On this edition of LA FIGHT CLUB, the fans were treated to non-stop action from start to finish at the Belasco Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. Special guests in attendance included NBA Superstar Metta World Peace, NABF Super Lightweight Champion Antonio “Relentless” Orozco, NABA Featherweight Champion Abraham “Chamaco” Lopez, Jesus “Renuente” Soto Karass, “King” Gabriel Rosado, Vyacheslav “Lion Heart-Chingonskyy” Shabranskyy, Roy “Pitbull” Tapia, Alexis Rocha, Niko “Baby Face” Valdes and David Mijares, who all sat ringside watching the action.
Photo Credit: Golden Boy Promotions
Fighting in the televised main event on Estrella TV’s Boxeo Estelar, Los Angeles local Carlos “The Solution” Morales (14-1-3, 6 KOs) went on an all-out rampage against Luis “La Estrella” Franco (14-2-1, 9 KOs) of Havana, Cuba in a featherweight bout for the vacant NABA Super Featherweight title. The evenly matched fighters exchanged blocks and jabs for all 10 rounds, with both fighters giving it their all. Eventually “The Solution” came out on top as the judges awarded the NABA crown to the LA FIGHT CLUB fan favorite with scores of 98-92, 97-93, 96-94.
In the televised co-main event, Glendora, California’s Joet Gonzalez (14-0, 6 KOs) maintained his undefeated status when he took on Los Angeles native Sergio “Micky” Lopez (19-12-1, 12 KOs) in a featherweight bout that went the distance. Gonzalez showed off his impressive left hook throughout the fight, using it to slowly break down Lopez round by round. Lopez countered and went on the defensive, landing shots to the face and body and at times cornered Joet on the ropes. The ninth round was filled with intensity as Joet landed massive jabs to the face, stunning Lopez. The fighters’ fury carried over to the 10th round, with the judges ruling in favor of Gonzalez via unanimous decision.
“I was mad during the fight,” said Joet Gonzalez. “I felt the referee wasn’t doing his job correctly. There were various points during the fight in which my opponent would lean in, head butt and hold me. However, despite the referee not noticing, I am glad the judges took note of my boxing ability. This was my first 10-round fight, and I prepared for this fight a little differently, using strength and weight training. I was able to share the card with my brother, which means a lot to me. We got first round knockout and unanimous decision victories.”
“During the fight, I didn’t think we were that far away points wise. In the end, it was the fans who won tonight,” said Lopez on the fight. “I feel we put on a great show for everybody. After our 30 days, I am going to hit the gym again and look forward to when I’ll hit the mat again to please the crowd.”
In the swing bout of the night, LA’s Angel Bojado (1-0, 0 KO) made his professional debut with a bang by defeating Euris Silverio (0-4) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Knocked down in the second round, Bojado got right back up and went back to business with a vengeance and was awarded a victory by unanimous decision.
“This fight was a long time coming,” said Bojado. “This victory will be the foundation for the rest of my boxing career. It’s been about two years since I have been in the ring, and training hard in North Carolina has paid off. I knew my opponent was tough because all his fights went to the judges for the decision. I am excited to only go up from here.”
Los Angeles local and LA FIGHT CLUB fan favorite Pablo “The Shark” Rubio, Jr. (7-0, 3 KOs) fought opponent Michael Gaxiola (4-8), of Modesto, CA in a six-round super bantamweight fight. “The Shark” demonstrated his capacity to dominate the ring, throughout the fight by cornering Gaxiola during most rounds. It was during the third round in a series of heated punches that Rubio sustained a cut underneath his right eye from a head butt. Despite the setback, the judges all unanimously agreed that he was the stronger fighter, awarding him the victory of the fight.
“I agree with the judges’ decision and I am happy with my performance tonight,” said Rubio on his unanimous decision win. “I used my jabs and had a lot of movement, which is what I was working on in training camp for this fight. I noticed that I slowed down in the fifth round, however, I still kept my rhythm. My opponent was very technical and he didn’t throw any crazy punches, so I applaud him for a tough fight.”
Glendora, California’s Jousce Gonzalez (2-0, 2 KO) dazzled the crowd in a four-round super featherweight fight against David “Tito” Montes (0-4 KOs) of El Paso, TX, in which he landed a body shot at 1:26 in the first round, to add another knockout to his undefeated record.
“I prepared well for this fight and had great sparring partners in Alex Luna and my older brother Joet Gonzalez,” said Jousce Gonzalez. “I always train for double the amount of rounds and if the knock out comes during the fight, it comes. I’m ready for everything. I’m on fire and in the best shape of my life. I could fight tomorrow if needed.”
Kicking off this fight night with a four-round featherweight fight, Las Vegas’ Francisco “El Alacran” Esparza (3-0, 1 KO) faced Noe Munoz (2-2) of Ciudad Juarez. Ezparza wasted no time getting straight to business by landing a devastating right punch to Munoz’s face, effectively ending the bout by technical knockout in the first thirty seconds.
“I feel amazing,” said Esparza on his victory. “Going in to the fight, you never expect a knock out. I always prepare to go all four rounds. I hope to be back really quick, and I want to thank my team for the opportunity.”
Carlos Morales vs. Luis Franco was a 10-round bout for the NABA Super Featherweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD, Casa Mexico Tequila, Carmelita Coconut Water, and Hands of Stone: The True Story of Robert Duran out in theatres this August. The Boxeo Estelar broadcast aired live on Estrella TV at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. The card was also streamed live on EstrellaTV.com and on YouTube via LBI Media’s Fenomeno Studios. The Ring TV live stream began at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.
Tickets for LA FIGHT CLUB start at only $20 with Flex Passes for multiple fight packages, Group Tickets and Knockout Experience upgrade are available for purchase at www.goldenboypromotions.com, the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page, by calling 213-233-2957 or by emailing LAFightClub@goldenboypromotions.com. Mark your calendars and purchase tickets in advance before they sell out for the remaining summer dates taking place August 19, September 2, October 7, November 4 and December 2.
