Iron Boy 52

By Steve Ward, Ringside

The Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix played host to a night of pure pugilistic bliss as Iron Boy Promotions presented Iron Boy 52. After some young fighters from the Phoenix chapter of USA Boxing were given their moment in the spotlight for four amateur contests, the pros took center stage as the capacity crowd bared witness to six exhilarating professional bouts. As always, Iron Boy showcased the finest local talent, primarily from Arizona, as they progress on their young campaigns towards hopeful superstardom.

Allen Navarez (2-2-0, 1 KO) vs. Deshawn Boyd (4-0-0, 2 KOs) Four Rounds, 132 lbs

Decision: Deshawn Boyd via UD (39-37, 39-37, 40-36)

Allen Navarez attempted to bring the fight to Boyd for the duration of round one, unfortunately for him, it was to no avail. Boyd displayed great composure as he played more of a counter-puncher role peppering Navarez with shots each time he was able to avoid his advances all with a smile on his face for the majority of the round. Navarez continued to push the action in round two, however, his reckless abandon did leave him open for a few solid shots from Boyd that he was luckily able to sustain. Rounds three and four saw Boyd begin to answer less of Navarez’ offense, however, the punches he did land were with more conviction as his power game came into play. The judges were all in accordance as the unanimous decision was awarded to Boyd keeping his perfect campaign intact.

Chad Davis (5-15-0, 1 KO) vs. Waldo Cortez Acosta (4-2-0, 2 KOs) Six Rounds, Heavyweights

Decision: Waldo Cortez Acosta via TKO in round 3

Round one of this clash of heavyweights, each from Phoenix, turned into an extended feeling out process. The two fighters stood toe to toe with little to no movement aside from a couple brief flurries. Round two saw an uptick in the action but the most exciting moment of the round arguably was when Davis almost bulldozed Acosta through the ropes in the closing seconds. Acosta was like a man possessed as round three commenced. Acosta proceeded to deliver a vicious barrage of shots to Davis that was capped with a right uppercut that dropped him to the canvas. While Davis was able to answer the referee’s count, Acosta continued his relentless assault which quickly lead the referee to put a stop to the action.

Damarias Russell (0-1-0) vs. Eduardo Ayala (5-0-1, 2 KOs) Four Rounds, 165 lbs

Decision: Eduardo Ayala via TKO in round 2

Marine Corps combat veteran Damarias Russell made his professional debut against the undefeated Eduardo Ayala. Round one showed there would be no feeling out process as the two pugilists went after each other immediately. Russell may have been a bit overzealous as he was quickly knocked down but quickly recovered and immediately snapped Ayala’s head back with a stiff jab. Russell attempted to push the action in round two landing some nice shots, most notably a strong left hook. This wasn’t enough with Ayala’s strong jaw absorbing the brutal blow. Russell again left himself open late in the round and Ayala was able to capitalize with a stiff right to the jaw that again dropped Russell to the canvas. Russell was able to return to his feet but he clearly did not know he was in Phoenix as the referee called a stop to the action.

Vernon Brown (11-1-1, 7 KOs) vs. Roberto Yong (6-17-2, 4 KOs) Six Rounds, 151 lbs

Decision: Vernon Brown via SD (57-56 Yong, 59-54 Brown, 58-55 Brown)

After a rather uneventful first round and a half, the action picked up in the closing moments of round two. Yong decided to drop his hands and showboat a bit which Brown did not appreciate much as he answered with a right hook that dropped him to the canvas. After Yong returned to his feet, Brown trapped him on the ropes and teed off on Yong as he did his best to cover up for the remainder of the round - shockingly without a stoppage by the ref. In round three, Brown was able to continue to put in some solid work as he exploited Yong’s lack of defense with another right hook that rattled his cage but Yong was again able to survive the round. Rounds four through six saw Brown control the tempo of the fight as he continued to cut off the ring and continue to exploit Yong with his right hook much to the chagrin of his corner. To Yong’s credit, he continued to attempt to answer Brown and demonstrated a solid chin throughout the fight. As is often the case with judges from the Arizona Athletic Commission, the decision was a bit questionable as one judge gave the fight to Yong, nonetheless, Brown was able to walk away with the split decision victory.

