By Boxing Bob Newman
In another ProBox classic, U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson produced a statement win over spoiler Nicklaus Flaz with a crushing 4th round victory.
After a cautious chess match of a first round, Johnson started following his pinpoint left jab with right hands that were like torpedoes. One such combination landed flush in the third round, dropping Flaz in a heap. He turned the trick again in the 4th, where after beating the count, referee Michael DeJesus deemed Flaz in no condition to continue at 3: 00 of the 4th. With the win, Johnson picks up the NABO welterweight title and moves to 17-0, 8 KOs.
Flaz sees his six fight, win streak snapped and drops to 15-3, 10 KOs.
Japanese bantamweight Katsuma Akitsugi fought through cuts over both eyes to systematically dismantle and break down Filipino Vincent Astrolabio with a five knockdown performance. The coup de gras was a left to the body which dropped Astrolabio for the fifth and final time, upon which referee Christopher Young instantly waved it off at 2:35 of the 7th round. Akitsugi improves to 14-0, 4 KOs. Astrolabio falls to 20-6, 15 KOs.
In a crossroads lightweight fight, young, undefeated Dominic Valle took on ex-champion Rene Alvarado In a scheduled eight rounder. Valle used his youth, height, reach and volume power punching to make it a one-sided fight. That being said, Alvarado earned his money and made it a fight for the full eight rounds, walking through three times as many punches landed on him as he landed on Valle, as well as a cut right eye.
The final scores were 80-72 twice and 79-73, all four Valle who improves to 12-0, 7 KOs. Alvarado dips to 36-17, 22 KOs.
Welterweight Emilio Garcia displayed frightening power as he dispatched Roberto Tapia with ease via two crushing knockdowns in the first round. The first damaging blow was a right uppercut, moments after rising, Tapia was flattened by a right hook. Despite beating the count, his legs were so rubbery that referee Michael DeJesus waved it off at 1:10 of the opener. Garcia moves to 3-0, 3 KOs. Tapia Falls to
6-5-1, 4 KOs.
Xavier Bocanegra blew out Sergio Aldana with two knockdowns in the first round of their super featherweight bout. Referee Christopher Young had seen enough and stopped about at 2:49 of the opening session. Bocanegra improves 9-0, 7 KOs.
Aldana loses his first at 4-1, 1 KO.
One half of the Bocanegra brothers- featherweight Ranulfo, took on fellow novice Julio Lanzas in a 4-Rounder to open the YouTube televised segment of the show. After controlling the first three rounds with his exceptional height and reach advantage, Bocanegra planted a beautiful left hook to the liver of Lanzas dropping him for the full 10 count of referee Frank Santore at :31 Of the fourth round. Bocanegra is now 4-0, KOs.
Lanzas drops below .500 at 1-2-1.
