Rene Alvarado and Xu Can Win Title Fights at Fantasy Springs

INDIO, Calif.-One fairy tale ends, another begins as Nicaragua’s Rene Alvarado took the WBA super featherweight world title by knockout over local desert legend Andrew Cancio on Saturday.

Alvarado joins his twin brother Felix Alvarado, the IBF light flyweight champion, as a world titlist.

“Now Nicaragua has another world champion, twin brothers,” said the new champion.

Alvarado (32-8, 21 KOs) stormed past Blythe’s Cancio (21-5-2, 16 KOs) from the opening round like a fast thoroughbred out of the racing gate, much to the sadness of the large crowd at Fantasy Springs Casino there to support the desert fighter.

Cancio never could catch up.

“I just couldn’t get off,” Cancio said. “I was two steps behind him.”

The Nicaraguan fighter seemed fired up and hungry to challenge Cancio. In their first encounter in 2015,  Alvarado lost by knockout after suffering a severe gash from a punch near the eye. This time the roles were reversed with Cancio bleeding from punches received in the third round. Ironically it was Cancio’s best round as he connected with a left hook followed by a right hand. Both punches snapped Alvarado’s head back.

But that was about it as Alvarado kept control of the fight with nonstop punches and was especially effective with the overhand right. Cancio tried different tactics but always seemed a step behind the Nicaraguan slugger who fought with dogged determination.

Cancio battled but always seemed to be a little slower and off timing. But he never quit despite the blood dripping into his left eye. At the end of the seventh round referee Raul Caiz ended the fight by knockout thus giving the victory and title to Alvarado. He dropped down to his knees for a few minutes.

“We were looking for new opportunities, not necessarily to avenge a loss, but opportunities to become a world champion. And that’s what we did,” Alvarado said.

Though most of the crowd was there to cheer Cancio, more than a few including former world champions Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez and Randy Caballero cheered their fellow Nicaraguan to victory.

It was his night.

“My objective was to make sure that I become a world champion on this important day, the 23rd of November, when 45 years ago, Alexis Argüello became a world champion for the first time,” said Alvarado. “And now for the first time, we have two world champions who are twin brothers from Nicaragua. That was the objective.”

Cancio was gracious in defeat.

“He fought a hell of a fight and there’s nothing I can say besides congratulate him and enjoy this. I know how it feels,” said Cancio. “The better man won tonight. It’s well-deserved; he fought a tremendous fight.”

It was Cancio’s desire to give Alvarado a shot at the title just like he received against Puerto Rico’s Alberto Machado last February. Now it’s Alvarado’s turn to live the dream.

China’s Xu Can Keeps World Title

WBA featherweight titlist Xu Can (18-2, 3 KOs) showed the crowd exactly how he grabbed the world title with a nonstop display of volume punching to win by unanimous decision over Manny Robles III (18-1, 8 KOs).

“We trained for three months for this fight,” said Can who lives in Kumming, China. “We wanted to show everyone in the world.”

Early on Can and Robles exchanged evenly but the pace proved too fast and soon the taller Chinese fighter took control of the fight with accurate uppercuts and combination punching. Robles tried countering, slipping punches and moving around but nothing seemed to stop the avalanche of blows coming his way.

Though Can does not display big power he has just enough to keep anyone from overrunning him. He also has a solid chin that he showed when Robles connected with big blows. Nothing seemed to faze Can (pictured celebrating with his team).

Punch after punch was fired by Can at a dizzying pace and none were wild, but strategically placed. In the ninth round Can shot a left uppercut then a right uppercut with both connecting. Soon after he fired a quadruple left hook at Robles as the son of trainer Manny Robles tried to evade the onslaught.

It was a mesmerizing display. Can’s  resembles former bantamweight world champion Paulie Ayala in his ability to fight nonstop. It was Robles first defeat as a professional and first world title challenge. There will be more.

After 12 rounds all three judges scored in favor of Can 120-108, 119-109, 118-110 who retains the WBA world title.

Other Bouts

In a rematch expected to be explosive, it fell slightly short as Rashidi Ellis (22-0, 14 KOs) used the basic one-two combination to win by unanimous decision over 10 rounds against New York’s Eddie Gomez (23-4, 13 KOs). The Bostonian wins the vacant WBA Continental Americas welterweight title.

The last time they met Ellis ambushed Gomez and knocked out the veteran in the first round at the same venue back in 2015. This time Gomez walked in tentatively and that allowed Ellis to maintain the pace at his own leisure in an uneventful encounter save for an exchange of rabbit blows in the fifth round. Otherwise the fight went 10 rounds with Ellis winning by scores of 100-90 and 99-91 twice to grab the WBA regional title.

Northwestern fighter Victor Morales (13-0, 7 KOs) was able to out duel veteran Mexican fighter Diuhl Olguin (14-13-3, 9 KOs) by unanimous decision after eight rounds in a featherweight fight, but each round was a lot closer than it might seem.

Olguin was able to counter many of Morales flurries especially when he switched to a southpaw stance. But Morales used his quickness via the jab and three punch combinations to out-punch the fighter from Guadalajara.

No knockdowns were scored but the boxer from the state of Washington gained valuable experience from the encounter with Olguin who has fought many top fighters in the past. One other thing learned from this match was that Morales has a solid chin. No knockdowns were scored in the featherweight fight. All three judges scored it 80-72 for Morales.

Argentina’s Alberto Melian (6-1, 4 KOs) won by knockout against Arizona’s Juan Kantun (21-9-3, 15 KOs) in the second round of a super bantamweight contest.

Baishando Nasiyiwula (16-3-1, 6 KOs) of China stretched his win record with a decision win over Mexico’s Saul Corral (30-15, 20 KOs) in a welterweight match.

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