The CBZ Newswire

Oquendo (right) bounces a right off the top of Seldon's head (photo by Juan C. Ayllon)

CHICAGO – It started with a flourish and ended with a bang. In between while whacking away, Carol Stream, Illinois’ resident heavyweight contender Fres Oquendo found his hands full against a faded former world champ who still packed zip and oomph behind his punches at the UIC Pavilion. 

Fighting for the Interim North American Boxing Association Heavyweight Title, Oquendo, 36, was banking on the notion that this fight would grease his path to a third shot at a world heavyweight title.  However his opponent, former World Boxing Association champion Bruce Seldon, 42, had other ideas.

Still a sculpted man with knotted muscles and great athleticism, Seldon didn’t walk up – he leapfrogged – the steps into the boxing ring, causing several ringsiders to gasp. 

In his prime, he’d stopped Tony Tucker, a former champ himself who’d gone the distance with both Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis.  Unfortunately, Seldon had also lost his title to Mike Tyson in one round in 1996, courtesy of one grazing right. It took him a while to live that down. Taking off nearly eight years, he returned to the ring and won seven of his last ten bouts. 

His junior by some six years, the smoother muscled Oquendo racked up a record of 30 wins, 5 losses and 19 knockouts with an awkward but effective style that, like the wax and feather wings of the Greek myth figure, Icarus, have taken him to the heights, only to flame out when exposed to the sun’s intense heat.  Disappointing points-losses to Evander Holyfield, James Toney and then International Boxing Federation champion Chris Byrd (September 2003), an arguably premature stoppage loss to John Ruiz for his WBA title in 2004, and promotional issues have pockmarked his career.  However, now teamed up with New Jersey Nets basketball player Bobby Simmons as manager, he’s making another run at a title.

It’s the first round and it looks like it might be an early night when Oquendo connects with a pair of rights to the head.  They rattle Seldon, who retreats under the onslaught.  Still, he possesses a hard left jab that jolts like a two-by-four shoved in your face, and in a precursor of the third round, he uses it to good effect in backing Oquendo off.

Oquendo (left) retreats as Seldon fires a looping right hook (photo by Juan C. Ayllon)

A sneaky Seldon left hook gives Oquendo a stutter step, a little wiggle, and subsequent jabs pound his face in the second round.  This isn’t the route many had scripted for tonight – just yet.  To the crowd’s delight, we have a fight on our hands.

Surging in the third, Oquendo slams a hard right into the side of Seldon’s head.  And nothing happens.  No wobble, no collapse – this guy’s still plenty tough!  Settling in, they bang away at a more pedestrian pace than seen in the fleeter weight classes below.   These are heavyweights, after all.  Bathed in sweat, one leads, the other follows, ponderous punches thud and they clinch.  “Come on, knock him out!” someone shouts.  Scattered boos mix with shouts of encouragement.  The crowd is growing restless, but damage is being done.  As referee Pete Podgorski breaks a clinch, a stream of spittle mixed with blood slips from Seldon’s lips. Oquendo remains the more consistent aggressor, but Seldon is keeping it close with his jab and smacking right to the head that Oquendo does his best to dodge or block.

Sweat flies as a hurtful right bounces off Oquendo’s skull in the fifth.  Up on his toes, Seldon is circling and firing single jabs while Oquendo pivots at rings center. Seldon slows.  Bloodshot eyes peering out behind raised gloves, he braces for return fire.  And it comes.  Whistling rights, while not concussive, paste him about the head.  The old champ seems tired, firing back hard in spurts and keeping his younger antagonist from running roughshod over him.

Oquendo is systematically breaking his man down in the sixth, landing the majority of blows.  The two land rights simultaneously, but don’t seem particularly bothered.  The crowd cheers as they trade punches.  A Seldon right crashes into Oquendo’s forehead, but then it’s mostly Fres landing the punches. 

There’s scattered booing in the seventh round, as it’s become rote.  It’s as if they’re stuck in second gear.  Suddenly, a scorching Oquendo right slams into the chin of Seldon and bobbles his senses.  His knees buckle and he stumbles backwards.  Oquendo pounces.  The crowd roars.  Turning his weight of his body into every punch, he batters away.  Seldon is covered up and unsteady, swaying on the ropes with every blow.  It’s time.  However, the bell rescues him.

A true athlete, the minute’s rest has revived him, and Seldon charges out and promptly rocks Oquendo with a drilling right to chin.  Grasping him in a bear hug, Oquendo clears his head.  Resuming, Oquendo takes the lead.  Upping his work rate, he bangs in a couple hard lefts and rights to the body.  Seldon takes a knee!  He rises after a moment.  Oquendo swarms, but is backed off by a hard right and left to the head.  The crowd cheers as they trade at the bell.

