Over fifteen hundred faithful OC fight fans packed the Orange County Fair & Events Center to watch local hero Luis Ramos Jr. take on tough- luck Texan Jose Hernandez in a junior welterweight main event. And, in a super middleweight attraction, James Kirkland was back in action less than two weeks removed from his 34 second destruction of Ahsandi Gibbs.

Undefeated prospect Luis Ramos Jr. escaped with a narrow, majority decision win over snake-bitten Jose Hernandez of Fort Worth, TX. Hernandez (10-5-1) was robbed of a decision in February against Mickey Bey Jr. in NV. Hernandez can argue it happened this night in CA. Ramos (18-0) and Hernandez banged away at each other in an action packed opener. In the second the fighters picked up where they left off, ripping each other with heavy leather.

Hernandez carried the round with right and left uppercuts. The southpaw Ramos got back on track in the third by winging left hooks to the body and head. The seesaw battle raged on in the fourth when Hernandez raked Ramos with right hands. The action was so furious the bell to end the round couldn’t stop it. When the fifth started the fighters went right back to work. Hernandez walked Ramos around the ring working behind his left hand.

The sixth was a mirror of the fifth with Hernandez leading and Ramos looking to counter. The seventh was following suit when Ramos turned the tide with a stiff left that put Hernandez on his heels. Hernandez regrouped late and punctuated the round with a big right at the bell. Looking for a knockout in the final round, Ramos refused to give ground in the eighth. The fighters stood toe to toe and traded for the full three minutes of the round.

Judge Pat Connelly scored the bout a 76-76 draw. Judges Alejandro Rochin and Marty Denkin favored Ramos 79-73 and 77-75 respectively.
 

Fighting for only the second time since being released from prison earlier this year, James Kirkland dismissed Jhon Berrio with a glancing hook 1:05 into the second round of their super middleweight contest.

At first it appeared Berrio (15-9) came to fight as he landed several straight rights in a competitive opening round. But shortly after the bell to start the second, Berrio fell down and stayed down following a series of hooks Kirkland landed to the top of Berrio’s head.

Berrio showed no interest in continuing so referee Pat Young was forced to halt the fight.
 

Undefeated lightweight Francisco Contreras continued his winning ways with an easy, six round shut out of Mexico’s Adolfo Landeros. Contreras (16-0) battered Landeros around the ring in the opener, especially so when he trapped Landeros against the ropes. Landeros, a veteran of 37 professional fights, fared better in the second but still took a beating.

Contreras boxed beautifully in the third and fourth, keeping Landeros (19-18-1) on the end of his lengthy jab. The lanky Dominican enjoyed a five to six inch height and reach advantage over his Mexican opponent. Over the final two rounds Contreras boxed and banged, mixing in hooks and upper cuts with the jab. All three judges scored the bout 60-54 for Contreras.
 

In the opening bout of the evening, Humberto Zatarain overcame an early knockdown to win his professional debut by unanimous decision. Santa Ana south paw Jose Sanchez (3-2) dropped Zatarain with a left hook to the chin late in the first. Zatarain rose wobbly but survived the round. Zatarain (1-0) bounced back quickly in the second, landing a flurry of punches to open the round.

In the third the super featherweights traded right hands and left hooks. The back and forth continued in the fourth as both fighters feigned defense in favor of firepower. Zatarain’s superior work rate impressed the judges who awarded him the fight by identical scores of 38-37.
 

San Diego’s Antonio Orozco wasted little time in defeating fellow junior welterweight Manuel Aguilar by KO at 1:42 of the first. Orozco (9-0) swarmed Aguilar from the bell and refused to let him breath. When Aguilar (5-2) retreated to the corner Orozco tattooed him with a right hand followed by a left hook that dropped Aguilar to his knees.

Referee Pat Young counted to ten with Aguilar planted firmly on all fours.
 

In a contest of debutants, Stephan Lugo’s right hand ended the evening early for J.J. Ambrose who was stopped at 1:49 of the third round. Lugo (1-0) took the fight to Ambrose in the first, punctuating the round with a right hand at the bell.

In a dominant second, Lugo rocked Ambrose repeatedly with right hands. Ambrose (0-1) had difficulty with Lugo’s height and length and even more so with his right hand. Ambrose’s difficulty continued into the third when he was flattened by, you guessed it, Lugo’s right hand.
 

Junior middleweight Bobby Chavez won for the first time by defeating Steven Rubalcava by KO at 1:14 of the third. Chavez (1-2) chased Rubalcava around the ring in the first and pummeled Rubalcava when he caught him. The beating continued in the second when Rubalcava (0-3) lingered against the ropes.

Chavez bore down on Rubalcava and let loose with both hands. Early in the third Chavez floored Rubalcava with a hook to the body. Not long after Rubalcava rose to his feet his corner climbed the apron to stop the fight.