Ceballos defeats Reynoso to win WBO Latino Light Heavyweight Title
At the pre-fight Press Conference in the Carta Clara Events Hall in Merida, promoter Andy Perez (c) from A&T Events & Promotions addressed the media in regards to Saturday’s scheduled event which is to begin at 7 p.m. and air on live TV at 8 p.m.
Once again, the members of the A&T Gym & Boxing Club in downtown Merida proved their metal by destroying the competition. In Saturday’s Main Event at the Polyforum Zam Ná, Merida, Yucatán, Mexico, the Argentinian invite Cesar Hernán Reynoso (14-8-4) got ruffed up by 24-year-old Manuel “El Venado” Ceballos of Merida (now 13-1-0 with 8 KOs) who would not let anyone stand in his way of winning his first championship belt, the WBO Latino Light Heavyweight Title.
After arriving at this boxing capital in the southeast of Mexico, Reynoso mentioned that his fellow countryman Santos “Falucho” Benigno Laciar (79-10-11), from Villa Carlos Paz, Cordoba, Argentina came here 35 years ago in May of 1982, and ended up stopping the local champion Juan Herrera (29-2-1) to win the WBA World Flyweight Championship.
So, the believer in déjà vu, Reynoso, was certain he was about to match that same fete by defeating Ceballos and win the WBO Latino Light Heavyweight Title. This notion brought a smirk to the face of the confident Manuel “El Venado” Ceballos who was probably thinking to himself, “Dream on.” If the town of Merida or that Saturday’s fight venue seemed anyway identical to the one Reynoso experienced in his dream, then he may have gotten that powerful feeling mixed up with familiarity, the sense of déjà vu. But in the real world, that experience turned out to be just a reaction to his misinformed physic or memory telling him he was in a familiar situation. Bottom line, you work longer and harder in the gym than your opponent and leave the psychic mumbo-jumbo to the psychics.
(top, l) Elias Espadas fulfills his pre-fight requirement by getting an updated physical. (bottom) Manuel Ceballos has his arm raised in victory by referee Miguel Angel Canul.
Photo of the night: Elías Espadas of Merida and his opponent Sergio Castor Torres from Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico, land their punches at the exact same time.
After defeating Sergio Castor Torres, Elias Espadas (c) had his arm raised in victory by referee Mario Mena. The entire results are below.
Complete bout sheet shows the results from all nine matches.
On May 24th, just days before the big show, Guillermo “The Jackal” Rigondeaux arrived in Merida to train at the A&T Gym & Boxing Club for his next fight on June 17th at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas against the also undefeated Mexican Moisés Flores. Since Pedro Diaz, Rigondeaux’s trainer had been helping Ceballos get ready for his fight with Reynoso, the promoter saw his opportunity to ask the current WBA super bantamweight champ to attend the final Press Conference. No doubt the Cuban Champion had everyone’s attention.
Then, on Thursday, Rigondeaux took part in a public training exhibition at the Estadio El Salvador Alvarado. As an amateur, Rigondeaux won two world championships, plus two gold medals, one at the Sydney, Australia Olympics and the other at the Athens, Greece Olympics. He’s also won at the Pan American Games. As a professional, he remains unbeaten after 17 bouts with 11 being won by knockout. He has wins over such notables as Nonito Donaire, Rico Ramos, Joseph Agbeko, Roberto Marroquin, Teon Kennedy and Ricardo Cordoba.
As a boxing fan, you have to admit Rigondeaux’s battle with Nonito Donaire (left) was a classic. With the unanimous decision win, Rigondeaux claimed the lineal, WBO and The Ring Magazine titles in the main event of HBO’s fight card at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (below) Boxers and the coaching staff from the A&T Gym & Boxing Club gather around for a memorable photo with boxing legend.