Oquendo punishes Seldon in a corner as referee Pete Podgorski looks on (photo by Juan C. Ayllon)

Oquendo wrests the lead again early in the ninth, battering away.  He’s interrupted by occasional sharp jabs and pounding rights that keep him on edge.  But now, Oquendo is in fourth gear.  Trapped in a corner, Seldon winces from the blows and does a quarter turn, almost turning his back on Oquendo.  Is he quitting?  Referee Pete Podgorski steps in and asks if he wants to continue.  He nods, yes, and resuming, he repels Oquendo’s attempts to end it with a looping right of his own.  Is he playing possum? 

You can almost hear the gears grinding in his head:  Tentative at first, Oquendo gradually resumes the thumping.  Game, but outgunned, Seldon’s resolve is eroding.  A walloping left-right combination crashes into Seldon’s jaw.  Like a crippled warship’s stern going under, he sinks to a knee.  It’s over.  Referee Podgorski counts him out at 2:35 into round nine.

Oquendo (left) looks at vanquished Seldon as referee Pete Podgorski steps in to count (Juan C. Ayllon photo)

The cheering is loud as their corner staff and friends join media people in the crowded ring.  Finding each other, the two embrace. 

Ring announcer Tina Wonogas interviews Bruce Seldon as Fres Oquendo (far left) looks on.

Her microphone in hand, vivacious blonde ring announcer Tina Wonogas (“the only female ring announcer in Chicago, and I announce the Golden Gloves as well,” she confides later) interviews the two, who hug and exchange warm words of admiration.  

Fres Oquendo (left) and Bruce Seldon embrace for the cameras (Juan C. Ayllon photo).

Smiling, Seldon says to Oquendo, “I won the heavyweight title the first time out in 1995. You’ve had two shots – the third is the charm!” Repeating that ageless playful gesture seen worldwide, he rubs the top of Oquendo’s head as if to muss his hair up.  Only there is no hair; as with Seldon, Oquendo’s head is shaved clean. 

Oquendo says to me, “He came here to fight. It was a hard fight.  He gave me lots of rounds, which I needed.”

Seldon announces to the crowd, “This is the first time I’ve come to Chicago.  The next time I come, it’ll be as a trainer!” 

Great effort, but now that it’s over, it’s time to step aside and let the younger lions – guys like Oquendo – make their bids for world honors.   

The Undercard

 
It’s often said that size doesn’t matter, but tell that to Holiday, Florida’s Christopher Boyd (0-4), who at 204 lbs. looked like a small defensive safety versus Chicago’s David Latoria’s (pro debut) who looked the part of a beefy tight end.  The outcome didn’t surprise.

Latoria charged out and clubbed Boykins to the canvas with an avalanche of lefts and rights.  Boykins looked both agitated and pained as he received a standing eight count, however upon resuming, he sailed into Latoria, trapping him on the ropes and drilling him with a right in between the gloves. For a few moments, it looked like the little guy might prevail. He unleashed a furious assault as Latoria covered up with his backs to the ropes.   

However, the rally was short-lived.  Taking over, Latoria trapped Boykins on the ropes and knocked him out with a crushing right to the jaw for an estimated count of 180. 

“He was pretty out of it, but once we sat him up on a stool, he was okay,” a ringside paramedic said.  “He was already out when he hit him with second one.”

Latoria had won by knockout at 1:50 into the first. 

In the most thrilling fight of the undercard, former Chicago Golden Gloves champions Noe Perez (127 lbs., 2-0) and “Diamond” James Baier put on a thriller that had the crowd cheering throughout.

Left-handed Baier made Perez miss a lot in the first minute of round two and in the second half made him pay, jarring him with straight lefts and administering a boxing lesson.  A straight left caught Perez off balance and dropped him for a mandatory eight-count. 

Borrowing a page from his older brother, Luciano Perez (a rugged, hard punching welterweight brawler of some acclaim), unloaded with some scorching rights to the head after taking some abuse early in the third.  Now moving better after being pasted, he avoided counters more deftly.

A pair of looping rights to the head had Baier (who served as chief sparring partner for former WBC Lightweight Champion David Diaz as he prepared for his fight versus Manny Pacquiao last summer) covering and in survival mode.  The moment passed and his senses clearer, he moved and slugged back.  Perez dug a hard right hook to the side at the bell.  This was Perez’ round.

Early in the fourth, it looked as if Baier would pull it, out moving in and out and bouncing shots off Perez’s skull.  He speared Perez with straight lefts and rocked him with a sharp right hook to the head.

