By David Robinett and Miguel Maravilla at ringside

One of the stars of the Golden Boy stable, 19-year old prospect Ryan Garcia, easily defended his NABF Junior Super Featherweight title with a first round knockout of seasoned veteran Fernando Vargas in a scheduled ten-round bout. Garcia (14-0, 13 KOs) started patiently, circling and throwing the jab, while Vargas (33-16-3, 24 KOs) was effectively shifty at first, ducking and dodging many of the youngster’s jabs. However in the closing seconds of the round, Vargas might have lost his focus for just a second, and Garcia capitalized, landing a right hook, left uppercut combination that dropped Vargas for the count. Another impressive win for Garcia, quickly dispatching a fighter in Vargas who unsuccessfully challenged for the WBA bantamweight title less than two years ago.

Referee Tony Krebs’ quick trigger spoiled what was otherwise an entertaining walkout bout between Jonathan Navarro (13-0, 7 KOs) and Gabriel Gutierrez (5-7, 3 KOs). Officially, Navarro earned a stoppage at 2:58 of round two in a scheduled eight-round welterweight bout. Unofficially, the fans in attendance were deprived of a potential cracker of a fight, and they let it be known with boos raining down as the official decision was announced. In the ring, Gutierrez, who cleverly goes by the nickname “DoubleG,” showed some moxie early on, trading with the more talented Navarro, taking some hard left hands to the body but dishing out some clean head punches in return. Navarro was clearly the better fighter in round two, but Gutierrez wasn’t backing down, until Krebs panicked after a clean combination by Navarro and decided the fight had to end. He may never earn that third “G,” but Gutierrez left with his head held high while, in the spirit of March, Navarro survived and advanced with a solid performance.

Golden Boy’s latest acquisition in the arms race for Irish talent, 18-year old amateur standout Aaron McKenna (2-0, 1 KO), made quick work of warm body Jose Palacios (1-2, 1 KO), when the referee grew weary of Palacios’ complaining and waved it off at 2:46 of the opening stanza in a scheduled four-round super welterweight bout. McKenna, still growing into his lanky 6’1” frame, didn’t need to utilize his superior reach in this one, landing right hands at will for the short duration of the fight, including one that knocked Palacios down less than a minute into the fight. To his credit, Palacios was willing to engage and go toe-to-toe with McKenna, but complained several times of getting hit behind the head. That, coupled with the punishment he was taking, prompted the referee to stop the bout during one of Palacios’ protests.

In the evening’s co-main event, welterweight Eddie Gomez (21-3, 12 KOs) stunningly scored a one-punch knockout in a mild upset over KeAndre Gibson (18-2-1, 7 KOs) just 54 seconds into the second round of a scheduled ten-round bout. Gibson, trying to rise back up to contender status after suffering his first loss last April, started well enough, occasionally pumping a solid jab into Gomez’s face, in an otherwise unspectacular first round. However, as the fighters continued to measure each other out early in round two, Gomez countered a Gibson jab with a short right hand that dropped Gibson hard onto the canvas. Referee Tony Krebs didn’t like what he saw even though Gibson beat the count and called a somewhat premature end to the bout.

Featherweight Joet Gonzalez (19-0, 11 KOs) of Glendora, California stopped Rolando Magbanua (26-7, 18 KOs) of the Philippines in five rounds. Magbanua was aggressive from the start as Gonzalez felt him popping the jab in the opening round. Gonzalez staggered Magbanua to end round three. The following round saw Gonzalez keep his distance extending his punches as the Filipino was on the receiving end. A crunching body shot did it in the fifth as Gonzalez dropped Magbanua the referee Jerry Cantu stopped the fight at 2:06.

2016 Mexican Olympian super welterweight Raul Curiel (3-0, 2 KOs) scored a second round knockout over Quantavious Green (1-2, 1 KO) of Louisiana. Curiel dropped Green twice with a left hook to the body as Green was done after the second knockdown as the referee stopped the fight at 1:29 of the second.

In the opening bout from the Fantasy Springs Events Center in Indio, California Filipino Eugene Lagos (13-5-2, 8 KOs) pulled the upset with a second round knockout over previously undefeated prospect Emilio Sanchez (16-1, 11 KOs) of Pacoima, California. A counter right hand by Lagos knocked Sanchez out cold as the referee immediately stopped the bout 35 seconds into the second round.