the win.

Judge Levi Martinez scored it for Diaz, 115-113, as did, Judge Gale Van Hoy, 116-112.

Judge Glen Hamada, however, figured the win for Katsidis, 115-113.

Fightnews scored it for Diaz, 117-111 (Cozzone) and 115-113 (Spurlock).

“I feel like a true champion again,” said Diaz, who picked up the fringe IBO belt at 135, rising to 34-1, 17 KOs.

“I will show the whole world I am the true champ at lightweight again. I’m going to pick up where I left off.”

Diaz admitted he’d been in a tough scrap.

“I knew Katsidis was a great fighter. He puts a lot of pressure. I knew If I wasn’t ready, physically and mentally, he would put me on my butt.”

Promoter Oscar De La Hoya hinted at the post-fight press conference that he and Diaz would be carefully looking at next week’s Juan Manuel Marquez-Joel Casamayor fight, as Diaz’s next showdown.

“You win some and you lose some but I think I won that fight," Katsidis said, falling to 23-2, 20 KOs, and losing two in a row, now.

"But that's kind of what I was expecting coming into his hometown."

Needless to say, his comments were booed by the pro-Diaz crowd.

No more lip from Barrios

Colorful Argentine Jorge Barrios, living up to his nickname of “La Heina,” gave calm, collective Rocky Juarez plenty of lip leading up to their 12-round co-main.

But after last night’s cosmetic surgery at the skillful hands of Dr. Juarez, Barrios won’t be doing too much talking in the days to come.

Barrios’ roughhouse, rocky ways, up against Rocky’s sometimes-sizzling, sometimes-fizzling performances, made a near-pick’em fight on the sportsbooks.

In front of his hometown, however, Juarez rose to the occasion more often than Barrios lowered his aim on all-too-many “body” shots.

Ringsiders expected a mauling, brawling Barrios and a slow-starting Juarez—and were wrong on both accounts. Setting a fast pace from the opening clang, Juarez kept his gloves moving while Barrios, throwing away his best chance at spoiling a man of science like Juarez, decided he was no longer a brawler, but a boxer, during most of the fight.

Through the first two stanzas, Barrios opened up on Juarez with overhand rights and borderline-or-below hooks downstairs that earned him his first two warnings from Referee Rafael Ramos. Juarez sought to establish a jab but the busier Barrios, his right eye already scraped up, kept up a steady attack.

Juarez found a happy home for his counter left hook in the third round while Barrios focused on his beltline assault with arcing, straight arm hooks. In what would have otherwise been a close round, Barrios was (finally) zapped a point for aiming, and landing, low.

The hometown favorite came alive from the fourth round on, forcing himself on, both, Barrios and the judges. While Barrios settled into a curious attempt to outbox the superior boxer, Juarez landed, with increasingly frequent success, crisp straight rights, a consistent jab, and blazing combinations up and down Barrios.

Barrios loaded up in the fifth, but it was Juarez’s accuracy over his blocked attempts or wild, missing haymakers. Stubbornly insisting on boxing, Barrios began to slow and show signs of damage from Juarez’s multiple counter lefts and right crosses.

Finally, in the ninth, the Barrios we all have come to love, and/or hate, staged a desperate comeback. But just when the mauling, brawling ‘La Heina’ looked like he was going to turn this match into a street fight, he was deducted another point for low blows. When the fight resumed, Juarez took over for the final minute, though Barrios rallied at the end to take back what would’ve easily been his round.

Juarez’s punches started to connect at an alarming rate in the tenth round, though the round proved the best action yet when the two met in the center of the ring to duke it out.

After another non-stop action round, Juarez sealed his victory, first bloodying Barrios’ mouth, then flooring him with a right hand, in the neutral corner.

Though he beat the count, somewhat unsteady, the fountain of blood spewing forth from a torn lip prompted the ringside physician, Dr. Jorge Guerrero, to investigate.

The fight was immediately stopped, with no complaints from Barrios. Dr. Guerrero later stated that a possibly ruptured blood vessel to the flapping, ripped lip, made resuming the fight impossible.

Official time was 2:55.

At the time of stoppage, the scorecards read 95-93, 96-92, both for Juarez, and 94-94.

Picking up a minor WBC belt and, most likely, another eventual shot at one of the world champs at featherweight, Juarez moves his record to 28-4, 20 KOs, while Barrios, in only his second kayo loss, drops to 47-4-1, 34 KOs.

