Atencio Wins Big In Chicago

by Juan Ayllon 

Chicago’s Juan Bailon (125.5 lbs., 4-1, 1 KO) found himself on his backside, but rose to fight a gutsy, but ultimately losing battle versus Denver, Colorado’s Tommy Anthony Atencio (127 lbs., 3-1, 2 KO’s).

Atencio jarred Bailon twice with sharp left hooks to the head, but caught payback later in the first round when Bailon roused the crowd with some well-placed rights that bobbled his head.

Two, a right uppercut to the point of the chin dropped Bailon for a two-count. Springing up, he received a standing eight  count from referee Celestino Ruiz. 

Move, Juan, move, shouted his corner.  Bailon was standing directly in front of this puncher.

After a tentative start and catching some hard lefts and rights to the head, Bailon snapped Atencio’s head back with a right  uppercut and put some punches together to put together a compelling round.

The two traded hard rights early in the fourth, with Atencio’s buckling Bailon’s knees as he backed up. While Bailon remained more active, Atencio appeared to do more damage with rights to the head and hooks to the midriff. This pattern was repeated in the fifth, where a big punch – I believe it was the right – drew a loud “ooh” from the crowd and dumped Bailon into the ropes, and another right jarred Bailon.

The difference in power was apparent in the sixth, where Bailon’s sharp rights landed with the impact of a broomstick and Atencio’s carried a weightiness of a rubber mallet.  Two rights of Atencio’s drew special attention – one at mid round that drew another large “ooh” from the crowd and another one near the final bell that buckled Bailon’s knees and forced him to hold on. 

Judges scored the bout 60-53, 60-53 and 59-54 for Terrible Tommy Atencio, Jr. 

Afterwards, Atencio said,  “I’d like to thank Jesus Christ, first and foremost…we worked on boxing and moving just as my dad said. That’s about it.”

6-30-09

According to Chris Cozzone and NewMexicoBoxing.com Joey Silva, 9-2, 4kos, will take on Sammy DiPace, 6-0, 3kos, on July 24th in El Paso, Texas.

6-30-09

Last night, before a sold-out cord at the Paladium in Denver, Colo., on a card promoted by Air Tight Boxing, Juan Santiago (8-2-1, 5 KOs), of Denver, defeated Stevie Marquez (8-13-1, 6 KOs), of Fort Morgan, Colo., in a seven-round thriller. Santiago floored Marquez in the second en route to a decision, winning with scores of 70-62 x 3. In the co-main, lightweight Manny Perez (14-4-1) won a one-sided five-round unanimous decision over New Mexican Lorenzo Estrada (3-14-1), with scors of 50-45 x 3. On the undercard: welterweight Corey Alarcon (13-14) won by majority decision over Terry Buterbaugh (3-3-1), scores of 59-57 twice, and 56-56; jr. welter Tyler Pogline (2-5) won by unanimous decision over Michael Lueras (2-7) in a four-rounder; light heavyweight Pablo Gomez (1-1) TKO’d Nathan Aguilar (0-4) at :37 of round one; and heavyweight Tom Amperon (1-0) won his debut with a second round TKO over Mark Grumble (0-1).

6-29-09

Air Tight Boxing's return to the Paladium has gone just as expected, sold out.  The venue, which holds under 1000 fight fans, hasn't seen boxing since July 10th of '08 and the tickets are almost gone and with good reason.

The main event will pit Colorado's 130 pound champ, Juan Santiago, 7-2-1, 5kos, against the Fort Morgan Mauler, Stevie Marquez, 8-13-1, 6kos in a bout that will see Santiago walk the 'high wire' to avoid the heavy handed Marquez.  Marquez has upset prospects in the past including Tony Morales and a devastating KO over Jesus Noriega.  

In the co main Corey Ben Alarcon, 12-14, 4kos, has his sights set on Colorado Springs' Terry Buterbaugh, 3-2-1, 2kos, as they clash in a six rounder.  Alarcon is coming off a good effort against then undefeated Marcos Herrera.  Buterbaugh comes in on the heals of his draw with Jorge Carasco.  Both fighters need a win and their styles will mesh for a very fan friendly affair.