Co-Main Event

Francisco Dominguez (7-11-1, 1 KO) vs. Jesus Ibarra (9-0-0, 4 KOs) Six Rounds, 126 lbs

Decision: Jesus Ibarra via UD (60-52, 59-53, 60-53)

Dominguez certainly did not come out in round one looking like a fighter with 10 losses as he brought the fight to Ibarra until he was dropped to the canvas with a left hook – one that Dominguez and his corner argued was to the back of the head and they may have had a legit argument. For the next two and a half rounds, Dominguez appeared to slow down a bit until Ibarra snapped his head back with a straight right in round four that reinvigorated him making the second half of this round quite competitive. Dominguez tried to continue to get back into the fight at the onset of round five until another straight right broke through his guard and landed him on the canvas. Perhaps it was fatigue or erring on the side of caution, but rather than pounce on Ibarra, Dominguez elected to strategically pick his punches for the remainder of the round as he firmly asserted control.

Main Event

Omar Garcia (6-9-0, 1 KO) vs. Trini Ochoa (7-0-0, 4 KOs) Six Rounds, 140 lbs

Decision: Trini Ochoa via TKO in round 6

Trini Ochoa demonstrated outstanding ring generalship throughout this fight as he barely allowed Garcia to land any meaningful shots while he kept him at bay with a quite effective jab which he used to open the opportunity for some very effective body work. Garcia also had a tendency to lift his arms in a “V” every time Ochoa landed a combo to his body-while Garcia seemed to be trying to tell Ochoa he wasn’t hurting him, I’d beg to argue that he was more in search of relief for some ailing ribs. In round six, Garcia had a significant cut open up above his right eye from an accidental head-butt that initially caused the ring doctor to be called upon to check him. After Garcia was allowed to continue, Ochoa immediately went after the eye and despite Garcia’s attempts to answer his attack, referee Wes Melton stepped in to call an end to the contest.

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Iron Boy 52 Preview

By Steve Ward

The pugilists of Iron Boy Promotions make their return to Phoenix, Arizona this Saturday evening as the storied Celebrity Theatre plays host to Iron Boy 52. Iron Boy is poised again to satiate the thirst of Phoenix fight fans for top tier sanctioned savagery as they are prepared again to showcase the finest up and coming professional fighters coupled with some grizzled veterans of the squared circle.

The co-main event will pit 21-year old Jesus Ibarra (8-0-0, 4 KOs) as he seeks to remain undefeated against Francisco Dominguez (7-10-1, 1 KO) in a six round bout that will be contested at 126 lbs. Ibarra, a resident of nearby Apache Junction, AZ, will try to continue to build momentum on the heels of his most recent victory – a unanimous decision victory over Isaac Camarillo back in April. Ibarra’s opponent, Francisco “Panchito” Dominguez, a veteran of 18 professional bouts, will seek to right the ship of his career as he is currently riding a seven-fight winless streak with his last victory coming way back in 2010 as he earned a unanimous decision or Arturo Murillo.

In the main event, budding fan favorite Trini Ochoa (6-0-0, 3 KOs) will also strive to remain undefeated in his young campaign as he battles Omar Garcia (6-8-0, 1 KO) at 140 lbs. Ochoa will already be making his third appearance of 2019 after he fought FOUR TIMES in 2018. Ochoa most recently stepped into the ring in April as he made quick work of Elliot Brown with a third round knockout. The 20-year old Ochoa’s opposition will be supplied by 35-year old Omar Garcia. Garcia who goes by the moniker Mr. Power (I must say this may be one of the best ring names I’ve ever seen as it would have perfectly suited a heel character in the 1989 Hulk Hogan classic No Holds Barred – in fact, it’s so incredible that the gentlemen of The Weigh-In may need to bestow it upon our esteemed colleague Justin Dohnson), will seek to return to the win column as he is in the midst of an intimidating six fight losing streak. Garcia last tasted victory in April of 2016 as he earned a unanimous decision over Juan Payta.

