By Twine B. Livity

Photos by ‘Amazing’ Amanda Armstrong

Labor day weekend kicked off in fantastic form as Under Dawgs Boxing hosted their second promotion, Dawg Fights II at Denver’s Glitter Dome. In the main event of the card, undefeated prospect Donald Cobb faced Joey Montoya in an 8-round bout for the Colorado State Light Heavyweight title. In an interesting twist, there was a bit of controversy before the fight even began. Donald Cobb’s cornermen failed to register before Colorado’s state mandated deadline to work ringside for his fight.

Round 1 started as a feel out round with both reluctant to throw. That changed quickly as Montoya threw a right hand that put Cobb in backwards motion. Cobb quickly regained balance and began to box effectively on the outside. Cobb was able to set up his straight left off the jab landing it to both the body and head of Montoya. Round 2 saw Cobb landing stiff blows to the body of Montoya. Montoya was able to swing momentum and launched a body attack of his own after getting Cobb against the ropes. A phone booth battle incurred with Cobb landing the more effective punches of the two foes. The straight left proved to be a useful punch for Cobb throughout the round.

Cobb continued to land straight lefts on Montoya in round 3. Montoya was able to apply pressure but was unable to land many blows as Cobb outworked him on the inside and out. Montoya followed Cobb around the ring and was met with textbook counters from him. The middle rounds began in dominant fashion for Cobb. He mixed his punches up to the head and body of Montoya and moved out of range before Montoya could set and let anything go. Cobb landed at will.

The lead left of Cobb seemed to keep Montoya guessing in round 5 and Montoya had no alternative but to try to make it a brawl. In round 6 Cobb continued to box from the outside effectively. He kept Montoya on the end of his punches, as his speed appeared to be too much for Montoya to handle. Cobb selected his shots well as he tried to starch Montoya even more with body blows. Montoya landed his most significant punch of the fight, a lead right hand, but was not able to follow it up.

Cobb showed his first signs of fatigue in round 7 and Montoya was able to capitalize by having his best offensive round of the fight. Montoya seemed to need a knockout heading into the final round but did not start the round applying pressure to his opponent. Montoya watched as Cobb fired off his jab and altered with lead lefts that made his opponent reset. Cobb was able to land counter straight lefts throughout the round and cemented the end the fight with a right jab, straight left combo. The judges all scored the bout in favor of Cobb resulting in a unanimous decision victory. With the victory Cobb captured the Colorado State and RMB Regional titles.

Perez & Jacoby Put On Fight of the Year Candidate!

Cobb showed his first signs of fatigue in round 7 and Montoya was able to capitalize by having his best offensive round of the fight. Montoya seemed to need a knockout heading into the final round but did not start the round applying pressure to his opponent. Montoya watched as Cobb fired off his jab and altered with lead lefts that made his opponent reset. Cobb was able to land counter straight lefts throughout the round and cemented the end the fight with a right jab, straight left combo. The judges all scored the bout in favor of Cobb resulting in a unanimous decision victory. With the victory Cobb captured the Colorado State and RMB Regional titles.

Perez & Jacoby Put On Fight of the Year Candidate!

Cobb showed his first signs of fatigue in round 7 and Montoya was able to capitalize by having his best offensive round of the fight. Montoya seemed to need a knockout heading into the final round but did not start the round applying pressure to his opponent. Montoya watched as Cobb fired off his jab and altered with lead lefts that made his opponent reset. Cobb was able to land counter straight lefts throughout the round and cemented the end the fight with a right jab, straight left combo. The judges all scored the bout in favor of Cobb resulting in a unanimous decision victory. With the victory Cobb captured the Colorado State and RMB Regional titles.

Perez & Jacoby Put On Fight of the Year Candidate!

The co-main event of Dawg Fights II pitted Gregorio Perez against Ruben Jacoby in a 6-round lightweight bout for the RMB Colorado Champion title. Perez came out unleashing his jab early but it quickly turned into a brawl as Jacoby let loose wild flurries. Perez regained composure from the initial onslaught from Jacoby. He began to put Jacoby on the end of his punches utilizing his reach advantage. He was also able to land effective combinations on the inside going to both the body and head of Jacoby. Perez seemed comfortable working on both the outside and inside. In round 2, Perez landed the check left hook against Jacoby but that did not stop him from attempting to get to the inside of Perez’s reach. Jacoby was able to get Perez against the ropes and land combinations. Perez seemed stunned on a few occasions in the round. Jacoby landed thunderous right hooks to the body of Perez to close the round.

Perez was rejuvenated in round 3. He started the round doubling his jab and landing the straight right. Jacoby was able to turn it into a brawl once again, pushing Perez back into the ropes, which resulted in Perez losing his mouthpiece twice in the round. Perez tried timing Jacoby with an uppercut as he came inside but was not able to stop the pressure of his opponent. Every time Perez began to utilize his reach well, Jacoby would find areas to make it a brawl as Perez was unable to stay off of the ropes. Jacoby landed telling blows to the body and it appeared to take its toll but Perez was able to land a straight left and follow it up at the end of the round.

The two did not waste time trading leather in round 5. Perez was finally able to land combinations and stay off the ropes in the round. He caught Jacoby with right uppercuts several times but Jacoby was a very game opponent and continued pressing the action. Round 6 was just as action-packed as the other rounds. Perez landed the more significant punches and kept Jacoby on the end of his punches for most of the round. Jacoby bullied Perez into the ropes but was noticeably too tired to let his hands go. The back-and-forth momentum between the fighters was depicted in the final results with the bout being ruled a draw decision as all judges scored the bout 57-57 and the lightweight Rocky Mountain Boxing Colorado Champion title remained unclaimed.