“Come on, Diamond, leave it all in the ring!” shouted trainer Sam Colonna from his corner. 

However, Perez wasn’t about to fold.  The two bounced fierce punches off each others skulls.  Thudding fierce rights sent spray flying from Baier’s head.  Counters exploded.  The crowd was delirious.  Ramping it up in the final moments, Perez battered Baier into a corner with a succession of thumping rights to the head. 

Judges scored the bout 38-37, 39-37 and 38-37 for Diamond Baier. 

Sculpted former CIA man Michael Kurzeja, 41, (169 lbs., 1-0, 1 KO) vs. Nicholas Whitting pitched a shutout in overwhelming and stopping Bemidji, Minnesota’s Nicholas Whitting (1-11, 1 KO) inside the distance. 

“Throw your shoe at him,” someone shouted at Whitting near the end of round two, so one sided was this bout.

With his left eye swelling shut and a smudge of Vaseline adorning the outside of his left orb, Whitting’s hopes seemed to lie in Kurzeja gassing out – which, at times, looked possible – or catching him coming in with a sharp counter.  A left jab snapped his head back and drew “oohs” from the crowd.  Battered about the ring, his only recourse was a swiping right hook to the body and an unsteady retreat.  It wasn’t working.  Referee Gerald Scott rescued him at 1:44 into the third.  Announced the winner by technical knockout, Kurzeja spoke in warm tones of getting another fight as soon as possible.   

In his pro debut, Crystal Lake, Illinois’ Nate Mohr (157 lbs.) blitzed Pinebluff, Arkansas’ Tommy Moore (0-1) inside two rounds. 

A Mohr right spun Moore’s head with such violence in the first, it was a shock that it didn’t result in a knockdown.  Although Moore swung back and grappled in close with equal zest, the difference in power and ability was clear. 

Successive rights dropped Moore three times – with Moore borrowing a page from the late Diego Corrales and spitting out his mouthpiece in the first two – and the final was a keeper.  Appeared to be counted out as he half stood, half slumped at the count of ten.  Referee Geno Rodriguez waved it off at 2:23 into the second. 

Chicagoan Gadiel Andaluz (134 lbs., 3-1, 2 KO’s) eked out a narrow points win over Mexico City, Mexico by way of fellow Chicago’s Oscar De La Cruz (135.5 lbs., 5-6, 2 KO’s) over five rounds. 

Round two heated up as the two took to battering each other with malevolence.  Using fleet movement, ducking and quick counters, Andaluz appeared to edge.  He snapped De La Cruz’ head back with a sharp right at one juncture and appeared to stun him a time or two.

It looked like more of the same in the third round until the last minute, when De La Cruz repeatedly jarred with a series of hard rights and lefts to the head of Andaluz in some heated infighting. 

Cornering him at the end of the fourth, De La Cruz rattled Andaluz’ head with two searing rights and landed one after the bell, drawing ire form the crowd and referee Gerald Scott.  It was a heated round where De La Cruz drew a collective “OOH” from the crowd with a vicious right that sent spray flying the head of Andaluz, who appeared to have the edge in connected power punches, while the heavier ones belonged to De La Cruz. 

It was payback time for Andaluz in the fifth.  Absorbing hard, smacking hooks to the body, he ratcheted up his efforts, numbing De La Cruz’ sensibilities with a slamming right, a left hook and an uppercut.  Regrouping, De La Cruz unloaded his own canons and the two swung for broke in the final 20 seconds. 

The scores were 48-47 for De La Cruz and 48-47 twice for Andeluz, granting him a split decision win.  
 
Merrillville, Indiana’s Tyree Ortiz (246 lbs., 2-0, 2 KO’s), who serves as general manager and site coordinator for the late Octavius James’ “One in a Million” boxing promotional firm, continued his delightful, but improbable foray inside the ring by stopping Clinton, Missouri’s Eric Lee Crittendon (223 lbs., 2-9) at 1:24 into the first round.   It was a one-sided battering, with referee Geno Rodriguez halting matters after a sustained barrage.  To the credit of Crittendon, he never went down. 

Unaware that Octavius James was to pass away that very night, afterwards, an elated Ortiz said, “Happy anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. Landaker, whose son served in Iraq.” 

MORE PHOTOS TO FOLLOW…

PROMOTER:  Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions

A fellowship of Chicagoland fighters, left to right: "Fearless" Fernando Hernandez, Rita "La Guera" Figueroa, Fres Oquendo, and "King" David Estrada (welterweight) before the fights at the UIC Pavilion