Photo by Golden Boy Promotions via Facebook
Manuel Avila (14-0, 5 KOs) won a tough unanimous decision victory over Enrique Quevedo (15-7-1, 9 KOs) in a ten-round Junior Featherweight bout. The fight was the main event of a card presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Fox Sports 1.
In the pre-fight interview, Avila admitted that he would rely on his jab. “It’s my best punch,” said Avila, and used it for most of the first round to try to keep Quevedo off.
Quevedo, however, had no problem closing the distance, landing short left punches to the head and body. He was clearly the smaller man, coming in at 119.5 pounds.
The contracted weight limit was 122 pounds and, despite an official weight advantage of nearly three pounds, Avila was still unable to effectively use his size and reach advantage in the early rounds.
By the sixth round, Avila found his rhythm, and took advantage of a tired Quevedo. Avila did a better job of timing his overhand right and using his distance in the middle rounds. He did not allow Quevedo to work on the inside as much as he had before.
Quevedo was knocked down in the final round by a left hook that was first set up with a short uppercut. If there was any doubt that he’d won the fight, the left hook may have removed it.
All judges scored the bout 97-93, although it was a lot tougher than the scores might suggest.
Andy Vences (7-0, 3 KOs) scored a technical knockout victory over Dominic Coca (8-7, 2 KOs) after Coca was unable to continue after the third round.
Vences easily landed check left hooks and shots to the body on an over-matched opponent. Coca, who was not afraid to admit that he took the fight for the paycheck, injured his left hand in the third round and refused to enter the fourth.
Hometown favorite Paul Mendez (15-2, 7 KOs) knocked out Raul Casarez (20-5, 9KOs) in the third round of a scheduled 10-round Middleweight fight.
Photo by Golden Boy Promotions via Twitter
Mendez landed stiff jabs and right hands that, as early as the second round, caused swelling under Casarez’s eye.
In the third round, Mendez landed a straight right hand while Casarez was trying to defend himself on the ropes. Casarez’s defense, which consisted of blocking both the jab and the right hand with his left hand, was too ineffective to block Mendez’s punches.
Indeed, the final right hand, which blew easily through Casarez’s glove, landed with full power on the top of his head. He subsequently doubled over onto the canvas and was not able to make the ten-count.
In the opening bout, Diego De La Hoya (3-0, 3 KOs) was rocked early before knocking out Sergio Najera (6-13-2, 1 KO) in the first round of a scheduled four-round Featherweight bout.
De La Hoya, who shares the last name of his cousin and promoter Oscar De La Hoya, began the fight too anxiously. De La Hoya walked into a stiff jab that made his legs wobble.
After quickly coming back to his senses and finding his rhythm, De La Hoya released a series of combinations that eventually stopped out Najera.
Photo by Golden Boy Promotions via Twitter
