By Michael J. Campbell

In a “fight of the year candidate, that nobody (or very few) got to see” Hector Velazquez from Tijuana, only 90 miles up the intercoastal tollway, and Joksan Hernandez of Ensenada engaged in a battle of cross state rivals with the WBC Continental Americas title at stake. 

For those who think boxing is lagging in popularity, they haven’t been in a non-air conditioned gymnasium filled with a few hundred fans over capacity roaring for their hometown fighter.  To put it in perspective, it felt like something one would encounter at a big college football rivalry game.

WOW, just wow.  I’ve been covering fights in Texas for five years but this was my first foray into Mexico for a fight card and I got to experience something very special.  For a card that was put together on a week’s notice, the fight fans of Ensenada, Baja California, were treated to hometown fighters, a son of their beloved Legend, and a bevy of top prospects tossed in to boot.  Nearly every bout ended with knockout or a close decision.

Fernando Beltran’s Zanfer Promotions salvaged what was supposed to be a Jorge Arce headlined card in Ciudad Juarez that got moved to Tijuana only a week and a half before it was scheduled to occur then wound up down the coast in the beautiful seaport of Ensenada.  American promoters could learn a thing or two about how to pack a house and quench hometown fans’ thirst for excitement.

The card was televised by TV Azteca and if you were fortunate enough that your choice of television providers carried the network, you got to see a business-like performance from Julio Caesar Chavez’s son Omar and a regional title fight between a hometown phenom and a veteran trialhorse who’s been in the ring with some of the best fighters active today.

Omar Chavez was dominant scoring to the body early and often making his fight with Minnesota’s Patrick Cape look like a mismatch.  Cape had been stopped with similar body work in US Olympian Demetrius Andrade’s professional debut a few months ago.  As with every boxing venue in which he appears, daddy Chavez stole the lion’s share of fan adulation and applause when he appeared at ringside.

Luis Fernando Uribe came into his bout with an unblemished twenty-one win record but had not had a single tough test along the way.  His opponent for the WBC FECOMBOX title Michael Rosales, stood in stark contrast having faced Saul Alvarez, Mike Alvarado, Dairo Esalas, Americo Santos, Jesus Soto Karass and Manuel Garnica.  Honestly, due to the level of competition faced, one would think this fight a grave mismatch against the undefeated fighter.

But what transpired was that Uribe didn’t know how to lose, and rose to the occasion.  The bout began at a competitive hard fought pace, and ended the same way with the judges awarding a very tight decision to the more travelled fighter.

The main event was a twelve round encounter and since it was for a WBC sponsored title in a country that isn’t the United States, we were privy to scoring updates via the open scoring system.  Still, even twelve rounds weren’t really enough to place a clear decision on this one.

Velazquez tested the younger Hernandez who was supported by over two thousand of his closest friends.  While not quite what he once was, Velazquez proved he still was a stiff test for anyone up and coming in the ranks, especially a fellow Baja Californian.  Thrilling exchanges, and back and forth action were the norm from start to finish in this encounter which seemed to both begin and end with bad blood resulting in a few fouls and rough style boxing which was handled quite well by California based judge Jose Corbian.

Fellow Ensenada products got to show off their skills in the gymnasium they probably grew up playing basketball in and perhaps trained in the boxing gym located under the seating area that showed many years of character and hard work put in inside a small space.  Misael Castillo kept his unbeaten record intact, Rodrigo Garcia looked impressive in his pro debut, and Pedro Guzman had a successful start in the pro ranks as well.
Top Rank Promotions Texas-based prospects Jerry Belmontes and Omar Henry traveled south of the border to add knockouts to their unblemished records.  Belmontes spent this training camp repeating his sparring duties with Houston’s Rocky Juarez helping him prepare for his rematch title bout with Chris John, as he had done in their first encounter.  Belmontes is considering a move to the Bayou City and training full-time at Savannah’s boxing gym.  Henry continued his string of first round stoppages with each ending earlier than the previous.

A card like this just had to have the return of a former title challenger, and that role was provided by Orlando Salido who was coming off a split decision loss to Cristobal Cruz for the IBF title in October.  Salido disposed of a non-descript opponent off-TV in a confidence builder.

Hot Filipino Top Rank prospect “Mighty” Mark Melligen toyed with his opponent, Fabian Luque, who appeared quite competent, but could not muster much answer for the southpaw welterweight.  Melligen appeared mature and composed in the dismantling.  With a thick torso and a hard hitting style, Bob Arum could have yet another rising star from the island nation of the Philippines.

