By David Robinett and Miguel Maravilla at ringside

Undefeated Carlos Adames (18-0, 14 KOs) overcame a slow start to retain his NABF and NABO super welterweight titles with a ten-round unanimous decision over 2012 U.S. Olympic alternate Patrick Day (17-3-1, 6 KOs) by scores of 97-93, 97-93, and 98-91 on Friday night at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.

Day started strongly, circling his man and working the body early with both hands while Adames was content to feel out the opening round. More of the same in round two, before Adames started to move forward and load up on his punches beginning in round three. Day slowed down in the middle rounds but continued to stick to the same recipe of jabbing, circling, and occasional two-punch combinations to Adames’ body, although Adames seemed to be getting stronger each round.

Eventually Adames’ pressure started to turn the tide, and he began to outland Day with thudding left and right hooks as he pursued Day, who was no longer controlling the ring as much as he was fighting in spurts and trying to stay out of harm’s way.

Round nine was Adames’ best of the fight up to that point, repeatedly landed big punches with both hands as he aggressively walked down the tiring Day around the ring. Day rebounded early in the final stanza, boxing crisply to the head and body, but Adames soon overwhelmed him, landing a right hand that appeared to wobble Day with a minute remaining. The final minute was dramatic, with Adames landing big punches at will with the crowd on its feet, but Day was able to stay upright, barely, to hear the final bell.

In a dramatic upset, heavy-handed Mexican club fighter Miguel Angel Gonzalez (25-4, 22 KOs) starched previously unbeaten prospect Saul “Neno” Rodriguez (23-1-1, 17 KOs) at 1:23 of round three in a scheduled ten-round super featherweight bout. The 24-year-old Gonzalez, who has fought almost exclusively in Mexico since age 16 against mostly nondescript opposition, set the tone early, knocking down Rodriguez with a left hook just seconds into the fight. Although Rodriguez appeared to recover and did not seem on the verge of going down again, Gonzalez continued to land big shots throughout the round.

In the second stanza, Rodriguez appeared to be working himself back into the fight, boxing more effectively and causing a cut over Gonzalez’s left eye. However, the end came dramatically early in round three. Rodriguez landed his best punch of the fight, a right hand that visibly snapped Gonzalez’s head back, but as Rodriguez tried to follow up with a right hand, Gonzalez winged a left hook over it, landing flush onto Rodriguez’s chin. Rodriguez dropped flat on his back, prompting referee Thomas Taylor to immediately jump in and wave the fight over, as Rodriguez lay there for another couple of minutes before walking out on his own power.

Lightweight Raymond Muratalla (8-0, 6 KOs) of Fontana, California stopped Agustine Mauras (6-6-3, 3 KOs) in one. Muratalla did not waste any time as he sent Mauras to the canvas early in the first round with a left hook. Mauras was up and made it through the round. However, Mauras could not continue as the referee waived the bout at the beginning of the second.

A lightweight bout between Elvis Rodriguez (2-0, 2 KOs) and Joaquin Chavez (9-18-3, 2 KOs) ended prematurely when an accidental headbutt split open a ghastly cut on Chavez’s forehead and the fight was stopped at 2:28 of the opening round. Chavez immediately staggered back after the clash of heads, and it took a moment for everyone to realize what had happened before the pool of blood in the corner made it evident. The ring doctor promptly directed the referee to stop the fight as Chavez received immediate attention. Due to the accidental headbutt occurring before the completion of four rounds, under California rules the bout was declared a technical draw.

In a matchup of unbeaten super featherweights, Christopher Zavala (5-0, 2 KOs) scored a convincing unanimous decision over Prisco Marquez (4-1-1, 1 KO) in a six-round contest. All three judges scored the bout for Zavila 60-54. Zavala, who signed last year at age 18 with Top Rank after compiling an amateur record of 125-9, maximized his length and three-inch height advantage, sniping Marquez with jabs and straight hands while mostly staying out of range, forcing the 5’4” Marquez to reach on offense and preventing him from countering effectively. Marquez, who returned to the ring last year after a nearly three-year hiatus before taking another 13 months off after that, tried to adjust by walking down Zavala more aggressively, but Zavala was up to the challenge, timing Marquez with left and right hooks coming in before quickly sliding away. Marquez appeared to catch a second wind with a strong final round, notwithstanding the official scorecards, but by then the fight was well in the bag for Zavala.

Dmitry Yun, a 25-year old amateur standout from Azerbaijan, fighting out of Russia, cruised to a comfortable debut decision over Jose Antonio Meza (6-4, 1 KO) in a four-round lightweight bout. Yun, who as an amateur represented South Ural State University in the World University Boxing Championships, relied primarily on his left hand to both Meza’s head and body early before settling into an effective two-handed attack. The longer, rail-thin Meza tried to box from the outside and counterpunch when Yun was able to work his way inside, but even a late point deduction from Yun for hitting behind the head couldn’t change the difference in class, with all three judges scoring the bout 39-36 for Yun.

In the opening bout from Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California middleweight David Kaminsky (5-0, 2 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Israel won a hard-fought unanimous decision over Osbaldo Gonzalez (6-5, 4 KOs) of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Boxing patiently, Kaminsky measured Gonzalez with the jab and followed up with the straight left much of the fight. Ripping to the body, Kaminsky looked to finish off a busted up Gonzalez but the Oklahoma fighter held his own. Kaminsky had to work as Gonzalez gave him all he can handle in going the distance. All three judges scored the bout 40-36.