LAS VEGAS – In a welterweight four-rounder, 150-pound, Rodrigo Garcia, Los Angeles, California, now 5-0, 4 KOs met Phoenix, Arizona’s Martin Vierra, now 5-3-1, 2KOs. Were I a boxing manager I would invest in the quick-handed Garcia. The kid is the real deal from top-to-bottom. Great punch selection and he’s an active puncher who likes to go to the body. Garcia won via unanimous decision with scores of 40-36 on all three official cards.
In a super bantamweight scheduled for six, Eilon Kedem, 119 ?, now 9-2-4, 6KO from New York City, New York squared off against Manny Pacquiao look-alike and southpaw Eden Sonsona, 121, who improved to 14-3, 4 KOs from General Santos City, Philippines. Despite his spotty record, Sonsona looks like a sensation to me. Buboy Fernadez’ protege dropped Kedem in the first and again at 17 seconds of the second round before referee Joe Cortez stepped in to call a halt. I would say Sonsona is the real deal. Very impressive. Look for him in the future.
Cameron Dunkin managed, southpaw middleweight prospect Matt Korobov, now 8-0, 6 KOs, all the way from Russia, continued to progress as he pounded out a workmanlike win over righty James Winchester from Reidsville, North Carolina. Korobov, trained by the Las Vegas-based Kenny Adams, has good power – but has a long way to go in the defense department. Korobov won unanimously 60-54 on all three cards He’s raw, but effective, and he looks to have improved since when I saw him on the Cotto vs. Clottey undercard back in June – but not by much. Winchester falls to 10-3, 3 KOs.
In bout number two of the card, Ernie Marquez, 112, from my old stomping grounds of Colorado, faced Filipino Ritchie Mepranum, 133, who is trained by Pacquiao assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez. Mepranum got off to a sluggish start in a sloppy flyweight affair that wasn’t much to look at (and the empty arena didn’t help) but Mepranum proved victorious in the end by a close split-decision. Mepranum put Marquez down in the second round and that was the difference. He won by scores of 57-56, 56-57 and 58-55. Marquez falls to 9-6-1, 3 KOs while Mepranum improves to 16-2-1, 3 KOs.
In the opening six-rounder, lightweights Abner Cotto, 133, Puerto Rico who is a cousin to Miguel Cotto, won a unanimous decision over Luis “Gudalupe” Guzman, 134. No knockdowns in a careful fight for Cotto who goes to 5-0, 3KOs. Guzman, from Mexico, won only one round on the three official scorecards and drops to 6-7, 0 KOs.
