By David Robinett at ringside
Popular 20-year-old lightweight Ryan “Kingry” Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) inched closer to a world title opportunity with a second round TKO over Jose “Wonder Boy” Lopez (20-4-1, 14 KOs) on Saturday night at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California. Garcia dropped Lopez with a furious barrage at the end of round two and Lopez stayed on his stool after the round.
“I just caught him with that right hand over the top,” Garcia stated. “He kept ducking his head, and I just smacked him wherever he went. Boom. It’s like the cobra bag, everywhere he went, I went for it. The first round, I started letting my hands go, because I was going to try to work on some punches, but then I’m like man, I’m going to start hitting him. And that’s when I knew I could get him. Hopefully I fight on the undercard of my guy right here (Canelo Alvarez), May 4th, Canelo vs. Jacobs.”
In walkout action, popular local fighter Neeco Macias (17-2, 10 KOs) lost his second in a row, this time by hard luck split decision to Jeremy Ramos (11-6, 4 KOs), in an eight-round super welterweight bout. One judge favored Macias 77-75, while the other two scored it for Ramos 77-75 and 78-74. Macias, whose nickname “the Rooster” inspires his fans to sport signs and masks, along with the occasional rooster call, came forward in his typical relentless style but Ramos was equal to the task, as the two fighters traded punches for most of the ensuing ten rounds. Although Macias seemed to be in control over the first half of the fight, he started to tire late and Ramos was able to land the cleaner, harder punches over the last few rounds to just edge out Macias on the scorecards.
In the evening’s other walkout bout, super lightweights Herbert Acevedo, Jr. (15-2-1, 6 KOs) and Alfonso Olvera (11-5-2, 4 KOs) battled to a well-deserved draw in an eight-round contest. Olvera played the boxer to the more aggressive Acevedo, and was able to stick and move with some success using a traditional left jab, right hand attack. Acevedo was able to catch up to him enough times and land enough combinations though, especially to the body, to balance out the scoring on the judges’ cards, 77-75, 75-77, and 76-76.
Unbeaten super lightweight Danielito Zorrilla (11-0, 9 KOs) brutalized 38-year-old former world champion Gamaliel “Platano” Diaz (40-20-3, 19 KOs) over two rounds. Zorrilla floored Diaz at the end of round one, and put him down for the count in round two. Diaz has now dropped nine of his last ten. Time was 2:59.
Making his debut in the United States, highly regarded and unbeaten WBC #2 super featherweight Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez (28-0, 25 KOs) outclassed and demolished Ibrahim Class (22-6, 10 KOs). Hernandez stalked Class from the opening bell. He dropped Class in round two, then put him down for the count with his follow-up barrage. Time was 1:58.
Irish teenager Aaron McKenna (7-0, 4 KOs) cruised past New Mexico club fighter Loretto Olivas (3-1, 1 KO) with a unanimous 60-53 decision on all three scorecards in a scheduled six round bout. McKenna, a rangy 6’1″ welterweight, quickly established control with a first round knockdown, dropping Olivas with a straight right hand. Olivas didn’t lack courage, attempting to come forward and take the fight to McKenna after rising from the canvas, but didn’t have any answers for McKenna’s length, spending large portions of the fight at the end of McKenna’s straight hands both upstairs and to the body.
Undefeated prospect Joet Gonzalez (22-0, 13 KOs) pummeled former super flyweight champion Rodrigo Guerrero (26-8-2, 16 KOs) to earn a fifth round stoppage in a scheduled ten-round welterweight bout. Gonzalez looked like he might score an early knockout, forcing Guerrero to take a knee in round one from series of straight right hands to the head and body that badly bloodied Guerrero’s nose. To his credit, Guerrero gamely fought his way back into the fight, relying on a two-handed attack to Gonzalez’s body. However Gonzalez put an end to the comeback with left hook to Guerrero’s chin that dropped him in the fourth round. The fifth round was all Gonzalez, and after taking heavy fire without landing anything back, the referee jumped in to save Guerrero from further punishment at 2:27 of the round.
In the opening bout from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California, Antonio Orozco (28-1, 17 KOs) bounced back from his first loss with an unremarkable 97-93, 97-93, 99-91 unanimous decision over Jose Rodriguez (25-13-1, 13 KOs). Orozco, who unsuccessfully challenged WBC super lightweight champion Jose Ramirez last September, didn’t push things in his first fight back, working patiently behind his jab with some occasional body work but at a very tactical pace. Although in control against the limited Rodriguez, Orozco’s lack of urgency allowed his opponent to even steal a round or two with some stiff right hands near the end of the fight.