The hits just kept on rolling with Chihuahuan prospect Marco Reyes, coming off a victory over Yory Boy Campas, another fight that you probably saw on YouTube.com, that took him to eleven victories with no defeats.  In a walkout bout before a chilly cavernous arena which had previously been packed to the gills and vibrant, Reyes seemed to have a tough test in 18-5 veteran Antonio Arras.  This did not prove to be the case as Reyes dished out enough punishment to provoke Arras’s corner to advocate a mercy stoppage during only the second stanza.

Ensenada’s biggest boxing star was also in attendance.  Former champ Ivan “Choko” Hernandez came out to support his friends and neighbors and talked with BoxingScene.com about his recent comeback victories and his plans for a title fight in his hometown city within the next year.  He even went on to explain how a cross-town rivalry could be all the rage in the near future for this normally laid back resort and vacation town by pitting him against tonight’s big victor, Joksan Hernandez.  Hopefully, this Texan will be privileged to be back for that event!

Full Results

WBC Continental Americas Peso Superpluma Title - 12 rounds
Joksan Hernandez (15-1, 8 KOs) of Ensenada, BC over Hector Velazquez (51-13-2, 35 KOs) of Tijuana, BC by Majority Decision with scores of 114-114, 115-114, & 116-114.

WBC FECOMBOX Peso Welter Title - 10 rounds
Michael Rosales (24-3, 12 KOs) of San Luis Potosi, MX over Luis Fernando Uribe (21-1, 16 KOs) of Tlalnepantla, MX by Majority Decision with scores of 76-76, 77-75, & 78-76.

Peso Superligo - 6 rounds
Omar Chavez (16-0-1, 12 KOs) of Culiacan, MX over Patrick Cape (5-7, 3 KOs) of St. Louis Park, MN by TKO at 0:59 of the 2nd round.

Peso Superpluma - 8 rounds
Orlando Salido (32-10-2, 21 KOs) of Cd. Obregon, MX over Leonardo Resendiz (16-22, 10 KOs) of Vila Nicolas Romero, MX by TKO in the 3rd round.

Peso Pluma - 6 rounds
Jerry Belmontes (8-0, 3 KOs) of Corpus Christi, TX over Juan Velazquez (4-6-1, 2 KOs) of Mexicali, BC by TKO in the 3rd round.

Peso Superwelter - 4 rounds
Omar Henry (4-0, 4 KOs) of Houston, TX over Alfonso Gonzalez (1-5, 1 KO) of Tlalnepantla, MX by TKO in the 1st round.

Peso Supergallo - 6 rounds
Felipe Orucuta (14-0, 11 KOs) of Villa Nicolas Romero, MX over Fernando Vargas (9-5, 7 KOs) of Tijuana, MX by Decision.

Peso Welter - 8 rounds
Mark Melligen (15-1, 11 KOs) of Las Vegas, NV over Fabian Luque (19-11-4, 11 KOs) of Los Mochis, MX by TKO in the 2nd round.

Peso Superligero - 6 rounds
Rafael Cobos (10-3-1, 3 KOs) of Tijuana, BC over Rodrigo Juarez (15-10, 11 KOs) of Tijuana, BC by Decision.

Peso Medio - 6 rounds
Marco Reyes (12-0, 11 KOs) of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua over Antonio Arras (18-6, 12 KOs) of Delcias, Chihuahua by TKO in the 2nd round.

Peso Ligero - 4 rounds
Misael Castillo (9-0, 8 KOs) of Ensenada, BC over Carlos Urrea (8-13, 3 KOs) of Agua Prieta, Sonora by KO in the 1st round.

Peso Superwelter - 4 rounds
Rodrigo Garcia (1-0, 1 KO) of Ensenada, BC over Terrance Harris (0-3-1) of Oklahoma City, OK by TKO in the 1st round.

Peso Superligero - 4 rounds
Pedro Guzman (1-0, 1 KO) of Ensenada, BC over Juan Angulo (0-1) of Agua Prieta, Son by KO in the 1st round.

Peso Supermosca - 4 rounds
Diego Banuelos (5-3, 3 KOs) of Mexico, DF over Manuel Armendariz (0-16) of Tijuana, BC by KO in the 1st round.

Peso Completo - 4 rounds
Miguel Angel Tavera (1-1, 1 KO) of Mexico, DF over Jose Manual Esqueda (0-1) of Mexicali, BC by TKO in the 1st round.