By Jake Donovan
Francisco Arce’s hopes of avenging older brother Jorge’s knockout loss to Vic Darchinyan fell one fight short, as Simphiwe Nonqgayi retained his undefeated record with a spirited unanimous decision win in their junior bantamweight title elimination bout.
The bout served as the main event of a telecast aired live from the Polideportivo Center in Los Mochis, Mexico on Azteca America.
Nongqayi was fighting outside of his native South Africa for the first time in a career that began in 2002. Twelve rounds before he’d leave an impression in the ring, his stylish checkerboard hairdo certainly helped steal some of the spotlight from hometown favorite Arce.
It was a different look, if not particularly trendy. Inside the ropes, Nonqgayi was far more conventional, outclassing Arce for much of their twelve round affair.
The difference in fundamentals was evident in the opening round; Nonagayi working well behind the jab while Arce employing aggression with little in the way of effectiveness. The South African attempted to employ a similar game plan in the second, though Arce found success on the inside, particularly to the body.
Arce opened up a bit wild in the third round, but settled down and landed a left hook to ignite the hometown crowd. Nonqgayi returned to the jab in the final minute of the round, and alternating between clinching and moving backwards whenever Arce tried to work his way inside.
The body attack was essential to Arce’s fourth round success, slowing down Nonqgayi anytime he was able to touch him to the midsection. He tried to apply the same formula in the fifth, but to no avail. Nonqgayi tightened up his guard and picked off most of Arce’s shots on the inside, while coming back with uppercuts and compact left hooks.
Not liking the way the inside game was going, Arce started the sixth working behind a heavy jab. The tactic had brief success, but Nonqgayi soon regained control. A right hand late in the round left Arce shook, but was able to escape the round with minimal damage absorbed.
Something needed to give entering the second half of the bout, with Arce now way behind in his hometown. Nonqgayi wasn’t interested in making things any easier for the Mexican, tattooing him with jabs and straight rights upstairs. Arce tried valiantly to fight back, but was brutally countered almost every time he let his hands go.
With older brother Jorge Arce verbally supporting him from ringside, Arce enjoyed more moments of success in the eighth. The round didn’t start that way, but saw a brief change in momentum after time was called to repair loose tape on Nonqgayi’s glove. The rest clearly benefited Arce, who picked up the attack, holding pace for much of the round before a surge at round’s end helped him inch a little closer on the scorecards.
It was Arce’s turn for a time-out in the ninth, losing his mouthpiece about a minute into the round. Nonqgayi hoped the momentum would shift back in his favor. It appeared to be the case until he was a little too overzealous in shooting his overhand right, getting caught with an Arce right hand on the inside. Nonqgayi came back, landing a counter right to freeze Arce in his tracks with about a minute left in the round.
Both fighters had their moments in a tenth round round that was savagely beautiful, appearing as if the entire frame was fought in fast forward. Nonqgayi was getting the better of most of the exchanges, but Arce stood his ground and never stopped trading.
The frenetic pace clearly took its toll on Arce. Time was called at the start of the round to tighten up the laces and taping on his glove, an old corner trick to buy a fighter additional time when the one-minute rest just isn’t enough.
Arce could’ve been given a five-minute break and it still wouldn’t change the way the fight would turn out. Both fighters were steady throwing, but Arce’s punches were wide, while Nonqgayi was shooting straight down the middle. The exchanges were aplenty, but dominated by Nonqgayi, none more evident than a three punch combo upstairs that literally sent his foe tumbling backwards. It was the lone knockdown of the fight, though vehemently protested by Arce, who incredulously believed he somehow slipped and rolled.
Arce was badly in need of a knockout heading into the final round, and continuously charged forward in pursuit. Nonqgayi wisely kept his distance for much of the round, but never to the point of running, repeatedly raking Arce with straight shots upstairs whenever the Mexican came in face-first all the way to the final bell.
There was little mystery as to who won, though both fighters were applauded for their efforts in a spirited twelve-round affair. There was no conceivable way that even hometown advantage could secure Arce a victory, and the judges got it right.
Scores were 116-111 across the board, with Nonqgayi scoring the most important win of his career to date. He moves to 15-0 (6KO) overall, and is now a mandatory challenger to one of the belts presently in possession of junior bantamweight king Vic Darchinyan.
For Arce, the effort to serve as his brother’s keeper falls considerably short, though certainly not for a lack of trying. Three weeks after Jorge was stopped by Darchinyan, Francisco is now denied a shot at the title as he falls to 28-5-2 (19KO). The loss snaps a five-fight win streak, though largely against nondescript competition.
Former junior flyweight titlist Eric Ortiz extended his unbeaten streak to five straight with a fifth round knockout of Valentin Leon in the televised co-feature.
Ortiz has spent the past few years picking up the pieces of a once notable career. His title winning effort over Jose Antiono Aguirre (not to be confused with Boxingscene’s outstanding videographer Jose “On Fire” Aguirre) in 2005 was followed up by knockout losses in four of his next six fights.
Saturday night in Los Mochis, Mexico, he managed to stay afloat a little while longer thanks to a dominant performance over .500 journeyman Leon.
A persistent body attack paid dividends, producing knockdowns in the fourth and fifth rounds. The final sequence was a combination upstairs, prompting the referee to intervene at 1:43 of round five.
Ortiz improves to 31-8-2 (20KO) with the win, his third straight. Leon is now 19-20-3 (8KO), having lost three straight and is now winless in his last six.
The show was presented by Fernando Beltran’s Zanfer Promotions.
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