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03/18/2006 Archived Entry: "Diaz Decisions Ortiz, Rincon Stops Venegas in ‘March Madness’ at the Aragon!"
Diaz Decisions Ortiz, Rincon Stops Venegas in ‘March Madness’ at the Aragon!
By Juan C. Ayllon at ringside
Photos by Jorge Bravo
A bloodied David Diaz (left) attacks Silverio Ortiz in the main event
CHICAGO, March 17 – 8 Count Promoter’s matchmaker Jerry Alfano previously said, “We’re trying to make great fights for the fans, fights that our fighters will learn something in, and to do that, occasionally, they might lose, but they’ll learn from it if they’re a real fighter.”
That certainly proved to be the case tonight, as their main and co-main fighters, David Diaz and Gilbert Venegas, sustained deep cuts in pitched battle. The results, while mixed—Diaz won and Venegas lost—provided fans a veritable smorgasbord of entertainment truly worthy of St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago.
Diaz (left) finds himself in a surprisingly tough firefight with Ortiz
Aragon Ballroom fan favorite David Diaz weathered a few anxious moments, defeating deceptively dangerous Silverio Ortiz, who despite his record, cut Diaz badly, nearly knocked him down in the fourth round, and landed a lot of fast rights throughout the bout. However, Diaz repeatedly stung and hurt Ortiz, particularly in the eighth round. In the end, Diaz superior power, ability and effective aggression carried the day, as he won a hard-earned unanimous decision.
As for the cause of the deep cut Diaz sustained and which threatened to end the bout, Diaz’ manager Jim Strickland said, “It was a butt. I half-heartedly let it continue, as David was ahead on the scorecards. But, every time I looked at him, David said, ‘I’m okay.’ He didn’t want to end it that way.”
No, he didn’t.
If anything, David Diaz has a fiercely competitive fighter’s heart. When stung, he has a penchant for eschewing defense, loading up and torquing the whole of his body behind wide looping punches. At other times, in the heat of pursuit, he is prone to momentary lapses, carrying his hands a little too low. Mostly, his beautiful blend of talent—a talent that won him the 1996 Olympic Trials victory over current IBF Welterweight Champion Zab Judah—conditioning and a fluid and swarming boxer-punching style bide him well.
However, these shortcomings caused him an anxious moment or two in his last bout at the Aragon, a stoppage victory over Jaime Rangel in December 2004, contributed largely to his only loss against Kendall Holt last year, and created a few dicey moments in tonight’s battle against one feisty and deceptively fast and dangerous Ortiz.
Cut on the outside of his right brow in the second round of a surprisingly competitive battle, as Diaz surged in the fourth, suddenly, a sneaky right staggered him badly, knocking him back. Catching his balance as his glove touched the canvas, he retreated to the ropes where he instinctively held on. Ignoring pleas from his corner to hold, moments later Diaz drove Ortiz into the ropes and battered away with both fists blazing. His head cleared, Diaz reasserted himself and even took a right to the head well as the round closed.
In the fifth, Diaz appeared to listen to his corner more, as Trainer Mike Garcia shouted, “Touch him with the jab, touch him with the jab; one two three and move!” Using the right jab, Diaz pressed and boxed well. However, Ortiz landed a looping right and a left hook to the head. Another right down the middle landed flush on Diaz face.
As blood streamed freely down his face from the gashed brow, the doctor examined Diaz closely in the sixth round. Taking that as his cue, Diaz redoubled his efforts and landed a booming right hook to the top of Ortiz head. Ortiz countered with another right over the top. A straight left knocked Ortiz back a step.
In the seventh, Ortiz caught him with a right over the top and a left hook, as Diaz worked him over and under. A left hook stunned Ortiz momentarily. A right uppercut jarred Ortiz’ head.
In a big eighth round for Diaz, the crowd erupted loudly when a lead left buckled Ortiz’ legs. Diaz slugged away with both fists. Ortiz appeared to regain his legs, then struggle to find them again as Diaz swarmed. The cobwebs cleared. Another right hurt Ortiz. A left drove him back across the ring.
In the ninth, Diaz continued to box well, edging in terms of connected blows. However, as throughout the bout, Ortiz landed his share of counter rights and lefts. Clearly concerned, Diaz’ promoter Dominic Pesoli conferred with Jim Strickland at ringside over strategy.
