Intensity MMA hosts latest USA Amateur Boxing Show
On Saturday, Ruben Valdovinos, joined here by his coach Tony Contreras and mates from the North County gym, was stellar his debut at the Intensity MMA gym in South San Diego.
October 12, 2013
The latest Golden Hands Boxing show, sanctioned by USA Amateur Boxing and held Saturday, at the recently opened Intensity MMA gym in South San Diego was a huge success. Once again local boxing fans were treated to more than their fair share of great fights and paid just $10 for their admission. The results are as follows:
Bout #1, it was Tin Bui of Art of Eight Training & Fitness Center, Kearny Mesa (bottom right) getting the win over Arnulfo Carreon of North County Boxing, Escondido. Photos: J. Wyatt
In Bout #1, it was 30 year-old Tin Bui of Art of Eight Training & Fitness Center in Kearny Mesa (137.6 pounds) gaining an unanimous decision victory over 19 year-old Arnulfo Carreon of the North County Gym in Escondido (139.6 pounds).
Bui used his full extension to land the more damaging head shots in both rounds #1 and #2. Carreon made a better accounting of himself in Round #3, but by that time Bui had built himself a substantial point lead.
In Bout #2, it was Ivan Guardado of the host gym, Intensity MMA, (red trunks) getting the best of Rodolfo Ortigoza (black trunks) of the Legacy Training Center, Vista, CA.
In Bout #2, it was 14 year-old Ivan Guardado of the host gym Intensity MMA (102 pounds) getting the best of 14 year-old Rodolfo Ortigoza of the Legacy Training Center, Vista, CA (103.4 pounds).
This was Guardado’s 10th win against just one loss and his second win over Ortigoza. Plain and simple, he had the quicker hands to land more punches with the majority of them being straight counters off of Ortigoza’s wider and less accurate punches.
In Bout #3, it was Julius Ballo of Undisputed Fitness Training Center, El Cajon (r), the California State Champion and two-time USA National Amateur champion getting the decision win over David Gutierrez of Golden Hands Boxing in Chula Vista, CA.
In Bout #3, it was 10 year-olds David Gutierrez of Golden Hands Boxing (76.8 pounds) going up against Julius Ballo of the El Cajon Undisputed Fitness & Training Center (73.8 pounds).
Despite being much shorter, Ballo, the current CA State Champion and two-time USA National Champion, was masterful, especially on his defense and the way he was able to get in close to land his multitude of counters. Gutierrez’s foolhardy strategy involved landing that one big knockout blow which at times did reach it’s target but not often enough.
In Bout #4, it was Hussein Fakhreddine of Old School Boxing, San Diego, (bottom, right) getting the TKO victory over Gilbert Lopez of Golden Hands Boxing in Chula Vista.
In Bout #4, it was 22 year-old Gilbert Lopez (153.2 pounds) going up against 17 year-old Hussein Fakhreddine of Old School Boxing (159.6 pounds).
Again, it was a matter of the better boxer, Fakhreddine, being patient and landing the counters, against the big puncher, Lopez, who was going for the knockout. Until Round #3, we had ourselves a most entertaining, action packed toe to toe battle with Fakhreddine ahead on points.
Early in round three, Lopez got caught by a flurry of three unanswered blows. The three unanswered blows preceded the five unanswered blows which led to the first of two standing 8-counts. By this time, Fakhreddine had the blueprint and started to dominate each exchange.
Then came the surprising left hook that really hurt Lopez, a gent who everyone thought was indestructible. Once referee Rick Ley saw the third onslaught in a row, he immediately felt compelled to stop the bout and award Fakhreddine the RSB (Referee Stops the Bout).
In Bout #5, it was Diego Luna of Bound Boxing, Chula Vista, CA (blue trunks) getting the best of Jonathon Flores (black trunks) of the Alliance Training Center in Chula Vista.
In Bout #5, it was 9 year-old Jonathan Flores of the Alliance Training Center, Chula Vista (68.2 pounds) going up against 9 year-old Diego Luna from Bound Boxing in Chula Vista (63.8 pounds). Both were making their USA Amateur Boxing debut.
After Flores landed the majority of punches in round #1, Luna seemed to take charge in Rounds #2 and #3 by way of landing the cleaner shots. In the end, the close decision went to the more accurate puncher, Luna.
In Bout #6, it was Pedro Bernal of Old School Boxing, San Diego (top, right, black trunks) getting the win over Fernando Franco (l) of Intensity MMA.
In Bout #6, it was 21 year-old Pedro Bernal of Old School Boxing (123.6 pounds) getting the win over 17 year-old Fernando Franco of Intensity MMA (126 pounds). Like most orthodox boxers, Franco had problems defensing Bernal’s troublesome left. To put it bluntly, he seemed clueless on how to defend against Bernal’s constant attack. For three straight rounds, the in-your-face Bernal was giving Franco a steady diet of those straight lefts to the head.
(top, left) At the conclusion of Bout #7, Ruben Valdovinos (l), the eventual winner and Johnny Ballesteros (r) await the judges verdict.
Ruben Valdovinos (red trunks) poses for photos with his coach Tony Contreras and mates from the North County gym after his win in his USA Amateur Boxing debut.
