Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao held his first ever U.S. fight card as Manny Pacquiao Promotions debuted from the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California Saturday evening. Tijuana’s Lazaro Lorenzana (19-0, 13 KOs) and Luis Arias (22-6-1, 11 KOs) of Las Vegas squared off in the main event for the WBC Middleweight Regional title in headlining on ESPN Deportes.
The Mexican fighter set the tone from the opening bell as Lorenzana connected Arias with solid body shots early on. Lorenzana controlled early on in the second as he backed Arias and kept connecting. Continuing to press the action in round three, Lorenza did not hold back as Arias appeared to be tired. The fourth round saw the Tijuana fighter continuing to bring it as Lorenzana outworked Arias. Clinching and exchanging in the center of the ring in the fifth, Lorenzana appeared to hurt Arias late in the round.
The sixth round began wild as Arias and Lorenzana exchanged, shortly after Lorenzana urged Arias to continue to trade as the two clinched. Fighting at close quarters in the second half of the fight, Lorenzana and Arias talked smack and exchanged forcing referee Ray Corona to put a halt to the jibber jabbing. Late in the fight, it was all Lorenza dominating Arias working his way to the decision win.
The judges scored the bout 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.
In the co-feature bout, the son of the Legend and Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao, Jimuel Pacquiao (0-0-1) of General Santos City, Philippines made his professional debut in going the distance and fighting a draw against Brendan Lally (0-0-1) from Chicago.
Pacquiao and Lally came out fighting from the opening bell as the two exchanged. Relentlessly attacking and letting his hands go in round two, Pacquiao was busy as Lally did not hold back and stood his ground trading away and urging an exchange. It was a back forth battle between Pacquiao and Lally as they fought on to the final bell drawing the crowd to their feet.
Upon completing four rounds, the judges scored the bout 39-37, 38-38, and 38-38 as the bout was declared a majority draw.
Undefeated featherweight prospects Javier Zamarron (11-0, 5 KOs) of Las Vegas won a unanimous decision over the Philippines’s Alejandro Meniano (7-1, 4 KOs) as they squared off in an eight round bout. It was a fast paced fight, Zamarron scored a knockdown early in the fight, despite the knockdown Meniano continued to battle on in going the distance.
After completing eight rounds the judges scored the bout 80-71, 79-72, and 77-74
Light flyweight Terry Washington (5-0, 5 KOs) of San Bernadino, California won a dominant unanimous decision over Ricardo Astuvilca (23-4, 5 KOs) of Lima, Peru.
It was a good round for the undefeated fighter as Washington displayed good hand speed and technique from the opening bell against the veteran Astuvilca. Controlling the pace and out-boxing the Peruvian, Washington used his skills early on to fight off Astuvilca. It was all Washington early on in the fight as he appeared to assert control near the halfway mark. Working the jab in the fifth, Washington controlled the fight and kept Astuvilca at a distance as the fight appeared to be one sided heading into the second half of the fight.
Showing the superior skill and controlling the fight in the sixth, Washington continued to box and outwork Astuvilca in what appeared to be a lackluster fight as the crowd expressed their displeasure. Picking up the pace, Washington asserted control in the seventh over the Peruvian veteran fighter as Washington appeared to be swimming well in the deep end of the waters against the veteran fighter. The eighth was a conservative round for Washington using the technique, flash in outworking and dominating Astuvilca. There was no question about it that the fight was Washington’s as he peppered Astuvilca with the jab and out-boxing the 27 fight veteran to a clear decision win.
Upon completing 10 rounds all three judges scored the bout 100-90.
Flyweight Jose Russell (17-1, 11 KO’s) of Tijuana, Mexico stopped Saleto Henderson (10-3, 7 KO’s) of Indianapolis, Indiana in the sixth.
It was southpaw vs. southpaw with Russell and Henderson shooting away at the opening bell early at a fast pace. Russell got the better of the exchanges as he dropped Henderson twice in the opening round as Henderson was saved by the bell to close the round. In the third, Russell stayed poised and attacked patiently as Henderson circled the ring boxing away. Applying the pressure in round four, Russell kept coming with Henderson fighting off his back foot keeping his distance and staying limited.
The Tijuana fighter continued to press the action outworking Henderson in the sixth as Russell was in obvious control of the fight. Henderson had seen enough as he did not come out for the seventh round, the referee stopped the fight at the end.
In a Southern California super featherweight bout, Corona’s Michael Bracamontes (14-2-1, 6 KOs) won a hard fought dominant unanimous decision over William King (6-3-2, 3 KOs) of Lynwood opened up the ESPN Deportes telecast.
Figuring and feeling out in the opening round, Bracamontes pressed later in the round keeping King at a distance and ripping away power shots. Bracamontes stayed busy in round two, ripping away and outworking a slow paced and unmotivated King. Bouncing away and keeping his distance in the third, King appeared to want no part in the fight as Bracamontes attacked patiently. At the halfway mark, Bracamontes stayed busy and on top of King in the fourth, closing out the round with a vicious attack connecting with a hard right.
Past the halfway point of the fight in the fifth, it was all Bracamontes as King appeared limited, fatigued, and mentally out of the fight. Dominating the second half of the fight, Bracamontes stayed busy working relentlessly controlling King and the fight in route to a dominant decision victory.
The judges scored the fight 80-64, 79-73, and 79-73.
Las Vegas super featherweight Rodrigo Mosquera III (4-0, 2 KOs) and Bryan Domingo (0-4-1) of Guatemala battled it out in going four rounds.
Mosquera got things started in the opening round tagging Domingo with a vicious hook but Domingo kept fighting on keeping Mosquera on his toes. Staying and fighting on the inside in round two, Mosquera ripped away to the body but that did not deter Domingo from coming as the Guatemalan was not fazed and kept pushing through taking the fight to Mosquera. Domingo and Mosquera continued to grind in the fourth and final round as they battle through going the distance.
Upon completing four rounds, the judges scored the bout 40-36, 39-37, and 39-37 as Mosquera wins a unanimous decision.
In the opening bout from the Pechanga Casino in Temecula, California, light heavyweight Sheldon Payne (1-1) of Victorville, California picked up his first career victory in winning a majority decision over Adil Gadzhiev (3-2, 1 KO) from Moscow.
Gadzhiev and Payne wasted no time as they went at each other trading in the opening round. Payne opened up the second round ripping away and backing Gadzhiev to the ropes, the Russian boxed away throughout the round. Staying slippery and elusive in the third, Payne made it tricky for Gadzhiev as he could not figure out Payne’s awkward style. Heading into the fourth and final round, Payne and Gadzhiev let their hands go and stayed busy. Late in the round, Payne let loose and confidently let his hands go backing Gadzhiev to the ropes in the process winning the fans as the crowd was up chanting at the final bell.
After completing four rounds, the judges scored the bout 39-37 for Payne, 39-37 for Payne, and 38-38 as Payne pulls of the majority decision.
