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12/23/2006 Archived Entry: "Huerta Stops Ramirez, Rios decisions Feisty Tapia in ‘Christmas Brawl’!"
Huerta Stops Ramirez, Rios decisions Feisty Tapia in ‘Christmas Brawl’!
Story and photos by Juan C. Ayllon
Huerta (right) and Ramirez mix it up along the ropes
CICERO, Ill. – With a dusting of snow fast approaching the area, lightweight slugger Miguel Angel Huerta provided some of his own chill inside Cicero Stadium, icing Antonio Ramirez in six fiery rounds.
The two didn't waste any time. In round one, Huerta initiated with a straight left and left hook and, about a minute later, Ramirez landed a booming right. As the two skirmished, Ramirez landed a series of low left hooks that drew a warning from the ref. Resuming, Huerta asserted himself and traded with authority.
In the second, Ramirez and Huerta rocked each other, courtesy of big lefts. Ramirez kicked off the festivities but, boy, did Huerta return favor, rocking, and then knocking Ramirez down. Truly a “Christmas brawl” was on!
The two jarred each other again in the third, Huerta with some thudding lefts and Ramirez with a pair of rights. The two warriors traded momentum, slamming furious blows into one another to the crowd’s delight.
Huerta drops Ramirez
In the fifth, Huerta rocked, and again dropped Ramirez with an assortment of looping and straight thudding lefts. Ramirez went down hard. Receiving an eight count, Ramirez was allowed to continue. He covered as best he could, but received a battering for his efforts. At the close of the round, Ramirez retreated to his corner holding a glove to his right eye. He collapsed hard onto his stool.
After some discussion with the corner, referee Gino Rodriguez waved off the bout at :01 into round six. Huerta had won by technical knockout.
With this victory, Huerta, 136 lbs., advanced to 24-7-1, and 17 knockouts, while Antonio Ramirez, 137 lbs., slipped to 24-13-6 and 17 knockouts.
Rios (left) lands his left to the jaw of Tapia
In a surprisingly competitive match, designated hitter “Bam Bam” Brandon Rios, 133 lbs., 13-0, and nine knockouts, was extended the distance in winning a unanimous decision over gritty, never-say-die Humberto Tapia, 133 lbs., 10-3-1 and six knockouts.
As the two circled about in the first round, Tapia threw more punches. However, Rios landed an ominously loud, thudding left hook, hinting at things to come. What we didn’t foresee was Tapia’s ability to take the abuse.
The two engaged in brisk, two fisted exchanges in the second. Tapia wasn’t intimidated by Rios’ power and, behind a high guard, traded impressively. However, Rios lit him up with a left hook and right about two thirds of the way through, again signaling an abbreviated fight.
Tapia (right) attacks Rios on the ropes
Even as the heavier handed Rios accelerated his output in the third, Tapia kept things close with busy hands working over and under. Good movement, combined with a sturdy chin and swarming surges by Tapia was making this interesting.
The fourth round featured more protracted infighting, with Rios taking up the impact several notches. Both worked body and head equally.
Tapia kept advancing in the fifth, while Rios repeatedly landed hard rights to the head. However, they caught the upper portion and while large, they failed to dissuade Tapia from coming forward and launching blows of his own.
Rios landed ponderous lefts and rights to the head in the beginning of the sixth. At one point, Tapia escaped to his right. Pursuing, Rios found a reset Tapia waiting. Wading out the storm, he fought back fiercely and began overwhelming him with his sheer tenacity.
This continued into the seventh, where Rios rose on his toes to escape the constant aggression of Tapia, who absorbed whatever came his way and peppered with both fists.
The eighth and final round could have been divided into three distinct sections: the first was dominated by Rios, who landed punishing lefts and rights to the head and appeared to be taking over; at about the halfway mark, Tapia returned the favor, although with less force, increasingly hemming Rios into the ropes. In the third stanza, it was back and forth trading.
The judges scored the bout 79-73 twice and 78-74 for Brandon Rios.
Donovan George (right) pummels Johnson along the ropes
Super middleweight Donovan George, 164.5 lbs., 10-0-1, 8 KO’s, showed good form and discipline in halting more experienced and durable William Johnson, 165 lbs., 7, 3 KO’s in the fourth.
In rounds one and two, George maintained the superior firepower and aggression, jabbing and crossing with power and poise. As advertised, however, Johnson was proving very durable and was clearly unimpressed. After all, he’d been in there with Robert Allen and John Duddy. Who was this kid in front of him anyway?
Donovan George showed him.
In the third, George opened up beautifully with five and six punch smashing combinations to the head. Partially covering, Johnson absorbed bombs coming his way and sought to rally back. However, George covered, stepped around and boxed well. Whatever blows Johnson landed had no ill effect on him.
