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Blood, Guts & The Bizarre Friday Night In Reno
By Simon Ruvalcaba
It was a night that going into the show you heard a lot of
experts say 50/50 as in how competitive each bout looked on
paper. Friday night’s Let’s Get It On Promotion’s card at
the Reno/Spark Convention Center had proof of just how
competitive the show was as 2 out of 5 bouts where draws
while 2 of the other 3 where exciting and played out with
solid victories.
In the main event youth was served as Ricardo ‘El Nino’
Sandoval of Riverside, California outworked 8 year pro
veteran and local favorite Oscar ‘Chapito’ Vasquez to earn a
unanimous 8 round decision, 80-72 on all three cards for the
shutout victory to improve to 13-1 (8). Vasquez falls to
15-2 (3). Oscar seemed to be looking for his rhythm all
evening as Sandoval was more assertive and quicker to the
punch. For Sandoval, who in his last appearance in Reno
defeated Olympic Alternate Brent Venegas, this victory over
Vasquez raises his stock to legit contender status.
In the co-main event, Sacramento, California's Blake ‘The
Beast’ McKernan improved to 8-0 (6) and claimed the W.B.U.
Cruiserweight belt with a 3rd round stoppage of Mexico’s
Daniel Arambula. After 2 rounds of stalking and finding his
range, Army and Iraq War Veteran McKernan picked up the pace
in round 3 and a barrage of punches that staggered Arambula
from one side of the ring to another forced the Referee
stoppage as Arambula’s corner was throwing in the towel.
Official time was 2:15. Arambula falls to 4-3 (1).
In a heated 4 round Lightweight contest, Carson City,
Nevada’s Diego Elizondo, a local favorite, and St. Louis’s
Canton Miller battled to a 4 round majority draw. The bout
featured good exchanges with heated exchanges, tackling and
low blows as both fighters refused to back down from each
other. In the end judges scored 40-36 for Miller, while
other two scorecards agreed with Punchline ringside scoring
of 38-38 for a majority draw. Elizondo no 2-0-1 and miller
is now 3-1-1 (1).
Oscar’s Brother Santos ‘Titos’ Vasquez battled Puerto Rican
Bryan Aquino in a 6 round light flyweight bout. Action was
slow the first two rounds but then picked up in round 3. The
southpaw Aquino was picking his shots while Vasquez would
stalk in with stiff rights. It was a tactical fight that
Punchline scored 58-56 for Vasquez. Official scorecards
where 58-56 Vasquez, 58-56 Aquino and 57-57 for an official
draw. Vasquez now 5-2-2 (3) while Aquino is now 11-2-1 (5).
In the night’s opening bout Cuban Heavyweight Frank Sanchez
Faure 6-0 (6) of Las Vegas via Cuba, looked to continue his
climb up the Heavyweight ladder against veteran Lamont
Capers 9-12-4 (1) of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Sanchez came out fast and landed some heavy blows from his
still developing raw style. Towards the end of round 1 a
point was deducted from Capers for excessive holding. The
2nd round got started and seconds in with Capers along the
ropes, it appeared he may have take a shot that dropped him
clear out of the ring with ringside officials unable to
react fast enough, Capers dangerously hit the Reno/Sparks
Convention Center’s cement floor. It was ruled that he was
shoved out of the ring and unable to continue the bout was
ruled a No Contest.
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