Telefutura: Antillon Stops Valdez In First Round

By Michael Norby: Unbeaten lightweight Urbano Antillon continues to impress after scoring a first round knockout victory over fellow Mexican Adrian Valdez on Friday night at The Dickerson’s Event Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Headlining Telefutura’s Solo Boxeo broadcast, Antillon 21-0 (14 KOs) who is rising steadily up the standings in the lightweight division, made a perfect statement as he looks forward to a promising 2008 – dropping Valdez 18-6-3 (10 KOs) in the opening twenty seconds with a left hook, before finishing him off one minute later with a right hand. Southpaw Valdez came out sprightly and was just beginning to get his jab going when the pressing Antillon connected with a big left hook that dumped him on the seat of his pants. Valdez got up and did not look hurt, but Antillon was on top of him immediately. After harassing his retreating opponent for close to a minute, Antillon connected with a left hook, followed by a body sequence and straight right hand that sent the stunned Mexican to the deck for the second time. Valdez was hit with a glancing right hand as he sat on the canvas and he slumped over rather dramatically. Referee, Rocky Burke waved the fight off as he observed Valdez lying in a heap - although the beaten Mexican felt well enough, seconds later, to protest the late hit with the referee. Time of stoppage - 1:16 RD 1 Undercard: In heavyweight action, power-punching giant David Rodriguez was forced the distance for only the second time in his career as he out-pointed veteran Marcus McGee over eight rounds. The unbeaten Rodriguez 27-0 (25 KOs) who boasts 21 first round stoppage victories in his 27 fights, must have been licking his chops before tonight’s fight, given that McGee 19-15 (9 KOs) has hit the canvas more often than Claude Monet in his five year career. McGee, however, wasn’t playing ball this evening and he gave the powerful 30-year-old a tough night through eight largely slow-moving rounds - badly hurting Rodriguez in the final frame. The first round began lazily enough with both men rolling their shoulders and pawing out occasional jabs. Rodriguez was the first to let go with power – a left hook/straight right sequence pushing McGee back to the ropes in the second minute. The veteran responded with two hooks to the body, but probably with the promise of his opponent’s firepower on his mind, McGee was in retreat for most of the round. In the final minute, Rodriguez put his punches together fluidly – ending the frame with a three punch combination to McGee’s midsection. Rodriguez continued to attack the soft-looking body of McGee early in the second round and he controlled the latter half of the round with his jab. McGee was on the offensive a little more in this frame though, and he connected with a beautiful straight right hand in the final minute that sent Rodriguez backward.  McGee opened the third successfully and scored well with a similar straight right hand upstairs in the opening seconds. A nasty welt had formed under the left eye of Rodriguez in this round and McGee was connecting cleanly as his confidence soared. In the second half of the round however, Rodriguez wisely returned to pounding his opponent’s body, landing blows that clearly troubled the 36-year-old and forced him to hold on against the ropes in the final seconds. Rodriguez hurt McGee to the body with a right hook in the final minute of an otherwise uneventful fourth round, and he entered the fifth for the first time in his professional career. In that frame, Rodriguez again had his man in retreat after a sequence of clubbing punches to the head and body in the opening minute. McGee tried to shoot back with his right hand, but his punch lacked the minerals to cause the New Mexican trouble. Both men were showing signs of fatigue as the fight entered the later rounds, and the pace, which wasn’t exactly rapid to begin with, slowed markedly. Both guys traded jabs and single punches for a couple of rounds before Rodriguez stepped on the gas after he hurt McGee with an uppercut in the seventh. He let his hands go with purpose in the final twenty seconds of the round – landing cleanly to the body and head of the veteran in his best frame since the fifth. Rodriguez looked in control for the most part, until the final minute of the eighth and final round when McGee clocked him with a sudden and stunning six-punch head combination that had the 30-year-old reeling in the corner. Rodriguez fought back and backed his man away, but McGee, realizing that he probably needed a stoppage to win, kept punching, and again stunned Rodriguez in the closing seconds. Time was not on McGee’s side however, and the final bell rang before the veteran could inflict the necessary damage on Rodriguez. Scores: 77-75; 77-75; 79-73 Making his professional debut, 18-year-old bantamweight Sammy DiPace impressively dispatched of opponent Benito Juarez in the third round of a scheduled four. DiPace 1-0 (1 KO) came out swinging from the opening bell and trapped Juarez 1-2 (1 KO) in the corner – unleashing a plethora of hard punches against the body and dial of his opponent. Juarez soaked up the punishment and shot back on a couple of occasions, but he took a hammering throughout the round from a stunning array of power shots from the young debutant. Bloodied and shell-shocked in the first round, Juarez was asking for trouble in the second frame with his wide, slow punching and DiPace made him pay. He again swarmed all over his foe and battered him north and south for much of the round – hurting Juarez regularly to the body with his left hook. It was a wonder that Juarez made it out of the opening round, never mind the second, but he did and proved if nothing else that he was tough-as-nails. But he was clearly overwhelmed and he again parked his rear on the second rope in the third frame as DiPace brutalized him with a relentless barrage of power punches. It was during this assault that referee Lorenzo Saiz pulled DiPace away from his prey, stopping the fight and ensuring a spectacular debut for the young New Mexican. Time of stoppage: 0:34 RD 3

By Michael Norby: Unbeaten lightweight Urbano Antillon continues to impress after scoring a first round knockout victory over fellow Mexican Adrian Valdez on Friday night at The Dickerson’s Event Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Headlining Telefutura’s Solo Boxeo broadcast, Antillon 21-0 (14 KOs) who is rising steadily up the standings in the lightweight division, made a perfect statement as he looks forward to a promising 2008 – dropping Valdez 18-6-3 (10 KOs) in the opening twenty seconds with a left hook, before finishing him off one minute later with a right hand.