Manny 'Manos' Perez, 13-4-1, 2kos, will take another 'tuner' against New Mexican tough guy, Lorenzo Estrada, 3-13-1, 1ko, after his unimpressive outing against Daniel Gonzales.  Estrada upset an undefeated prospect, Willie Villanueva, 9-1, 2kos, in his last bout and will look to splay spoiler again.

Anthony Turner, 4-1, 2kos, and Tyler Pogline, 1-5, 1ko, will see action in separate bouts.

The doors open at 7 pm with a start time of 8pm at the Paladium located at 64th and Pecos in Denver.  Reserved seating is sold out but limited standing room only tickets are still available by calling 720-298-1954.

6-18-09

Jim 'Smitty' Smith and Poor Boys Pro Boxing have bought their next date and that will be August 8th at the Softball Country Arena.

This card will see Brad Jackson bouncing back from his first loss to Geoffrey Spruiell as well as Isaac Atencio's return from his loss to Victor Villereal.  Also scheduled is Patrick Thompson.  All bouts are against the ever dangerous TBA at this point.

6-18-09

New FrontPage Poll

Be sure to get your vote in on the new Front Page Poll.  Juan Santiago vs Stevie Marquez, who you got and how?

Santiago vs Marquez is the main event on Airtight Boxing's 'Denver's MVP's' fight card at the Paladium, Saturday June 27th.

6-17-09

Ricky Lopez, 4-0, 2kos, was impressive tonight on the Versus Network opener against Rufino Serrano, 1-1, as he used patience and crisp combination punching to outclass 'The Animal' pitching a no doubt shut-out in the 'Fight Night Club' series debut.

Lopez' skills, speed and experience were too much for Serrano who owned, but seldom enjoyed, a sizeable height and reach advantage.  Lopez controlled the distance and closed it quickly when he attacked using lead right hands before finding a home for his left hooks.  Lopez was able to time right hands over and before Serrano could launch his lengthy jab.  His left hooks to the body opened up the double hooks to the body and head which snapped Serrano's head back in each of the rounds.  Lopez looked very sharp and his defense was noticeably better than his previous outing.  His hands were high from bell to bell and he was relaxed and never winded or out of position.

Look for Lopez to show up on stable mate Victor Ortiz', with whom he shares a trainer in Danny Garcia, WBA title bout against Marcos Maidana on the 27th of this month.

6-11-09

Female boxers hoping IOC punches their ticket to Olympics

Read The Full Report

6-11-09

Ricky Lopez, 3-0, 2kos, will be fighting on the series premiere of  'Fight Night Club'  tonight at the Nokia Club in Los Angeles.  The fight series is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions as they look to recapture the magic of the Olympic Coliseum shows from 25 years ago.  The matchmaker, Don Chargin, earned the nickname 'War-a-Week' by  providing a proving ground for up and coming fighters.

Lopez' bout will not be the typical walk-over type of fight many prospects are fed at the beginning of their career as he is in tough with Rufino 'The Animal' Serrano, 1-0.  Serrano had about 12-15 amateur bouts, according to his manager, and turned pro two weeks after his final fight as an amateur.  Serrano dropped his opponent twice in the first round and knocked his mouthpiece out twice in the last, but had to settle for a decision win.

After being shelved for nearly a year, Lopez broke ties with his local manager and promoter, with help from Rolando Arellano, and landed a spot on the 'Lightweight Lightning' card.  Lopez showed grit in getting up from a first round knockdown to win a split decision, not an easy task in a four rounder.

The show will be televised by the Versus Network, with a local start time of 7pm.  Lopez will open the telecast.  

Weigh In Results by Big Joe Miranda

Ricky Lopez 124 vs Rufino Serrano 123.50

6-11-09

Denver's Louie Byrd a big hitter at home

Read the Full Story on DenverPost.com

6-10-09

Lopez more mature than he looks

By Dougie Fischer

Ricky Lopez could easily pass for a high school freshman, and the former amateur standout from Denver, Colo. knows it.

