By Cliff Rold
Fighting at Featherweight, 25-year old Chris Avalos (26-3, 19 KO), 126 ¼, of Lancaster, California, rebounded from a thumping defeat in his last outing with a workmanlike eight round unanimous decision over 24-year old Rey Perez (20-7, 5 KO), 125 ¼, of Santa Rosa City, Laguna, Philippines, on Saturday night at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas. The referee was Steve Smoger.
Making his first start since being stopped for the first time in February by IBF 122 lb. titlist Carl Frampton, Avalos showed a hint of early jitters as the first got under way. It didn’t last long, Avalos meeting Perez in exchanges and marking his left eye by the second round.
By the third, Perez seemed to be getting more defensive as the more active and precise Avalos went to work. By round five, there were swellings around both of Perez’s eyes but he kept swinging back whenever Avalos took a breath.
Round seven had a comical break in the action as there was some sort of issue with the cup of Avalos that paused the fight for a couple of minutes while attempting to avoid indiscretion. Once repaired, the fight returned to form. Avalos never really hurt Perez but he clearly won nearly every round and was rewarded with two scores of 80-72 and one card giving Perez a round at 79-73.
Avalos came into the fight rated ninth at 122 lbs. by the IBF.
In the televised Lightweight opener, 26-year old Casey Ramos (20-0, 5 KO), 132, of Austin, Texas, laid a steady beating on 25-year old Daniel Evangelista Jr. (17-6-1, 13 KO), 130 ¼, of Mexico City, Mexico. Ramos couldn’t put him away in eight rounds of action. Evangelista was game throughout and even seemed to press a little late after nearly being dropped near the ropes in the seventh. Ramos carried the fight by unanimous shutout scores of 80-72.
The referee was Laurence Cole.
The card was broadcast in the US on UniMas as part of its “Solo Boxeo” series, promoted by Top Rank.
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene and a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com