Romero Duno Wins Savage Fight in Fantasy Springs

INDIO, CA. — It must be the season of the witch as two lightweights engaged in one of the most brutal and bruising battles of the year and finally ended with Romero Duno winning by technical decision over Juan Mozo Rodriguez on Thursday to win the NABO title.

You had to see it to believe it.

Filipino warrior Duno (20-1, 15 KOs) powered his way to victory over the equally powerful Rodriguez (30-8, 26 KOs) of Mexico after nine rounds in a scheduled 10-round title fight at Fantasy Springs Casino.

When the match was first announced anyone familiar with these two fighters had to expect brutality at its extreme. And that is exactly what transpired.

Both opened the first round with sledgehammer blows as if trying to knock a building down. Neither was missing and it was difficult to imagine they could continue at the pace set. They did.

Duno fired rocket rights at the Mexican fighter who barely blinked his eyes. Rodriguez snapped the Filipino fighter’s head back with savage uppercuts and he continued as if a warm desert breeze had merely rustled his short hair. They continued.

Around the fifth round Rodriguez connected with two powerful uppercuts that sent Duno reeling backward. It appeared the super strong Filipino fighter was about to go, however he returned with more wicked rights and the battle resumed.

Duno began targeting the body but in the seventh, one blow veered far below the belt line and down went Rodriguez. The referee saw the blow and deducted a point from Duno for the illegal act.

In the eighth round Duno continued the body attack and placed a left to the liver of Rodriguez who sunk to the ground. Somehow the Mexican fighter made it to his feet and the fight resumed.

Fans were mesmerized by the brutality and gutsiness shown by both fighters. In the ninth round the two lightweights engaged in an exchange of blows when their heads collided. Rodriguez slipped to the floor after receiving the butt; when he got up he was asked by referee Raul Caiz if he could continue and he answered no. According to the rules if a fighter cannot continue because of an illegal and unintentional act, the fight is stopped and determined by the scorecards up to that moment.

One judge scored it 85-84 for Rodriguez, but two others saw it 86-83 and 85-84 for Duno who becomes the NABO lightweight titlist.

It was one of the best fights of the year.

Manny IV

A battle for the NABF featherweight title saw Manny Robles score a first round knockdown with a beautiful counter left uppercut, then out-maneuver the pressure fighting southpaw Rigoberto Hermosillo over 10 rounds to win by split decision.

Every round was contested.

Hermosillo was slightly taller but preferred to fight up close and was often caught with pot shots by Robles who kept moving and hitting at the always charging fighter from Guadalajara.

Many of the fans drove from the Los Angeles area to cheer on Hermosillo, but the taller fighter never could hurt Robles who kept landing one-twos and uppercuts. After 10 rounds one judge scored it 95-94 Hermosillo, two saw it for Robles 97-92 and 96-93. Robles keeps the NABF featherweight title.

“I think I was a little bit smarter,” said Robles.

Other Bouts

Genaro Gamez (9-0, 6 KOs) needed less than a round to figure out Mexico City’s Daniel Evangelista (20-10-2,16 KOs) and send the super lightweight fighter to the canvas twice. A right-left-right combination dropped Evangelista the first time. After he got up Gamez cornered him and unloaded a five-punch combination that took the legs out of the Mexico City fighter. Referee Zachary Young stopped the fight at 2:43 of the first round to give Gamez the win by knockout.

“I wasn’t going for the knockout but I’m happy I got it,” said Gamez.

Popular Los Angeles prizefighter Carlos “The Solution” Morales (18-4-3, 7 KOs) won by knockout over Mexico’s Pedro Navarrete (30-24-3, 19 KOs) at 2:02 of round five in a lightweight match. Morales used his jab and pressure to break down Navarrete and finally ended it with a sweeping left hook that forced referee Raul Caiz to stop the fight.

Morales, a solid veteran fighter, used an intelligent attack while keeping the pressure on the former world champion who is also the brother of current WBO super bantamweight world titlist Emanuel Navarrete.

Mexican veteran Dihul Olguin (14-12-3, 9 KOs) out-witted Los Angeles fighter Tenochtitlan Nava (7-2) with a slick inside game that saw him win by majority decision after six rounds in a super featherweight fight. No knockdowns were scored and though Nava fired more blows, Olguin was the more accurate. Two judges scored it 58-56 for Olguin and a third saw it 57-57 giving the Guadalajara fighter the win.

Sean Garcia (4-0, 2 KOs) used his speed and combinations to stop Mexican veteran Martin Cardona (26-20) at the end of the second round of their featherweight clash. The left-handed Garcia connected with a flashy three-punch combination that dropped Cardona but the referee ruled it a slip. The round ended and Cardona signaled he could no longer fight. Garcia, the younger brother of Ryan “The Flash” Garcia, grabbed his second knockout victory.

Palmdale’s Kevin Anton (1-0) defeated New York’s Lashawn Alcocks (1-6) by knockout at 53 seconds of the second round in a welterweight bout.

Photo credit: Tom Hogan / Golden Boy Promotionshttp://forum.ib.tv/forum/forum/boxing/13082-romero-duno-wins-savage-fight-in-fantasy-springs

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