“Night of Champions,” Thompson Boxing Promotions annual private event, showcased up and coming junior welterweight Jonathan Garcia (14-0, 11 KOs) of Watsonville, Calif. against Joaquin Chavez (6-11-3, 2 KOs) of Los Angeles.
The taller and stronger Garcia dished out plenty of punishment on his way to a 6-round unanimous decision win (59-54, 60-53, 59-54) on Saturday, March 15, from the Doubletree Hotel in Orange, Calif.
In the first round, Garcia connected with a furious combination that sent Chavez sliding across the canvas. Most ringside observers believed Garcia was zeroing in on his twelfth professional knockout victory, but Chavez, as those in attendance found out, is built to take a punch. Chavez, however, could not string together enough quality combinations to mount a comeback. By taking command in the first round, Garcia was able to take home the win.
Among the attendees from Saturday’s event were welterweights Josesito Lopez and Aron Martinez. They had a friendly exchange in the ring and posed for pictures prior to the event’s first fight. Lopez and Martinez meet on Thursday, April 24, from the Agua Caliente Casino Resort in Rancho Mirage, Calif., televised on ESPN2.
The co-main event featured the always-busy Danny Roman (8-2-1, 4 KOs) of Los Angeles versus veteran super bantamweight Jose Angel Cota (15-11-1, 11 KOs) of Mexico. Roman used his speed, power, and younger legs to register a second round knockout victory. The fight was scheduled for 6-rounds.
Undefeated Colombian welterweight prospect Oscar Torres (2-0, 1 KO) knocked out Rashad Hughes (1-4-1, 1 KO) of Riverside, Calif. in the second round of their scheduled 4-round fight. Torres produced two knockdowns in the first and two in the second to score his first professional win via knockout.
The event’s first fight was an exhibition between super bantamweights Fernando Samaniego (6-0, 3 KOs) of Phoenix and Isaac Zarate (7-1) of Los Angeles. Samaniego and Zarate fought three, two-minute rounds. Both fighters displayed excellent fundamentals and should be watched closely as their careers mature.
Thompson Boxing Promotions next show is Friday, April 25 from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif. Please visit ThompsonBoxing.com for the latest news on our events and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
