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Quintero KO's Fontanez At LA
Fight Club
By Roy Marquez
Photos: Marlene Marquez
In the marquee matchup of the evening, Mexico’s Marvin
Quintero stopped Puerto Rico’s Jeffrey Fontanez at 2:21 of
the fifth to win the vacant NABF Lightweight Title. “I feel
great and phenomenally satisfied to have added a win for my
country in this great rivalry, said an elated Quintero. “My
left hand was a big weapon tonight and it is something we’ve
been working on in the gym.”
Fontanez (15-2) fought tall and used his length to walk
Quintero around the ring. But Quintero (28-6) had plans of
his own and feinted, bobbed and worked behind a jab to get
within firing distance. Once inside, Quintero let his hands
go in combination. Quintero closed the gap more frequently
as the fight progressed and hit pay dirt in the fifth.
Quintero jumped in and caught Fontanez along the ropes
dropping him with a left. Fontanez beat the count but got
caught and went down a second time moments later. Again he
rose and again Quintero charged. After another Quintero
blow, Fontanez’ corner tossed in the towel to save their
fighter.
“I knew he was an experienced and really good
fighter going into this fight, said Fontanez. But tonight he
landed a good left in the fifth round that really did some
damage and I couldn’t come back from that.”
In the co-main event, Carlos Morales stopped a game O’Nell
Negron (10-2-2) to win their super featherweight scrap.
Early in the contest Morales (12-1-3) fed Negron a steady
diet of jabs followed by a straight left. When Negron jabbed
in return, Morales timed it and fired over the top. Sensing
his advantage, Morales opened up in the third and fourth and
hurt Negron with hooks to the body and head.
Negron proved
his mettle but was simply overmatched. He took a beating in
the fifth but refused his stool and stood tall following the
round. Morales and Negron traded blows to start the seventh
but Negron inevitably faded and referee Zach Young stopped
the bout at 2:07 of the round. “I trained really hard for
this fight, said Morales, so it feels really great to add a
win for Mexico in this great rivalry.”
Oscar Negrete defeated Jose Estrella (14-8-1) by TKO
following the conclusion of the sixth round of their
scheduled eight round super bantamweight contest. Negrete
(12-0) mixed up his attack and kept Estrella off balance
throughout. Estrella was in the fight and appeared in no
immediate danger but retired on his stool before the start
of the seventh.
“Our strategy was to box in the early rounds
and wear him down for a late knockout. My straight right was
a really effective weapon against him because he stood
straight up” declared a victorious Negrete following the
fight.
Lightweight Hector Tanajara (2-0) bested Antonio Martinez
(3-5) over four rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory.
The judges were in concert by scoring the bout four rounds
to none for Tanjara.
“I felt in control throughout the
fight, said Tanajara. When I used my jab it was one of my
more effective weapons and I think had I used it more it
would have been a shorter night.”
Emilio Sanchez (10-0) continued his winning ways by stopping
Juan Sandoval (7-17-1) by TKO following the end of the
second round. Sandoval’s right eye closed in the second
prompting the ringside doctor to examine it between rounds.
On the advice of the doctor, referee Sharon Sands called a
halt to the featherweight fight.
Francisco Esparza had a successful coming-out party by
defeating Carlos Gonzales in his first professional bout.
Esparza (1-0) dominated the action en route to a unanimous
decision. All three judges scored the lightweight fight
40-36 for Esparza.
Oscar Duarte (3-0-1) kicked off the action with a narrow
38-37, 38-37, 37-38 split decision victory over fellow
lightweight Alejandro Salinas (3-1). Salinas picked himself
up off the mat in the second and fought his way back into
the four round contest.
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