Encinitas Fitness’ USA Amateur Boxing Show results
Maricela Cornejo (C) is joined by her support staff after defeating Sarah Campbell in Bout #8 at the USA Amateur Boxing Show at the Encinitas Fitness and Boxing Club in Encinitas, Saturday, February 18, 2012. Photo: J. Wyatt
With each USA Amateur Boxing Show or Tournament, you say to yourself, there can’t possibly be a better Boxing Show, a better match, than the one I just witnessed.
Nevertheless, these show organizers continue to match up the best talent in such a manner that the great matches keep coming.
The breakdown of the 18 matches held this week at the Encinitas Fitness and Boxing Club is as follows:
On Saturday, February 18, 2012, Cashton Young (L) of the LA Sands Boxing Club defeated Kyle Pierce, Unattached, in Bout #1. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Bout #1 featured heavyweights 21 year-old Kyle “Empire State Building” Pierce (230.2 pounds) Unattached going up against 22 year-old Cashton Young (208.2 pounds) of the L.A. Sands Boxing Club, Los Angeles.
As the nickname suggests Pierce aka “ESB” is big, sturdy and usually towers over every opponent. The fact that Saturday’s opponent, Young, was much shorter made little difference. Young’s edge came having a tremendous physique plus above average boxing skills.
In Round one, things got really rough for Pierce but he managed to weather the storm and at times returned fire. In Round two and three, Young scored an eight count, a knockdown and twice had Pierce’s mouthpiece flying from his open mouth.
All in all, the decision went to Young, while Pierce, true to his namesake, managed to hang tough till the final bell.
After coming out victorious in Bout #2, Giusseppe Mejia (R) raises the arm of Oscar Cuevas (L) in recognition of his competitive effort. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Bout #2 featured cruiserweights, 27 year-old Oscar Cuevas of the host gym, the Encinitas Fitness and Boxing Club, going up against 24 year-old Giusseppe Mejia, of the North County but Unattached.
In round one, Mejia used his stiff jab to keep Cuevas at a distance and occasionally made his way inside to score on combinations.
By round two, Cuevas, became much sharper with his punches and managed to get inside himself. Mejia came on in the third round and countered well each time Cuevas was off the mark, enough to win the hearts of the judges.
Saturday, February 18, 2012, at the Encinitas Fitness and Boxing Club in Encinitas, CA. Leon Eridanni (R) has his arm raised in victory by referee Rick Ley after defeating Alfredo Ubario (L) in Bout #3. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Bout #3 featured super welterweights 19 year-old Leon Eridanni of LA Sands Boxing Club, a righty, going up against an 18 year-old southpaw, Alfredo Ubario, once again, Unattached.
Eridanni, the seasoned veteran, came to the show sporting a black eye from a match he fought on the previous Saturday. From his demeanor, stance and the way he cocked his right hand, you could tell Ubario was going to have his hands full.
To counteract his aggressive style, Ubario circled to his right like un pajarito or Hummingbird trying to settle in and on occasion dart in and out to land his left. Each time he pressed forward, Eridanni met him with a furious exchange.
After getting in trouble in Round two, Ubario was issued him an eight count. Somehow, someway, the lefty managed to survive the constant onslaught, but barely.
Both John Chollet (l), the eventual winner, and Jesus Zaragoza (R) have their arms raised by referee Brian Llano to salute their efforts in Bout #4. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Bout #4 featured two seasoned, nonstop 10-year-olds, John Chollet of Barrio Station in San Diego going up against Jesus Zaragoza of the Legacy Boxing Club in Vista.
Chollet had the edge in this one with his reach advantage and higher-level of accuracy; enough that Zaragoza was issued an eight count.
Referee Sharon Sands (C) raises the arm of Isaiah Carrazco (L) after he defeated Jonathan Espino (R) in Bout #5. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Bout #5 featured 21 year-old Jonathan Espino of North County Boxing going up against 19 year-old Isaiah Carrazco of the Elite Boxing Gym in Las Vegas, Nevada who at 158.4 pounds benefitted from a five pound weight advantage plus a three inch height advantage.
The marvel of this match was witnessing how much punishment Espino could take from Carrazco who rarely missed his target and delivered such substantial blows.
After defeating Ricky Hood (L) in Bout #6, Scott Torres (R) has his arm raised in victory by referee Sharon Sands. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Bout #6 featured 19 year-old Scott Torres of Poway Boxing going up against 22 year-old Ricky Hood of the Tiger Smalls Boxing Team who train at the San Diego Combat Academy in Mission Valley, CA.
This is one of those bouts where you had to see it to believe it. In Round one, Hood was on the attack; so much so that he reminded you of the second coming of someone like Fernando Vargas. He was relentless, in Torres’ face with every punch, as he chased after him trying to put him away. Not one, but two eight counts were issued to Torres. It was a miracle that the referee refrained from calling for the stoppage.
Then, in the closing seconds of round one, with Hood exhausted from wailing away at his opponent, Torres landed a brief flurry of his own. The audience was wondering, ‘Where did that come from?’
Then in Round two, it was Torres who took control and landed many, many left hooks, so many that he almost punched himself out.
Round three was the tell all as Torres took complete control to accomplish his amazing comeback.
Both David Rodriguez (R), the eventual winner, and Matt Mc Kinney (L), wait with referee Rick Ley for the judges' decision regarding Bout #7. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Bout #7 featured a David versus Goliath tale; where they had 28 year-old David “Average Joe” Rodriguez (216 pounds), the 2010 and 2011 Battle of the Badges Heavyweight Champion who trains at the National City CYAC, taking on the 30 year-old giant Matt McKinney (280 pounds) of LA Boxing and trained by boxing great Danny Perez.
Simple enough, Round one went to McKinney who landed some devastating blows, blows that could knock down a building.
After Rodriguez took McKinney’s best shots and came out for Round two, McKinney had to be wondering, ‘What’s it going to take to get this guy out of here?’
Rodriguez was right back in his grill. So close that the big guy couldn’t wind up and deliver his patented haymakers. The shorter punches lacked power.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez was in close and working over the body and as it turns out storing up sufficient points to win Round two.
By Round three, McKinney was slowing down and Rodriguez was the busier of the two. Being busy and landing more of the scoring blows got him the win.
Maricela Cornejo (L) has her arm raised in victory by referee Rick Ley after it was announced that she had defeated Sarah Campbell (R) in Bout #8. Photo: J. Wyatt
Bout #8, featured female, super middleweights, 24 year-old Maricela Cornejo of the Elite Boxing Gym facing 32 year-old Sarah Campbell of the LA Sands Boxing Club.
Simply put, Cornejo was in better condition, had the hand speed, the footwork and soon landed the most telling blows. In all likelihood, she has been training seriously for a longer period of time.
Jose Chollet (C), the winner of Bout #9 by default, has his photo taken with his parents on Saturday at the Encinitas Fitness and Boxing Club. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Bout #9 had to be cancelled when Jose Chollet’s opponent, Alvario Maldonado of Penacho had to pull from the competition. This development makes Chollet the winner by default.
Brian Soloman (L) has his arm raised in victory by referee Hondo Fontan after it was announced that he had defeated Timothy Whalen (R) in Bout #10. Photo: J. Wyatt
Bout #10 featured welterweights, 16 year-old Timothy Whalen of the LA Sands Boxing Club going up against 17 year-old Brian Soloman of the U. S. Marine Corps Boxing Team stationed at Camp Pendleton.
This was a battle of who could land more of their favorite punches, Whalen with his straight rights and Soloman with his patented left hooks. Since Soloman finished the strongest, he got the judges’ nod in this close battle.
Intermission – see Encinitas Fitness’ USA Amateur Boxing Show results: Part II for winners of Bouts 11 through 18.
