Rodriguez decks, wrecks Beck
El Paso’s “Nino” forecasts abnormal changes in heavyweight climate

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

A change in the weather may be in store for the sorry state of the American heavyweight picture. That, at least, is the forecast from border camp of “El Niño.”

If last night’s demolishing of former title challenger Owen “What the Heck?” Beck is any indication, unbeaten El Paso heavyweight David “El Niño” Rodriguez will be the entering the WBC’s top ten rankings not as a subtle change in the weather pattern, but with the force of a supercell tornado.

At last night’s “SuperFights III” card, promoted by Zeferino Entertainment and Nino Bravo Productions and held at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Rodriguez blew through the former title challenger, showing 3,500 feisty fight fans that he’s finally ready to blast his way through name fighters.

It’s been a case of boy-cries-wolf in El Paso, year after year, Rodriguez promising “breakout bouts” while fighting no-namer after no-namer. Against Beck, the 33-year-old Rodriguez was out to make, both, a statement and a commitment that his final campaign is for real.

Granted, Beck had lost four in a row – now five – and has seen better days. But the former contender presented a very real test for Rodriguez, especially after weighing in lighter than he’s had in six years. The experience, however, was not enough to protect him from Rodriguez.

While Rodriguez showed he is now, finally, ready to open the chapter of contention, the Book of Beck, closes shut with a less-than-flourishing finis.

The storm that was Rodriguez poured it on early, big hooks downstairs keeping the cagey Owen moving and trying to keep out of harm’s way. Weathering Niño, Beck was able to land a sneaky right and a jab or two on the move, while Rodriguez pressured, winning the round with ease.

Beck came alive in the second, boxing his way around Rodriguez and landing several shots. Taking Beck’s best punch and remaining calm, Rodriguez endured, firing back with more hooks and landing an unintentional elbow inside that opened up a cut alongside Beck’s right eye.

Just when things were looking interesting – Beck starting to show his experience – Rodriquez sent the crowd home early. Landing double left hooks, one to the body, the second to the point of the chin, Rodriguez rudely folded Beck to the floor like a dropped garment bag. Referee Ruben Carreon did not bother to count, calling the knockout with the official time of 2:03.

While Rodriguez stormed around the ring in triumph, Beck remained fastened to the canvas – for nearly 15 minutes. After five minutes, Beck shook his head and tried to stand but the ringside physician had to physically restrain him from getting up.

After lewdly gesturing Jesse Reid, a former co-trainer of his who was helping out Owen (and later apologizing), Rodriguez grabbed the mic and shouted, “Who’s gonna doubt me now? I’ve shut up all the critics now. I’ve finally fought somebody – right?”

With the 250-pound behemoth, rampant adrenaline still zipping through his veins, staring at him, this reporter could only shrug, smile nicely and nod in agreement.

“I had so much pressure in this fight,” said Rodriguez, much calmer five minutes later in the press room. “I knew everyone was watching this one.

“I knew my body shots would slow him down. He was coming in slick and I was blocking. I started planting my shots and knew I’d catch him and it’d be over. “

With the win, Rodriguez ups the stats to 35-0, 33 KOs, picks up the vacant WBC Fecombox heavyweight strap (otherwise known as the “Mexican National” title) and a top ten ranking by the men in green, making him an official contender, at least with one ABC.

Though promoter Zeferino Ramirez has been talking with Goossen-Tutor about fighting Chris Arreola by the end of the year, Rodriguez would not call anyone out. Promoter Ramirez, however, had no trouble doing so.

“Let’s be real,” said Ramirez. “If Arreola runs into one of those punches, he’s gonna go down.”

After fending off all the tricks in the book, one Mexican reporter telling him that he’d heard Arreola was calling him a maricon, Rodriguez laughed.

“I won’t trash talk or call anyone out,” he said. “The main thing is to stay active and make things juicy. If I get a shot at the belt, I’m going there. As for Chris Arreola, he is there – I’m working my way up.”

Rafa Garcia, Sr., who had Rodriguez for four weeks in Las Vegas in preparation for Beck, proclaimed that his new charge would be the next heavyweight champion of the world. Co-trainer Rafael, Jr. said it would take a few more fights to get there, but gave Rodriguez an “A+” grade for his performance.

Beck was sent to a nearby hospital for precautionary tests and later released. Back at the Holiday Inn, later that night, he was in good spirits.

“I saw it coming but could not get my arm up fast enough,” he admitted. “It was like, ‘What the heck . . .?’ It was a good punch and I was out for a few seconds.

“I can honestly say it’s the first time I’ve ever been knocked out in my life.”

Having said that, Beck nearly contradicted himself by saying that the shots endured by Monte “Two Gunz” Barrett in 2005 had been harder.

Beck says he would probably fight on the rest of the year, though trainer Jeff Thomas says they’ll re-evaluate when they return to Tennessee. Cornerman Jesse Reid however, pulled no punches in his evaluation of the former contender: “It’s time to quit,” he said of Beck. “His legs didn’t look right.”

At the postfight presser, Rodriguez, thankful that Beck had been able to walk away from his devastating punch, told the media that he hoped the Jamaican would hang it up.

“I told him after the fight, ‘Please stop,’” said Rodriguez.

