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07/22/2006 Archived Entry: "George Crushes Varela, Cloud Clouts Hicks in 'Aragon Showdown!'"
George Crushes Varela, Cloud Clouts Hicks in 'Aragon Showdown!'
By Juan C. Ayllon at ringside
Photos by Kelli
Donavan George (right) celebrates his kayo victory with 8 Count Promoter, Dominic Pesoli
CHICAGO, July 21 – To the delight of a packed and lusty audience, knockouts were the order of the evening at the Aragon Ballroom, where four of the featured five bouts didn’t go past the second round.
In the main event, popular undefeated super middleweight prospect Donavan George engaged in an entertaining, but short-lived slugfest with Joe Varela, ultimately knocking him out in the first round.
George (left) pursues Varela
George opened the bout pumping the jab, then ducked under a right. He drove Varela back with a double jab. Moments later, a searing lead right buckled Varela’s legs. Another lead right dropped Varela hard in a corner.
As action resumed, George bounced another leaden right off Varela’s chin. Varela sagged forward momentarily, courtesy of a left hook. Recovering, he covered as a fusillade of rights and lefts rained down on him on the ropes.
Suddenly, Varela came alive. He fired back furiously with lefts and rights of his own, repelling George’s attack. For the moment, it looked like it might be a long night for George, as Varela was now giving as well as he received.
Varela jabbed and caught a left hook to the head. Moving forward, George feinted with a right to the head, drawing Varela’s guard up, and then drilled a vicious right to the solar plexus. Badly hurt, Varela fell forward, where, on his knees, Referee Tim Adams counted him out at 2:55 into round one.
Afterwards, George said, “He pissed me off with a head butt. I listened to my corner, and went to the body.”
“I absolutely love the way he feinted to the head and hit him with the right to the body,” said ring announcer Ken Fletcher.
Cloud pounces on Hicks in a corner
Undefeated cruiserweight prospect Tavoris Cloud made quick work of determined but outgunned James Hicks, flattening him inside one round.
Early on, Cloud bounced a right off the head of Hicks and caught a two fisted flurry before being tied up. However, unbeknownst to him, this was Hicks’ last stand. An ominous thudding right to the chest by Cloud drew gasps from the crowd. Then, a ponderous right to the head and crisp left hook off the chin dropped Hicks. Another right left-right dropped Hicks hard again, prompting a standing eight count. A pair of scorching rights dropped him for the final time, as Referee Tim Adams halted bout at 2:10 into round one.
With this stoppage victory, Tavoris Cloud, 180 lbs., advances to 11-0 and 10 knockouts, while James Hicks, 183 lbs., falls to 3-5 and 3 knockouts.
Cloud’s cutman Jim Strickland said afterwards, “His opponent has a respectable punch, but he has no chin. Therefore, his future as a fighter is very, very limited.”
Esquivel (right) looks on as Referee Podgorski intervenes
Debuting pro Marcos Esquivel utterly dominated Timothy Lindgren, knocking him out in the second round of a scheduled four rounder.
Esquivel pumped the jab repeatedly early in round one. Lindgren backed Esquivel to the ropes as he covered. Lindgren unloaded with lefts and rights as Esquivel covered up.
Wearing a look of disdain, Esquivel took matters into his own hands. Esquivel landed an overhand right. He ripped a hard left hook to the body and two more for good measure. A heavy right caused Lindgren to blink, then hold. The two came together and Esquivel bulled Lindgren to the ground. Rising, Esquivel pounded his chest with gusto. He drew a word of caution from Referee Podgorski for roughhouse tactics, and then returned to the attack. Opening up, Esquivel pounced with heavy lead rights to the head, the last one causing Lindgren to sag forward at the bell.
In the second, Esquivel continued the onslaught as he shimmied, then banged a series of right hook so the body. He showboated and moments later, dropped Lindgren emphatically with a very hard left hook to the rib cage. Shaking his head in obvious pain, Lindgren was counted out by Referee Pete Podgorski at 34 seconds into round two.