Mike Garcia reminded Diaz, “Don’t load up!” Following suit, Diaz found the going surprisingly less bumpy as he jabbed and moved more smartly. Ortiz landed a left hook to the head.
Up on his toes in the tenth and final round, Diaz ducked under a pair of rights. Diaz landed a left uppercut and straight left to the head. Ortiz countered with a stiff right to the head. Diaz landed a low left and a right hook. He staggered Ortiz with another right. Ortiz held. Ortiz landed a hard right to the head and Diaz buckled his legs with a left counter hook, forcing Ortiz to hold as the fight ended.
Although it appeared that Diaz did enough to win, Ortiz fought so competitively that there was a palpable tension in the air. As the moments to the decision ticked away, Diaz’ friend from JABB Boxing Gym, UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski, wore a look of concern as he stood near ringside and chomped nervously on his gum.
The announcement came: Judges scored the bout 96-93, 96-93 and 97-93 for a unanimous decision victory for David Diaz. Cheers erupted, but nevertheless, a few boos were mixed in as well. Ortiz drew additional cheers as, exiting the ring, he shouted, “Viva Mexico!”
Afterwards, an elated and somewhat relieved David Diaz said, “It was a tough fight. The guy came in five pounds overweight!”
Mike Garcia said, “I thought he won hands down. He was boxing better, he was using head movement…that guy had a good fourth round, but David had a great eight round, where he had him really hurt. I thought he won hands down.”
With this win, Diaz, rated number nine at super lightweight in the World Boxing Organization and who weighed 135 at Thursday’s weigh-in, saw his record rise to an even 30 victories with one loss and 16 knockouts. Ortiz, 138, whose stock no doubt rose with this performance, slipped to 16-9 and seven knockouts.
Rincon (right) digs a hook to the body of bloodied Venegas
Co-main fighter, Gilbert “Gordo” Venegas, who suffered a deep gash over an eyelid, was not as fortunate, getting stopped in the fourth round by rugged opponent Francisco Rincon.
In what initially appeared to be an intriguing game of cat and mouse, in round one, Venegas alternatively circled and moved quickly to the inside with swift single blows on Rincon, who looked to be clearly six inches taller and the naturally bigger man. Venegas landed a lead right hook early into round one. Rincon landed a short chopping right, and then another in close. Rincon banged in a hard hook to the shoulder. A sneaky right over the shoulder by Venegas closed out the round.
Things began heating up in the second round, as Rincon landed another short, chopping right to the side of Venegas’ head. Venegas missed with a wide hook. Rincon landed his. Venegas bounced a hard right off the head, but Rincon fired right back.
Venegas landed a hard right and received one in return. Venegas dug a left hook to the hip. Rincon hammered with both fists as Venegas covered.
In the third, Rincon complained of punches to the hips, and Referee Gerald Scott warned Venegas to keep them up. Despite pleas from his corner to get busy, Venegas seemed content to land single hooks or right hands, nod his head assertively at Rincon, and cover to avoid return fire.
Whereas Venegas covered his chin well, in giving away the top portion of his head, he ended up paying a heavy toll.
Venegas holds a glove to his wounded eye as Referee Scott directs Rincon away
Rincon landed a pair of uppercuts in close. Venegas was cut over his right eye. The two swapped blows in close.
Catching a left uppercut to the eye, suddenly, Venegas bent forward at the waist, touched the canvas with both gloves, and sank to his haunches. On the canvas, he blinked his left eye, now cut deeply and clearly troubling him. Rising, he finished the round lucidly, but deeply troubled.
After the doctor examined him, Referee Scott waved the bout off in between rounds. Thus, Rincon officially won the bout at one second into round four.
Timekeeper Dave Mauro confirmed the damaging blow, saying, “To me, it was a left uppercut that caused the cut, because his head was down.”
Wilton Hilario after flooring Marts
Francisco Rincon, 146.5 lbs., saw his record improve to 11-3 and six knockouts, while Venegas, 148, slipped to 9-2-2, with six knockouts.
Wilton Hilario, now 2-0-0 with two knockouts, electrified the crowd and left it buzzing long after as he made it a quick night, stopping Jeremy Lee Marts, now 3-2-0 with three knockouts in the first round with a series of wicked left hooks to the rib cage.
Moments into the bout, Hilario backed Marts to the ropes and nailed him to the body with a scorching left hook, caused him to collapse into a half-seated position onto the ropes.
Timekeeper Mauro said that he started counting, but Referee Pete Podgorski told him, ‘he wasn’t knocked down.’ However, a follow-up left hook to the ribs left no doubt, doubling over and dropping a clearly pained Marts to the canvas hard. The action resuming, another left hook to the ribs finished the job, dropping him yet again. Referee Podgorski waived the bout off at 1:11 into round one.
Afterwards, an exuberant Hillario said, “I like to work the body inside and it worked. I didn’t expect him to go down when I first hit him!”
Following a nice streak in the amateurs, Hilario’s manager Pete Daszkiewicz said the original plan was to make a huge impact at that level and then turn professional. However, he said that at age 22 years old, it was time to go to pro.
Rita Figueroa (right) bounces a right off Eva Lidia Silva's head
Undefeated Rita Figueroa put on a boxing clinic, as she systematically broke down and battered stubborn Eva Lidia Silva, stopping her at 55 seconds into round six. To her credit, Silva never stopped trying.
The first round provided a strong hint of things to come, as a relaxed Figueroa dominated with the effective aggression, stepping deftly to the side and back, covering well when needed, and throwing crisp, pinpoint accurate blows throughout. Although both were equally busy, she was the one landing the punches. Silva snapped her head back with a lone right, but Figueroa shrugged it off.
In the second, Figueroa snapped Silva’s head back with a right and hurt her with a right uppercut.
Figueroa continued to outland from the third onward, while Silva swung back hard, occasionally landing the hard hook to the body. However, it was all Figueroa, who continued to land regularly.
Referee Pete Podgorski raises Rita Figueroa's hand in victory
In the fourth, a left hook dumped Silva onto the ropes. Figueroa began battering her seriously to the head on the ropes for the last minute of the round with rights over the top and down the middle, sending a mop of unruly hair flying.
In round five, Figueroa nearly doubled her over with a straight right to the solar plexus, as she broke down and battered her stubborn opponent. This battering continued into the sixth and final round, where a straight left snapped Silva’s head back violently. Referee Pete Podgorski had seen enough, stopping the bout at 55 seconds into round six.
Rita said afterwards, “It was a good fight. She’s a tough girl. She’s young! She’s my daughter’s age, for goodness sakes!”
With this win, Figueroa, who is rated at #15 in the WBC Female Welterweight rankings according to Jill Diamond of the WBC/NABF, saw her record rise to 7-0 with three knockouts, while Silva dropped to 4-5 with zero knockouts.
Nevitt (right) boxes carefully
Nicknamed “Irish” Mike Nevitt for this bout, Illinois State Light Heavyweight Titlist Mike “Tension” Nevitt pitched a near shutout in dominating slower, but dangerous punching Jesse Sanders for a unanimous decision win over six rounds.
In the first, Nevitt out-sped and out hustled, landing hooks and crosses on his powerful, but slower opponent.
Nevitt landed crisp hooks, lead rights and the jab, one moment, and moved about side to side, rarely allowing Sanders to get set.
Starting off round three fast, Nevitt snapped Sanders head back with a jab. A right stunned Sanders, forcing him to tie up. Sanders dropped in a right uppercut on the break. Sanders landed a wide hook to the side. Upping his work rate, Nevitt buried a left hook into the ribs. Nevitt turned his head with a left right hook combination near rounds end.
The domination continued in the fourth, where a left hook jarred Sanders, who looked to catch Nevitt with ponderous swings and increasingly wrestled on the inside. Sanders fell from the follow through of a wild right. A big left hook hurt Sanders, who grabbed hold desperately, along the on the ropes. Nevitt’s subsequent follow-up attempts were smothered in close.
Nevitt had a brief scare in the fifth, as after rocking Sanders, early, was caught with a wide left to the temple. Hurt, Nevitt, held on for dear life. Tied up, Sanders raised his right fist overhead and clubbed him repeatedly with chopping blows. Freed up, Sanders clocked him again. However, the danger passed as the two swapped blows and tied up again.
