Edivaldo Ortega passes the test with win over Quevedo
The easily recognizable cheering section for Edivaldo “Indio” Ortega comes in all sizes and everyone wears the red Indio headband. Photos: Jim Wyatt
Thursday evening, boxing promoter Bobby DePhilippis of San Diego was ringside at Las Pulgas Night Club on Avenida Revolucion in Tijuana’s downtown to witness his rising star’s passage into the top tier of boxing. In the evening’s 10 round Main Event, Edivaldo “Indio” Ortega (13-0-1, 7 KOs) of Tijuana, proved his mettle with an impressive unanimous decision victory over the tough Enrique “Quate” Quevedo (14-4-1, 9 KOs) of Mexicali, B. C., Mexico.
Quick recap:
Round one – both boxers looked sharp and showcased their mastery of the sport with good head movement, footwork, while measuring distance. By landing four clean blows to the head late in round one, Ortega gets the nod.
Round #2 – big round for Ortega who first got caught flush by a straight right to the face. The punch prompted big time retaliation.
Round #3 – Ortega became even more confident and started landing the three and four punch combinations.
Round #4 – Quevedo mounted a formidable attack hoping to regain some momentum or at least slow Ortega down. His darting in and out to land one and two punch combinations most likely won him the round.
Round #5 – unable to trade with Ortega, Quevedo got on his bicycle and did poorly trying to fight while backing up.
Round #6 – more of the same with Ortega cutting off the ring and Quevedo back-peddling.
Round #7 – once again Quevedo landed a straight right to snap Ortega’s head back and again this provocation only incensed Ortega to press forward with even more vigor and overwhelm his opponent.
Round #8 – while Quevedo appeared to be slowing down, Ortega maintained his all out press.
Round #9 – Quevedo spent the round in survival mode.
Round #10 – Quevedo gave it one last try but fell short.
Scoring: Judges Benjamin Rendon and Leonardo Ibarra scored the bout 99-91 while Alejandro Rochin had it 98-91, all for Ortega.
In Thursday night’s Main Event (Bout #7) combatants, Edivaldo “Indio” Ortega (L) the victor and Enrique Quevedo (R) pose for photos after their entertaining bout. All photos: Jim Wyatt
Even though Ortega appeared to be in charge throughout and showed true grit after injuring his hand in round five, this win was always one powerful blow away from disaster. That’s the way boxing is when you get up in the higher brackets, especially when facing an opponent who has KO’d half the people he’s faced. The patrons at last night’s show witnessed two great warriors trying to break each other’s will and Ortega, with his skill set would not be denied.
With the win, Ortega remains unbeaten and goes to (14-0-1, 7 KOs) while Quevedo drops to (14-5-1, 9 KOs).
The undercard:
Bout #1 combatants Carlos “Kiki” Vera, the victor (L) and Miguel Angel Mendoza (R). All photos by Jim Wyatt
Bout #1 featured light welterweights Miguel Angel “El Mimo” Mendoza and Carlos “Kiki” Vera. Before Mendoza could throw his first punch, Vera, a human dynamo, was all over him and firing punches from every angle. As a result, Mendoza (0-2) lost his second straight, both losses by TKO.
So, who’s this 20 year-old flash from Venezuela? Carlos Javier Vera Montilva, “Kiki” to his friends, had 128 fights as an amateur with 121 victories and an incredible 82 wins by knockout. The honors he won as an amateur are too numerous to mention. Suffice it to say, he’s a four time National Champion who has never been knocked out.
Bout #2 combatants Antonio Gutierrez (L), the victor, and Refugio Contreras (R) his opponent pose for photos after competing. Photo: Jim Wyatt
In Bout #2, between two Tijuana middleweights, Antonio Gutierrez out-pointed Refugio Contreras. Contreras, with his awkward style, relied almost exclusively on one punch, the big overhand right. In other words, Gutierrez had no problem as long as he respected that inclination. Even though Contreras took many shots to the head, he proved how tough he is and hung in there until the final bell.
With the win, Gutierrez remains unbeaten at (4-0-0, 3 KOs) while Contreras drops to (1-9-3, 1 KO).
