Thompson Boxing Promotions delivered another thrilling night of boxing this past Friday, July 26, at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif. In the main event, Artemio Reyes (20-2, 16 KOs) earned his twentieth professional victory with a third round knockout of Sergio Perez (28-15, 19 KOs).
In the co-feature, Jolene Blackshear (8-3, 4 KOs) captured the vacant interim WIBA Jr. Flyweight World Title by delivering a crowd-pleasing, split-decision victory against previously unbeaten Sindy Amador (10-1, 1 KO) in an 8-round championship fight.
In the third round, Reyes carefully stalked Perez and delivered a crushing left hook to the body that sent Perez crashing to the canvas. Perez would beat the count, but as soon as he raised up, it was déjà vu for him. Reyes battered him with another left hook to the body which sealed his fate. Reyes notched another knockout to his resume; this one coming in the third round at the 1:39 mark.
“Most of my knockouts come in round one or two,” said a beaming Reyes. “I never start a fight seeking a knockout opportunity, but after the second round I knew I was prime for another knockout win. I kept putting him in uncomfortable spots, and sure enough, it was only a matter of time before he hit the floor.”
“Reyes continues to impress us every time he steps into the ring,” said Alex Camponovo, matchmaker and general manager of Thompson Boxing. “He continues to improve and it’s only a matter of time before he moves into a world title fight.”
In the co-feature, Blackshear took control of the fight in the seventh round when she landed a right cross on Amador’s chin that resulted in a crowd-standing knockdown. In the eighth round, Blackshear would knock down Amador again, this time with a sweeping right hook.
“I’ve been boxing for twenty years now and this is what its all about,” Blackshear said. “I’m in the process of writing the final chapters of my boxing career and this victory certainly puts me in a position to establish my name in the history books.”
“Blackshear stole the show tonight,” Camponovo said. “She came into this fight in great shape and it showed throughout the fight. She looked confident, determined and polished. It was a great championship performance.”
The fight began with both fighters trying to establish a rhythm and tempo that suited one another’s style. Ultimately, it was the technical ability of Blackshear that confused and frustrated Amador. Blackshear earned a split decision victory with scores: 76-74, 76-74, 74-76.
Undercard Results
Southpaw Alex Theran of Barranquilla, Colombia used a steady jab to consistently confuse Juan Carlos Rojas of Saltillo, Mexico. Theran, who is promoted by Thompson Boxing Promotions, landed several heavy right hands throughout the first three rounds. Rojas, however, was undeterred as he continued to press forward only to be repeatedly stopped by a fierce jab from Theran. Theran showed why he is considered an up-and-coming middleweight. He brawled when he had to and was able to box his way out of trouble with excellent footwork, timely combinations and stellar stamina. In the fifth round, Theran hammered Rojas against the ropes and kept him there until the round finished. It was a good test for the young Theran, as the middleweight prospect swept the fight with scores of 60-54, 60-54 and 60-54.
“The plan was to work off my job to set up my power punches and it worked beautifully,” Theran said. “I knew if I stayed with my jab I would be able to get three or four openings each round to deliver combinations and I did.”
Theran improves to 14-0, 8 KOs and Rojas drops to 5-6, 4 KOs.
Jorge Ruiz and Alex Reyes delivered an exciting fight for the fans in attendance. From the opening bell until the final round, Reyes charged at Ruiz with a flurry of punches and Ruiz was more than happy to exchange with the Houston native. Ruiz, from San Diego, had a considerable height advantage against the much smaller Reyes. As a result, Ruiz was able to calmly block most of Reyes’ incoming shots. In the second round, Ruiz opened a cut on Reyes’ lip. The judges ultimately believed Ruiz landed enough combinations to secure a majority decision win with scores of 38-38, 36-30 and 39-37. Ruiz remains undefeated (3-0, 1 KO), while Reyes is still searching for his first professional victory (0-3).
The night started with a spirited exchange between middleweights Ralph Lopez of Riverside, Calif. and German Valdez of Mexico. In the opening round, Lopez connected with a sweeping right hook that landed flush on Valdez’ cheek sending him flying to the canvas. Things would get worse before they would get better for the young Valdez. In the second, Lopez delivered a three-punch combination that overwhelmed Valdez, prompting veteran referee Raul Caiz, Sr. to stop the fight at the :29 second mark of the second round. Lopez improved to 7-1, 6 KOs and Valdez dropped to 2-2, 1 KO.
