By Cliff Rold

30-year old Welterweight Jesus Pabon (16-1, 10 KO) of Carolina, Puerto Rico, came off the floor four times to win his last fight.  On Friday night at the Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, he only had to visit the floor once before settling in for his fifth straight win, third by knockout, over a late replacement in 36-year old Mexican Genaro Trazancos (22-13-1, 13 KO) of Fort Myers, Florida.

Both men came in a pound under the Welterweight limit at 146 lbs.

The bout got off to a measured start, both men getting warm to the task through the first and a single left from the southpaw Pabon acting as drama in the opening half of round two.  The slow ebb was jolted moments later.  As Pabon backed towards the ropes, he ate an overhand right from the taller Trazancos and found himself on the seat of his trunks.  Pabon bounced up by the count of three and the referee waved him to continue after finishing the mandatory eight count.  Pabon showed no ill effect and even landed a sneaky left cross before the second closed.

Pabon was on the attack early in the third, a pair of jabs and then a pair of lefts hands pushing Trazancos to the back foot.  It was the occasional left landing for Pabon making the difference in the frame, Trazancos a step behind in seeking another big right hand.  The fortunes of Trazancos did not improve much in round four, Pabon increasing his output and landing sharply, mixing in some long lefts to the ribs.

Trazancos was all but a punching bag by the fifth round, eating leather from every direction Pabon was willing to feed it to him.  With Pabon’s back near the ropes, he stepped forward with a right jab and straight left, those two blows setting up a blind right hook that sent Trazancos reeling and spinning towards the canvas.  Trazancos rose at eight and nodded to continue, his reward a series of straight lefts hands into the bell.  He survived the round on shaky legs.

Trazancos spent so much of round six looking in danger of falling again that it was hard not to be impressed when a big right hand in the final thirty seconds seemed to rock Pabon and stem a one-sided tide.  Trazancos added a left uppercut before the bell.

Rounds seven and eight were marked by a waiting, in the audience and the fighters, for the next big blow to land.  The answer turned out to be the last minute of the latter round, a Pabon left answered by a Trazancos right near the ropes as both men threw hard.  With less than ten seconds to go, Pabon threw just a little bit harder.

A sweeping right hook stole the legs of Trazancos.  Even if he would not fall, Trazancos certainly stumbled as Pabon came on with a flurry of blows.  Trazancos was out on his feet as a last straight left jarred his head and the bell rang as the referee stepped in and threw his arms around the defenseless battler at 2:58 of round eight.

While suffering defeat, Trazancos earned kudos for stepping in and making a strong go when the man originally slated to face Pabon, former Lightweight title challenger Antonio Pitalua, ran into visa issues.  Pabon continues his rebound from a stoppage loss to undefeated Luis Hernandez in 2007.

The main event would provide only some of the televised fireworks.  Joining older brother Wilfredo Jr. in the paid ranks, the son of former three-division World Champion Wilfredo Vazquez, Israel, made his professional debut in the Jr. Flyweight division.  The 23-year old Vazquez (0-0-1), 108, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and countryman Janiel Rivera (1-0-1), 109, kept a fast pace in a spirited four round affair that ended without a winner.  The three judges split three ways with both Vazquez and Rivera receiving a score of 39-37 and the remaining judge splitting the difference at 38-38. 

While a draw isn’t anyone’s favorite way to turn professional, it beats a loss and both Vazquez and Rivera showed promise as Jr. Flyweights.

Also Televised

Welterweights: Xavier Burgos (5-1, 1 KO) UD4 Jose Torres (1-1)

The card was televised in the U.S. on Spanish language network Telemundo, promoted by All Star Boxing Inc.

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