Lopez, who makes his California debut on Thursday’s “Fight Night Club” show at downtown L.A.’s Club Nokia, has come to accept his baby face. 

“I get it all the time,” Lopez (3-0, 2 KOs) said of being mistaken for a teenager. 

The 22-year-old junior featherweight prospect says he doesn’t mind as long as fans aren’t commenting on the way he fights.

“I was the youngest boxer ever (16) to participate in the Olympic Trials (for the 2004 Games),” said Lopez, who compiled an 89-9 record during a stellar amateur career that included 10 national titles in the ‘junior’ and ‘under-19’ classes. “I was always rated in the top-three of USA Boxing’s 119-pound division rankings as a teen. I’m used to being ‘the kid’ but I don’t fight like a kid.” 

He certainly doesn’t act like a kid. At age 15 he made a very mature decision when he asked his father if his good friend from the amateur circuit, Victor Ortiz, could move in with their family.

Ortiz, a highly-rated junior welterweight who was the prospect of the year for 2008, was going through a difficult period in his life at the time. 

“Victor had left his parents in Kansas to stay with his older sister, who lived in Denver,” Lopez recalled. “I had known him since we were 11 years old. I was actually bigger than him when we first met. We conquered the junior amateur tournaments together and we became good friends. 

“About the time he was 14 and 15 years old, he was bouncing back and forth between his parents and his sister’s place and at some point had nowhere else to go. I asked my dad if we could take him in and we did, for a year. A few years later we took in his younger brother, Temo, for about a year.”

Ortiz, who has a contract with Golden Boy Promotions and is co-managed by the very-connected Shelly Finkel and Rolando Arellano, returned the kindness by helping Lopez out when the junior featherweight’s fledgling pro career was stagnating. 

“I turned pro on May 9 last year; I had my second pro bout two weeks later and then nothing,” Lopez said. “My career hit a snag and nothing I did could get it going. Victor hooked me up with Rolando, who worked on getting me out of my old (promotional and managerial) contract, and he let me move in with him in Oxnard (Calif.), where I could get the best training. 

“Victor and Rolando pushed to get me on the ‘Lightweight Lightening’ undercard in April, which was the first step in getting my career back on track.”

That first step back was a rocky one for Lopez, who had to get up from a first-round knockdown before struggling to a four-round split decision over Felipe Ramirez on the Golden Boy Promotions card in Austin, Texas. 

Lopez describes himself as “a boxer-puncher” with a good jab and counter-punching ability but he had a hard time jabbing or counter punching his 0-1 opponent. 

“I was the most depressed in my life after that fight,” he said. “The dude I fought had a concrete chin. He was like a terminator, he just kept coming. After the fight he told me that I hit him harder than anyone ever had, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t look good and I didn’t feel like myself. I was rusty.”

Lopez chalks it up to inactivity. 

“I didn’t compete in the 2008 Olympic Trials because I had an injury that kept me out of the ring from May of 2007 to when I turned pro,” he said. “Then I was out almost a full year after my second pro bout. All I did was train and that’s not enough.

“I know that I looked like an amateur in my last fight. I only have three fights. I basically am an amateur, I throw a lot of punches and I waste a lot of energy. I’m not relaxed yet. It’s frustrating.

“Victor tells me that I’ll settle down and that it will feel more natural in the ring once I get more fights and get on a busy schedule.”

If Lopez is successful on Thursday, he might land a spot on the June 27 undercard of Ortiz’s title-elimination showdown with Marcos Maidana at STAPLES Center in L.A. 

However, his fight on June 11 won’t be easy. Lopez’s opponent, Rufino Serrano of Arroyo Grande, Calif., looked impressive in his pro debut -- a brutal first-round KO -- last month.

That’s OK. Lopez believes that the four rounds he fought in April served as a wake up call.

“I knocked out my first two pro opponents and I think it went to my head a bit,” he said. “I’m glad I didn’t knockout my opponent in Austin. It reminded me that you can’t knock everyone out. I’m glad it was a tough fight because I didn’t use my skills.

