Villanueva turns pro at first Reseda show
A lot of debuts took place at this past weekend’s “The Brawl at the Hall 1” boxing show promoted by Fred McCurry and the Fulton Street Fight Club. Matchmaker Hervi Estrada and McCurry featured seven bouts on their inaugural card. The night was McCurry’s very first foray into promoting fights and it also served as super flyweight Matthew Villanueva’s debut into the pro ranks along with four other fighters also making their long-anticipated debuts.
If you missed out on McCurry and Estrada’s first show together, you’ll get a second chance as the two are already planning their next event. The American Legion Hall in Reseda was a throwback to intimate club fights of the past with many in the audience saying they liked the “old school” feel of the building. Speaking with veteran matchmaker/promoter Estrada while he was at Nokia Plaza for tonight’s St. Patrick’s Day event, he said, “Fred broke the ice with this show and we’re really happy with the outcome. I can’t wait for the green light for our next show!”
Take a peek at some of the snapshots from the evening–including an introduction to new pro fighter Matthew Villanueva.
For Matthew, the night turned out to be a memorable one. The Villanueva camp had about 50 friends and family cheering him on, and he didn’t disappoint his fans. The young pug from Palmdale scored the only KO of the night–and what a knockout it was. Just a few seconds into the second round, the slugger put his foe down with such a thunder that it stunned the standing-room only crowd–and impressed his own father.
“It was a one-two combination,” remarked Matthew’s dad, Joaquin. “It was scary; I thought his power was scary!”
As his opponent Ludwin Mondragon lay prone on the canvas, the audience watched on as the well-being of the fighter took precedence over everything else. There was a shocked reaction in the building when Mondragon went down–and stayed down. The stretcher was brought into the ring as a safety precaution as Ludwin appeared to be somewhat dazed but moving and fully conscious.
During the break, while awaiting the return of the ambulance, announcer Jim FitzGerald kept the ticket holders entertained with a special prize drawing by the ring card girls and an introduction of VIP guests and celebrities in the crowd including famed kickboxer/karate master/actor Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. While we all waited for the matches to continue, I took advantage of the time to chat with some familiar faces in the room like well-regarded trainers Clemente Medina (Alfredo Angulo), Jimmy Jackson (former pro fighter), Fausto De La Torre (Eder Peralta and Pasadena’s Villa Parke) and Jeff Langton (martial artist/actor/boxing trainer). All four men are always great to visit with–and are always in demand as top trainers and cornermen.
After the break and the return of the ambulance, emcee “Fitz” reported, to the relief of the audience, that doctors said Mondragon will be okay. Speaking later with matchmaker Hervi Estrada, he confirmed that after all medical tests, Mondragon is fine and can get back in the ring in the future. The action then got underway. Matt sat with his family and friends to watch the rest of the bouts which included one female fight. He was understandably pleased with his pro debut, and fighting for the first time without padded headgear, protective jerseys and the amateur rules of a point system.
I noticed that Matthew had kept a quiet and steely game face on before his fight, but after the knockout he was both humble and happy about his very first win as a pro.
“In the first round, I was getting the feel of it all,” he told me. “Maybe I was just a little rusty, but I felt great!”
And then there was the second round.
“The knockout came at what, 14 seconds into the second?” I inquired.
“It was actually 12 seconds!” he answered with just a bit of a grin.
“I was shocked and excited about the knockout,” Matthew added. An amateur standout, Villanueva was wearing a Desert Showdown T-shirt, a tournament he won several years in a row. He also won district, state and national titles in the Golden Gloves, PAL, and other championships. While he fought at 119 in the amateurs his dad confirms that Matt will stay at 115 for the pros.
For Team Villanueva, it was definitely a successful entrance into the world of professional boxing. “He looked good; he completely overwhelmed this guy,” his father said a few days after the bout. They took some time to celebrate his first victory but are now already looking ahead. “We’re 
waiting and ready to go,” Joaquin says. “We’re hoping to fight in April.”
It was fitting that Matt’s debut was in the San Fernando Valley since the Cuban-Puerto Rican boxer was born in nearby Burbank. “I was born in Cuba,” explains his dad Joaquin. “Matthew’s mother was born in Puerto Rico but he was born right here in Burbank!”
Always an athletic kid while growing up in the Antelope Valley, Matthew, who has three brothers and one sister, also ran track, competed in kickboxing and holds a black belt in Kuk Sool Won, a form of Korean martial arts. “He did martial arts for four years and before that he did Muay Thai,” his dad explains. He started training as a young teen at the Old School Boxing Gym and is coached by Mike Booton (a trainer of Enrique Ornelas). Matt’s brother Jesse is also a talented fighter who has fought in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico and has won state and national titles of his own.
Their father, Joaquin, remains supportive of their career goals inside the ropes. “You know, every dad wishes their son was a doctor or a lawyer,” he says with a small chuckle, “but this is what he wants to do so I’m going to do everything I can to protect him.”
From the looks of his very first bout, it’s Matthew’s future foes that will need the protection.
Keep an eye on the new prospect as he aims to make his mark in boxing.
Full fight results:
Anthony Hirsch vs. Mario Evangelista: Hirsch gets a UD
Juan A. Figueroa vs. Manuel Delcid: Figueroa by UD
Enrique Lobatos vs. Ethan Cox: Heavyweights fight to a SD DRAW
Katarina De La Cruz vs. Gloria Salas: Salas takes a UD
Ernesto Ocon vs. David Garcia: Ocon by UD
Matthew Villanueva vs. Ludwin Mondragon: Villanueva by KO (Round 2)
Oscar Chinchilla vs. Rene Torres: Chinchilla wins by UD
Photos by Michele Chong