By Ricardo Ibarra
With an eye towards adding his fourth consecutive knockout win, undefeated Pacific Northwest prospect Steven “Hands of Gold” Villalobos (9-0-1, 8 KOs) will step back into the ring this Saturday at the Jackson Armory in Portland, Oregon, taking on Eagle Pass, Texas’ Lionel Jimenez (5-23-1, 4 KOs) in a seven round welterweight match-up. The bout will headline the second card for 2 Pound Sports and Entertainment, the company recently formed by former world champion Steve “2Pound” Forbes and partner Christina Lunzman. A total of five fights are set for the show, with several local up and comers scheduled to see action.
Villalobos, of Burlington, Washington, has been on a tear since suffering his lone career blemish last November—a six round split draw against Eduardo Torres—scoring three knockout wins, all before the end of the second round. The aggressive-minded fighter has notched all but one of his victories inside the distance, with his most recent being a first round TKO over Jose Leon in June.
He’s maintained a busy schedule since turning pro in late 2016, fighting six times in 2017 and now heading into his fourth fight of the year. With a relatively short amateur career, Villalobos is looking to gain some necessary experience while still trying to maneuver his career forward at a fast pace.
“I want to keep advancing my career quickly, but I know I need the experience,” said Villalobos from his training camp. “I didn’t really have a lot of amateur fights, so I want the rounds. I want to go some rounds in this fight. I’m not going out pushing for the knockout. If it comes early, I’ll take it, but I’m not pushing it. If I hurt him I’m definitely going in for the stoppage.”
“I don’t really know much about my opponent,” continued Villalobos. “I know he has a lot of fights, which means he has experience. But I fought plenty of guys with experience in the amateurs…I’m ready to go. It’s my first time fighting in Oregon and I’d like to show everyone what I can do. I know I’ll get the knockout before the end of the seventh round. I won’t push for it, but I know I’ll get the knockout. I don’t like leaving it in the judges’ hands. I like being my own judge.”
Jimenez, meanwhile, is looking to add a second straight win after breaking a three-fight losing streak this past June with a six round split decision win over Ali Tareh. A veteran of twenty-nine fights, Jimenez has been a pro since 2014. This will be his sixth fight of 2018.
“I’m expecting a good little test for Villalobos,” said Forbes of the match-up. “Steve’s a banger and he can punch. But his opponent has a lot of experience. Guys with a lot of experience, veteran fighters like Jimenez, they can surprise you. When a guy is coming up you want to see what he can do with these types of fighters. This is going to be an interesting fight.”
Villalobos and Jimenez will meet in a seven round fight at the 147 lbs. limit. Four other bouts will round out the remainder of the card.
In the semi-main event, slick Tacoma boxer Andre Keys (7-1, 3 KOs) will look to add his seventh straight victory in a six round Jr. middleweight bout. The crafty twenty-seven-year-old scored his last two wins by knockout, the most recent of which was a first round TKO win over Jose Rubio in Tijuana this past May. Keys’ opponent will be announced shortly.
Former Oregon amateur stand-out Blaiwas Eaglepipe (1-0) will compete in his second pro fight, taking on Juan Huerta in a five round lightweight contest. Eaglepipe, of nearby Salem, made his entrance into the paid ranks last September, engaging in a brutal back and forth war against Felipe Medina in his hometown. Eaglepipe claimed a hard fought five round majority decision in that fight and showed a lot of heart in the process. Huerta will be making his pro debut.
Two four rounders will make up the rest of the card. In a lightweight fight between two boxers making their pro debuts, Greg Cruz will take on Gerardo Esquivel; and at Jr. middleweight Jesse Barich (0-4) will battle Kevin Davila (1-7-2). A scheduled rematch between Ricardo Maldonado and Marcos Cardenas was cancelled after Maldonado suffered an injury.
“We’ve got a really good card set for our second show,” said Christina Lunzman. “People really want to see a lot more quality boxing here in Portland and that’s what we’re planning on giving them…These are going to be some great fights.”
“We’ve been happy with what we’ve been able to do for boxing in Portland so far,” added Forbes. “I want people to be able to come to our shows after working hard all week, sit back, have a beer, and enjoy good fights. We’re expecting a good night of action. People can come out, watch a few prospects, and enjoy a good night of boxing.”
Doors to the Jackson Armory open at 5:30 p.m. with the first bell set to ring at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to the event can be purchased online at www.tickettomato.com. For more information visit http://2poundsports.com/ or the 2 Pound Sports and Entertainment Facebook page.