Legacy Training Center, this year’s host of the Silver Gloves

How many belts does one gym need? On Saturday, the all smiles Arena Boxing Team took home four of the Championship Belts from the latest USA Amateur Boxing Show at the Legacy Training Center in Vista, Calif. Photo: Jim Wyatt

On Saturday, November 21st, USA Amateur Boxing’s LBC-44 Cal Border held their 2015 District Silver Gloves Tournament at the Legacy Training Center in Vista, Calif., an event, organized and sponsored by Max Impact Boxing, Oceanside in association with the Legacy Training Center, Vista.

In the opener, Bout #1, it was 13 year-old Diego Demara (117 lbs., 6-4) of Baja Boxing, Calexico, Calif. blitzing 13 year-old Mario Salas (116.6 lbs., 0-2) of The Arena, Point Loma, San Diego, Calif. to secure the first round TKO victory. Demara wasted no time and smothered Salas with these hard, fully leveraged punches, mostly to the head. Veteran referee Will White could see Salas was being overwhelmed by this tactic, and one attack after another he stepped in to stop the action. After Salas received the third straight 8-count the bout was officially stopped.

Just before the opening bell: With the shortest distance between two points being a straight line, this youngster with the shifty look on his face and wearing a Batman shirt appeared with a slice of pizza in hand, and proceeded to traverse the 14″ wide ring apron to get to the other side. Found out later the boy loves pizza so much, his parents started calling him Pepperoni. (top left) Also before the opening bell, we saw Diego Demara (red trunks) of Baja Boxing getting some last minute instructions from referee Will White as he prepared to do battle with Mario Salas of The Arena. (bottom) Salas is seen adjusting his head gear while listening to some last minute instructions from his coach, Joe Vargas.

Say again! After referee Will White issued three straight 8-counts to Mario Salas, we purposely blurred the photo to show you what Salas might have seen as White held up his fingers for the final time. After the third 8-count, White called for a halt to the match and declared Diego Demara the winner by way of a first round TKO.

In Bout #2, it was 12 year-old Julius Ballo (89.4 lbs., 31-7) of the Bomber’s Squad who trains at the RSD Boxing Club, Spring Valley earning the tough victory over 13 year-old Julian Esteban “The Mexican” Rojas (88.6 lbs., 8-9) who trains at Bound Boxing Academy in Chula Vista, Calif.

With his edge in experience, Ballo, the current CA State Champion and twice National Champion, found himself in a battle royale trying to keep pace with Rojas who was also throwing and landing punches that would normally have an opponent on their back. Thanks to two, quickie 8-counts in round one, Ballo had himself an early lead. Knowing full well he had to square things in round two, Rojas did just that and caught Ballo with several big overhand rights.

In the tie breaking round, Ballo finished strong to edge out Rojas who throughout the bout never seemed to take a step back.

In Bout #2 (top photo) we see Julius Ballo of the Bomber’s Squad unloading a big, all or nothing overhand right in the direction of Julian Rojas. Neither boxer held anything back in this all or nothing Silver Gloves classic.

In the end the three judges determined that Julius Ballo (center, red trunks) had out-slugged the game Julian Esteban Rojas to gain the victory.

Bout #3 saw 10 year-old Sammy Vences (4-2, 73.2 pounds) of Max Impact Boxing, Oceanside, Calif. come away with the victory over 11 year-old Jon Carlos Meza of the Bound Boxing Academy (2-2, 73.6 pounds).

Depending upon where you were sitting, this too was a very, very close match as both boxers had their moments firing off punches as if from a machine gun and of course it was rare to see either boxer take a step back.

(photo, left) Sammy Vences (blue trunks) of Max Impact Boxing, Oceanside, Calif. is shown using his stiff jab to keep Jon Carlos Meza at a safe distance.

At the conclusion of Bout #3, (l to r) Jon Carlos Meza (red trunks), referee Alberto “Cookie” Ramos and Sammy Vences (blue trunks) await the judges’ decision.

Sammy Vences (r) of Max Impact Boxing has his arm raised in victory by referee Alberto Ramos after he defeated Jon Carlos Meza of the Bound Boxing Academy.

At the conclusion of Bout #3, the victorious Sammy Vences (l) of Max Impact Boxing and Jon Carlos Meza of the Bound Boxing Academy pose for one last photo.

In Bout #4, it was 16 year-old Jason Meza from The Arena Boxing Team (124.4 pounds) earning the victory over his arch rival 16 year-old Brandon Cruz from The Pride of San Diego Boxing Gym, Bonita, Calif. (126 pounds).

With these gents being friends, sparring with each other and then facing each other multiple times in a USA Amateur Boxing event, it’s gotten to the point where both know each other so well that the victor from here on out might just be the one who had the more nutritious breakfast or the one who slept the best. On Saturday, that boxer was Meza. While Cruz looked flat, Meza was on his game and looked to be the more accurate of the two.

Bout #4 had Jason Meza (red trunks) from The Arena, Point Loma, going up against his arch rival Brandon Cruz (blue) from The Pride of San Diego Boxing Gym, Bonita.

Since both boxers had sparred against each other numerous times, both employed a wide variety of tactics to throw their opponent off their game plan. Photos: J. Wyatt

At the conclusion of Bout #4, Jason Meza of The Arena (r) has his arm raised in victory by referee Alberto Ramos after he defeated the tough Brandon Cruz (l).