Klein Wins and Retires

In heavyweight action, the feature bout on the undercard of Dawg Fights II featured Andy “Hebrew Hammer” Klein versus Jose Romero in a 4-round fight. Klein, a southpaw wasted no time unloading straight lefts against Romero in round 1. After withstanding the initial flurry from Klein, Romero regained composure and began working his jab and rights to the body of Klein. In round 2, Klein continued to land his straight left. Romero did some effective work as well, continuing his body attack when within range of Klein. Klein put an end to Romero’s output with another straight left that left the nose of Romero leaking blood.

In round 3, Romero hurt Klein with a right hook to the body that sent him backwards. He was able to follow up with successive right hands to the head of Klein. Both appeared gassed and Klein’s output began to falter. Romero continued pounding to the body of Klein. Romero was able to land three powerful hooks on Klein but then hit him with a low blow resulting in a point deduction, as it was his second foul of the fight. When the fight resumed, Romero continued his attack, landing well with both his left and right hooks. The final round saw Romero utilizing his jab. He was also able to come over the top of Klein’s straight left finally with a right of his own. Klein had nothing left on his punches but continued shooting his jab. Romero landed the heavier blows in the round with little defense from Klein.

In round 3, Romero hurt Klein with a right hook to the body that sent him backwards. He was able to follow up with successive right hands to the head of Klein. Both appeared gassed and Klein’s output began to falter. Romero continued pounding to the body of Klein. Romero was able to land three powerful hooks on Klein but then hit him with a low blow resulting in a point deduction, as it was his second foul of the fight. When the fight resumed, Romero continued his attack, landing well with both his left and right hooks. The final round saw Romero utilizing his jab. He was also able to come over the top of Klein’s straight left finally with a right of his own. Klein had nothing left on his punches but continued shooting his jab. Romero landed the heavier blows in the round with little defense from Klein.

The Colorado Commission botched the decision, first announcing it as a majority draw, then a majority decision before finally deciding upon the decision win.  One judge saw the fight 39-36 for Klein, and the other two scored the fight 38-37 resulting in a unanimous decision for Andy Klein.

“Klein was disappointed.  He actually wanted the fight to end in the draw, saying he didn’t deserve the seemingly now tainted decision, showing true class in victory.  Romero told me, I will never quit and he didn’t.  This fight stole the show as Steve Mestas told me it would.” Promoter Chris Morris told me.

In other undercard action, Shane Grant faced Rudy Zapata in a 4-round heavyweight match. Grant looked to force the action early bullying his way in on his opponent and forcing him to the ropes. Zapata found himself on the ropes for most of the round. He was able to land some effective counter left hooks on Grant. The two settled down later in the round but remained in a phone booth battle with many heated exchanges, Zapata landing the more telling blows although his opponent put in a lot of work to his body. In round 2, Grant used his jab a little more but was met with powerful shots from Zapata. Grant was the more offensive of the two, throwing punches in combinations, while Zapata relied on single power shots. Zapata was able to land his straight right over the top of Grant’s jab at will throughout the round. Zapata began taunting his opponent in the latter stages of the round.

Round 3 saw the combatants engage in a phone booth battle. Grant had little steam on his punches and Zapata landed more telling blows again in the round marked by several highlight left uppercuts and hooks on the inside. Grant landed his most-telling blow of the fight in the final round, a right hook that sent Zapata backwards. He continued to bully Zapata on the ropes but did not land anything effective enough to sway the outcome of the fight. They had another furious exchange at the end of the round where Zapata landed yet another thunderous left hook to end the fight. The judges all scored the fight in favor of Zapata for a unanimous decision victory.

“Brave Heart” Chris Arguello Settles The Score with “Sugar Bear” Steve Victor

The opening bout of the night’s event was a 4-round light heavyweight contest between Steve Victor and Chris Arguello. This was a rematch of their previous match from Dawg Fights I earlier in the year where they battled to a draw. Arguello was the more comfortable fighter in the first round. As a southpaw, he utilized his jab to keep Victor stifled. Arguello was able to bloody his opponent’s nose early and put him on the canvas with a left hook. He was able to knock his Victor down again later in the round with a left hook to the body. Victor’s corner called for a halt to the bout after the knockdown resulting in a first round TKO victory for Arguello.

Cooper Pounds Out Ingmire Early And Antonio Flores Debuts With First Round TKO In Prelims 

In the preliminary portion of the Dawg Fights II card, there were two early finishes. In a 4-round lightweight bout that started the event, Antonio Flores pummeled his opponent Mike Davis from the sound of the opening bell. Although no knockdowns occurred, Flores had Davis sprinting around the ring and the fight was called to a stop in the first round resulting in a TKO victory for Flores, after Davis turned his back more times than Rob Mullings cared to count.

The second preliminary bout was between heavyweights Shawn Cooper and Chad Ingmire. Chad Ingmire began the fight courageously, charging at his opponent Cooper and unleashing a flurry as he was against the ropes. However, Ingmire’s offensive onslaught did not last long, as Cooper landed a right hook to the body that sent Ingmire to the canvas. Ingmire was quick to get up but was clearly still hurt from the shot. Cooper wasted no time continuing his attack by sending Ingmire to the canvas again with another hook to the body of his opponent and Ingmire did not get up this time around. This fight also came to an end in the first round.

Under Dawgs Boxing has their 3rd show, Dawg Fights III: Guard Dawgs set for November 12th in Colorado. The main event is set to feature the rematch between Kenny Lemos and Ronald Baca, Baca pulling the upset win on Dawg Fights I.