Boxing South Of The Border: Weekend Results

There was a smattering of action below the Rio Grande this weekend and we start off in Mexico where there was a battle for the IBF Minimumweight crown at Loreto in Baja California Sur last night.

Local man Raul Garcia, 25-0-1 (16), walked into the arena as reigning champion and after twelve rounds of combat with challenger Jose Luis Varela, 15-6 (7), of Colombia, still held the title, outpointing the former WBA Fedebol kingpin by wide margins in a rematch.

The two originally squared off in September with Garcia also winning that bout and “Rayito” has now retained the IBF belt on two occasions. Varela has lost his last three bouts, each in world title challenges.

Chief support on the bill was provided by San Antonio, Texas based lightweight Juan Castaneda, 15-1 (12), who dropped Los Mochis battler Abel Berrelleza, 19-10-2 (10), three times enroute to posting a first round KO.

Mexico City super feather Alejandro Sanabria, 19-0 (15), kept on track with a third round KO of 39 year old journeyman Jorge Romero, 8-40-1 (4), and David Gaspar, 8-0-1 (5), captured the vacant WBA Fedecaribe Super Flyweight belt with a majority decision against Francisco Reyes, 4-9-2 (3).

Heading south to The Land of Silver, seasoned vet Fabio Eduardo Moli, 39-7 (25), stopped Buenos Aires cruiserweight Mauro Adrian Ordiales, 20-6 (19), in the fourth at Polideportivo Vincente Polimeni in Las Heras, Argentina.

39 year old Moli currently holds the Argentine Heavyweight title and reached the height of his career in 2003 when, as the reigning WBO Latino Champion with a record of 29-2 with 2NC, tangled with future world champion Wladimir Klitschko only to lose by first round stoppage.

On the undercard, lightweight Sergio Omar Priotti, 21-6-1 (7), won his third in a row but was pushed hard by steel-chinned southpaw Miguel Leonardo “La Cobra” Caceres, 12-11-2 (4), eeking out a split decision after four rounds.

At the Alexis Arguello Gym in Managua, Nicaragua, hammer-fisted WBA Youth Minimumweight titlist Roman Gonzalez, 22-0 (20), forced a third round stoppage of former WBO title challenger Miguel Tellez, 18-12 (6), in a rematch of their 2007 Nicaraguan Light Flyweight title fight.

Heavyweight Evans Quinn, 17-2 (15), won his 12th bout in a row by knocking out American import Tipton Walker, 13-15-2 (6), in the second round.

The Hotel Melia in Panama City, Panama was the site of a WBA Fedelatin Middleweight title winning effort by America’s Daniel Edouard, 21-2-2 (12), who stopped overmatched local man Eduardo De La Cruz, 6-5-3 (3), in the first.

There was a big card at the Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico with ex-WBA Flyweight Champion Eric Morel, 40-2 (21), stopping former NABF Bantamweight titlist Ricardo Vargas, 39-14-3 (13), in the first round.

Undefeated super feather Roman Martinez, 21-0-1 (12), continued his climb up the rankings by flooring Colombian southpaw Walter Estrada, 34-8 (23), twice along the way to posting a ten round unanimous decision.

Towering light welter prospect Hector Sanchez, 17-0 (8), provided the fireworks for the evening by knocking out another Colombian southpaw, Wilson Alcorro, 26-11-3 (17), in the fourth frame.

It was the first time that the 6 foot 2 tall prospect Sanchez has ever fought in his native Puerto Rico after 16 contests in America.

Dominican Republic super feather Marcos Leonardo Jimenez, 15-1 (9), won his fifth in a row by stopping experienced Colombian Jesus Salvador Perez, 25-23-3 (14), in the fifth of a scheduled six rounder.

We head back to Argentina for Friday’s results as there were two good cards in Buenos Aires that saw Santa Rosa welterweight Victor Manuel Purreta, 24-1 (8), return from a failed run at the WBO Latino belt to outpoint Norberto Adrian Acosta, 14-17-3 (4), in a six rounder and gigantic Interim WBO Latino Heavyweight titlist Gonzalo Omar Basile, 37-4 (16), posted his third victory in as many bouts over Cordoba State Cruiserweight Champ Sergio Martin Beaz, 15-18-2 (5), who was giving up 52 pounds in weight to Basile.