Sanchez Remains Unbeatable at Home
WOODLAND, CALIFORNIA — Rising prospect and local draw Alan Sanchez thrilled his vocal following yet again with a hard-fought eight-round unanimous decision over Alberto Herrera in the Telefutura Solo Boxeo main event at the Woodland Community & Senior Center on Friday night.
Sanchez (9-2-1, 3 KOs) of Fairfield, California entered the ring four times in 2011, three times in Fairfield and once in nearby Woodland. All four times Sanchez emerged victorious in fairly one-sided, but action-packed bouts.
On Friday, Herrera (8-4-1, 5 KOs) of Riverside, California fought the type of fight he needed to in order to be successful. Sanchez just made certain he was not. The shorter and shorter-armed Herrera, 146, took the fight to Sanchez’ chest, but was still outfought nonetheless. When Sanchez, 149, did get at range and keep Herrera on the end of his punches, the Riverside resident was even less successful.
Sanchez utilized a lead right from the early going. It was a punch that Herrera rarely had a remedy for from a defensive standpoint. After maintaining his distance for the first two rounds, Sanchez decided to exchange with Herrera at close range to end the third. Herrera managed to land his first few clean blows, but it was still a Sanchez round.
The fourth was perhaps the only round that Herrera won outright. Herrera, the younger brother of world ranked light welterweight contender Mauricio Herrera, briefly forced Sanchez to the ropes and kept the fight at close range for much of the round. Though he faded late in the stanza, Herrera did well early and got the best of a heated exchange late.
As the fight progressed, Sanchez would fight toe-to-toe in stretches, but eventually find a way to utilize his edge in reach. Sensing he was behind in the fight, Herrera came forward non-stop in round seven. However, Sanchez picked his shots well and landed clean whenever he let go with his hands. To his credit, Herrera fought hard until the end, but just did not have an answer for Sanchez’ size and reach.
All three official scorers, Dan Collins, Marty Sammon and Michael Tate, had the fight for Sanchez by the score of 79-73.
Guy Robb (7-0, 3 KOs) of Sacramento, California sent his large contingent of supporters on hand home happy with a dominant fifth-round stoppage over durable Hugo Ramos (3-11-2, 1 KO) of Palm Springs, California.
Heading into the bout, Ramos, 127, had been stopped only once, having gone the distance with prospects Randy Caballero, Jonathan Arrellano, Joel Diaz and Gabriel Tolmajyan. Robb, 127, predicted a knockout and decided early on a concentrated body attack was his best hope to make his prediction come true.
Ramos was fleet of foot early, but Robb began to land his right to the body by late in the first. It would be Robb’s go to punch throughout the fight, as Ramos continually covered up, leaving his body exposed. Though he clearly had the better boxing skills, Robb was quite comfortable mixing it up at close quarters as well.
By the fourth, Ramos was really feeling the effects of every right to his ribs. While he continued to swing away, the sting had really left Ramos’ punches as Robb relentlessly pursued him around the ring. Sensing his man was in trouble in the fifth, Robb upped his attack even more, eventually catching Ramos with against the ropes. Finally protected his body, Ramos left himself open for a series of clean blows to his head, which prompted referee Ed Collantes to stop the bout at 2:18 of the fifth.
Unbeaten light welterweight Jonathan Chicas (4-0, 3 KOs) of San Francisco, California looked impressive in spoiling the debut of heralded former amateur standout Paul Cano (0-1) of Clovis, California via second-round kayo.
Cano, 144, pressed the action early, but could not avoid Chicas’ counter right hands. Late in the opening round Chicas, 144, caught Cano with a right in an exchange. Two more overhand rights followed, the last one forced Cano to the mat for a knockdown. Cano appeared to have clear eyes as referee Ray Balewicz gave him a standing eight-count with seconds to go in the round. After one more Chicas overhand right, the round ended with Cano a bit shaky going to his corner.
Cano came out pressing again in the second, but again found himself on the end of a series of overhand rights in an exchange. After six straight overhand rights, Cano legs came out from under him as he fell back into the blue corner. Though he popped up quickly, Balewicz opted to stop the fight without a count. Time of the stoppage was 31 seconds of the second round.
In a battle between former sparring partners, Nicolas Balestra (2-1, 1 KO) of Sacramento outlasted Will Walters (0-3) of Sacramento en route to a third-round stoppage. Balestra, 146, and Walters, 146, came out at each other with no feeling out process from the opening bell. Walters boxed well early, but it appeared Balestra’s edge in power began to take over early in the third. Balestra’s right began to find a home without an answer coming from Walters. After a succession of rights by Balestra snapped Walters’ head back, referee Ed Collantes stopped the contest at 1:13 of the third.
In the opener, Oscar Godoy (4-1, 2 KOs) of Watsonville, California dominated journeyman Juan Carlos Diaz (7-16, 6 KOs) of Lakeside, California by way of Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, Estado de Mexico, Mexico en route to a third-round stoppage.
After two one-sided rounds, Godoy, 150, really pressed the issue in the third. With Diaz, 152, covering up against the ropes, Godoy unleashed in combination and landed a damaging right that forced the Mexican to wilt against the third strand. With Diaz prone, Godoy continued to throw before referee Ray Balewicz waved off the bout at 2:44 of round three.
In the walkout bout, Dmitry Chudinov (6-0, 3 KOs) of Los Angeles, California by way of Serpukhov, Russia turned back the challenge of short notice opponent Tony Hirsch (12-5-2, 6 KOs) of Oakland, California via six-round majority decision.
Hirsch, who took the fight on a day’s notice and at his holiday weight, 180, was successful in spots in a bout that featured some hard to score rounds. Chudinov, 178, likely got credit for coming forward and for some clean punching on the inside. Hirsch fought off his back foot looking to counter the naturally larger Chudinov. Judges Dan Collins and Marty Sammon saw the fight 59-55 and 58-56 respectively for Chudinov. Judge Michael Tate had the fight even, 57-57.
Photos by Stephanie Trapp/trappfotos@gmail.com
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.
