Solo Boxeo Tecate: Ronny Rios vs. Roger Gonzalez & Luis Ramos Jr. vs. David Rodela

These were both WARS!

I wasn't able to do a live RBR due to the concurrent live airing of ShoBox taking precedence - but as good as both bouts on Showtime were, Telefutura's show was right up there! :bbb

First, the unbeaten but unproven (as a pro, stellar amateur) young Rios had all he could handle against Roger "Speedy" Gonzalez. For those who haven't had the good fortune to witness them, Gonzalez has been a participant in perhaps more top ten FOTY candidates than any other active boxer. It's always a war when he laces up, and he's only lost to absolutely world class cream of the crop types. The two traded rounds almost back and forth in turn, with Rios a bit more consistently busy and investing some nice hooks to the body whenever Gonzalez leaned in and shielded his head - but with sudden outbursts from Gonzalez seeming to petrify Rios and leave him stumbling backward and seemingly unsure of what to do as Gonzalez gained momentum and ripped him with straight shots. After landing about ten of a dozen, Gonzalez would inevitably ease up and Rios would be allowed to wriggle off the hook and blink away the double vision. When Rios got going, landing in multiples, Gonzalez would just tap himself on the chin with his knuckles and invite Rios in - which seemed to freak the kid the hell out. He'd never been to war before. Gonzalez has served many tours of duty in the trenches. Rios was unable to ever really hurt Gonzalez...but the opposite was not true (you always felt when Gonzalez had his successful moments that if he were throwing 24 and landing 20 instead of throwing 12 and landing 10, he'd get the KO). The difference in their mentalities and body language was stark...but then, it was also plainly clear that Rios was the more talented, slightly quicker, better-conditioned, and more physically prime of the two.

Before the eighth, Gonzalez's corner screamed at him "This is the last one! They AREN'T going to give it to you!!!!! It's been CLOSE, but they AREN'T going to give it to you! DO NOT HOLD BACK AGAINST HIM!". On the opposite side, Rios' trainer pleaded as calmly as he could for the young man to "Box. Box, box, box. Por favor, box!"

Instead, they warred. Gonzalez landed more of his crash-bang volleys. Rios survived.

I had it a draw. The judges had it 80-72, 78-74, and 78-74. :-(

It discredits a great bout, and is insulting to Rios. You could easily make a case for him winning fair and square. He doesn't need to be "helped out" with pre-printed scorecards like that 80-72 one (honestly even worse than the shutout card for Ajose Olusegun over Ali Chebah on Shobox)

Upon hearing the scores read, Gonzalez let out a bitter chuckle but did not further cause a scene. He gave Rios a hug and a quick word of congratulations and then promptly climbed through the ropes to let the 21 year old enjoy the spotlight.


Then in the "main event", Luis Ramos spent four and a half rounds boxing the brakes off of a game but outmatched (despite being a lot bigger) David Rodela. The miniature Margarito seemed destined from very early on to be the inevitable victim of a standing-up referee stoppage, as he would frequently let the little southpaw back him to the ropes and tee off as he covered up (blocking about 75% of the shots and never looking remotely hurt, but also not answering back...which always opens that door...) and waited for the eye of the hurricane to dig in left hooks to the body as the foundation of his honest if unconvincing offensive efforts.

Partway through the fifth round, a routine flurry from Ramos was punctuated with a left uppercut on the sweet spot. No, not the chin. I doubt Ramos could ever knock Rodela out for the count by punching him in the face, even given a free shot. No, this was right at the bottom of the lungs. You could almost see the air escaping Rodela like a whoopie cushion. He went to a knee and never bothered getting up. As the referee reached "ocho", you could see Rodela flinch as though moving to lift his head...but the internal argument was soon over, and with a slight shake of negation he buried his face in shame against his forearm, still resting over his bent knee.


Also on the card: Jose Manuel Sanchez scored a quick (like, SUPER quick...around twenty seconds or so) knockout of cross-state rival Christian Gonzalez, and heavyweight Andrae Carthron pounded previously undefeated butterball Tyree Ortiz into retirement after three rounds of low-speed grunting-accompanied windmilling in a mild upset. It was a bad quit job. :verysad Ortiz rolled his eyes and argued with his trainer upon hearing his instructions to be more aggressive and try to put the opponent away, and then stood up and whined "That was my last round. I can't do it. I can't take it". Really pathetic, actually.