Former world bantamweight champion Diego “Pelucho” Morales, brother of three time world champion Erik “Terrible” Morales, presented the last fight card of the year in Tijuana, MX, at the now regular home of professional fisticuffs El Foro Theatre in the center of the legendary Revolution Avenue. “Pelucho Promotions” has emerged as the busiest supplier of boxing in this south of the border city averaging marathon fight cards at least once a month. Usually packed with at least ten or more bouts per night, on Saturday night a conservative five fights were presented. In the main event, perennial local favorite Rodrigo Juarez took on Jose Ramos in a scheduled ten round super lightweight affair.
Juarez who hails from the north side of Tijuana which is the same area as the Morales brothers and is considered one of the toughest neighborhoods of this very tough city showed his true grit as he survived a hard left hook in the opening minute of the bout. Guanajuato, MX’s Ramos’ early lead did not last long as he was on the receiving end of a hard uppercut to the solar plexus midway thru the round. In the second, Juarez was able to show off his quickness as he elusively slipped punches with bending of the waist and his hands by his midsection. Ramos changed his tactics as he tried to attack the body of Juarez in hopes of slowing down the legs of his rival while Juarez darted inside and landed power punches the head of Ramos. Midway thru the third, Ramos landed a hard left hook to the unprotected jaw of Juarez that made the Tijuana native think twice of his barely there defense. Juarez was successful landing jabs from his waist on the face of the plodding Ramos.
In the fourth, Juarez’s confidence began to skyrocket as Ramos had no answer for his quick jab wether it came as a single or double. Juarez began to circle around the center of the ring boxing Ramos with ease. Juarez began to display a smug smile until Ramos was able to wipe it off with a combination of punches to the head near the end of the round. Although Ramos began to bleed from the mouth in fifth, it was his best round as he was able to pressure Juarez against the ropes and land telling punches to the head and torso of his opponent. Juarez was able to regain his composure by the end of the stanza to land a series of quick punches led by the jab.
The pace did not slow in the sixth as Juarez landed a right hand uppercut to the body as Ramos tried to control the inside real estate. Near the end of the second minute of the round, Juarez landed a left hook to the jaw that sent Ramos crashing to the canvas. Ramos was able to beat the count although on wobbly legs and did enough to survive the round. Ramos failed to answer the bell for the seventh round awarding the Juarez his 17th KO and 21st win against five losses and one draw. Ramos leaves the ring with a record of 10-5-1, 7KO.
In the semi main event, Francisco Rodriguez and Julio Cesar Felix faced off in a 108 lbs. eight round bout. In the first round, Felix of Tijuana, MX, found a home for his quick right hand early as he counter punched the slower jab of San Felipe, MX’s Rodriguez. By the end of the round the
former Youth junior flyweight WBC titlist Felix began to put together combinations led by the right hand and punctuated by hooks to both the head and body. Rodriguez had no answer but to put up his guard and lean against the ropes. Early in the second, Rodriguez made his presence known by connecting with a hard left hook to the jaw of Felix as he trapped his better skilled rival in the red corner. Midway thru the round Felix landed a straight right hand that forced Rodriguez to take a couple steps back to regain his composure as the assembled crowd let out an approving roar. Felix continued to land the right hand and adding an uppercut in close quarters from the same fist.
Rodriguez began the third with a quick burst of punches with only half of them connecting. Once the paced slowed Felix continued with his fight plan of slipping the jab by taking a step back and landing hard rights. Rodriguez not to be deterred would sneak in an occasional left hook to counter his rival’s straight right. Near the end of the round, Felix’s right hand attack bared fruit as he dropped Rodriguez with a quick right to the jaw. Rodriguez was able to beat the count and reach the end of the round. In the fourth, a tentative Rodriguez minimized his attack in hopes of not allowing Felix to continue to counter attack with the right hand. Felix inched forward behind the jab with many of them followed by now his weapon of choice, the straight right that landed almost at will. Near the end of the round, both fighters clinched off the ropes, when they separated Felix landed a left hook to the mouth of the stomach which doubled over his opponent and sent him to his knees. Rodriguez was not able to beat the count. the official time as kept by the offcial timekeeper Cesar Fernandez was 2:54 of the fourth round.
With the win, Julio Cesar Felix sees his record go to 12-2, 7KO while Francisco Rodriguez travels back to his native San Felipe on the Baja California peninsula with a record of 4-3-1, 3KO.
Quick footed junior flyweight Javier Mendoza of Tijuana, MX, needed only two and a half rounds of a scheduled six to see his record go to 9-1-1, 7KO as he controlled the action with a darting southpaw style over Guadalajara, MX’s Manuel Armendariz (2-6). After forcing Armendariz to take a knee with a hard body blow, Mendoza finished off the job with a right hook to the forehead that sent his opponent flat on his backside. Referee Juan Manual Lee did not bother to count as he waived off the bout at the 2:45 mark of the third round.
Super lightweight Daniel Lopez of Culiacan, MX, made short work of Tijuana’s Javier Gomez stopping the local fighter at the 1:55 mark of the first round of a schuduled four. After the rangier Gomez began the fight steadily landing the jab, Lopez began to take the fight into the inside trapping his opponent against the ropes and landing power punches from either fist. Lopez trapped the taller Gomez against a neutral corner and landed a straight right followed by a left hook and then a right to the jaw that separated Gomez from his senses although he remained standing prompting referee Juan Manuel Rincon to intervene and stop the contest. Lopez climbs to 2-1, 2KO while Gomez drops to 4-3, 4KO.
Flyweight Felipe Salguero (5-2-1, 2KO) of Toluca, MX, survived the late round attack of a game but lackadaisical Ernesto Armenta (0-4-1) to earn a unanimous decision in a four round bout. Identical scores of 40-36 were turned in by Juan Jose Ramirez, Juan Carlos Pelayo and Monique Rendon.