Last night from the O.C. Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, CA., Golden Boy Promotions in association with Roy Englebrecht Promotions presented Spanish Language Network’s weekly boxing series Solo Boxeo Tecate. In the 10 round super bantamweight main attraction, for the vacant NABO Junior Featherweight Championship, Chula Vista’s “Marvelous” Chris Martin (22-0-2, 6KOs) got revenge on fellow Californian Charles “The Pride of Paramount” Huerta (16-3, 9KOs), in a 10 round gunfight at the O.C. Corral, ending in a unanimous decision win for “Marvelous” Martin.
Martin (24), also known as the “SD Kid,” was coming off a lackluster unanimous decision victory over Colombia’s Yogli Herrera and an eight round stoppage of Baja, California’s Jose Luis Araiza last September. This after shocking the boxing community in August, 2010 when Martin schooled then unbeaten Lancaster, Cali top prospect Chris Avalos by split decision in a ten round donnybrook. One would think the “SD Kid” would have switched over to the fast lane of boxing competition but unfortunately Martin’s momentum was lost on the powers that be and Chris found himself four corridors to the right, once again in the slow lane waiting to get back over. Martin wasn’t going to let another opportunity–to speak volumes with his fist–quietly pass by, arriving at the fairgrounds ready to use “The Pride of Paramount” as a highway to faster, enhanced models of opposition.
“The Pride of Paramount” Charles Huerta (24), has been one of Golden Boy’s prized possession’s with expectations of a bright and profitable journey inside the ropes. That future has gotten a little dim as of late thanks to Florida’s Derrick Wilson and prospect Raul Hilares Jr., of Mexico. Derrick shot Huerta off his horse in 2010 with an opening round left hook that sent Charles to the canvas never to return in a big upset. After tasting defeat for the first time in the paid ranks, upstart Raul Hilares Jr. sank another spur into the “Pride of Paramount’s” happiness, conquering Huerta by a split decision in San Diego.
As we all know this is boxing, where one punch can put the train back on track and Huerta was looking to shoot Martin’s lights out, while reigniting his own glow back atop the railways.
Is was clear who’s house it was as the raucous crowd jeered Martin (122lbs) and cheered Huerta as announcer Joe Martinez asked the onlookers if they were ready? Indeed they were, and their man Charles Huerta (122lbs) started with a BANG, landing his patented left hook to Chris’ jawline :10 seconds into the scrap, as Charles came forward with Martin circling to the left. Both men were jabbin’ and left hookin,’ when Huerta caught Martin with a crisp over-hand right at the 1:30 mark followed by another. Huerta closed the round with a sharp lead left hook, clearly taking the opener
Charles was out-jabbing Martin and found a nice one-two splitting the guard of the San Diego fighter who was out to a slow start. Moments later Huerta caught Martin with another right-hand to the head as the scrappy challenger, challenged Huerta “to bring it.” It wasn’t until two minutes into the 2nd that “Marvelous” Martin landed his first significant strike, a right uppercut. Martin’s jab came alive in the second half of the round but it probably wasn’t enough to secure the stanza, as Huerta touched Chris’ face with two late round left hooks
Huerta’s left hook was the story to that point as he used it to crack Chris at the start of the 3rd, followed by a head-snapping jab. Charles was calm and measured, using his poker face with his guard up, while Martin seemed erratic with his hands at his waist as he was picked apart. Chris Martin was off to a horrific start and we all know how hard it is to come back from behind enemy lines, especially when kayo power isn’t your forte. He woke up though and rocked Huerta with a thunderous left hook square on the jaw, following up with a right uppercut. Huerta slowed a bit but continued to connect with his jab. Martin then socked Huerta with a hybrid left hook – uppercut, followed by an arduous double right cross from head to body, stealing the round.
In the 4th, once again Charles Huerta caught Martin with a few good jabs and left hooks to open a round. Moments later Huerta found an over-hand right, as Martin began to bounce on his feet trying to shake out the cobb-webs. Huerta’s laser beam jab was overwhelming Chris and giving him whiplash, as Charles pushed Martin into the corner and thumped him with a left to the body and a right-hand to the topside of the head. Martin bounced back with another crushing left hook to Huerta’s dome in front of an ambitious right uppercut, but he just couldn’t get out of the way of Huerta’s jab – left hook. Going into the 5th, Huerta had a 2-point lead.
