By Jake Donovan
Manuel Avila cruised to his 13th straight win in as many pro fights after a two-round battering of Jose Angel Cota in their Fox Sports 1-televised main event Monday evening in Redwood City, California.
The bout never threatened to be competitive on paper and was even more of a mismatch once the opening bell rang. Avila, a local boxer not known for his punching power, took advantage of the soft matchup as he took to the offensive from the opening bell. Cota made things easy for the 21-year old by offering little defense or movement.
A cut above Cota's left eye suggested disaster was in the air. Avila showed no mercy, opening up his attack and landing combinations at will against his defenseless opponent. A flurry along the ropes lasted long enough for referee Edward Collantes to eventually intervene, waving off the action with Cota on his feet, but bloodied and not throwing back any punches in return.
The official time was 2:32 of round two.
Avila advances to 13-0 (5KO) with the win, just his second in a quiet 2013 campaign. Cota continues to struggle outside of his native Mexico, dropping to 8-10-1 (6KO) as he is now 0-7-1 in eight fights since leaving home five years ago.
UNDERCARD
Louis Rose and Paul Mendez fought to a stalemate in a spirited 10-round middleweight bout. Scores were 97-93 Rose, 96-94 Mendez and 95-95 even.
Rose (8-1-1, 2KO) has gained a reputation as a prospect killer, to the point of earning recognition as a legitimate prospect in his own right. The Southern California-based middleweight bumped off three straight unbeaten fighters heading into Monday's affair, including back-to-back wins in New York City against local products.
The fight-ending scores proved an uphill battle was in store for his third straight road trip; the Bay Area has proven to be a home away from home for Mendez, whose manager Kathy Garcia is locally-based.
While the fight was competitive throughout, the late rounds surge by Rose would have been enough to take a decision in most other locations. Instead, he was forced to settle for a draw, though continuing to knock the shine off of Mendez (14-2-2, 6KO) who has yet to impress despite early career accolades.
Jonathan Chicas continues to rebuild in 2013, picking up his third straight win following his lone career loss as he cruised to a six-round decision over Joaquin Chavez (6-10-2, 2KO). Scores were 59-55 (twice) and 60-54 in favor of Chicas, who has fought in Redwood City in his past three fights (all wins) following the lone loss of his career last December.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com, as well as the Records Keeper for the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and a member of Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox