Female boxers highlight latest Tijuana Boxing Show
And still undefeated, Tijuana’s Kenia Enriquez has her arm raised in victory by referee Cristian Curiel after the star in the making defeats Selene Lopez.
On Friday night, Mayen Promotions, considered Tijuana’s top promoter, launched their 2014 season with their first show under the Tecate Boxing Tour Tent in the parking lot of the Caliente Racing Track & Casino. Over the past two years, Mayen Promotions has held their highly regarded shows on Wednesday evening at Salon Las Pulgas on Avenida Revolución in Tijuana’s downtown. All that changed when there was some interfamily squabbling between the owners of Las Pulgas and the adjoining hotel.
This development forced Guillermo Mayen, the mastermind of Mayen Promotions, to look elsewhere for a venue. He then closed a major deal with Zanfer Promotions to move his shows permanently to Fridays on the Caliente racetrack grounds under the aforementioned Tecate Boxing Tour tent. The caveat of this move is the availability of TV revenue from Azteca America. With any change, you are going to have disparaging remarks and there were some grumblings from the patrons.
Getting back to our show, “Reyes y Reinas,” (translation: “Kings and Queens”) – it was the three bouts involving the ladies that drew the most interest.
In the main event, Bout #8, the enormously popular flyweight Kenia Enriquez from Tijuana improved her record to (9-0, 5 KOs) by thrashing the previously undefeated Selene Lopez (3-1-3, 1 KO) of Los Mochis, Sinoloa, Mexico, in record time, 1:16 of the first round.
You talk about Deja Vu, Lopez is the younger sister of Enriquez’s last opponent, Karely Lopez, who came to Tijuana on October 23, 2013 and according to the judges lost every round in their six rounder. For Friday’s contest, you had the same referee, Cristian Curiel and two of the same judges, Benjamin Rendon and Sergio Lechuga and to top it off, the sisters look a lot alike.
The Kenia Enriquez vs. Karely Lopez bout of 10-23-13 is available on You Tube.
Instead of revenging her sister’s loss to Enriquez, who is now the #7 ranked Female Flyweight in the world, Lopez didn’t even get past the halfway mark of the first round. Wasting little time, Enriquez pressed forward and eventually had Lopez in retreat mode. Everyone could see Enriquez’s accuracy and hand speed was far superior and before long she had Lopez’s head snapping back, enough to justify an early stoppage.
(top, right) Kenia Enriquez (l) is shown delivering an uppercut to the chin of the helpless Selene Lopez of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. (bottom, right) Enriquez, avoids Karely Lopez’s overhand right to set up an uppercut to beat Selene Lopez’s older sister, Karely Lopez, October 23, 2013.
While the ring announcer announces Kenia Enriquez’s victory, Selene Lopez appears to be giving her opponent a thumbs up acknowledgement.
One of the show’s hostesses raises Kenia Enriquez’s arm in victory after it was announced she had defeated Selene Lopez by TKO in round #1.
On Friday, February 28, 2014, Enriquez is scheduled to make her U. S. debut against an opponent to be named at the Crowne Plaza Hanalei Hotel in Mission Valley, San Diego, CA. I highly recommend you go and see her next fight because she is special.
Continuing with the ladies, in Bout #6, southpaw Sandra “Perla Negra” Robles of Tijuana improved her record to (6-1, 3 KOs) by completely overwhelming Los Mochis’ 2013 Rookie of the Year Mary “Mariposita” Gastelum (3-1-1, 1 KO). Since Robles’ game plan involved throwing these straight lefts to the head and body, the wild swinging Gastelum became easy fodder.
The end game in round #2, when Robles had the bewildered Gastelum down on the canvas after delivering a solid right to the jaw. When referee Christian Curiel saw that Gastelum’s eyes were glazed and she was in no hurry to get back to her feet, he immediately called for the stoppage at 1:30 of round two.
(top, right) After lightly tapping Sandra Robles with her jab, Maria Gastelum (l) will soon feel the fury of Robles’ straight left to her chin. (bottom, right) Gastelum is on her back after getting waffled by the more powerful Robles.
Where can you find more conscientious workers than these young gals who went out of their way to record not only Sandra Robles’ complete fight but then followed up by recording the after-fight interviews with the Press. The Hello Kitty clothing company should sign these youngsters to represent their clothing line in Mexico.
Sandra Robles poses for a photo with her crack staff of videographers.
- Postscript: the enticements to have the youngsters come and work for Hello Kitty keep coming but their parents insist they finish school first.
The final female match, Bout #4, saw bantamweight Brenda “Bonita” Flores (7-1-0, 2 KOs) of Tijuana taking on the third and most likely the toughest of the three visitors from Los Mochis, Mireya Ochoa (1-4, 1 KO).