Opening up with a furious assault in the fourth, George trapped Johnson on the ropes and unloaded. Following perhaps two-dozen unanswered right and left bomb, referee John O’Brien halted the bout at 2:19 into the round with a wave and look of disgust.
Walking back to his corner relatively unimpaired, Johnson caught an earful from his trainer. Jake La Motta, Johnson wasn’t.
Cisneros (right) knocks down Lovato in the first round
“The Contender” series participant, Rudy Cisneros, 156 lbs., 8-2, and 7 knockouts, was overpowering and overwhelmed Rudy Lovato, 155 lbs., 21-36-4, 7 knockouts, in winning a somewhat dubious second round technical knockout.
Cisneros jabbed well and looked sharp as he dropped Lovato twice in the first round. The first appeared result from a short right as the two came together at ring’s center. The second came courtesy of a heavy barrage in a corner.
In the case of the second knockdown, as Lovato leaned back onto the ropes—which acted as shock absorbers—his feet slipped out from underneath him on the “Miller Lite” logo. Or so he complained.
Lovato goes down a second time
As Cisneros bounced a heavy right off the side of Lovato’s head early in the second, Lovato’s feet appeared to stick on the canvas, forcing him to stumble sideways. Referee Gino Rodriguez had seen enough. Despite Lovato’s loud complaints, he waved off the bout 32 seconds into the second.
Turner (right) punishes Gould in a corner
Hard punching Chicago middleweight Louis Turner, 166 lbs., 7-0, 5 KO’s hit hard and often, but looked a little vulnerable in defeating Milwaukee’s Kendall Gould, 166 lbs., 8-10, 5 KO’s, by unanimous decision over six rounds.
In rounds one and two, Turner swung for the fences and landed a handful of heavy blows, while Gould slipped, covered and countered slickly in spots. Gould, who wasn’t intimidated by Turner’s punching power, was clearly looking for an opening to catch his more aggressive foe coming in.
Turner knocks down Gould
In the third, Turner cornered and dropped Gould hard in a corner with a flurry of lefts and rights to the head. Rising, Gould cleared his head and had Turner backing up as he peppered with lefts and rights, seeking to catch him cleanly with that lucky punch. However, to his credit, Turner did a pretty good job of covering up.
Gould comes back with an uppercut
In the fifth, Gould jarred Turner, banging him hard to the body and bouncing a hard right off his head. Turner still bombed, but no longer with impunity. There was a definite shift in momentum, sparking local middleweight prospect Michael Walker to say, “What’s going on? He should have had him out of there a long time ago.”
Kendall Gould (left) backs up Louis Turner
In the sixth, a newly confident Gould dropped his hands, stuck his chin out, goaded and stalked Turner, who to his credit, turned up the heat and closed out landing the better quality of bombs.
Judges scored the bout 59-54 twice, 60-53 for Louis Turner.
Pallacios (right) bounces a right off the head of Higgins
In his pro debut, Gustavio Pallacios, 148 lbs., generally dominated Johnny Higgins, Jr., 150 lbs., 1-1—who kept the fight interesting with periodic rallies—in garnering a unanimous decision victory with scores of 40-36 twice and 39-37.
Pierson (right) attacks Diaz along the ropes
Super welterweight Richard Pierson, 158.5, 3-0, 2 KO’s, won a unanimous decision over pro debuting Lupe Diaz, 155 lbs., over four rounds. Towering over Diaz, Pierson dropped him and had him tentative in the first round. In the second, Diaz became emboldened and landed with greater effect. Picking his spots, Pierson drew boos with claims he was getting hit in the back of the head.
Diaz increasingly swarmed and landed repeated rights to the head with uppercuts and crosses, while Pierson covered, jabbed and countered in spots.
Pierson worked the jab intermittently and landed more sharp rights in the fourth round. However, Diaz remained the aggressor and higher work rate, landing looping rights, uppercuts and the occasional left hook.
In the end, Pierson’s well-placed shots prevailed, as judges scored the bout 40-34 twice and 38-36 in his favor.
And thus, Dominic Pesoli's 8 Count Productions and Bob Arum's Top Rank provided an early Christmas present to Chicagoland boxing fans, courtesy of their highly entertaining --and packed--"Christmas Brawl" show. That's not a bad way to spend a cool winter's night. Not bad at all!
After the fights, Rudy Cisneros talks with friend and fellow boxer, David "The Weezel" Estrada, on Juan C. Ayllon's cell phone, talking about his fight and working out the next day. He said, "My jab was working real well, just like yours!"