Halfway through round five Martin got Huerta with solid left uppercut and a right-hand to the side of the skull. Huerta wasn’t landing much except for that jab, that couldn’t be stopped, even during his lulls he connected with the set up punch. “Marvelous” Martin then sank a borderline left hook into Huerta’s side and seconds later zoned in on another left hook over Charles’ ear, securing the round for the “SD Kid.”
Martin was heating up, slugging Huerta with a right-hand above the eye to open the 6th. Chris put his head down and clubbed Charles with another looping right, over a lazy Huerta jab that seemed to bother Charles’ eye as he pawed at it. Huerta then connected on his first left hooks in a while to the head and body as he continued to be the aggressor moving ahead, with Chris fighting backwards looking to time his assault. Charles had a good come back period as he was the busier combatant while putting combinations together.
“Marvelous” Martin smacked Huerta with a left hook to the body – right-hand to the face combination kicking off the 6th, followed by a right uppercut moments later. Huerta came back with a left hook upstairs, countered by a Martin right-hand uppercut, as neither man was utilizing much head movement. Martin’s confidence was elevating as he landed numerous power punches to the head and body of his nemesis in a really good 6th frame for Chris, as they see-sawed the rounds.
The momentum was swinging Chris’ way as he clipped the side of Huerta’s noggin with a wide right, then ripped Huerta’s liver with a left hook followed by a trying uppercut to the mug. Martin landed a few more flashy shots before catching Charles with two more serious right uppercuts to pull into a tie heading into the final two frames.
The fight was up for grabs to the gladiator that yearned it more and both men made a case for themselves coming out swift in the 9th. Huerta caught Chris with a low blow a minute into the 9th, and Martin returned the favor with a harder, lower blow, crumbling Huerta to the canvas in pain. When the fight resumed the savvy Martin–knowing Charles hadn’t recovered from the foul–jumped on Huerta rocking him with a left hook as they got into a momentary fire-fight with fist flying. Moments later Martin landed a hard right to the skull and Charles responded with three jabs and an over-hand right that found their destination. Chris was stalking forward as he had begun a few rounds earlier, lunging forward while swinging for home runs. It might not have been pretty but it was effective. Both men had a good 9th in a hard one to judge.
As “Big” Joe Martinez announced the final period the ladies and gents in attendance roared their appreciation for the competitive battle they were witnessing. Huerta came out the busier man and connected on a nice one-two-jab-over-hand-right to the topside of Chris’ melon, to which Martin 
answered with a stout left hook up top, followed by another hybrid left hook – uppercut. Again Chris landed a head twisting left hook, a hard right and another southpaw hook. Chris began to pot shot Huerta with lead power punches. With a minute to go Huerta got in a left hook of his own to the grill followed by a head snapping jab, but Martin countered with a double left hook to the head and body, then clobbered Huerta with a right-hand and let his hands go in the last twenty seconds with a fusillade of rights and lefts, snatching the final frame and the fight by two points on my card.
When it was all said and done, “Marvelous” Chris Martin rode into town avenging a defeat suffered many moons ago. Defeating “The Pride of Paramount” Charles Huerta by unanimous decision with scores of 96-94 twice and a head scratching 99-91 by Jose Cobian, winning the NABO Junior Featherweight belt while improving to 22-0-2 with six early endings.
Team Huerta defiantly protested the decision and laid blame on Huerta’s recent conflicts with Golden Boy, which they believe lead to the chosen referee’s. Huerta’s gleaming future is looking overcast as he loses for the third time in eight fights.
The 8 round super featherweight co-feature saw Santa Ana, Cali prospect Ronny Rios (14-0, 6KOs) edge Moscow’s Georgi Kevlishvili (12-2, 3KOs), by unanimous decision in an entertaining affair.
Rios, coined, “the baby of our stable,” by Frank Espinoza Jr., of Espinoza Boxing, under the Banner of Golden Boy Promotions, was a highly decorated amateur entering the professional circuit. Ronny has been compared to Oscar himself for his aesthetics and velocity, and after a successful 2010–that saw Rios win fives times–the Santa Ana native sought to build on those accolades.