With the loss, Beck drops to 29-8, 20 KOs.

Medina’s “Monster” Mash

In the co-main, Colorado middleweight David "Strictly Business" Medina outboxed and punished Juan “Monster” Astorga through five-plus rounds before cutting his strings with a slice-and-dice left hook.

It was a grudge match, of sorts, Astorga having taken the fight on short notice and shorter-than-usual pay because he’d believed he had Medina’s ticket. Pre-fight talk from Medina brought only a laugh, that Astorga was “dreaming” with a promise that the fans would enjoy a brawl between sluggers.

Though coming up short as a slugfest, Medina delivered on the “dreaming” part, delivering a shot that transported the big talker to instant dreamland.

Medina jabbed and boxed his way through the first, finding Astorga an easy target for his right hand and hooks to the body. The impatient crowd starting booing sporadically in the second while the gun-shy Astorga reaching with a jab and Medina firing down the pike with his right.

Astorga’s head snapped back several times in the third, Medina’s right landing like clockwork. Mixing it up with a body attack, Astorga backed up regularly, but, in the fourth, fired off a hook or two.

Medina poured on the punishment in the fifth, bloodying Astorga’s nose and hurting the outclassed journeyman to enough to warrant a tying-up or two. By the sixth, the crowd was expecting a spectacular ending with Medina’s right, but it ended up a left hook that came in over the top, dropping Astorga to the canvas.

Astorga tried to get up, fell back down, while the ref called off the fight at 2:13.

“He was hitting me to the body and he took it out of me,” admitted Astorga, who falls to 16-7, 10 KOs.

“My timing was a bit off, but I knew I’d find a way to get him,” said Medina, now 23-2-, 12 KOs. “I was waiting for him to throw the left, to throw my right. Call me crazy or stupid, but that’s the way I fight. In the end, it was the left hook I saw an opening for.”

Promoter Zeferino Ramirez says a showdown with newly-crowned champ Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. is in negotiation for September in Mexico.

“Everyone’s telling me I’m fighting Chavez next,” Medina laughed at the postfight presser. “It makes an exciting fight because I’ll take a punch to land one – I’m too stupid to back up. I’m going to have to toughen up my body for the beating I’m going to get.

“I like his dad, but I’m gonna beat him.”

Villa gets lucky, Estrada gets shafted

In what was the best fight of the night, a four-round junior welterweight bout, El Paso’s Carlos Villa (2-0) got lucky with a majority decision over game veteran Lorenzo Estrada (3-19, 1 KO), of Las Cruces, N.M.

The only New Mexican who hadn’t pulled out of the card, Estrada did his home state proud by taking the fight to the local kid, looking to dish out a rough-learned spanking – and he very nearly did just that.

From the opening bell, the chubby-but-steel-hearted former bantamweight hurled himself at the youngster, easily picking up the first. After a tongue-lashing between rounds to start throwing punches, Villa sprung into action in the second, landing sporadic-but-accurate clean shots on Estrada’s weather-worn mug. Jabbing and moving, Villa evened the score.

In the third, Estrada’s sheer aggression and busy-ness had him turning the tables again – that is, until a push/slip on the canvas had the ref calling a knockdown. Though Estrada continued to bully Villa for most of the round, the damage was done.

The fourth saw the best action, both fighters banging it hard, Villa’s clean punches edged by Estrada’s gritty attack.

Scorecards read 38-38 and 39-36 twice, for Villa. The scores, tilted toward the hometown kid with the bad call knockdown, had the crowd booing Villa and cheering the gutsy Estrada.

“It was mine,” Estrada shook his head. “I’m surprised they called that slip a knockdown. I won this fight – the fans know I won this fight.”

Villa gave his props to Estrada.

“He’s a tough fighter,” he said. “He can take punches. It was a good experience.”

Garcia unravels Yon

In the opening bout – starting an hour-and-a-half late to the booing crowd’s annoyance – El Paso jr. flyweight Joel Garcia (2-0, 1 KO) took out Yon Harvison (0-3) with relative ease.

Yarvison might not have backed down, as his “Never Back Down” tattoo proclaimed, but he certainly backed up as Garcia applied constant pressure from the opening bell.

Battering Yarvison to the body and snapping his head back with big rights, Yarvison showed zero defense against the former amateur standout.

Midway through the round, Garcia bashed Yarvison to the ribs and the Oklahoman dropped to the canvas. When the fight resumed, Garcia went in for the kill but the referee stepped in and waved off the slaughter at 1:31.

Etcetera

The scheduled four-round curtain raiser, between El Paso heavyweight debuter Eric Reza and Los Lunas cage fighter Eric McElroy (0-1) was scratched just two hours before first bell when the 37-fight veteran, McElroy, who’d participated in all the pre-fight activities, including weighing in and promising to kayo Reza, packed up scooted out of town without an explanation. McElroy faces a lengthy suspension and fine.

In from Sacramento, Calif., former title challenger Juan “The Hispanic Causing Panic” Lazcano not only made an appearance in his hometown but told the crowd he was staging a comeback.

“I’m old enough to know better and young enough to do something bout it,” said Lazcano, talking about a possible spot or co-promotion on the next Zeferino card. Stay tuned.