FAIRFIELD, CALIFORNIA — Poised to make the move from prospect to contender, middleweight Brandon Gonzales moved past rugged Lester Gonzalez with a decision victory Friday night at the Fairfield Sports Center. In the co-main event, Fairfield’s own Alan Sanchez pleased the overflow crowd as he turned back a tough test in veteran Cristian Favela.
Gonzales (14-0, 10 KOs) of Sacramento utilized his refined boxing skills to outpoint the tough Gonzalez (11-2-1, 6 KOs) of San Diego, California by way of Havana, Cuba over eight rounds. Gonzales, 160, boxed and moved his way through the first round before relying on his powerful right hand more in the second. The southpaw Gonzalez, 162, began to land in the third, as he most notably found a home for a straight left late in the round. That punch, however, was preceded by a well-timed uppercut by Sacramento’s Gonzales.
The fourth was perhaps San Diego’s Gonzalez’ best round. Early in the round, Gonzalez landed a right over Gonzales’ left. As the round progressed, Gonzalez’ left became his primary weapon. Gonzalez’ briefly gained momentum dissipated in the fifth, and it was pretty much Sacramento’s Gonzales’ fight the rest of the way.
As the latter rounds rolled by, Gonzales at times displayed the combination of speed and power that makes him one of the top prospects in the region. Gonzales wobbled Gonzalez with a right early in the sixth round, and continued to rock the San Diego resident with the follow-up barrage. Lester Gonzalez was in retreat before coming back with some offense of his own just before the bell.
The classier boxer Gonzales maintained his edge in the bout down the stretch by dictating the style of the fight and landing the harder shots. When the decision was announced, Brandon Gonzales had taken home a wide unanimous decision victory. One judge had it scored 79-73 and the other two had it 78-74. After the fight, Gonzales’ trainer Jeff Mayweather was succinct in his assessment of the performance. “He stuck with the boxing and made the adjustments necessary,” said Mayweather. “He did what he had to do.” With the win, Gonzales could be in line for a crack at a regional title in the next fight or two.
In co-feature, Alan Sanchez (6-2-1, 2 KOs) took a hard-fought eight-round unanimous decision over gritty journeyman Cristian Favela (28-30-7, 18 KOs) of Los Angeles, California by way of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.
Sanchez, 146, found Favela, 146, to be an unrelenting and determined adversary, but he was able to make use of his physical advantages enough to earn the unanimous verdict. Sanchez kept his range early in the first, while Favela had trouble moving in close. The momentum of the bout was briefly halted when the lights flickered on and off above the ring.
Sanchez got on his toes and boxed better beginning in the second round. One two-punch combination in particular was a thing of beauty for Sanchez. Favela found some success in the middle rounds, as he took advantage when Sanchez got on his bike. By the sixth, Sanchez superior boxing skills were the difference the bout. However, late in the round, Favela goaded Sanchez into a trading match. The taller, stronger Sanchez got the better of it, but it was Favela’s only hope.
When Sanchez landed a clean combination in the eighth, Favela smiled and immediately offered back. Their exchange kicked off an action-packed close to the fight and it may have been Favela that stole the last round late. In the end, the local favorite Sanchez won comfortably on the cards, by scores of 80-72 and 78-74 twice.
In an impressive performance, Jonathan Garcia (4-0, 3 KOs) of Watsonville, California punished a normally durable Luis Sanchez (0-5) of Fairfield before scoring a second-round stoppage. Garcia, 142, opened round one with a left to the body of Sanchez, 142, and kept control of the bout from that point on.
Garcia rallied Sanchez against the ropes and forced him into a corner. Sanchez was in trouble, but lasted the round. Garcia came out quick in round two and landed a clubbing right that stunned Sanchez against the ropes again. Sanchez was in trouble for most of the second round, but made it to his stool. In the corner, Sanchez’ trainer Jesse Lopez Sr. became aware of an injury to his charge’s left arm and stopped the fight. Official time was 3:00 of round two.
In an out-and-out brawl, Maximilliano Becerra (4-0-1, 2 KOs) of Vacaville, California remained unbeaten with a four-round unanimous decision over game Omar Sanchez (0-1) of Fairfield. The fight, which matched two locals who drew a vocal supporting audience, had just about everyone out of their seats.
After a tense first round in which both had their moments, Beccera, 138 ½, came out guns blazing and seized control of the fight. However, Sanchez, 139, was an undeterred battler that never took a backward step, which made for great action. In the third round, an overhand right landed for Becerra and got Sanchez in some trouble. With Sanchez still reeling, Becerra rattled off a three-punch combination that ended with a crushing left to down the Fairfield resident.
Sanchez made it back to his corner and came out swinging in the fourth. Sanchez managed to work Becerra back into a corner for a stretch, but the Vacaville favorite eventually rolled out and rocked Sanchez at the close of the fight. In the end, two judges had 39-36, with the third scoring it a shutout, 40-35.
In a free-swinging affair, Fairfield’s Lamont Williams (3-1, 1 KO) took a four-round split decision over Hector Martinez (5-5, 4 KOs) of Broderick, California. Williams, 206, outboxed Martinez, 227, in the first, but the tempo of the fight changed before round’s end. Despite winning the boxing match, Williams elected to stand and trade with Martinez to close out the first.
In the second, a more determined Martinez upped his work rate and controlled most of the round. Williams did wake up late in the round to land some hard shots. Martinez came back to rock Williams early in the third. Williams did come back to get in a few tough shots before the bell. With the fight on the table, Williams outworked Martinez for much of the fourth. In the end, one judge favored Martinez, 39-37, but was overruled by the other two, who both had it 39-37 the other way.
Ivan Redkach (6-0, 5 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Shostka, Ukraine did what he was supposed to do and got journeyman Jaime Orrantia (13-29-5, 4 KOs) of Lakeside, California by way of Los Mochis out of there inside of three rounds.
Redkach, 145, was dominant at the outset and rocked Orrantia, 141, several times in the first. Referee Ray Balewicz missed a knockdown, when a two-punch combination forced Orrantia to touch his right glove to the mat. The southpaw Redlach controlled the second in much the same manner, punishing Orrantia all over the ring.
By the third, Orrantia was ready to go. Redkach rocked him with the first right that landed in the round. With the Mexican in retreat, Redkach pressed forward and eventually downed him with a short blow. Too game for his’ own good, Orrantia got up only to be rocked against the ropes and canvassed again. Balewicz immediately stopped the bout without a count at 1:43 of round three.
With a strong turnout from the local fight fan base, it is expected that tonight’s team of promoters will bring another show back to the area within the next two months. They may need a bigger venue the next time, as reportedly fire marshals turned away ticket holders at the door when the allowed occupancy of the building turned out to be lower than was expected.
Photos by Mark Ortega
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.