With just his second fight in the U.S., Kevlishvili was looking to make a spirited splash in front of American viewers.
Rios (130lbs) came out snapping a jab, preceding over hand rights aimed at the head and the occasional left hook. As Kevlishvili (128lbs) circled to Ronny’s right throwing straight lefts and crosses to the head and body of Rios while switching to an unorthodox stance for a portion of the period. Rios connected on a couple straight rights and left hooks up top, easily taking the opening frame.
Kevlishvili landed a straight right to Rios’ head to start the 2nd while Ronny stayed true to the jab aimed high and low. Georgi continued converting to southpaw with a little bit of success, and was the busier more aggressive fighter in the round. Rios landed a few rights but towards the end of round 2, in an exchange Kevlishvili found Ronny’s mouth with a big counter right-hand, in a good stanza for the Russian.
From the outset of the 3rd Rios was digging into the torso of the Moscow native with determined left hooks and right hands followed by a stout counter-right to the nose that bounced Kevlishvili back a step. The frame had a good pace as the combatants were exchanging blows, Rios getting the better off the action as the fight was being fought from the inside. Rios zeroed in on many power punches on the game Georgi, picking him apart in round three causing the Russian to get back on the move.
Georgi landed a nice counter left hook seconds into the 4th but didn’t capitalize as Rios responded with stiff right’s to the chin and side of the head. Kevlishvili was spending the majority of the contest fighting southpaw and came back with two hard lefts upstairs. Every time Ronny got hit though, he pressured forward to land a superior number of strikes in return. To close the 4th frame the warriors got in a heated exchange that saw Georgi land three solid right’s to the dome of Rios which seemed to cause the cut that opened over Ronny’s left eye, but it was hard to tell. Georgi also seemed to win the period.
Rios landed his best combo in the 5th, a left hook – right cross knocking Georgie back. With blood streaming down the face of Rios which seemed to bother him, Kevlishvili took over as the aggressor, advancing forward landing a triplet of right-hand’s as Ronny was looking to clinch while breathing heavily. Georgi was taking over the round with numerous power shots but the backing Rios was landing wide right and lefts of his own trying not to give the momentum to the Russian. They went toe to toe in the round but Rios began to look worse for the wear while Georgi looked like the fresher stronger fighter in a close round.
Rios entered the 6th swiftly, coming at Georgi, unloading to the body followed by a good exchange where Kevlishvili landed the better shots, a one-two left hook – right-hand. Rios resumed stalking and winging right’s in what appeared to be desperation as the undefeated fighter knew the fight was too close for his comfort. Georgi evaded some and got caught with some but spent most of his time in the 6th complaining to referee David Mendoza about low blows, allowing Rios to work while Mendoza ignored Georgie’s cries. Rios pressured the head and body well, then clipped the Russian with a left hook that momentarily buckled Kevlishvili, putting a stamp on a dominating stanza by Rios.
Kevlishvili came out busy in the 7th releasing punches while eluding Ronny’s, and blasted Rios with a right-hand to the side of the head that sent the Santa Ana resident off balance. Kevlishvili then snapped back Rios’ head thanks to a few stiff jabs as the gladiators continued to trade rounds heading into the 8th and final frame. I had the undefeated Ronny Rios losing by a point and needing a convincing close out.
Rios was aggressive out of the gates and landed a one-two up top coming straight ahead, followed by a thunderous straight-right to the kisser. Georgi was punching but not finding the target as successfully as his foe. Rios found Georgi’s chin for another resounding one-two and dominated the last period saving himself a draw on my card.
My card didn’t matter though as the judges had another view, which is usually the case for the blue corner in today’s boxing, awarding Rios with a unanimous decision victory with scores of 78-74 and 77-75 twice.
Rios dodged a bullet as he improves to 14-0 with six knockouts, keeping his perfect record intact.
Chris Martin showed up to the Fairgrounds ready to tell Charles Huerta–with his fist–that he wasn’t the man he used to be, and by the time the bout was over, Huerta’s face and torso heard it loud and clear. Unlike the last time Martin outgunned a young upstart, the “SD Kid” hopes this victory will lead to brighter days where he’ll find bigger battles and shinier straps.
All Photos by Big Joe Miranda