Alan Sanchez Stops Nicaragua’s Alberto Morales

ORANGE, CALIF.-A different feel permeated the fight card near Disneyland as popular ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. called out the names of prizefighters, former prizefighters and promoters.

Even the audience seemed more subdued.

The difference was obvious when WBO junior welterweight titleholder Timothy “desert Storm” Bradley and IBF bantamweight titleholder Yonnhy Perez were called up to receive checks from Thompson Boxing Promotions to send to their nonprofit organizations of choice on Saturday.

Bradley supports a football league in his area and Colombia’s Perez is helping with relief in Chile and Haiti.

It was a night of giving and recognizing those that sacrifice their time and effort to assist the needy.

“My league needs a lot of help,” said Bradley.

When the boxing action began it was Northern California’s Alan Sanchez (5-1, 2 KOs) against undefeated Nicaraguan Alberto Morales (11-1-1, 8 KOs) in a scheduled six round junior welterweight clash.

From the first round Sanchez used his superior height and reach to offset the bruising body shots by Morales. The first round saw the Californian hit and move as Morales chased and chased.

One thing was seemingly revealed, Sanchez did not punch very hard while Morales did have some pop. Once that was established Morales punched on the gas pedal and began the chase in earnest.

Rounds two and three saw the Nicaraguan fighter punish Sanchez to the body while occasionally going below the belt. Some head shots let Sanchez know he was not narrow minded.

Sanchez absorbed some big hits but was able to crank out more punches in the fourth round while snapping back Morales head too. It was close but Sanchez seemed to win it.

Morales jumped out of his corner when the fifth round began and ran smack into a left-right combination. Down he went. After beating the count Sanchez jumped across the ring at a back pedaling Morales and fired a three-punch combination that crumbled the Nicaraguan boxer. Referee David Denkin looked at Morales and wisely called the fight over at 35 seconds into the fifth round.

“I thought I was winning the fight. He did hit me but he didn’t hurt me,” said Sanchez of Fairfield, California. “I beat an undefeated fighter. It makes me feel great.”

In another pro fight two heavyweights collided. Washington’s Garret “Good Nite” Simon (3-0, 2 KOs) jumped on Lamont “Gentleman” Williams (1-1) and dropped him twice in the first round of a heavyweight clash. Those two knock downs would prove very important.

Williams rallied in the next three rounds and proved he could survive and win rounds by moving and covering up when necessary. Simon on the other hand seemed unable to solve Williams style or maybe sustained an injury. After four rounds the judges gave a majority decision to Simon 37-37, 38-36, 39-35.

A main event scheduled to feature undefeated featherweight Efrain Esquivias and Dominic Coca did not take place when the latter fighter never showed up. Coca had appeared at the weigh in but did not call nor arrive at the fight card.

A number of fighters were in attendance including Julio Diaz, Alfredo “Perro” Angulo, Abraham Lopez, Danny Hernandez, Dominic Salcido, Johnathan Arrellano, Mauricio Herrera, Josesito Lopez, Bradley and Perez. Also trainers Willy Silva and Joel Diaz.