The casual fight fan may look at the seemingly mismatched records between some of these fighters and discount the result as being anything but an inevitable victory for the “A side” fighter. An assumption as such would quite frankly be foolish.  These combatants don’t continue to rigorously train to simply get in the ring and lose which is why these action-packed events always provide such a compelling dynamic. Fans not only have the opportunity to witness prospects cut their teeth on the way to potential stardom but also discover whether these young fighters have the grit to overcome some deceivingly stout competition who are not there necessarily to just “lay down” but still have their own hopes of some semblance of glory - despite a seemingly lopsided record.

Don’t deprive yourself of the opportunity to witness all of the action within the intimate confines of the Celebrity Theatre this Saturday! Tickets are still available at celebritytheatre.com starting at only $30, however, if you are not able to come out don’t fret because the fights will be live-streamed on ironboyboxing.com!

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Iron Boy 49 Recap

By Steve Ward, Ringside    

Iron Boy Promotions presented Iron Boy 49 from the storied Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, AZ this evening. The six fight card offered the capacity crowd in attendance a bevvy of young talent, local fan favorites, grizzled veterans, and a special treat not often witnessed on a professional card - two amateur fights that featured fighters from the Phoenix chapter of USA Boxing. 

The co-main event featured Fidel Hernandez (19-5-1, 10 KOs) as he did battle with Ulises Jimenez (23-23-1, 15 KOs). This fight marked “OG’s” 2019 debut after a very busy 2018 which saw him enter the squared circle four times with a grab bag of decisions as he finished the year 2-1-1, all decided by the judges. Fidel last stepped in the ring just four months ago as he fought Andrew Hernandez (a man eight years his junior who’s gone toe-to-toe with stout talent such as Caleb Plant and Jesse Hart) to a 10 round majority draw. Hernandez’s opponent tonight was Ulises Jimenez, a fighter who’s engaged in combat with top tier fighters such as Roberto Garcia and Samuel Vargas, who at only age 35 entered his 48^th professional fight.

The main event pitted newly signed Top Rank boxer Francisco De Vaca in his last fight for Iron Boy Promotions against Ernesto Guerrero, a veteran of 55 professional bouts. The 24-year old De Vaca, also known as Panchito El Centenario, made his first appearance of 2019 after a flawless 2018. De Vaca’s last fight emanated from the Gila River Arena back in August on the undercard of the Ray Beltran vs. Jose Pedraza ESPN clash (one I was lucky enough to have a ringside seat for) as he earned an impressive unanimous decision victory over Jesus Serrano.

Amateur Fights

Mario Ruiz vs. Adrian Rodriguez

Three Rounds, Bantamweights

Decision: Adrian Rodriguez via UD

Both of these young men took full advantage of the opportunity to participate on a professional card as they came out ready to put on a show. Rodriguez was able to work around the jab of Ruiz, who had a substantial reach advantage, to do some nice inside work as he landed some crisp uppercuts. Rounds two and three saw Rodriguez start to walk down Ruiz as he began to take control of the fight with some very effective feints that kept Ruiz on his heels in conjunction with some additional well placed uppercuts. The judges were all in accordance as Rodriguez took the bout via unanimous decision.

Jacob Girardot vs. Thomas Valerio

Three Rounds, Featherweights

Decision: Thomas Valerio via SD

In the second, and final, amateur bout of the evening, both young men displayed unwavering tenacity as they stood toe-to-toe and gave 100% effort for three rounds. Girardot displayed excellent head movement and a solid left hook whereas Valerio, much like Mario Ruiz, was able to overcome his reach “disadvantage” to move inside and score what turned out to be significant points. I personally felt Girardot had done enough to win the fight by a narrow margin, however, two of the judges saw it differently as Valerio earned the split decision.

