With the Tijuana Municipal Auditorium filled to the hilt, homegrown “Aztec Princess” Jackie Nava (25-4-3, 11KOs) made her triumphant return to her native city as she dominated the relentless Soledad Edith “Guerrera” Matthysse (9-3-1, 1KO) over ten rounds in the Saturday, October 8th, main event. The marathon fight card was presented by Zanfer Promotions and Top Rank and broadcast live in Mexico on the Azteca channel. After fighting to a hard earned draw and then suffering a loss in her two wars with Ana Maria Torres earlier this year, Nava earned her first win of the year with a dominant display of speed and technique against the over matched but courageous Argentinean.
Nava Scores on Matthysse
The thirty-one year old Matthysse, who is the sister of boxing brothers Walter and Lucas, had never fought outside of her hometown of Trelew, Chubut, Argentina, and with roughly a little over a third of the amount of professional fights as her opponent, it was clear that Nava was the better and more experienced fighter of the two.
The taller Matthysse established her jab from the opening round. Matthysse’s stiff left hand didn’t discourage Nava as she made her way inside and attacked the body with hard left hooks to the body. It soon became apparent that Matthysse’s offense was her defense as she kept jabbing in hopes of keeping the charging Nava at bay in the second. Nava counter punched with her right hand over the jab with ease and continued her assault to the torso of the Argentinean. In the third, Nava found her rhythm and began to pick her punches with hard power punches to the head and body of Matthysse, encouraged by the chants of “Jackie, Jackie” from her hometown fans.
Both women stepped it up in the fourth as they began to exchange flurries across the ring with the thirty year old Nava being the quicker of the two. Matthysse’s jab began to bear fruit as Nava developed a small mouse under her right eye while the “Guerrera” began to bleed profusely from the nose as a result of Nava’s right hand.
Jackie "Aztec Princess" Nava
By the sixth round, Nava stepped on the gas and began to punish the courageous Matthysse with flurried combinations, power punches and a body attack that began to wear the Argentinean down. Despite never showing anything but a huge heart and a will to still be in the fight, Matthysse continued to suffer a one-sided beating through the remainder of the bout. At the end of ten super bantamweight rounds, the always classy Jimmy Lennon announced the judge’s scores of100-90 from both Benjamin Rendon and Jose Cobian while Dr. Roman Cruz saw it as 99-91.
“I hurt my hand in the fifth round and that is why I didn’t throw it much after that,” Nava stated minutes after her win. “I wanted the knock out but wasn’t able to get it.”
“Gato” Tames the “Cobra”
In a rematch of their November 2010 bout in which San Antonio, TX’s Raul “Cobra” Mendoza (28-2, 16KOs) took the split decision, this time Rodrigo “Gato” Guerrero (16-3-1, 10KOs) turned out the better man as he earned a unanimous technical decision to capture the vacant IBF super flyweight title in the action packed semi-main event.
Martinez proved to be the quicker of the two as he unleashed speedy combinations while Guerrero scored with the harder punches. Martinez still kept control of the first round with effective counterpunching. Martinez began to score with lead rights on the southpaw Guerrero and also began to go to the body in the second heat. Guerrero stood his ground in the center of the ring which forced to Martinez to circle around the perimeter. Guerrero picked up the pace in the third, putting together jab/left hand combinations which at the end of the round found its mark flush and dropped Martinez to the canvas. Martinez, visibly hurt, struggled to beat the count only to have the bell to end the round save him from any more punishment.
"Cobra" Lands Left Hook On "Gato" as referee Pat Russell oversees
Having to make up a round, Martinez came out in the fourth with guns blazing and forced Guerrero into a brawl. “Gato” was more than content to oblige and an all-out war ensued. Martinez kept scoring with lead rights while forcing Guerrero against the ropes. Guerrero proved to be the harder puncher and hurt Martinez multiple times throughout the round with a straight left hand possible causing a cut outside the right brow of Martinez. Martinez was also able to draw blood as Guerrero nose bleed like a leaking faucet.
Martinez took round five with quick hands, scoring combinations and also showing a brilliant defense as he slipped punches with his back to the ropes. Guerrero displayed his granite chin as Martinez scored big with power punches to the head of “Gato”. To start the fifth round, Martinez suffered another cut, this time the lesion splitting his right eye brow which referee Pat Russell correctly called from an accidental head butt. Martinez began to bleed non-stop but did not stop him from taking the fight to Guerrero with both landing bombs at close quarters with Martinez being the quicker fighter while Guerrero the stronger.
In the minute rest, Dr. Jose Luis Hernandez deemed the cut to severe to allow Martinez to continue sending the outcome of the championship bout to the score cards. Judges Chris Wilson and Marty Denkin had it a tight 57-56 while Tom Miller scored it 59-54, all for the new IBF champ Guerrero.
