This is what kills boxing:

Christmas comes early for Valdez While it was the worst decision seen in some time (actually, since the night before in Juarez, when Derrick Whitley had been hometowned with a majority draw after soundly beating Kirino Garcia), the drama and brawling between “Fabulous” Bobby Joe Valdez and Durango, Mexico’s Juan Salazar was high entertainment—or low, if you’d been reffing. Originally, Valdez had been set to defend his Texas trinket, but after weighing in four pounds over the limit of his 154 pound state belt, he’d been forced to give it up. Coming in pudgy and fighting at his heaviest weight ever, of 160, Valdez was lucky to survive the night without being knocked out—he was divinely fortunate to go one step farther and actually win the fight. His opponent, Salazar, was the bigger man—and, obviously, the stronger of the two. Plus, he was in shape. What he did not have going for him was his hometown. Salazar came out like a hurricane in the first, immediately crowding Valdez against the ropes where he unleashed a solid right hand that not only rocked Valdez, but turned him into a human blanket. Trying to survive, Salazar wrestled and pushed and shoved away, letting another flurry go at Valdez, hitting him with tremendous body shots. The shenanigans began . . . . Valdez doubled over, claiming a low blow, and, for his efforts, Salazar was sternly warned by the ref not to hit low. When the fight resumed, Salazar swarmed, and let loose with more body shots while Valdez, with a vacant stare, survived, held on, and, most likely, prayed for the closing bell. Round 10-9 Salazar, maybe even 10-8. Salazar resumed his attack in the 2nd, banging away at Valdez to the body and landing left hooks that had Valdez wincing and holding, but also fighting back with his close quarter brawling, not to mention a fair bit of hitting and holding. The bigger, stronger Salazar went to Valdez’s body again, drawing another warning by the ref. When the fight went on, another hammering blow to the belly put Valdez to his knees. This time, the ref took a point off Salazar, turning what should’ve been a 10-8 round for him into a 9-9. After resting nearly five minutes, a brawl broke out in the crowds, giving Valdez even more time to regain his senses. In the third round, Salazar immediately resumed his body attack, but after a stray shot went south of the border (for real this time—what would be one of two low blows in a total of eight such called fouls), the ref took yet another point off the doomed-to-lose Mexican. Valdez took the fight to Salazar when the action continued, forcing Salazar on the defense with his hitting-and-holding, trademark brawling style. The two went toe-to-toe in the 4th, with Valdez winning this time despite legs that appeared to be stiff and cramping. Once again, Salazar was warned when going to the body. Incredulously, Salazar lost yet another point in the 5th for what appeared to be flush body shots. With his right leg stiffened to the point of immobility, Valdez limped, held and sloppily brawled with Salazar, who, despite all the warnings, continued to hammer away at Valdez’s marred and marked torso. In the sixth, it happened again, although this might’ve been low enough to warrant being called a foul (guess two out of eight ain’t bad). Valdez collapsed with a mighty grunt to the canvas, then put on a show as he pounded the canvas with one glove while holding his ‘nads with the other. The ref ended the fight and, to everyone’s disbelief, disqualified Salazar, making Valdez winner at :22. If it hadn’t been for the points off, Salazar clearly would’ve won a decision. If the body blows would’ve been recognized for what they were, even half of them, Salazar would’ve won by knockout. “We want a rematch,” Salazar’s manager/trainer, Jorge Baron, said afterward. “This guy was looking for a way out. Every time my guy hit him to the body, he doubled up. He couldn’t take it to the body and the ref favored him.” Salazar was confused about what had happened. “I don’t know what happened. I only hit him once low that I remember.” Salazar evens out at 3-3 (2 KOs) while Valdez, in an Oscar-worthy performance, rises to 9-2-1 (4 KOs.) “I can take body shots,” Valdez said. “But these punches were all low. “I was hit low six or seven times. The first time he hit me low, it punched one of my nuts—maybe I didn’t have my cup on right. It was squeezing me real hard and I couldn’t walk with one of my legs.” Valdez said he would fight Salazar again, but needs more time to train better and get in better shape. “No more games for me.”