Unlike the other ladies, Ochoa never took a step back. She came to throw leather and did so for four solid rounds. This was one of those fights where you knew both boxers were taking a pounding and only the most gutsy would come away with the victory.
What really helped Flores was the way she was able to duck under or sidestep a punch and then counter. As the fight progressed Flores became even sharper and when needed always put together the solid combinations just before the end of each round.
Ochoa did most of her damage when outmuscling Flores and trapping her against the ropes. At the conclusion of this barnburner, all three judges had Flores winning every round in what this boxing pundit felt was a close match.
The mismatches involving their male counterparts:
In the opener, Bout #1, super featherweight Rafael Rivera (9-0-2, 5 KOs) took care of Cristian Scott (1-3), by delivering a wide assortment of well leveraged punches punctuated by a left hook that sent Scott sprawling to the canvas. Even though the referee started to administer the 10-count, he stopped immediately after noticing Scott was in trouble. Official time was 1:47 of round #2.
In Bout #1, it was Rafael Rivera (yellow trunks) getting the TKO victory over Cristian Scott (white trunks, blue stripes).
In Bout #2, David Benavidez (2-0, 2 KOs) from Phoenix, Arizona, the brother of welterweight sensation Jose Benavidez, dropped Rosarito, Mexico’s Omar Aizpuro (1-2, 1 KO) three times in the first round of their scheduled light heavyweight four rounder before referee Juan Jose Ramirez stopped the action. The official time was 1:15 of round #1. Aizpuro had no chance.
In Bout #2, David Benavidez (red trunks) from Phoenix, Arizona sent Rosarito, Mexico’s Omar Aizpuro (blue trunks) to the canvas – often.
Referee Juan Jose Ramirez is shown giving Omar Aizpuro the 8-count.
- Bout #2 winner David Benavidez (c) has his arm raised in victory by veteran referee Juan Jose Ramirez. Photos: Jim Wyatt
Bout #3, a welterweight clash between Jose Torres (3-2-1, 2 KOs) and Jose Arteaga (1-2-2) ended in a draw. How so? In Round #1, Torres went on the offensive. In Round #2, Arteaga went on the offensive. The combatants were systematically took turns taking a round off. When Torres pushed the action, Arteaga went on his bicycle. When it was Arteaga’s turn to be the aggressor, he threw punches like a sharpshooter. The grumbling from the crowd had no affect on Arteaga who definitely had the best shot of winning the match, especially after he had Torres’ nose bleeding from round #1 on.
Judge Carlos Flores scored the bout 38-37 for Torres, judge Esteban Franco scored it 39-37 for Arteaga and finally, judge Leonardo Ibarra had it an even 38-38.
Welterweight clash between Jose Torres (r) and Jose Arteaga (l) ended in a draw.
Sometimes it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose just as long as you get the girl. So says Jose Arteaga (r) who fell madly in love with the movie star by his side.
In Bout #5, one of Tijuana’s favorite sons, welterweight Victor “Sina” Fonseca took his time early, as if he were a master tailor measuring arm lengths and inseams. Once he had taken his measurements, Gerardo Mendoza was dead meat and on the receiving end of some really powerful shots to the body and head.
The photos below document this one-sided match. The lighter, shorter, less experienced Mendoza had no chance in this contest as Fonseca surgically took him apart. The end came at the 2:15 mark of the second. With the win, Fonseca improves to (7-3-1, 5 KOs) while Mendoza, who has yet to face anyone with a losing record, drops to (1-3-0, 1 KO).
(top, left) Victor Fonseca (purple trunks) and Gerardo Mendoza (red trunks) face off at the beginning of Bout #5. Soon after, Mendoza was taking a knee.
The punishment from Victor Fonseca kept coming. (bottom, left) Fonseca receives instruction from his trainer/father-in-law Maykito Martinez. Photo: Jim Wyatt
At the conclusion of Bout #5, Victor “Sina” Fonseca had his arm raised in victory by referee Cristian Curiel. Photos: Jim Wyatt
The Victor Fonseca fan club poses for a photo after his latest victory.
The final massacre, Bout #7, involved the Dario Garibay destruction of Cristian Lopez (0-4) who after four straight bouts has now been knocked out four straight times. While Garibay of Tlalnepantla, México, Mexico, improves his record to (9-1-1, 7 KOs), it appears Lopez of El Fuerte, Sinaloa, Mexico should try another sport.
(top, left) In his battle with Cristian Lopez (white trunks), it was like Dario Garibay (l) had dynamite in each fist. Photos: Jim Wyatt
At the conclusion of Bout #7, Dario Garibay (l) has his arm raised in victory by referee Cristian Curiel.
