Reynoso's jab tagged Pakau, who wasn't afraid to use chippy tactics on Friday. El Nino wouldn't be put off..he got the UD. (Katherine Rodriguez)ONTARIO-Riverside’s Jose “El Nino” Reynoso pummeled New Zealand’s Santos Pakau with body shots and won by unanimous decision on Friday in a junior welterweight bout that could possibly launch him to contender status.

Reynoso’s awkward southpaw ability to turn an opponent and hit from weird angles with snap, crackle and pop was on display once again at the Ontario Doubletree Hotel. Reynoso confused Pakau (27-7-2, 10 KOs) in the first two rounds and a body shot by the Riverside fighter opened up the firing lanes to Pakau’s head from the second round on.

“After the second round I knew he was weak to the body,” said Reynoso (14-3-1). “But he was a dirty fighter.”

After a clash of heads, a cut formed over Reynoso’s left eye. After that he attacked Pakau and floored the New Zealander with a straight left hand at the end of the third round.

Pakau took advantage of a slow fourth round to land a solid left hook. Though Reynoso was not hurt, neither boxer scored any more telling blows.

Both fighters exploded with punches in the fifth round. A right hook landed flush on Reynoso’s chin and he retaliated with several four-punch barrages. He also patted his body to motion Pakau to fire more body shots. Reynoso’s busier work was obvious.

Reynoso’s cut along his left eye opened up and the blood began dripping into it. Despite the blood he scored well with a pair of body shots followed by a sizzling left hand that snapped Pakau’s head back in the sixth round.

Two seemingly deliberate head butts and a low blow by Pakau ignited a charge from Reynoso who belted the New Zealand fighter around the ring with lefts and rights to the body and head. The Riverside boxer was scoring at will and wobbled Pakau with a left cross.

“I decided to jab and stay away from his head,” said Reynoso. “He was there to be hit.”

The last round saw both fighters exchange but a collision of heads slowed down the action. Reynoso scored heavy with some thudding body shots. The judges scored the fight 79-72, 80-71 twice for Reynoso.

Alex Camponovo, who matches the fights for Thompson Boxing Promotions, said Reynoso is ready for the next level.

“I think he’s ready for an ESPN television fight or something like that,” said Camponovo. “He was in against an experienced fighter and he wasn’t even tired.”

Other bouts

Carson’s Efrain Esquivias (12-0, 8 KOs) continues to systematically decimate opponents and proved it again against Colorado’s left-handed Shawn Nichol (5-3) with a technical knockout at 1:07 in round eight of a junior featherweight bout. Sitting comfortably in the pocket, he rocketed rights and lefts through Nichol’s guard in basically beating up the good southpaw boxer. Esquivias, who is trained by Freddie Roach, starts slowly then gains momentum for his wins. A pinpoint three-punch combination ended Nichol’s night. Esquivias could be launching himself toward another level soon.

Artemio “The King” Reyes (10-1, 9 KOs) scored another quick knockout with a perfect left hook to the liver in the first round against Mexico’s Francisco Gil (11-15, 7 KOs) at 1:36 of the first round. Colton’s Reyes is becoming pretty adept at knockouts via the body. The popular junior welterweight boxer trains in Riverside at Capital Punishment Boxing Gym.

In a fight between two super quick bantamweights Ontario’s Jonathan Arellano (7-0-1) showed he could fight outside and inside too and out-pointed Dominican Francis Ruiz (9-3, 4 KOs) after six rounds 60-54 twice and 59-55. Ruiz couldn’t stop Arellano’s inside combinations and that was the difference in the outcome. It was Arellano’s best fight yet.

Despite a unanimous decision victory Abraham Lopez (13-0, 10 KOs) showed a lot of rust in beating Colombia’s clever Felipe Almanza (19-22-3) in a six round featherweight bout. Lopez was the busier fighter but couldn’t zero in on Almanza’s defense. All three judges scored it 60-54 for Lopez who last fought in July 2010. Almanza, 35, has fought several world champions in his career including current junior featherweight titleholder Wilfredo Vazquez Jr.

Venezuela’s Jhon Ortega (3-0-1, 3 KOs), who trains in Indio with Joel Diaz and the other monster junior welterweights, floored Tucson’s Rudy Gamez (1-1) twice in winning by technical knockout at 1:19 of the third round. A counter right hand floored Gamez the first time, then, a right uppercut in the third round repeated another knockdown. Finally, referee Ray Corona stopped the fight after a barrage of Ortega blows continued to land.

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