Bout #3 combatants, Ali Gonzalez (L), the victor, and Enrique El Cholito Flores (R), his opponent, pose for a photo after competing. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Bout #3 was a four round super featherweight match between two Tijuana fighters, Ali Gonzalez and Enrique “El Cholito” Flores. For the first two rounds, this match was very competitive. It wasn’t until the third round that the better conditioned boxer, Gonzalez, was able to take control. By being in better condition, Gonzalez now moves to (3-1), while Flores, a boxer with talent, drops to (0-11-1)
Bout #4 combatants, Nestor Caravantes (L), the victor, and Lazaro Lopez (R), his opponent, pose for photos after competing. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Bout #4 featured a slugfest between Nestor Caravantes and Lazaro Lopez both of whom are from Tijuana and both making their pro-debuts.
You talk about your tough initiations. In the very first round, Caravantes was a victim of an unintentional head butt. With the cut over his left eye, the referee stopped the bout and had the fight doctor look it over. As the fight progressed, Caravantes’ nose began to bleed. Regardless of appearance, Caravantes was outboxing his opponent and landed more of the cleaner and heavier blows.
Round after round the heads kept banging against each other. With so much blood, the referee again called for a stoppage to have the fight doctor look at Caravantes’ bloody face. Despite appearances, two cuts and a bloody nose, the doctor’s diagnosis, “Let the fight continue.”
In the end, Caravantes received an unanimous decision. Judges Jesus Gonzalez Cesena and Sergio Lechuga scored the bout 39-37 for Caravantes, while Carlos Flores gave Caravantes every round 40-36.
Bout #5 combatants, Rogelio “Porky” Medina (L), the victor, and his opponent, Leonardo Resendiz (R) pose for a photo after competing. Photo: Jim Wyatt
In Bout #5, the matchmaker had 23 year-old middleweight Rogelio “Porky” Medina (27-2, 22 KOs) of San Luis, R.C., Mexico going up against a 14 year veteran Leonardo Resendiz (27-28, 18 KOs) of Tultitlan, Mexico City, Mexico, who will soon turn 36.
Medina, who kept working over Resendiz’s midsection, was in complete control from the outset. Why he didn’t stop Resendiz in the first round is a mystery. The other mystery is why would anyone dare call Medina, “Porky”? He looks extremely fit and muscular.
After Medina knocked Resendiz off his feet for a second time, referee Manuel Rincon finally called for a stoppage of this mismatch.
Bout #6 combatants, Jessica “Kika” Chavez (R), the victor, and her opponent, Linda “Muneca” Suleman (L) pose for photos after competing. Photo: Jim Wyatt
For Bout #6, they had Jessica “Kika” Chavez (15-3-2, 4 KOs) and her well known trainer/manager Nacho Beristain make the trek up from Mexico City to face Linda “Muñeca” Suleman from Baja California who was making her pro-debut.
In what I consider a very competitive matchup, it took Chavez, the current IBF light flyweight champion, a few rounds to get her bearings against the taller and more muscular Suleman. Once she had her bearings, she began by landing two big overhand rights in Round three and then switched things up for Round #4 to catch her with the left hooks.
Whereas Chavez did most of her damage on the inside, Suleman, with her longer reach, should have prevailed from a distance. Instead, being your typical Mexican fighter, she didn’t move as much as she should have and often stayed right there in Chavez’s grill for the toe to toe confrontations. Consequently, Chavez was able to do better in the close exchanges, peppering Suleman’s face and getting her nose to bleed.
In the end, both judges Alejandro Rochin and Carlos Flores scored the bout an identical 80-72 while Benjamin Rendon scored it 79-73, all for Chavez.
Bout #8 combatants, Rosalio Rios (L), the victor, and his opponent, Julio Cesar de la Torre (R) pose for a photo after competing. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Bout #8 between Rosalio Rios and Julio Cesar “Zurdo” de la Torre, both of Tijuana, became a question of stamina. For the majority of the fight, the blows were wide looping punches as if every blow needed to be that one KO blow.
The end, a referee’s stoppage, came in the third round after Rios had De la Torre trapped in a neutral corner and was wailing away.
With the TKO win, Rios moves to (3-0-0, 2 KOs), while De la Torre gets his first loss and drops to (3-1-1).
Bout #9 combatants, Heriberto Delgado (L), the victor, and his opponent, Jose Pech (R) pose for a photo after competing. Photo: Jim Wyatt
Bout #9, featured two more local debutants, Heriberto “Tremendo” Delgado going up against Jose Pech.
Round #1 was a slugfest with the majority of the punches being landed by Delgado. Round #2 was just as hot and heavy but both men did a lot of swinging and missing. After Round three was almost dead even, the gentlemen went all out in a furious Round #4. By this time, Delgado had got himself on track and started countering with nice combinations to win over the judges.
The above fight card was presented by Mayen Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions and filmed for later broadcast by Azteca America.
