The Coachella Valley was treated to night of action at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino featuring number one rated super lightweight contender by the WBC, “Relentless” Antonio Orozco (25-0, 16 KOs) taking on Abner “Jaeger” Lopez (25-6, 19 KOs), of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico in a 10-round super lightweight main event live on HBO Latino® Boxing.
The fight was an all-out slug fest as the fighters each displayed their dominance in the ring. In the first two rounds, Orozco landed intense power shots that hurt Lopez. Lopez was not deterred as he came after Orozco with renewed energy in the third round, aggressively cornering Orozco against the ropes. The fourth through sixth rounds kept the same momentum as Orozco began to use the ring more to keep his distance. In the seventh round, Orozco’s right eye began to close but he continued to attack Lopez’ body with effective counter punches. The final rounds continued with the same intensity from Orozco regardless of the new cuts over the right and left eyes. As the fight went to the cards, the judges awarded the victory to Orozco with scores of 99-91, 99-91, and 97-93.
“We knew that Lopez was going to be a tough opponent,” said Antonio Orozco. “He was a come forward type of fighter and although I was willing to engage with him, I had to box him. That is something that we have been working on, when to be smart, box the fighter and be effective with counter punches.”
“I know I won this fight,” said Abner Lopez. “But this isn’t the first time this has happened to me. I was the better fighter tonight and the fans know it.”
In the televised co-main event of the night, undefeated featherweight sensation and NABF Featherweight Champion Joseph “Jojo” Diaz, Jr. (21-0, 12 KOs) displayed his power in a 10-round fight against Victor “Pitufo” Proa (28-2-2, 21 KOs) of Monterey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Diaz, Jr. wasted no time in dictating the pace of the fight as he landed power shots early in the first round. By the second round, Diaz, Jr. caught Proa with a left hook to the chin that sent him to the mat. Making the count, Proa was not afraid of Diaz, Jr. as he bravely tried to land some shots; however, Diaz, Jr. took advantage of the shaken Proa and overwhelmed him against the neutral corner. Diaz, Jr. continued to relentlessly attack Proa and not being able to defend himself any longer, the referee stepped into to stop the fight and Diaz, Jr. was awarded another victory via technical knockout.
“I wanted to come out tonight and show my power,” said Joseph Diaz, Jr. “When I landed that left hook that dropped him I knew I had him and decided to finish him. I knew he was hurt and I wanted to make sure I made a statement; that I am a serious contender in the 126 pound division. I am not hurt and am looking forward to fighting again soon, hopefully in the Canelo-Smith undercard in September.”
“He caught me by surprise,” said Victor Proa. “I had prepared to face Diaz, Jr., we knew he was going to be a tough fighter, but the hook caught me off guard and I wasn’t able to shake it off.”
Opening up the RingTvLive.com live stream, Roy “Pitbull” Tapia (12-1-2, 6 KOs) of East Los Angeles took on Jairo “Roca” Hernandez (17-10, 9 KOs) of Torreon, Coahulia, Mexico in a scheduled eight-round super bantamweight fight. The fight turned into a classic brawl as both fighters fought from the inside willing to take punches to land punches. In the third round, Hernandez took a knee as Tapia landed a right hook that stunned him and Tapia continued to dominate the action throughout the fight. The judges award a unanimous decision victory to Tapia, as the “Pitbull” claimed his 12th victory.
“I felt 100 percent today, I was sharp and I was in sync with my trainer,” said Roy Tapia. “When I dropped him in the third round I thought I could finish him. I was looking to set up the punch, but I was skimming. I did counter when he came in wide but he was very resilient, my respects to him as a fighter. I want to thank my team for this victory, especially my cutman Sergio Estrada, he was able to keep me in the fight.”
Los Angeles’ fan favorite Nick “La Calavera” Arce (8-1, 6 KOs) really brought with him a fan base as the “marching skulls” cheered him on in a thrilling six-round super featherweight fight against Jesus Aguinaga (5-4-1) of Phoenix. The fight went the distance with both trading blows in a high-action event. In the end it was Aguinaga that was able to secure the victory with scores of 59-55 by all three judges.
“I am so grateful to the judges for the unanimous decision victory,” said Jesus Aguinaga. “I have been fighting tough guys my entire career, and I think I have found my weight, 130 pounds suits me and I feel strong. I have a new team and I am grateful for all the hard work and the confidence they have in me and next step is to continue winning and improve my record to get to become a serious contender in the division.”
Newly signed Golden Boy Promotions fighter Vergil Ortiz (1-0, 1 KO) of Dallas made his professional debut in stellar fashion, knocking down his Julio Rodas (0-3) of Flagstaff, Ariz, with an overhead right, ending the fight at the 1:37 mark.
“I didn’t expect to win via first round knockout, I saw that I hurt him and I decided to take advantage of it,” said Vergil Ortiz. “I am looking forward to my next fight on the Canelo-Smith undercard. I can’t wait to fight in front of my hometown crowd.”
Kicking off the action, Palmdale, California’s Cesar Diaz (2-0, 2 KOs) took on Ramiro Ruiz (0-4) of Monterrey, Mexico, in a scheduled four-round featherweight fight. In the first round, both fighters tested each other as they kept their distance while using their jabs. The fighters picked up the pace in the second round and in the third round Diaz cornered Ruiz on the ropes and unleashed a flurry of punches. Ruiz couldn’t shake Diaz off and the referee stepped in and stopped the fight, giving Diaz his second professional victory via TKO.
“After my first fight I was ready to come back and when the offer came to come back to Fantasy Springs I didn’t hesitate,” said Cesar Diaz. “I am glad I was able gain another victory and am looking forward to continuing my journey to becoming a world champion.”
