by: Matthew Becher
In a late night boxing card on HBO Latino. Golden Boy Promotions put together a showcase of its young and old talent live for the final boxing matches from the famed Sports Arena in Downtown Los Angeles, California.
The first under card was a match up against 2012 USA Olympian and undefeated Featherweight prospect Joseph Diaz against his toughest test to date, the Nicaraguan veteran Rene Alvarado.
The Co-Main is between Michael Perez and Luis Sanchez for the NABF Lightweight championship.
The main event is sort of a cross roads fight for both guys. Hank Lundy and Mauricio Herrera are warrior style fighters. They have been in the ring with the best and have both come close to the mountain top. This could be the last try for a world title push for both men, while depending on the outcome the loser could be hanging his gloves up for good.
Joseph Diaz (16-0 10KO) vs. Rene Alvarado (22-4 15KO) Featherweight:
This was another one of those fights that are made to either showcase a bright young stars career or re-ignite an aging veterans.
Diaz displayed his speed and power within the first two minutes of the first round scoring a quick knockdown against Alvarado.
But after the knockdown in the first round, the pace was more of the same. Alvarado was the more aggressive fighter, constantly throwing punches. He landed more and threw more, but his punches did little to even bother the young Diaz.
By the 5th round, Diaz was, in what seemed like, control of the fight. When he decided to exchange his punches seemed heavier and more effective. He had no problems walking through anything Alvarado was landing. It was Alvarado throwing a mass amount of light punches, to Diaz throwing fewer but heavier shots.
In the final round, Diaz seemed to have woken up and started to take chances and put his punches together. If Alvarado had more power behind his punches, Diaz could have been in a lot of trouble, and looking to the future, many of the champs in this division do carry that power.
98-91, 96-93, 95-94 UD10 Diaz
Michael Perez (22-1-2 10KO) vs. Luis Sanchez (17-3-1 5KO) Lightweight:
Perez came out using his size to his advantage. He is taller and his jab was able to keep Sanchez at a safe distance.
In the second Sanchez catches Perez sleeping and lands a big left. Perez was not showing any head movement and got caught.
Robert Garcia, the trainer of Perez, was yelling at his fighter to utilize his reach advantage and throw more jabs.
The fight was fought at an uncomfortable pace for both men. Neither were able to find a flow or comfortable mind set.
Perez had been cut earlier in the fight by a accidental headbutt and was cut again in the 5th. The blood was flowing and it seemed to light a fire under Perez because he came out throwing in the 6th round. At the 1:45 mark, Perez was able to land a seemingly harmless straight left jab, that dropped Sanchez. Sanchez was able to get to his feet at the eight count, though wobbly, the fight was then stopped by the referee.
Perez TKO 1:20 6th round
Mauricio Herrera (21-5 7KO) vs. Hank Lundy (25-4-1 12KO) Jr. Welterweight:
The last main event ever from the Sports Complex in Los Angeles was cut short due to accidental headbutts.
Hank Lundy came to the ring wearing a Sombrero, assuming as a tribute to fighting on HBO Latino and the Latin fan base in LA.
Both guys came out in the first round trading leather as they felt each other out. Herrera was the quicker of the two early and used his feints to set up Lundy. Unfortunately towards the end of the round, Herrera was cut by an accidental butt over his right eye.
Lundy quickly smelt the blood from that cut and started throwing lots of aggressive punches towards that eye.
Herrera was extremely unhappy with the cut and showed in his body language, staring Lundy down and standing against the ropes with his hands down, waving for Lundy to come close and to fight. Again in an unfortunate turn of events, Herrera is cut over his other eye for a second time.
Herrera seemed to be awoken by the third round and started to put his combinations together. Lundy would walk down Herrera, but Herrera lands a few punches and then starts to turn the tide and walk down Lundy.
Every round the cut over Herrera’s right eye is being checked by the ringside doctor. Hererra continued to put together combinations, until the fight was stopped in the middle of the fifth round by the ref, and Herrera was brought over to the Doctor . The fight was then sent to the scorecards, because of the Accidental headbutts.
5th 2:09 ref halts bout
48-48, 48-47 (2x) MD Herrera
“He stung me in the first round and I kind of lost focus,” said Mauricio Herrera. “I started finding my momentum as the rounds went on, but the issue with the cut really made the fight lose its rhythm. I can’t see how deep the cut is but I feel physically fine and could have kept going. I am in good condition and was landing good body shots and was wearing him down.”
“You saw it,” said Hank Lundy. “He couldn’t handle my speed, my power or my skills so he was holding and doing a bunch of other dirty stuff. I know I won the fight. And, I was ready to take him out if it kept going.”
