Hugo Cazares Outlasts Rey Perez In Close Call

Hugo Cazares remains in contention for a 122 lb. title shot after a narrow points win over Rey Perez in a hard-fought battle Saturday evening in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Scores were 115-113 (twice) and 115-112.

The fight was every bit as close as the scores suggested, as momentum swayed back and forth over the course of the 12-round contest. Cazares tried to get by on his natural strength, but was forced to dig deep as Perez refused to wilt.

No knockdowns were scored in the bout though Cazares fell to the canvas early in the fight in a sequence that was correctly ruled a slip, but which startled his fans in attendance.

As the bout wore on, Cazares dug deep in attempting to get the upper hand on the visiting Filipino contender. It proved to be just enough to take a closer-than-expected decision on all three scorecards, as he remains in the hunt for a major title in a third weight class.

The former lineal junior flyweight king who also held hardware at 115 lb. scores his third straight win since moving up in weight more than a year ago. The soon-to-be 35 year old improves overall to 38-7-2 (26KO).

Perez' valiant proved for naught. While his stock rises in defeat, his four-fight win streak comes to an end as he falls to 17-3 (3KO).

In the televised co-feature, Ava Knight scored a repeat win over Suzanna Vazquez. 

Knight (11-1-3, 5KO) topped Vazquez (8-8-1, 3KO) in their first fight seven months ago. That bout was hardly competitive enough to warrant a rematch, but so goes life in women's boxing, and Knight accepted the fight as means to stay busy. 

Both bouts aired live on Mexico Televisa, and were also streamed on WBCBoxing.tv.

Jake Donovan is the Boxingscene.com Managing Editor, Records Keeper for Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and a voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter:  @JakeNDaBox