Omar Tello Demolishes Rangel, Perez Shocks Giambi
By Peter Lim
Lightweight Omar "Pinky" Tello (2-0, 2 KOs) paid a rousing tribute to his late cousin with a first-round knockout over Jose Rangel (0-1) at the Bayou City Events Center in Houston. Tello seemed to hurt Rangel with every punch he landed before dropping him with a flurry of right hands and left hooks for the full count.
Tello, 18, had dedicated this fight to his cousin Demazo Tello who lost his life in a motorbike accident two weeks ago. Demazo Tello, 23, was an amateur standout who was on the brink of turning pro at the time of his death.
The card was staged by Savarese Boxing Promotions.
In a minor upset, middleweight southpaw Cody Perez (1-4, 1 KO) won the first fight of his career with a shocking knockout over previously undefeated Gianni Giambi (2-1, 2 KOs) after only 38 seconds. Giambi came out swinging aggressively but left himself exposed to a short, perfectly-timed right hook that dropped Giambi for the full count and then some. Giambi remained flat on his back for several minutes.
Perez had not fought in over a year and was stopped in three of his four losses. Giambi, a fourth-degree taekwondo black belt, began boxing last year after a knee injury derailed his martial arts career.
In the main event junior welterweight Juan Serrano (3-7-1, 2 KOs) dropped Daniel Garcia (11-8-2, 8 KOs) with a right to the temple in the fourth round en route to a six-round split-decision victory.
Featherweight Pablo Cruz (4-0, 2 KOs) battered and bloodied Heron Saucedo, Jr. (0-3) to score a four-round shutout.
Junior middleweight Jonathan Cashmere (5-0, 3 KOs) won a bruising four-round decision over Booker Arthur (0-4).
Robert Hill (1-1) won a four-round split decision over Hasam Mohamed (2-1, 2 KOs) in a light heavyweight bout.
Jeremy Hall made successful light heavyweight debut with a four-round decision over Joseph Walker (0-1).
Welterweight Felipe Reyes (5-0, 3 KOs) outpointed Jonathan Oneal (0-1) over four rounds.
And heavyweight Roberto Silva Jr. debuted with a third-round TKO over Emmanuel Calzada (0-1).