Sanders (left) congratulates Nevitt as Referee Rodriguez raises his hand
In the sixth and final round, Nevitt resumed his domination and took it to Sanders, boxing fast and hard, bloodying Sander’s nose and jarring him repeatedly. The judges scored the bout 59-55 all for Nevitt.
With this win, Nevitt, 176, went to 12-0 with five knockouts, while Sanders slumped to 14-5-2 with 13 knockouts.
Light welterweight brawler Jose Ortega was rocked early, but slugged his way back to win a war against larger Gonzalo Bonilla by unanimous decision.
In the second round, Ortega began landing ponderous blows to head and body, visibly paining Bonilla before dropping him. However, about a minute later, Ortega was virtually out on his feet when caught with a huge right. Somehow, he cleared his head and finished the round.
In the third, Ortega sailed into him with a furious two-fisted assault, which concerned trainer Sam Colonna, who was overheard saying, “I told him to box the guy.”
Breaking free of a headlock, Ortega drew a large gasp from the crowd as he missed with a wide right hook that just missed Bonilla’s head.
Ortega continued to surge, through the fourth and fifth rounds, while Bonilla kept things interesting with powerful counters. In the fifth, Ortega lost a point for a low blow. Resuming, Ortega battered body and head with stupefying blows, while Bonilla increasingly held.
The judges scored the bout 58-54 twice and 58-55 for Jose Ortiz, who now stands at 6-1 and three knockouts, while Bonilla slips to 6-7 and five knockouts.
A big fan of Barbaro Zepeda's
In perhaps the sleeper bout of the night, Barbaro Zepeda and Miguel Figueroa staged a toe-to-toe battle from the first to the final bell that had the crowd cheering throughout, with Zepeda ultimately prevailing by unanimous decision.
Seemingly on the cusp of a stoppage victory in the third round as he administered a frightful beating to the head of durable Figueroa, Zepeda was repelled by a furious two-fisted counter assault at rounds end.
In the fourth, Figueroa drubbed Zepeda for the first third of the round. Eventually, Figueroa’s attack lost some of its steam and it was Zepeda pressing in the last minute of the round.
Zepeda continued the assault into the fifth, driving Figueroa back with a steady flow of heavy lefts and rights to body and head, while Figueroa pumped both fists back at a faster rate, but with less steam on them. As the milled unceasingly, it was Zepeda who was landing the more hurtful blows. Yet, like the Energizer Bunny commercials, Figueroa kept going and going and going.
The sixth round featured more of the same, as time and again, as Zepeda surged and seemed about to end it, Figueroa slugged back with a fury. The two were slugging nonstop as the bell ended matters. Elated, Zepeda collapsed to the canvas.
The judges scored the bout 59-55 twice and 58-56 for Zepeda, whose record rises to 5-7-1 and one knockout, while Figueroa sustained his first loss and slipped to 2-1-1 and one knockout.
Undefeated cruiserweight slugger Tavoris Cloud continued his roll, stopping willing but ultimately over-powered Anthony Dennis in the second round.
Pressing matters in the first, he had Dennis momentarily out on his feet with a huge left hook near rounds end. As the ropes held him up, he was given a standing eight count. Moments after the ref called time, the bell ended the round.
Surging in the second, Cloud battered, hurt and eventually dropped Dennis, the final blow a wicked left hook to the side. Although he rose, Referee Gerald Scott waved off the bout at 2:08 into round two, garnering Cloud a technical knockout victory.
With the win, undefeated Floridian Tavoris Cloud brought his record to 10-0 and nine knockouts. Indiana resident Anthony Dennis slipped to 6-2 and five knockouts.
And thus, “March Madness,” which was co-promoted by Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions and Bob Arum’s Top Rank and with portions of it televised by Telefutura’s Solo Boxeo show, proved to be a delightful donnybrook of an evening, done up Irish style.
Or, make that St. Patrick's Day done up Latin style, with plenty of punch to go 'round!
More action from Diaz-Ortiz: Ortiz (left) knocks Diaz back
Diaz (right) storms back
Diaz tees off on Ortiz in a corner
Rita Figueroa (right) avoids Silva's ponderous swing
Figueroa (right) makes Silva pay on the ropes
Andrei Arlovski and friend at ringside
Super middleweight Dr. Vitaliy Kopytko (right) and Juan C. Ayllon at ringside
Rincon poses following his victory
David Diaz Emerges victorious yet again!