Southpaw Valdez came out sprightly and was just beginning to get his jab going when the pressing Antillon connected with a big left hook that dumped him on the seat of his pants. Valdez got up and did not look hurt, but Antillon was on top of him immediately. After harassing his retreating opponent for close to a minute, Antillon connected with a left hook, followed by a body sequence and straight right hand that sent the stunned Mexican to the deck for the second time.

Valdez was hit with a glancing right hand as he sat on the canvas and he slumped over rather dramatically. Referee, Rocky Burke waved the fight off as he observed Valdez lying in a heap - although the beaten Mexican felt well enough, seconds later, to protest the late hit with the referee.

Time of stoppage - 1:16 RD 1

Undercard:

In heavyweight action, power-punching giant David Rodriguez was forced the distance for only the second time in his career as he out-pointed veteran Marcus McGee over eight rounds.

The unbeaten Rodriguez 27-0 (25 KOs) who boasts 21 first round stoppage victories in his 27 fights, must have been licking his chops before tonight’s fight, given that McGee 19-15 (9 KOs) has hit the canvas more often than Claude Monet in his five year career.

McGee, however, wasn’t playing ball this evening and he gave the powerful 30-year-old a tough night through eight largely slow-moving rounds - badly hurting Rodriguez in the final frame.

The first round began lazily enough with both men rolling their shoulders and pawing out occasional jabs. Rodriguez was the first to let go with power – a left hook/straight right sequence pushing McGee back to the ropes in the second minute. The veteran responded with two hooks to the body, but probably with the promise of his opponent’s firepower on his mind, McGee was in retreat for most of the round. In the final minute, Rodriguez put his punches together fluidly – ending the frame with a three punch combination to McGee’s midsection.

Rodriguez continued to attack the soft-looking body of McGee early in the second round and he controlled the latter half of the round with his jab. McGee was on the offensive a little more in this frame though, and he connected with a beautiful straight right hand in the final minute that sent Rodriguez backward.

McGee opened the third successfully and scored well with a similar straight right hand upstairs in the opening seconds. A nasty welt had formed under the left eye of Rodriguez in this round and McGee was connecting cleanly as his confidence soared. In the second half of the round however, Rodriguez wisely returned to pounding his opponent’s body, landing blows that clearly troubled the 36-year-old and forced him to hold on against the ropes in the final seconds.

Rodriguez hurt McGee to the body with a right hook in the final minute of an otherwise uneventful fourth round, and he entered the fifth for the first time in his professional career. In that frame, Rodriguez again had his man in retreat after a sequence of clubbing punches to the head and body in the opening minute. McGee tried to shoot back with his right hand, but his punch lacked the minerals to cause the New Mexican trouble.

Both men were showing signs of fatigue as the fight entered the later rounds, and the pace, which wasn’t exactly rapid to begin with, slowed markedly. Both guys traded jabs and single punches for a couple of rounds before Rodriguez stepped on the gas after he hurt McGee with an uppercut in the seventh. He let his hands go with purpose in the final twenty seconds of the round – landing cleanly to the body and head of the veteran in his best frame since the fifth.

Rodriguez looked in control for the most part, until the final minute of the eighth and final round when McGee clocked him with a sudden and stunning six-punch head combination that had the 30-year-old reeling in the corner. Rodriguez fought back and backed his man away, but McGee, realizing that he probably needed a stoppage to win, kept punching, and again stunned Rodriguez in the closing seconds.

Time was not on McGee’s side however, and the final bell rang before the veteran could inflict the necessary damage on Rodriguez.

Scores: 77-75; 77-75; 79-73

Making his professional debut, 18-year-old bantamweight Sammy DiPace impressively dispatched of opponent Benito Juarez in the third round of a scheduled four.

DiPace 1-0 (1 KO) came out swinging from the opening bell and trapped Juarez 1-2 (1 KO) in the corner – unleashing a plethora of hard punches against the body and dial of his opponent. Juarez soaked up the punishment and shot back on a couple of occasions, but he took a hammering throughout the round from a stunning array of power shots from the young debutant.

Bloodied and shell-shocked in the first round, Juarez was asking for trouble in the second frame with his wide, slow punching and DiPace made him pay. He again swarmed all over his foe and battered him north and south for much of the round – hurting Juarez regularly to the body with his left hook.

It was a wonder that Juarez made it out of the opening round, never mind the second, but he did and proved if nothing else that he was tough-as-nails. But he was clearly overwhelmed and he again parked his rear on the second rope in the third frame as DiPace brutalized him with a relentless barrage of power punches. It was during this assault that referee Lorenzo Saiz pulled DiPace away from his prey, stopping the fight and ensuring a spectacular debut for the young New Mexican.

Time of stoppage: 0:34 RD 3