With this knockout, Esquivel, 136 lbs., garnered his first pro win, while Timothy Lindgren, 138 lbs., slid to 0-2.
Garcia (right) braces for another rush from Curran
Junior welterweight Raul “The Matador” Garcia pitched a boxing clinic in defeating aggressive Jeff “Big Frog” Curran by unanimous decision in an entertaining but dominating performance.
Curran landed a sharp lead right early on into round one, but caught a stunning straight left to the head moments later. Garcia landed another sharp left between the gloves on the ropes. A right hook to the chin stunned Curran. Taller and rangier, Garcia worked the straight left to good effect in the closing moments.
In round two, Curran sought to solve the puzzle that was the taller Garcia’s right jab and potent straight left. Early on, he landed a flurry of blows capped by a left, but caught a stiff straight left to the head in return. Swinging hard, Curran slipped to the canvas. It was rightly ruled a slip. Garcia dug a hard left to the body. Garcia bounced another straight left off the head and troubled him with a series of stiff right jabs. Looking to load up, Curran landed a hard left and right, but caught a flurry of blows in return. 
Curran (left) and Garcia trade along the ropes
In the third, Garcia continued pumping the jab and generally out-boxing Curran. To his credit, Curran unleashed a series of furious hooks and crosses, drawing gasps from the crowd. Nonplussed, Garcia repelled him with a straight left. Curran landed a right but caught a stiff left in return and was driven to the ropes with a heavy right. To his credit, Curran landed a heavy right that forced Garcia to hold at rounds end.
The two initiated the fourth and final round by landing straight blows to the chin simultaneously. However, Garcia quickly reestablished the jab. Curran landed a right, but caught a straight left to the head in return. Curran bounced a right hook that drove Garcia back. Curran followed up with several thudding crosses of his own, while Garcia bounced hard blows back to head and body.
The judges scored the bout 40-36, and 39-37 twice for Raul Garcia. With this win, Garcia, 142 lbs., rises to 4-0-0 and 1 knockout, while Curran, 141 lbs., slides to 1-1 and 1 knockout.
Afterwards, Garcia said, “I knew that he was a hometown fighter and I wanted to be very cautious and make sure he didn’t hit me because I didn’t want the judges to see him being the aggressor or hitting me, due to the fact that he was the hometown fighter. I was focused on staying at a distance and boxing. I’m assuming that he was Irish. Irish guys like to fight!
“I was very impressed with the Aragon and would like to come back. I would like to make this my home if there’s an opportunity for me to make this my base. Basically, this is a community where I could come back and showcase my skills. This is a Latin community. I’m from Puerto Rico, but I want to represent the Latin community. And most important, I’m a Christian and I want to give Him the glory for protecting both of the fighters.”
Esho follows as he finishes Sanders
Debuting professional Ashour Escho didn’t waste any time getting untracked, knocking down Jermaine Sanders three times in the first round. The first knockdown resulted from a flurry of blows, dropping Sanders to one knee. He followed up with a second knockdown shortly thereafter and a third and final blow, rolling Sanders to his back with a crunching left hook, prompting Referee Pete Podgorski to wave off the bout at 1:29 into round one.
With the technical knockout win, Escho, 141.5 lbs., stands at 1-0 with 1 knockout, while Sanders, 143 lbs., slips to 1-1 with 1 knockout.
And, like that, 8 Count Production’s “Aragon Showdown” was over. The crowd buzzed afterwards, some visiting with fighters, others chatting, and all savoring the sweet afterglow of the night’s festivities. Truly, promoter Dominic Pesoli and matchmaker Jerry Alfano had scored a knockout with the crowd.
A proud Anchour Esho exits the ring, with trainer Sam Colonna following behind
Tavoris Cloud poses at ringside
Donavan George (right) and the CEO of his promotional team, Cestus
Management, Mike Michael, share a moment after his victory
