Garcia Promotions Draws a Crowd to See Prospects in San Bernardino

A muggy night in San Bernardino was no sweat for fans interested in watching another chapter of the Garcia Promotions’ card called “Prospects Collide” on Friday.

Whether it’s fighting, managing or promoting, the Garcia family, comprised of Eduardo Garcia, Robert Garcia, Mikey Garcia and Robert Garcia Jr., has entered the boxing game full force. And with an army of fighters under their supervision, they now put on boxing cards featuring their own.

Indio’s Ruben Rodriguez (9-0, 3 KOs) headlined the fight card at the Club Events Center in San Bernardino and defeated Allentown, PA. boxer Jerome Rodriguez (7-14-3) in a four round welterweight scrap.

Rodriguez, 22, has been looked at by various major promoters and was too sharp for visiting East Coast fighter Jerome Rodriguez, a southpaw. The Southern California boxer battered his foe with sharp combinations to the body and head and kept the pressure on for four rounds. No knockdowns were scored in a fight Ruben Rodriguez won by 40-36 on all three cards.

In the semi-main event, Phoenix featherweight Breenan “El Guerito” Macias had problems with Mexico’s Jose Naranjo for the first two rounds. But beginning in the third round, he found his distance and began using different tactics in evading Naranjo’s looping left and right counters. Macias cruised the last two rounds by using his reach and moving laterally away from those counters that gave him problems in the first two rounds. All three judges scored it 40-36 for Macias.

Another Phoenix fighter fared less successfully as Alfredo Escarcega (8-0-1, 4 KOs) and Indiana’s Andrew Rogers (4-7-2) fought to a majority draw after four super lightweight rounds in a battle between lefties. Rogers nearly knocked down Escarcega twice with rights in the second round. Escarcega rallied back in the last two rounds and was lucky to get a draw, especially in the last round when Rogers connected with two big right hands and a left. But the taller Escarcega used his jab and distance to keep Rogers from running away with the win and evaded a loss.

In the only knockout of the night, Leo Ruiz (6-0, 4 KOs) evaded the bull rush charges of Utah’s Christian Aguirre (8-7, 4 KOs) especially in the second round of their super welterweight clash. Then, in the next round, he targeted the body and found success as Aguirre slumped to the floor. Though he beat the count, he could not continue and lost by knockout at the end of round three.

Austin Gudino (4-0) of San Bernardino and Cody Peterson (1-5) of Kansas City battled ferociously for the first two rounds of their welterweight match. But by the third round the body attack by Gudino was wearing down Peterson and a body shot crumbled the Missouri fighter for a knockdown. Gudino returned to the body in the final round but drifted too low and was deducted a point for a low blow. Still, Gudino was the winner by decision.

After the final bout a large crowd lined up to obtain autographs, photos and merchandise from Mikey Garcia and others. The hot and muggy night did not prove to be a distraction. The next Garcia Promotions show is tentatively scheduled to take place in Texas.

Photo credit: Al Applerose

Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel  

To comment on this story in The Fight Forum CLICK HERE