Boxing In South America: Weekend Results

Last night at Club Argentino in Marcos Juarez, Argentina, the vacant WBA Fedebol Cruiserweight crown was contested by undefeated 23 year old Buenos Aires based Colombian slugger Santander Silgado and Rio Segundo veteran Sergio Martin Baez over nine rounds.

A former South American Light Heavyweight Champ, 35 year old Baez ran his career record to 11-1-1 before facing and losing to the likes of Clinton Woods, Jorge Castro and Hugo Hernan Garay, all future of former world champions, at 175 pounds during 2002-3.

The ensuing years were tough for Baez as went up against heavyweights at times, giving up as much as 50 pounds in weight while only being stopped once in the last four years.

Baez, 15-19-2 (5), had to draw heavily on his experience and sheer toughness to survive against the bigger Silgado but it wasn’t enough as the veteran was given a standing eight count in the fifth and had to beat the count after getting canvassed in the ninth frame to lose a wide points decision.

Silgado moves to 17-0 (15), adding the WBA Fedebol belt to his WBA Fedecaribe and Colombian titles but will have to defeat South American and WBO Latino Champion Victor Emilio Ramirez of Buenos Aires if he is to claim continental dominance at cruiserweight.

At the Sodre Santoro Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil, big punching local man Laudelino Jose Barros, 29-2 (27), stopped yet another opponent by finishing off crosstown rival and Sao Paulo state light heavyweight titlist Ruy Da Gloria, 10-10-1 (8), in two rounds for the vacant Sao Paulo state cruiserweight belt.

Barros is a former Brazilian cruiserweight and WBA Fedelatin light heavy titlist who has only come up short against Grigory Drozd and Danny Batchelder.
Gloria, who gave up twelve pounds in weight to Barros, sees a ten bout win streak snapped after going 0-9-1 in his first ten starts.

The Gimnasio de Boxeo El Salitre in Bogota, Colombia saw a featherweight clash between Monteria’s Jean Javier Sotelo, 20-6-2 (12), and local man Jose Francisco Mendoza, 21-2-2 (17), end in a draw after six rounds of combat.

36 year old Mendoza, an ex-WBO Latino Super Bantam Champ, had been out of the ring for more than a year following the only losses of his career, two regional title fights at super bantam and featherweight, while Sotelo was also coming off a loss for a regional super bantam belt.

At Barrio La Manga in Barranquilla, Colombia, Venezuelan lightweight Miguel Acosta, 24-3-2 (19), stopped Onalvi Sierra, 5-2-1 (4), in the second round to win his fifteenth straight contest. Acosta won a WBA super feather title elimination over a year ago in America and is in line for a world title challenge in the near future.

Also on the bill, undefeated featherweight prospect Francisco Cordero, 17-0 (12), posted a ten round UD in a tough contest against Venezuela’s Luis Araguayan, 7-5 (5).