By Miguel Maravilla at ringside
Golden Boy Promotions LA Fight Club returned to the Belasco Theater in downtown LA Friday night as Nicaraguan warrior Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado (25-8, 16 KOs) scored the upset over U.S debuting Roger Gutierrez (15-1-1, 12 KOs) of Venezuela on the Boxeo Estelar on Estrella TV main event.
Alvarado came out aggressive as Gutierrez started slow. In round two Alvarado was the busier getting inside on the stalking Gutierrez. Continuing to have his way Alvarado stepped up his attack as Gutierrez seemed overwhelmed. Gutierrez was cut above the right eye in the fifth as the cut was gushing out, Alvarado continued to attack. The Nicaraguan continued to batter his Venezuelan opponent as Gutierrez’s corner stopped the fight at 1:34.
In the co-feature bout Edgar “Kid Neza” Valerio (11-0, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles and Torreon, Mexico’s Jairo Hernandez (18-12, 9 KOs) went the distance in what was a wild eight round bout. In the closing seconds of the opening round Valerio landed a left hand that Hernandez never saw coming as he hit the canvas and got up at the bell. However in round two Hernandez and Valerio traded knockdowns as they battled it out for eight rounds. Scores were 80-71, 80-71, and 79-72 as Valerio wins a unanimous decision.
Opening up the Boxeo Estelar on Estrella TV telecast San Antonio’s Joshua Franco (12-0, 6 KOs) who is trained by Robert Garcia had his hands full against a very tough and game Antonio Rodriguez (8-17-, 3 KOs) of Durango, Mexico going the distance in a scheduled six round bout. Franco and Rodriguez went back and forth trading and in round two Franco landed a low blow as the referee Zachary Young warned Franco. Continuing on the inside Franco landed crisp short punches but Rodrguez stood in the pocket trading. Later in the fight Franco landed big shots connecting solidly with the right but Rodriguez wasn’t backing away. In the end all three judges scored the bout 60-54.
Super lightweight Cristobal Ortiz (2-0, 1 KO) of Huntington Park, California scored a second round knockout over Ronald Rodriguez (1-6, 1 KO) of Pomona. A left hook by Ortiz during an exchange sent Rodriguez to the canvas as he got up, a second left hook dropped Rodriguez face first as the referee David Mendoza immediately waived the bout at 1:46 of round two.
In the opening bout from the Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles Meiirim Nursultanov of Oxnard by way of Kazakhstan made quick work of Lanny Dardar in a scheduled six round super middleweight bout. Nursultanov teed off on Dardar, a left hook followed by left hook to the body did it as the referee stopped the fight at 1:47