In Bout #5, it was 16 year-old southpaw Brandon Ruiz Sanchez of Mariscal Boxing, Tijuana, B. C., Mexico (112.8 pounds, 26-3) getting the decisive victory over 17 year-old Daniel Andujo of the Temecula Boxing Club, Murrieta, Calif. (115.4 pounds). As long as Sanchez moved to his right and maintained the proper distance, Andujo became easy prey for Sanchez’s solid straight lefts and left hooks to the head. Even though Andujo made a good accounting of himself, especially in the final round, Sanchez made the judges’ decision easy by being the busier and more accurate boxer throughout the contest.

(bottom) Being a southpaw, having a height and reach advantage, plus more experience, Brandon Ruiz Sanchez (l) of Mariscal Boxing, Tijuana, put on a masterful performance against the shorter Daniel Andujo of the Temecula Boxing Club.

In Bout #6, it was 20 year-old Anthony Franco of The Arena, San Diego (9-1, 154.6 pounds) looking polished while earning the easy victory over 18 year-old Luis Martinez Tapia of Mariscal Boxing, Tijuana (0-5, 151.6 pounds).

How does that saying go? In Bout #6, we saw Luis Martinez Tapia (red) of Mariscal Boxing get battered from pillar to post by Anthony Franco (blue) of The Arena.

(bottom, right) At the close of Bout #6, it was Anthony Franco having his arm raised in victory by referee Hondo Fontan after the defeat of Luis Martinez Tapia.

Bout #7 featured a slugfest between two undefeated ladies, 29 year-old Leslie Pannunzio (1-0) of the Encinitas Boxing & Fitness Club, Encinitas (138 pounds) and 35 year-old Ophelia Hernandez (1-0) of The Arena, Point Loma (141 pounds).

Early on, this was one of those bouts that could have gone either way. Pannunzio used her reach advantage to land the wider, power shots to Hernandez’s head, while 75% of Hernandez’s punches went to Pannunzio’s midsection. The only way to decide the match was to keep track of who was busier. With time, that distinction went to Hernandez, who now moves up to (2-0) while Pannunzio levels off at (1-1).

With both young ladies so accomplished and yet relatively new to the sport, Hernandez has only been training nine months, Pannunzio 18, it’s a given we can expect great things from both in the immediate future.

(bottom, right) With the same gusto as the men, these two ladies, Leslie Pannunzio (l) and Ophelia Hernandez (r) were relentless and neither boxer took a step back.

At the conclusion of their bout, (bottom, right) we see Ophelia Hernandez of The Arena Boxing Team having her arm raised in victory by referee Hondo Fontan after she defeated the game Leslie Pannunzio of the Encinitas Boxing Club.

Saturday was a spectacular day and night for Ophelia Hernandez as everyone and their brother wanted a photo with the Champ. Little steps, it’s still a ways to 20-0.

Bout #8 saw 17 year-old Ulises Bastida (3-0, 139.4 lbs.) of The Arena dominate 23 year-old Jaime Suazo (134 pounds) of the Gil Boxing Training Academy, Oceanside, Calif. Bastida was masterful, setting his opponent up for these two and three punch combinations that every so often featured a lethal upper cut.

In Bout #8, it was Ulises Bastida (blue trunks) getting the best of Jaime Suazo.

How do you think Ulises Bastida (r) felt after his big win over Jaime Suazo? One can only imagine what’s running across his mind. Perhaps he contemplated mouthing the words, “How sweet it is!” With the win, Bastida improves his record to 3-0.

Before the bell for Bout #9, the show’s Master of Ceremonies Ivan Puente announced, “We’ve saved the best for last.” Boy was he right. In the first of two slugfests, they had 10 year-old Rogelio Palacios (85.2 pounds) of the Legacy Training Center, Vista going rapid-fire with 9 year-old Isaiah Bernal (81.4 pounds) of Romo’s Boxing & Training Center, El Centro, Calif.

How the judges were able to score this match is a mystery. The two youngsters just kept banging away. In the end, the score cards had Bernal on top.

In another close one, it was Isaiah Bernal (l) of Romo’s Boxing, El Centro, Calif. securing the victory over the tenacious Rogelio Palacios (r) of the Legacy Training Center, Vista, Calif.

Bout #10 featured two 8 year-olds, Cyrus Soltani (60.7 lbs.) of the host gym, the Legacy Training Center, Vista who was making his Amateur debut versus Jahir Romo of Romo’s Boxing & Training Center, El Centro, (62 pounds).

From the opening bell, you couldn’t hear yourself think. This bout had all the excitement, all the enthusiasm, as if it were the Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. mega fight. With their supporters up and out of their seats, the shouts and screaming never stopped. How they were able to determine the winner is a mystery but suffice it to say, the taller Soltani seemed a bit more poised and landed the straighter punches, punches that at times had Romo’s head snapping back. Since the final match had so much interest and the boxers put on such a spirited effort, the bout was declared the “Bout of the Day.”

The Main Event featured Cyrus Soltani, the son of the show’s host, Ari Soltani, who was making his Amateur debut against the son of heavyweight Juan Romo of Romo’s Boxing in El Centro, Jahir Romo. If the three judges only knew the tension in the room, they surely would have begged off judging this hotly contested bout.

(bottom, right) Cyrus Soltani (r) has his arm raised in victory by referee Rick Ley (c) after Soltani managed to defeat the rough and tumble Jahir Romo (l).

Win, lose or draw, it didn’t matter to Ari Soltani, he was so very proud of his son as was Cyrus Soltani’s coach Ricky Gutierrez.

You talk about a proud coach and father, here we see Juan Romo with his two dynamos, Isaiah Bernal and son Jahir Romo.

Next up, the Bound Boxing Academy on Broadway in Chula Vista, Calif. will host the next show “Friday Night Fights on Broadway” on December 11, 2015 with the first bout scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.