“I will next time. I learned a lot from that fight.”

Lopez might look like a kid for many years to come, but he doesn’t expect to fight like one for very long.


Doug Fischer can be reached at dougiefischer@yahoo.com

Holt Edges Corn in Mahnomen By Jesse Kelley

Chris Holt 8rd split decision over JJ Corn

Read the Full Report by Jesse Kelley

6-8-09

Ex-boxer Ron Lyle muscling up on life

Read the full Story

6-7-09

'Red Hot' Rob Frankel, 27-9-1, 4kos, was just sentenced in Denver County Court to 10 years in prison after a plea bargain involving domestic abuse charges against his wife, who was several months pregnant at the time. 

Frankel was originally charged with false imprisonment, kidnapping, child abuse and second degree assault.  He plead guilty to second degree assault and kidnapping.  

This was his third domestic charge with his wife, Crystal, with whom he has 2 children, Fionna who is 2 years old and Ginger who was born on May 15th of this year.

Frankel was on a 6 fight winning streak, including wins over Bobby Pacquiao and Ricardo Dominguez.  He recently left his long time trainer and promoter Steve Mestas and Airtight Boxing to pursue opportunities with Delgado Promotions where he was being trained by Mike Alvarado's trainer Shann Villhauer.

Those opportunities are now put on hold, indefinitely.

6-4-09

No Silver Lining For Silva

by Big Joe Miranda, Ringside

Super bantamweight Khabir Suelymanoz beat Joey Silva by six round split decision.  Silva is now 9-2, 4kos, while Suelymanoz remains undefeated at 7-0, 2kos.

5-31-09

Abron Stopped By Mack 'Truck'

by Jason Kotar and Ryan Macalua, Ringside 

Light heavyweight Yusaf Mack (27-2-2, 16 KOs) made quick work out of former NABO champion DeAndrey Abron (15-4, 10 KOs). Mack used his quickness to beat Abron to the punch evading Abron’s wide hooks while landing combinations to the body. In round four, Abron finally landed a sharp overhand left that only urged the agressive Mack to unleash furious combinations, finally putting Abron on the canvas with a overhand right. Abron made the count but Mack refused to let him off the hook by following up with a crushing left hook. The fight was then stopped.  

5-31-09

Quick Results From Softball Country  

by Chris Morris

Tonight, before a packed in field of fans at Softball Country, Poor Boys Professional Boxing put on a great night of boxing showcasing wills and skills as Geoffrey Spruiell upset previously undefeated Brad Jackson and Manny Perez and Alejandro Castillo showed skill sets few from Colorado can match.  The threat of rain didn’t keep the fight fans from showing up to support their local boxers and the bad weather missed the show entirely.

Brad ‘B-Loco’ Jackson, was bullied, outworked and out willed by Pueblo’s Geoffrey ‘Top Dawg’ Spruiell, 8-7, 2kos, for the better part of their six round welterweight bout winning a unanimous decision and stealing the undefeated status of Jackson.  What they lacked in skill they made up for in raw action.  Jackson, who is now 9-1-1, 3kos, is from Denver.

In the co-main event Manny 'Manos' Perez, 13-4-1, 2kos, who hails from Denver, showed flashes of his world class technical boxing abilities as well as the rust of his 6 months away from the ring.  He outclassed, Daniel ‘Getcha, Getcha, Gotcha’ Gonzales, 9-22-2, 3kos, a very durable journeyman from Billings Montana, in a six rounder. 

Perez, a lightweight, is a former WBC World Youth Champion and currently ranked #10 by the NABF (North American Boxing Federation which is the Jr. organization of the WBC, World Boxing Council).  He will next fight on a local Airtight Boxing card, “Denver’s MVP’s: Most Valuable Punchers”, to take place on June 27^th at The Paladium Event Center in Denver. 