In Bout #7, there were two more debutants, 20 year-old Ruben Valdovinos of North County Boxing (149.6 pounds) going up against 23 year-old Johnny Ballesteros of the Intensity MMA Gym, Chula Vista (149.6 pounds).
As far as experience, Ballesteros had been training for one year and two months while his opponent, Valdovinos, had been in the fighting sports for four years and had participated in several MMA shows. It is interesting to note, that over the last four months with his new trainer, Tony Contreras, Valdovinos has lost 30 pounds.
From the outset, it was Valdovinos landing three punches to every one thrown by Ballesteros. This development had Ballesteros backpedaling, which gave Valdovinos an additional edge to gain his unanimous decision victory.
In Bout #8, it was Fabian Zarco (r) getting the win over Daniel Morales. Photos: J. Wyatt
In Bout #8, it was 17 year-old Fabian Zarco from Barrio Logan (132.4 pounds) going up against the much taller, 18 year-old Daniel Morales of Bound Boxing (132.6 pounds).
Zarco’s in your face strategy surprised Morales who at first used his reach advantage to land the solid shots to the head and then circle away from Zarco’s in your grill punches. Once that pesky bee got inside Morales’ grill, Morales’ wider, looping punches became far less effective and that bee started stinging.
On and on it went, with Zarco either taking that first offering or ducking under it, to get inside where he was the most effective.
Once a Marine, always a Marine – (bottom photo, left) For the second straight time, it was Enrique Lopez, a local, active duty U. S. Marine having his arm raised in victory after defeating Joseph Berger (l) a recently discharged U. S. Marine. Photos: Jim Wyatt
Bout #9 featured a rematch between two Marines, one active duty, 21 year-old Enrique Lopez (186 lbs.) of Pound 4 Pound Boxing and the other, now inactive, 25 year-old Joseph Berger (183 pounds) of the 858 Fight Shop on Miramar Road in San Diego (183 pounds).
At first their exchanges were pretty even. That all changed after Lopez saw his opening to land the straight left. The encouraging, affirmative narration of Lopez’s coach best describes the bout from that point on, “All day, there it is!”
On occasion Berger did land a straight right but not as often as Lopez landed his more powerful left. With the loss, Berger remains winless at 0-8.
Another of the hotly contested matches saw Noel Diaz of the Pinzon Boxing Club, Escondido get the best of Joseph O’Donnell of Art of Eight Training & Fitness Center in Kearny Mesa.
As in Bout #9, Bout #10 was a rematch between 14 year-old Joseph O’Donnell of the Art of Eight Training & Fitness Center in the Kearny Mesa section of San Diego (135.6 pounds) and 15 year-old Noel Diaz of the Pinzon Boxing Club of Escondido, CA (130 pounds).
Even though O’Donnell did better this time, the result was the same. Diaz’s defense and offense were far superior and as a result he won his fourth straight without a defeat.
(top right) At the conclusion of his slugfest with Terrence Hendricks, Christian Olivas is joined by his coaches Luis Lorenzo (l) and Luis Gamez (r). (bottom left) We see Terrence Hendricks (c) being joined by two of his biggest supporters, Berlin Kerney IV, his uncle/ trainer, plus Jack Ballo, assisting in the corner. Photos: Jim Wyatt
At the conclusion of his bout against Christian Olivas, Terrence Hendricks (center) and earlier winner, Julius Ballo pose for photos with well wishers from their El Cajon gym.
The final match of the day, Bout #11, was the highly anticipated, super middleweight clash between 22 year-old Christian Olivas of the host gym, Intensity MMA and 24 year-old Terrence Hendricks, a member of Berlin Kerney IV’s “Bomber Squad” at the Undisputed Fitness & Training Center in El Cajon, CA.
Back on December 16, 2012, at the annual Boxer’s for Christ National Tournament held at the San Diego Combat Academy in San Diego, Olivas managed to defeat Berlin Kerney IV, Hendricks’ uncle and coach. Somewhere in the far off recesses of his mind, Hendricks, with Kerney, his uncle in his corner, had to be thinking, ‘At all cost, I must revenge my uncle’s defeat.’
In that 2012 tournament, Kerney faced Olivas in the finals of the 165 pound category. Unlike Kerney, a formidable KO artist and head boxing instructor for three plus years, Olivas had just begun to train and had only two bouts under his belt. For this reason Kerney may have felt a bit overconfident. Olivas was like the Rock of Gibraltar in that match. He stood firm against Kerney’s powerful blows.
When the match ended, one judge had Olivas winning. Another saw Kerney winning and the third, tie breaking judge scored it a draw. When this occurs, the judges are asked to once again grade the boxers by adding in a value for ring generalship. The three judges then ruled that Olivas was their choice.
On Saturday, Hendricks wanted to leave no doubt. Even though he did get hit by several big shots himself, Hendricks’ defense was superior. He’d often duck under an Olivas offering before rearing back to throw one of his power shots, projectiles with so much torsion they reminded you of those big rocks coming from a medieval catapult. How Olivas survived these blows is a mystery.
The next USA Amateur Boxing show is scheduled for Saturday, October 19, 2013 at the Team Quest Gym in Encinitas, CA. You can always check out the latest schedule by going to: http://sportofboxing.com/usa-amateur-boxing-schedule-update
