By Michael Campbell

American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas - WBA Featherweight Title, Twelve Rounds – Nicholas Walters, 125 lbs, (23-0, 19 KOs) from Montego Bay, Jamaica over Alberto Garza, 125 ½ lbs, (25-6-1, 20 KOs) from Mexico City, Mexico by TKO at 1:57 of the 4th round.

This was Walters first title defense and first fight in the U.S.  The WBA champ forced Garza backwards with a quick attack often catching Garza in the lower abdomen while in retreat and then coming back up top with snapping lefts and rights stunning him on multiple occasions in the first.  Garza continued to retreat through the second round with Walters deflecting most punches off his arms and shoulders, before turning the focus of his attack to precision head shots in third battering Garza whose face began to show redness and swelling.  The body snatching continued with Garza going down from a questionably borderline low blow, but after a few minute recuperation period, Garza arose to accept another vicious bodyshot followed by a debilitating overhand right which put him down legitimately and for good, the contest being waved off by referee Mark Calo-oy.

Super Featherweights, Four Rounds – Erick De Leon, 129 ¾ lbs, (6-0, 2 KOs) from Detroit, MI over Jesus Aguinaga, 130 ¼ lbs, (1-2) from Phoenix, AZ by Unanimous Decision with all three judges scoring it 40-36.

DeLeon, a Kronk veteran is now training with Robert Garcia opened aggressively with a strong attack but Aguinaga proved willing to make it a competitive fight.  By the end of the first round DeLeon had developed a mouse on his upper left cheek which his corner subdued well and through the second Aguinaga was bleeding from a cut just outside his left eye which his corner also handled well.  DeLeon put much power on his shots, while Aguinaga desperately tried to match him punch for punch, proving himself brave but unable to keep pace.

Featherweights, Six Rounds – Oscar Valdez, 127 ¾ lbs, (8-0, 7 KOs) from Nogales, Mexico over Jesus Lule Raya, 127 ¾ lbs, (6-7, 1 KO) from Ft. Meyers, FL by TKO at 2:48 of the 5th round.

Valdez entered the ring sporting shiny silver trunks with some heavyweight Mexican sponsorship patches from Telmex and Tecate.  Raya came in with a stylish mullet.  Despite his 80s hairstyle, Raya proved the aggressor early on forcing Valdez to fight going backwards.  Under a barrage of punches, Valdez relied on tight defense, body work underneath and stronger crisper punching to exercise his superiority.  By the third, Valdez’s punches had done more damage and Raya began to look worn and less apt to come forward and create the action.  In the fifth, Valdez unleashed a continuous barrage of vicious body punches which drove his opponent backwards until he was finished with an uppercut ending the bout via stoppage by referee Jon Schorle.

Bantamweights, Six Rounds – Oscar Cantu, 117.7 lbs, (6-0, 1 KO) from Corpus Christi, TX over Roberto Ceron, 118 ¼ lbs, (3-1, 1 KO) from Doraville, GA by Unanimous Decision with judges scores of 60-53, 59-54 & 59-54.

Local favorite Cantu, a native of nearby Kingsville was an amateur standout winning national titles and representing Team USA internationally.  Both boxers seemed well matched in the opening round predominantly trading a variety of left handed punches from their arsenals.  The out of town challenger proved game and not intimidated coming forward and engaging his foe.  As the fight wore on, Cantu’s height and reach advantage seemed to be a difference maker with his punches landing ahead of Ceron’s and scoring a knockdown in the fourth.  The 10-8 round spurred a confident Cantu forward taking the fight over with aggression and a higher punch output to finish the decision victory.

Featherweights, Six Rounds – Victor Pasillas, 124 ¼ lbs, (6-0, 3 KOs) from East Los Angeles, CA over Salvador Perez, 121 ½ lbs, (2-3-2) from Frankfort KY via TKO at 0:30 of the 2nd round.

Southpaw Pasillas began the opening bout by finding his range with the jab and looking to land his sharp right hooks, and scored a knockdown midway through the first.  Perez unable to solve the left hander, awkwardly turns and bends, exposing himself to punches behind the head.  Pasillas began the 2nd round looking for the kill using his right hook to set up a lethal straight left dropping Perez and scoring the Knockout victory without any need for a full count from the referee Lee Rogers.

 

Welterweights, Six Rounds – Alex Saucedo, 145 ¼ lbs, (11-0, 8 KOs) from Oklahoma City, OK over Steven Hall, 146 lbs, (6-5, 6 KOs) from San Antonio, TX by TKO at 0:11 of the 3rd round.

Hall a rugged veteran of the central Texas club fight scene entered the ring with dual flags from Mexico and England to face the young phenom Saucedo who’s been groomed on big fight Texas undercards by manager Lou Mesorana.  The English-Mexican bravely stood in the pocket and traded with the young prospect but nearing the end of the opening round, Saucedo’s superior punch began to snap Hall’s head dramatically backwards.  The accumulation continued in through the second round with Hall looking worn already and Saucedo still fresh.  Hall finally crumbled just before the 10 second warning for a scored knockdown.  After a look from the ringside doctor, Hall came out for the third, but Saucedo immediately sought the kill shot, which came quickly prompting referee Mark Calo-oy to halt the contest.