Urbano Antillon KOs Valdez

Urbano Antillon blasted out Mexico’s Adrian Valdez with immediate impact and should be fighting for a junior lightweight world title in 2008.

Before a vocal crowd Antillon (21-0, 15 KOs) showed his pedigree with startling efficiency at Dickerson’s Event Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico on Friday. Two knockdowns eliminated the need for scoring against Valdez (18-6-3, 10 KOs).

From the opening bell Antillon looked the superior fighter and when an opening developed a quick left hook dropped Valdez immediately.

Valdez, a veteran with a win over former world champion Cesar Soto, beat the count and looked fully recovered. He began to fire some punches but realized every time he left an opening Antillon found it.

A missed right hand resulted in Antillon’s counter right landing on the jaw and Valdez went partially down to the last strand where he was hit with another right hand. He slumped to the floor as Antillon began to fire a left hook, but held back when he saw Valdez on the ground. The referee jumped in between unnecessarily and waved the fight over at 1:16 of the first round.

Valdez feigned unconsciousness hoping it would result in a disqualification of Antillon. But he was never hit while on the floor, just on the bottom strand otherwise known as “no man’s land.”

“I was just doing my job and trying to get an opportunity to fight for the championship,” said Antillon.

Antillon, who lives in Maywood, California, a small town seven miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, is trained by Rudy Hernandez who also trains Jose Armando Santa Cruz. He spars with some of the best fighters in the world including Juan Manuel Marquez.

No doubt about it, Antillon is ready for a title shot.

In a heavyweight bout, Texas heavyweight David Rodriguez (27-0, 25 KOs) seemed to receive a gift decision against slick fighting Marcus McGee (19-15, 9 KOs). At worst the fight should have resulted in a draw.

Poor scoring is a common thing in New Mexico. It reminded me of the fight between Monica Lovato and Mariana Juarez where the winner Lovato should have been the loser. But she’s the hometown girl and unless you knock her out, she’s going to win. In the men’s heavyweight bout Rodriguez was out-boxed the last four rounds.

New Mexico is to the west what Michigan is to the east, full of poor judges.

In a middleweight fight Austin Trout (13-0, 10 KOs) won by unanimous decision over Mexico’s Erik Esquivel (15-6-1, 12 KOs) after six rounds. There were no knockdowns as Trout won every round in boring fashion.

Overall it was another example of poor officiating by the New Mexico judges and referees. In one preliminary fight, a pro debuting fighter from New Mexico was allowed to club the back of his opponent’s head with impunity. The referee meekly let it occur maybe 20 times in the fight that lasted only three rounds.