Professional Fights

Jose Castanon (0-1-0) vs. Eduardo Ayala (4-0-0, 1 KO)

Four Rounds, Light Heavyweights (175 lbs)

Decision: Eduardo Ayala via UD (40-36, 40-36, 40-36)

The first bout of the professional portion of the card pitted a pair of Phoenix natives against each other as the debuting Jose Castanon squared off with Eduardo Ayala. Round one saw Ayala come out and press the action as he landed some solid body shots, while Castanon looked primed to go but was a bit gun-shy which could have been attributed to first pro fight jitters. In round two, Castanon begin to establish an effective jab that was able to draw blood from the mouth of Ayala, however, Ayala answered with several vicious combos highlighted by some powerful body shots. Round three saw Ayala slow down a bit but Castanon was unable to capitalize as he still allowed himself to be walked down and thus opened himself up to some additional punishment and the development of a prominent mouse under his right eye. In the fourth and final round, Castanon came out reinvigorated and let his hands go while he continued to utilize an effective jab, however, it was too little too late for a four round contest. The judges viewed this bout unanimously as a clean sweep for Ayala.

Tim Ruiz (1-2-0, 1 KO) vs. Trini Ochoa (5-0-0, 2 KOs)

Four Rounds, Junior Welterweights (141 lbs)

Decision: Trini Ochoa via TKO in round 3

Tim “The Toolman” Ruiz attempted to overwhelm Ochoa with a dose of reckless abandon in the opening round, however, Ochoa displayed great patience and landed a right hook to Ruiz’s ear that dropped him to his knees. Ochoa came out in round two and delivered much of the same as he continued his tactically sound onslaught. Ochoa’s well placed right hooks and straight rights bloodied the mouth of Ruiz, ejecting his mouthpiece in the process. In round three, just seconds after Ochoa reintroduced Ruiz to the canvas, his continued assault led Ruiz to take a knee leading to an impressive victory for the Mesa, AZ native.

Ulises Jimenez (23-24-1, 15 KOs) vs. Fidel Hernandez (20-5-1, 11 KOs)

Eight Rounds, Super Middleweights (168 lbs)

Decision: Fidel Hernandez via TKO in round 3

In the co-main event of the evening, Fidel “OG” Hernandez immediately brought the hometown crowd to their feet as he made his way to the ring donning his sunglasses to the classic War song “Lowrider.” From the opening bell, Jimenez did not exude the body language of a man that wanted any part of this fight as “OG” Hernandez continued to walk him down and cut off the ring leaving him on his heels. Round two delivered much of the same as Jimenez continued to play keep away, a tactic that almost backfired as he caught a right hook on the chin that he was lucky to absorb. Jimenez entered round three like he was a different fighter as he attempted to mount some offense, unfortunately for him, it exposed a window of opportunity for Hernandez to walk him into the corner. OG was able to brutalize Jimenez with body shots that drove Jimenez to his knees leading the referee to call a stop to the action.

Ernesto Guerrero (30-26-0, 20 KOs) vs. Francisco C. DeVaca (20-0-0, 6 KOs)

Eight Rounds, Featherweights

Decision: Francisco De Vaca via UD (80-72, 80-72, 80-72)

Round one was an extended feeling out process for the two pugilists as De Vaca walked down Guerrero repeatedly and stayed busy enough to seemingly have taken the round. Round two saw an uptick in the action as De Vaca quickly landed a stiff, straight right that propelled Guerrero into the ropes with such velocity that I thought he was going to land in the judge at ringside’s lap. Rounds three through eight saw Guerrero enter survival mode as he seemed more interested in wrapping up De Vaca than attempting to inflict any kind of punishment. De Vaca on the other hand demonstrated a proficient jab and when he was able to engage Guerrero, he landed body shots with sniper-like precision. The fight overall was rather frustrating for the fans in attendance as De Vaca literally begged Guerrero to engage him to little avail. In the end, it was no shocker that all three judges agreed that De Vaca pitched a shutout as he was awarded the unanimous decision.

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