By Cliff Rold
In recent years, Cinco de Mayo has been synonymous with big fight action. Cuatro de Julio? Not so much. At least not going off of the evidence put forth on Friday night at the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas. A largely lackluster card was topped off by a main event that ended before it ever got started. Mexican born 27-year old Super Middleweight Enrique Ornelas (28-4, 18 KO) of La Habra, California would secure his third straight victory when a freakish shoulder injury forced 29-year old Daryl Salmon (16-3, 4 KO) of Troy, Alabama to call it a night early in round two.
Both Ornelas and Salmon weighed in at the division limit of 168 lbs.
The first round was a typical feeling out session as Salmon circled the ring in search of wide ring geography. Ornelas pursued, but neither was punching with much authority until Ornelas let loose a combination late to score a sort-of knockdown. Replays showed that a punch had landed on the shoulder but it appeared that Salmon had slipped on the ring canvas.
Salmon came out in round two looking to work his southpaw right jab, and it proved his undoing. That very punch landed awkwardly against Ornelas’ gloves and Salmon’s arm appeared to bend in an unnatural direction. The Alabaman took an immediate knee, holding his right arm stiff and away from his body. The fight was waved off at 1:03.
While the win did not come in a satisfying fashion, Ornelas certainly won’t give it back as he takes a step closer to a possible shot at the WBC belt and World Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. Ornelas is currently rated fifth by the sanctioning body and has won three straight, all by stoppage.
The undercard gave fans a look at some new faces that could be serious factors in the near future.
The buzz about 21-year old Super Middleweight prospect Daniel Jacobs (7-0, 7 KO) of Brooklyn, New York has been strong. So too was his performance on Friday night, an easy first round stoppage of a heavy bag named Julio Perez (5-8-2, 4 KO). While the opponent could not test Jacobs, he did allow the youngster to show off a set of promising physical tools.
Those tools proved to be of a completely separate class from his opponent within seconds, his speed advantage so wide that the bout appeared immediately laughable. Using a long, whipping left jab, Jacobs, 163 ½, hit Perez, 159 ¾, will with everything in his arsenal. Lead hook, lead uppercut, lead right…all were exhibited for the crowd. The final combination, opened up with a left jab left uppercut was closed with a nasty left hook top the ribs that sent Perez stumbling backwards. The referee immediately stopped the bout before the out of shape and outclassed Perez could be seriously hurt. The official time of the stoppage was 1:49 of the opening frame.
Jacobs wasn’t the only young Middleweight on display. 26-year old Scottish born Craig McEwan (11-0, 7 KO) of Hollywood, California had a similarly easy, if slightly longer, outing in stopping veteran Juan Carlos Sanchez (28-25-5, 17 KO) in three rounds.
McEwan, 160 ½, efficiently broke Sanchez, 158 ¾, down from the onset. Working behind his southpaw right jab, McEwan came forward with a stream of straight punches to the head. Sanchez stayed largely on his back foot, occasionally punching just enough to keep the Scotsman honest. The constant activity of McEwan would finally prove too much in the third when a hard right hand opened up a lethal combination, leaving Sanchez flat on his back along the ropes. Sanchez would not rise and the referee would hover over him without completing the count at 1:35 of the round.
Other Televised Action
Jr. Welterweights: Hylon Williams Jr. (2-0, 1 KO) TKO1 Ruben Calderon (0-1)
Featherweights: Casey Ramos (6-0, 3 KO) W UD6 Saul Gutierrez (5-11-2, 1 KO)
The card was televised live by Spanish-language network Telefutura and promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com