By Ricardo Ibarra
Photos by Mike Blair/Boxingprospects.net

Notching his fourth consecutive win inside the distance, undefeated Jr. lightweight prospect Giovanni Cabrera-Mioletti (16-0, 7 KOs) claimed a third round victory over the Philippines’ Recky Dulay (11-5, 8 KOs) on Saturday night at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington.

In the main event of Brian Halquist Productions’ 120th installment of the ‘Battle at the Boat’ series, Cabrera-Mioletti put on a dominant performance over three rounds before Dulay failed to come out for the fourth.

Cabrera-Mioletti opened the fight working steadily behind his right jab out of a southpaw stance, using it to measure his opponent and set-up his combinations. Throughout the round Cabrera-Mioletti slammed his opponent with sharp straight lefts and hooks to the mid-section. Dulay did find some success in the round countering with straight rights, but Cabrera-Mioletti was the busier and more accurate fighter.

Early in the second round Dulay began to close the gap, moving in close and finding his mark with hard left hooks and right hands. Cabrera-Mioletti quickly adjusted to his opponent’s offensive, though, and brought the fight out to a more favorable range, firing off crisp jabs and following up with straight lefts from the outside. The move nullified much of Dulay’s attack and by the end of the round, Cabrera-Mioletti was moving in and out of the pocket with a sustained assault, catching his opponent with sharp combinations.

Cabrera-Mioletti’s work-rate continued to increase in the third round as he was more easily able to draw Dulay in with feints, then unload with quick counters before moving away. By the middle portion of the round Cabrera-Mioletti was peppering his opponent, drilling him with hooks to the head and body. The pace continued with Cabrera-Mioletti firmly in control as the round came to an end. In between rounds, Dulay’s corner called the referee over and informed him that they would no longer be able to continue.

“I was progressively breaking his spirit,” said Cabrera-Mioletti after the fight. “He was starting to take a lot of jabs to the face and they were starting to bust him up. I hit him with a good body shot right to the ribs at the end of that last round, too. I think he knew that there was no way that he could win,”

When asked what he’d like to do next, Cabrera-Mioletti responded, “I’m at that point in my career where I’m willing to face all challengers. I think I’m ready. Whoever is going to bump me up to that next level, that’s who I want to face. Whether it be a title fight, like a continental title or something like that. Whatever and wherever, it doesn’t matter…I’m ready to make my way closer to a world championship.”

With the win Cabrera-Mioletti adds his sixteenth career victory and his second of 2019. He’s expected to be back in action in June. Dulay, meanwhile, suffers his second straight loss.

In addition to the main event, promoter Brian Halquist and matchmaker Andy Nance lined up a five-fight undercard. In an action-packed welterweight battle, Auburn, Washington’s Niko McFarland (4-4-1, 1 KO) took a four round unanimous decision win over Seattle’s Manuel Ortega (1-7). The bout was fought at a fierce pace from the start with both fighters unloading in close, each trying to impose their will on the other. For most of the four round fight, the two traded heavily in the pocket, but it was McFarland who maintained the busier work-rate and landed the more effective shots throughout. All three judges agreed, scoring the fight at 40-36 for McFarland.

Claiming his first professional win in fourteen fights, Yakima, Washington’s Charon Spain (1-12-1) out-worked Seattle’s Andres Garcia-Abarca (1-2) over four rounds to take a unanimous decision victory. Spain used good lateral movement and a steady work-rate to take control of the bout early. Working off his jab, Spain consistently caught Garcia Abarca as he pressed forward, slamming him with right hands and left hooks. In the second round, Garcia Abarca rallied back, closing the gap with an aggressive assault and unloading in close. In the third, Garcia Abarca had to contend with an increasingly swollen right eye, a product of heavy infighting, and began to lose the momentum he had built in the last round. Spain wrestled back control of the fight in the round, countering his opponent’s advances with a steady flow of one-twos. Spain closed out the fight moving in and out of the pocket with heavy flurries, catching Garcia Abarca repeatedly with clean combinations. All three judges scored the fight 39-37 for Spain.

In an exciting back and forth Jr. welterweight brawl, Anchorage, Alaska’s William Parra-Smith (1-2, 1 KO) scored his first win as a pro, defeating Luis DeAlba (0-3), of Seattle, via third round stoppage. The bout was an entertaining one with both fighters trading momentum throughout. DeAlba had a good start, appearing to land at a more effective rate in a close first round. In the second round Parra-Smith stormed back, rocking DeAlba with a left hook and teeing off along the ropes, only to be stunned himself moments later with a big right hand. Parra-Smith was able to regroup rather quickly, though, using his legs to avoid further damage and closing out the round landing the more accurate punches. At the start of the third round referee Joel Scobie called in the ringside doctor to look at a nasty cut that had opened over the eye of DeAlba. After consulting with the doctor, the fight was stopped and the cut ruled to be caused by a punch, awarding Parra-Smith the TKO win at :01 of the third round

California prospect Miguel Contreras (7-0, 6 KOs), of Bakersfield, claimed his fourth straight win inside the distance, stopping Aiken, North Carolina’s Keasen Freeman (4-6, 2 KOs) in the second round. Contreras stalked patiently behind his jab in the first round, methodically stepping up his aggression as the round progressed. In the second round, Contreras drilled Freeman with a thudding left hook to the body, sending him to the canvas. Freeman would stay down as referee Jeff Macaluso hit the count of ten at 2:35. The bout was contested in the Jr. welterweight division.

Last minute replacement Gerardo Esquivel (2-1), of Tacoma, opened the card with a first round TKO win over Vancouver, Washington’s Dylan Blakesly (0-2) in a welterweight bout. Esquivel, who took the fight on less than a week’s notice, brought the fight right to Blakley, unloading with a steady assault in the opening round. Mid-way through the round, a big left hook buckled the knees of Blakesly. Esquivel pounced, rocking Blakesly back with vicious shots to the head and body. Late in the round, as Esquivel unloaded with a sustained barrage that went unanswered, referee Joel Scobie wisely stepped in and called the stoppage. Esquivel claimed the win at the 2:51 mark of the opening round.

The 120th ‘Battle at the Boat’ at the Emerald Queen Casino’s I-5 showroom played to a packed and boisterous crowd. The next ‘Battle at the Boat’ is scheduled for June 1st. Tickets are available at the EQC box office and all Ticketmaster outlets.

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