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The Cyber Boxing Zone Newswire -- SEPTEMBER 1:2001
Blowouts in Burbank
By Chris Strait

Thursday night (a popular fight night in Southern California), the Burbank Hilton played host to ten young up-and-comers (or so they hoped) looking to advance their careers. One thing was for sure.... power was not a problem in anyone's arsenal. I was waiting for one, just one close fight... but it wasn't meant to be. The main event started out close, but didn't stay as such for long.

In the lightweight main event, Alex Ugaldo, of Bakersfield, by way of Mexico City, improved to 10-5 (5 KO's) with a seventh round stoppage of Long Beach's Raul Franco, who drops to 13-4 (3 KO's), although he was announced with 16 wins and 10 KO's. Franco seemed to be fighting the wrong fight... ignoring his height advantage by brawling and countering ineffectively, while Ugaldo pot-shotted him. Ugaldo wore down Franco round-by-round, even stringing together nearly 40 unanswered punches in the fifth round, before stopping the game Franco, with one big shot in the seventh. It was the fifth in a string of knockouts that evening.

In the co-main event, Sal Garcia, of East L.A., moved his record to 8-2 (4 KO's) with a third round stoppage of Mexico's Arturo Flores, now 5-3 (2KO's). Flores was down twice in the first, once in the second, and after a game comeback attempt, was knocked out by two big rights, late in the third. Garcia doesn't have a puncher's record, but you'd have never known it this night.

In the undercard bouts, Sacramento's Newcastle Gym didn't far so well in SoCal, as both Heavyweight Daniel McGarry, and Middleweight Alan Skriels were bombed out in the first round by debuting fighters Milan Rodzak, and Ramon "Killer" Espinoza, respectively. Both McGarry and Skriels got up twice, but were quickly stopped thereafter... McGarry (now 0-2-1) by quitting, Skriels (now 2-3) after getting knocked cold by a big right hand, for the third and final knockdown.

In the night's opener, a pair of fighters who lost in their debuts, battled hard for that first win. Rafael Garcia succeeded in wearing down George Moreno, in a bout with very little defense (probably explaining both fighters' debut losses), stopping him in the fourth and final round, as Moreno collapsed after a brutal exchange. Garcia moves to 1-1 (1 KO) while Moreno falls to 0-2.

This card/venue had everything that L.A. fight fans require... brutal knockouts, expensive food/parking, celebrity sightings, and large breasted women parading, in an attempt to sell calendars. San Fernando Valley greats like Rafael Ruelas and Alex Garcia were in attendance, as was former welterweight champ Carlos Palomino. A great night, and I'd love to go back....... but no, I didn't buy a calendar.


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