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01/22/2009 Archived Entry: "Ambriz and McConnell Score Impressive Wins!"
Ambriz and McConnell Score Impressive Wins!
Story and Photos by Ricardo Ibarra
Molly McConnell (left) lands a left hook in close
FERNDALE, Wash. -- Climbing the ranks in the sport of boxing is done in incremental steps, with every aspiring prospect having to take a similar path. The road to contender status is riddled with tests that a young fighter must pass in order to prove his abilities. For many west coast fighters plying their trade in and around the 140 lbs. weight class, their first major challenge comes from tough journeyman Daniel Gonzalez. With a relentless style and dogged determination, the aggressive southpaw has continuously been a fighter that promoters and managers turn to in order to gauge the talents of a young hopeful.
Last Saturday at the Silver Reef Hotel Casino and Spa in Ferndale, Washington, Aris Ambriz (9-0 5KOs 141 ½ lbs.) of Azuza, California had to face the challenge of Gonzalez (9-20-2 3KOs 142 ½ lbs.) for the second time in two months. In November of last year, the two fought in a closely contested six round bout that saw Ambriz pull away with a majority decision. While Gonzalez once again delivered a stern challenge to the undefeated prospect, this time around Ambriz was able to pull away with a clear-cut six round unanimous decision void of any controversy.
Initially it appeared as though Ambriz would make the same mistakes that he had made in their first bout, slugging away with his opponent instead of using his height and longer reach to control the bout. The first two rounds were fought in close as Gonzalez pressed the action and Ambriz engaged his shorter opponent. The early fast paced exchanges gave the local fight crowd an exciting start to the bout and Gonzalez the opportunity he needed to inflict some damage. The rounds were close with both landing their fair share of leather, Gonzalez effective with his right hook and Ambriz with his straight right.
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Ambriz (right) trades with Gonzalez
In the third round Ambriz began to take over, using his reach and boxing ability to control the bout. Using lateral movement and angles to avoid his opponent’s on-coming assault, Ambriz kept the fight at range were he was able to consistently pepper his opponent with long straight rights.
Ambriz continued to maintain control from the outside throughout the remainder of the bout, keeping a busy pace with three and four punch combinations. Gonzalez, though, made it a tough fight, continuing to press with hard hooks and even managing to score a knockdown in the sixth, although a tangling of the feet had much to do with Ambriz going down. In the end Ambriz pulled away with a well deserved victory with scores of 59-55 from all three judges.
The semi-main event featured a rematch between Portland Oregon’s Molly McConnell (10-1 5KOs 143 lbs.) and Seattle, Washington’s Tammie Johnson (3-2 140 ½ lbs.) for the women’s northwest welterweight title. The two had previously fought in a highly entertaining bout last year with McConnell taking a close six round unanimous decision. McConnell left no room for doubt in the return bout, pummeling Johnson for three rounds en route to claiming a decisive TKO victory.
From the start of the bout McConnell came out firing power shots, seemingly trying to gain her opponent’s respect. After landing a few hard one-twos in close, McConnell began to work from the outside, easily controlling the pace of the round and occasionally snapping her opponent’s head back with straight right-left hook combinations.
In the second round Johnson stepped up her aggression, but McConnell was able to block and counter most of her attack. Johnson’s aggression only served to give McConnell more opportunities to land.
By the third round McConnell was beginning to hurt Johnson with regularity, snapping her head back with hard right hands. A vicious barrage of rights put Johnson down hard at the end of the round. In between rounds Johnson’s corner wisely threw in the towel.
McConnell with her new title belt
With the win McConnell adds her tenth victory and another regional title in what was arguably the most impressive performance of her career. The improvements that she has shown in the last year make it clear that she is ready to take a major step up. The problem now becomes getting someone of note to fight her. In the past a major obstacle holding back her progression has been fighters in her division being unwilling to fight her. This may be a hard obstacle to overcome. As she continues to improve other fighters may find more reasons not to fight her. Nevertheless, she appears ready to take on the best the division has to offer.
In a six round Jr. Welterweight bout, Juan Santiago (6-1-1 5KOs 139 ½ lbs.) of Denver, Colorado and Vancouver, B.C.’s Darren Darby (4-10-2 3KOs 141 lbs.) battled to a majority draw. Darby had a good start to the bout, pressing the quick and elusive Santiago with hard hooks on the inside. As the fight progressed, though, Santiago seemed to take control with quick combinations and lateral movement. In the last round Santiago hurt Darby with a counter left hook, but could not capitalize before the final bell. The judges scored the bout 58-56 Darby, 58-56 Santiago, and 57-57.
A six round rematch for the women’s northwest featherweight title between Merced Nunez (7-1-2 2KOs 126 lbs.), of Portland, Oregon and Elizabeth Moreno (5-7-4 125 ½ lbs.) of San Antonio ended in a majority draw. The two fought last summer in a close bout that was also been declared a draw. Much like their first bout, neither fighter was able to gain a clear edge over her opponent in the rematch. Nunez had the edge early on when she was able to work her way in close with straight rights. Moreno was more effective from the outside late in the fight, using her jab to set up quick combinations. The official scorecards read 58-56 Moreno, 58-56 Nunez, and 57-57.
Local favorite Stephanie Eggink (1-0 124 lbs.) made a successful entry into the professional fight game, securing a four round shut-out victory over Denver, Colorado’s Brittany Cruz (2-1 122 ½ lbs.). Eggink had some problems with her opponent’s long jab early in the first round, but she was able to quickly make an adjustment and close the distance, working her way in close behind her jab and opening up with combinations. Eggink continued to press throughout the bout, keeping the fight in close were she was able to outland her opponent on a consistent basis. All three judges scored the bout 40-36.
The first bout of the night delivered a wildly exciting one round of action between Nichoulas Briannes (1-1 138 lbs.) of Bend, Oregon and William Williams (2-0 1KO 139 lbs.) of Portland. The action picked up fairly quickly in the opening seconds of the first round as Briannes unleashed a hard counter left hook that dropped his opponent. After a mandatory eight-count, Briannes immediately pounced, opening up with wild hooks. Williams fired back along the ropes, exchanging punches with his opponent, but taking the worst of it. The referee ruled another knockdown as Williams turned his back to avoid further punishment. Williams looked to be on unsteady legs, but the referee allowed the action to continue. Briannes pressed wildly, leaving an opening for a counter punch. Williams stepped in with a thudding straight left to the chin, sending Briannes crashing to the canvas where he remained well after the referee had reached the count of ten. The end came at 1:48 of the first round.
The six bout fight card was promoted by Patrick Ortiz’ Ringside Tickets Inc.