The 'fight of the night' on paper turned out to be an almost non competitive affair as Alejandro Castillo used his early Roy Jones Jr. like style to frustrate and beat up Francisco Dominguez, 6-5, 1ko, for his third straight victory in as many starts.  Castillo, an Abraham Lincoln High School graduate, used movement and fast handed combinations to outclass the Tijuana tough-guy and rocked him back on his heals several times in their six round bantamweight bout.

And in the opening fight of the night, a super featherweight bout, Ron Lyle trained southpaw, Jacob Dominguez, 1-0, started his career on the right foot with a bruising decision over Josh Martinez, 1-3.  Dominguez was very busy and Martinez had no answers for the left handed stance.  Both boxers are from Denver.

Before the live action began House of Pain Gym brothers, Juan Santiago and Corey Alarcon, warmed up the crowd with an exhibition, sans head gear.  With both men having fights in the next 30 days, they had to be very careful not to bust each other up and ruin their upcoming opportunities.

Full report by Eric Duran coming Monday, he promised.

5-30-09

RMB has received confirmation, from the Malignaggi camp, that the Alvarado vs Malignaggi bout has been scratched due to an injury Alvarado suffered in training.

Malignaggi was made aware of Alvarado pulling the plug after his training session  yesterday.

5-30-09

5-29-09

Nick  Groke Throws Boxing A Bone!

Nick Groke, who writes for the Denver Post, is a boxing fan as well as a Rocky Mountain Boxing.com fan.  His 'Sports Weekend' column has a nice story about the fight card tomorrow night.  Thanks a ton Nick!  Here is a link to his article as it appeared in this morning's Denver Post. 

 'Sports Weekend"

What We'd Like To See: Put 'Em Up

By Nick Groke, Denver Post

An outdoor stage at Softball Country in North Denver will be the site of a series of boxing matchups Saturday, featuring some of the area's best prospects.

In the two main bouts, Alejandro Castillo (2-0) will take on Francisco Dominguez (6-4) in a bantamweight fight and Jose Morales (5-1) goes against Roni Alvarado (1-0) at super featherweight.

Castillo, a graduate of Abraham Lincoln High School, in December scored an impressive four-round decision over Shawn Nichol. Morales is a former amateur champion in Mexico.

The fights start at 7 p.m.

Visit insideboxing.com and RockyMountainBoxing.com for information.

5-2-019

Young Hot Prospect Castillo 'La Ley-ing' Down The 

Law!!!

By Laz Izada, InsideBoxing.com

Boxing fans let me tell you about this kid from Denver by way of Mexico, making the airwaves his name is Alejandro “La Ley” Castillo he is an 18 year old bantamweight that recently turned pro. He is 2-0 and is not taking the route of bolstering his record by fighting nobodies. His team consist of trainer Donald Camarena and manager Aurelio Martinez, which are well known and respected in the fight game, from their years of experience. Martinez tells me that he has enough confidence in Castillo to put him up in bouts that are equally competitive in such early stages of his career. 

Case in point Castillo’s pro debut was against former Jr. Olympic champion Shawn Nichol back in December of last year. He defeated Nichol by majority decision showcasing his aggressive and entertaining style of boxing. Castillo told me that his first pro victory over Nichol “boosted his confidence level”. He was then pitted against Jake Featherman in March of this year Featherman was making his pro debut standing 6” feet tall against Castillo which is 5’ 5” doubters told Castillo’s camp that they were nuts, putting him in against an opponent 5 inches taller. End result “La Ley” TKO’D Featherman in the first round. 

Now the “La Ley” Castillo is back in action this Saturday Night May 30th under the lights at Softball Country Arena, 2101 West 64th Ave, Denver, Co. He’ll be taking on experienced formidable opponent Francisco Dominguez 6-4, which has 10, 4 round bouts under his belt.

Castillo tells me that he loves what he is doing, his favorite boxers are Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Julio Cesar Chavez, he started going to the gym at 12 years old , while others his age dropped out of the game he carried on and his persistence and hard work has paid off. His manager Martinez said that he saw something special in Alejandro (A well mannered kid, working, going to college and boxing).

Castillo does not like and is not into thrash talking, that in the ring he lets his hands do the talking. He is all business in the