“It was a good fight, a hard fight,” said Juarez, back on the winning track after losing to Juan Manuel Marquez last year. “Barrios was a strong fighter, but I think he was, basically, missing more than half the punches he threw. I let him tire out, and capitalized on effective body punches.

Chavez on the chase

In the most significant untelevised bout, former champion Jesus Chavez (44-4, 30 KOs), of Austin, Tex., became one step closer to another title shot by chasing—and putting—down, marathon man Andres Ledesma (14-11-1, 9 KOs), of Colombia.

It was a terrible fight, until the end.

Showing a bit of ring rust and having to chase down the awkward, fleet-footed Ledesma had the crowd booing heavily, from the third round until the seventh, when Chavez closed the gap and floored Ledesma.

Heavy pressure and heavy blows kept Ledesma on the run until, in the ninth, Chavez dropped his foe again with a big right.

The glass-eyed Ledesma had the ref halting the fight, official time :42.

Williams bags win on punching bag

In a six-round lightweight bout, Houston’s Hylon Williams, Jr. (4-0, 1 KO) battered around, but could not finish, rugged southpaw Jesse Ortiz (4-10-2, 2 KOs), of San Antonio.

Williams jumped on Ortiz in the first round with the intent to send a message that he was the faster and better fighter. Playing the role of human punching bag, Ortiz showed his gameness and durability, taking everything Williams had to throw.

Slowing in the final two rounds, Williams, taking the hint that he wasn’t going to kayo Ortiz, reverted to jabbing.

"I felt that I did good tonight, considering that we found out he was a southpaw the day of the fight,” said Williams.

“I give myself a 'B' for the fight—we did what we came to do tonight and that was to win the fight."

Renteria held to a draw

In something of an upset, Houston featherweight Eleazar Renteria (8-0-1, 5 KOs) was held to a draw against the aggressive Olvin Mejia (3-2-2, 3 KOs), of Laredo, Tex.

With relentless pressure and wild swings, Mejia snagged the first two rounds with Renteria, who could not get a handle on his foe.

In the last two rounds, Renteria found that handle, and he worked it to his advantage, picking his shots with increasing accuracy.

Unfortunately for him, with the four-rounder cut down from six, there wasn’t enough time to pull ahead and, after four rounds, the judges were mixed in their verdicts.

Scores ranged from 39-37 Mejia, 39-37 Renteria, and 38-38 even.

Fightnews had it two apiece, 38-38.

Charlo-broiled Villareal

In a four-rounder of Houston welterweights, Jermell Charlo (4-0, 3 KOs) TKO’d Rodrigo Villareal (1-2) at :15 of round four.

In a stellar performance of speed and power, Charlo began dismantling Villareal from round one. Though Villareal was the aggressor early on, Charlo showed patience, then floored his man early in round two, with a big right hand. Villareal was staggered on and off through the round, from hooks and rights, but the game foe never stopped grinning.

Villa missed by a mile while Charlo could hardly avoid landing in round three. Then, early in the fourth, a right hand staggered Villareal so badly, the ref had to leap in to hold him up.

“I was surprised to see him at the beginning of round four,” said Charlo. “But I just listened to my corner and got the knockout."

Dance partner wins contest

In an unthrilling female bout, at welterweight, Crystal Delgado (7-0, 1 KO), of Houston, outpunched the punch-pushing Caitlin Dance (2-3, 1 KO), of Louisville, Ky.

In a lesser version of the Chavez-Ledesma chase-down, Delgado sought to trade with Dance, who proved an unwilling dance partner. Slapping at the pursuing Delgado, Dance pranced around the ring with the overhand-swinging Houstonian on her heels.

Suffice it to say, Delgado won but, alas, could not finish this Dance.

Lane TKOs Whitaker

In a four-round middleweight bout, Houston’s Lanard Lane (4-0, 3 KOs) battered down Quinton Whitaker (5-3, 4 KOs), of San Antonio.

Whitaker, a late sub, took the fight to Lane early, but tired in the final minute. Lane, weathering the storm and blocking most shots, waited for his moment, then let fly with a big right that floored Whitaker to end the bout.

Official time was 2:30.

Lane-Whitaker Photo below, right.

Moreno wins debut

In a four-round jr. middleweight bout, Houston’s Roque Moreno (1-0) won his pro debut with an unanimous decision over Jesus Villareal (2-6-1, 1 KO), of Edna, Tex.

The fight was close through the first two cantos, but the taller Moreno, a southpaw, pulled ahead in the last two rounds, edging out Villareal with his harder shots.

Scorecards read 39-37 x 3.

Moreno-Villareal Photo top, left.

Bonus Photos