Pics from the Gato fight...

**Mr. Ryan** · 07-30-2007, 01:41 PM

Diosbelys Hurtado, Kassim Ouma and his son Raheem. Raheem is the cutest!

[img]http://a210.ac-images.*******cdn.com/images01/107/l_7be582924c30cb78201a9a935fe98909.jpg[/img]

**Mr. Ryan** · 07-30-2007, 01:43 PM

Little Raheem flipped me off and his Daddy told him to be a good boy

[img]http://a138.ac-images.*******cdn.com/images01/83/l_7a64fbfa7a74a940997606c6d4999d49.jpg[/img]

One more flipping the birdy picture from Little Raheem!

[img]http://a616.ac-images.*******cdn.com/images01/115/l_fd4be6d4450faf72166c32c78180a727.jpg[/img]

Gato greeted me as he left the ring, and my face is indicative of how I felt having him sweat on my new shirt

[img]http://a933.ac-images.*******cdn.com/images01/114/l_ce9cea6f6b66e1de0e1ead5be704243c.jpg[/img]

**Mr. Ryan** · 07-31-2007, 12:47 PM

Gato Figueroa Stops Hernandez in 12
By Ryan ********

Francisco Figueroa showed that good things come in small packages. After a rough, pitched battle with the rugged journeyman Ubaldo Hernandez, it was �El Gato� who emerged victorious, annexing the NABF Junior Welterweight title in the process.

The fight was not without it�s share of difficulties for Figueroa, who weighed in at 140.4 pounds. Hernandez appeared to be the bigger man, although his punches were nowhere near as crisp as the Bronx southpaw�s. Wild exchanges filled many of the rounds, particularly the fourth and ninth, which brought cheers of �Gato� from the Palm Beach Convention Center �s near-capacity crowd.

The bout was marred by headbutts, one of which caused a cut on the outer corner of Figueora�s right eye. It was not a factor however, as Figueroa closed in on his prey in the twelfth and final round. A wicked right hook stunned Hernandez, bringing the crowd to its feet for the conclusion. A left hand from �El Gato� landed right on the money from the far side of this writer�s section of the ring, knocking Hernandez out of the ring and ending the fight at 2:18.

Figueroa, now 17-2 (13 KO), has finally emerged as a fan favorite in his new home state of Florida. Ubaldo Hernandez drops to 21-18 (10 KO).

David Estrada easily handled Luther Smith, stopping �Sugarman� at 1:25 of the fourth. Although Smith holds a knockout victory over Oba Carr, his recent inactivity was too great a hurdle to overcome. It was all Estrada the whole way through, as he mixed in left hooks upstairs and down, and just overall carried the fight. The referee halted the bout after the grim inevitability of Smith�s prospects became abundantly clear.

Estrada, 21-3 (12 KO), preserves a September 29 date with highly regarded prospect Andre Berto. Smith drops to of 22-4-2.

Any questions or comments? Send them to me at mc_rson@yahoo.com .

Pics from the Gato fight...