Sandoval Keeps KO Streak Alive
In a battle between two knock out artist, the end could only come from just that but it took Guadalajara, MX’s Daniel “Galeno” Sandoval (22-2, 22KOs) all of ten rounds to stop local favorite Jorge “Pantera” Silva (17-2-1, 15KOs) in a junior welterweight contest. The fireworks began in the first round as both fighters loaded up on every punch. Silva tried to score with one punch, usually an over hand right, while the taller Sandoval opted to box from the outside and score with combinations. “Galeno” did just that mid-way through the round as he finished a thee punch series with a left hook that sent Silva crashing to the canvas. The Tijuana fighter was able to beat the count administered by referee Juan Morales Lee and took the fight to Sandoval until the bell to end the round.
"Pantera" Silva Meets the Canvas
Silva comes back in the second and shakes up Sandoval with a left hook but in the third, Sandoval stays on the outside and continues to box while the pace slows. “Galeno” picks it up in the fourth and begins to hurt Silva to the head with long right hand and short left hooks as Silva looks to be losing steam. Silva was effective throughout the first half of the bout with one punch scoring while cutting Sandoval over both eyes. Sandoval kept boxing from the outside in the fifth and putting up the points with jab/right hand combinations. By the sixth, Sandoval was in control with staying on the outside and scoring with long punches. Silva seemed not to have anything else but the over hand right that missed more than landed by this point.
Feeling the fight slipping away, the nineteen-year old Silva pressured in the seventh and was able to stop Sandoval in his tracks with hard punches to the body and head. Silva surge was only to last one round as Sandoval dropped him again in the eight with a right hand to the temple while Silva’s back was to the ropes. With the knock out within his grasp, Sandoval stalked Silva in the ninth but the “Pantera” was slick enough to stay away and gain his composure but it was not to be as Sandoval caught him again in the tenth with another temple shot that put Silva down. This time, the referee did not bother to count and waived off the fight. Official time was 1:48 of the tenth and final round.
Explosive “Dinamita” Estrella Stops Rodriguez Quick
In a stay busy fight for top Tijuana prospect, Omar “Dinamita” Estrella (15-3-2, 10KOs) earned his third KO in a row when he completely annihilated over matched Horacio Rodriguez (1-3) of Zapopan, Mexico in the third of a scheduled lightweight eight rounder.
Estrella Lands a Body Shot Versus Rodriguez
Estrella, who last December knocked out David Martin Galindo and in May stopped Sergio “Mikey” Lopez, had no trouble with the much bigger Rodriguez who despite his record, was rumored to have more experience. Rodriguez began the bout with trying to bully the smaller Estrella who usually fights at featherweight. As Rodriguez would try to bum rush Estrella with wild looping power punches, Estrella would take a step to the side and scored with upper cuts. In the second, Estrella trapped Rodriguez against the red corner and let go of his hands with measured combinations, upper cuts, hooks from either fists and hard right hands. Rodriguez was able to survive the round just on sheer strength. With the blueprint of the second, Estrella forced Rodriguez to the blue corner in the third and again assaulted him with both fists. This time a left hook to the liver found its mark which crumbled Rodriguez to the canvas. Referee Juan Morales Lee waived off the bout without a count. Official time was 1:56 of the third round.
Other Results
Tijuana bantamweight Daniel Modad (5-6, 4KOs) only needed a little over two minutes and a right upper cut from the southpaw stance to disconnect previously undefeated Guadalupe Barreras (3-1), also of Tijuana, of his senses. Official time was 2:14 in the first round of a scheduled four.
Erik "Terrible" Morales
Perennial Tijuana loser Adan “Ojitos” Guzman (1-10) lasted three rounds and did not respond for the fourth and final round versus Rafael Guzman (3-0, 3KOs) of Ensenada, MX, in a super lightweight contest.
Tall and lanky Jose “El Bolivita” Guerrero of Venezuela (6-0, 5KOs) stopped Mexicali, MX’s Rafael “Rafles” Rios (7-2, 6KOs) in the first round via an unanswered series of punches awarding Guerrero the TKO win in a scheduled middleweight six.
Junior flyweight Francisco Rodriguez (5-0, 4KOs) was taken the distance for the first time in his career when Jorge Guerrero (8-8, 7KOs) of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, survived all four rounds. Rodriguez of Monterrey, Mexico, controlled the whole bout and earned a unanimous decision, no scores were announced.
Jr. flyweight Maximino Flores (9-1, 7KOs) of Ensenada, Mexico, only needed three minutes and precise punching to force Mario Lara (0-4) of Tijuana to stay in his stool after the first round of a scheduled four. Lara suffered a cut over his right eye.
Tijuana middleweight Rogelio Ruvalcaba (7-0, 6KOs) was taken the distance for the first time in a six rounder by veteran Antonio Arras (21-11, 15KOs) of Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico.
Alejandro “Cobrita” Gonzalez Jr. (10-0-2, 5KOs) of Zapopan, Jalisco, remained undefeated when he stopped Manuel Armendariz (2-6-1) of Tijuana in the second round of a scheduled four. Official time was 2:39.
Notable Faces in the Crowd: Four time world champion Erik “Terrible” Morales, three time world champion Marco Antonio Barrera, three time world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., IBF lightweight champ Miguel “Titere” Vazquez, IBF light flyweight champion Ulises “Archie” Solis, world ranked jr. flyweight Javier “Cobra” Mendoza
