Featured Articles
Tito Sanchez Wins Bruising Battle at Fantasy Springs

Featherweights Jose “Tito” Sanchez and Walter Santibanes unloaded blows like a chain gun in the last show of the year on Thursday in Indio, California.
Sanchez won by unanimous decision, but fans didn’t seem to care. The action spoke for itself.
Cathedral City’s Sanchez (12-0) remained undefeated but Arizona’s Santibanes (12-3) was a great help in pleasing the many fans at Fantasy Springs Casino. It was Golden Boy Promotions final boxing card of 2023.
Both Sanchez and Santibanes fought southpaw and switched to orthodox stances frequently, but seldom did they leave each other outside of punching distance.
Sanchez worked the body more frequently and was able to slip more blows than Santibanes and that proved the difference in their 10-round back-and-forth war. All three judges scored in favor of the local fighter Sanchez 99-91 twice and 98-92.
Arizona’s Santibanes was slightly deflated by the scores, but fans showed their appreciation for the Phoenix-based fighter who had previously upset an undefeated fighter (Manuel Flores; 15-0) last June.
Other Bouts
Middleweight Eric Priest (12-0, 8 KOs) needed only 2:09 to end the night of Paul Mendez (21-5-2). A counter right cross floored Mendez early in the opening round. Mendez beat the count but was met with a flurry of blows that forced referee Ed Hernandez to end the fight.
Ventura’s Ricardo Ruvalcava (11-0-1) defeated Mexico’s Irving Macias (15-4) by unanimous decision after eight rounds in a welterweight match.
Tijuana’s Jorge Chavez (9-0, 7 KOs) knocked out Nicaragua’s Jerson Ortiz (17-10) at the end of the second round. Chavez, who trains with Hector Lopez in Santa Ana, floored the Nicaraguan fighter with a five-punch combination in the opening round. It was downhill from there as Chavez proved too strong for Ortiz.
“He didn’t want it no more,” Chavez said of his foe.
Welterweight Justin Figueroa (7-0, 6 KOs) proved too strong in blasting out Jerome Clayton (3-3-1) at 1:57 of the third round. Figueroa fights out of Atlantic City and floored Clayton four times before ending the one-sided match.
Photo credit: Cris Esqueda /Golden Boy Promotions
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Avila Perspective, Chap. 330: Matchroom in New York plus the Latest on Canelo-Crawford
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Vito Mielnicki Jr Whitewashes Kamil Gardzielik Before the Home Folks in Newark
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Avila Perspective, Chap 329: Pacquiao is Back, Fabio in England and More
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Opetaia and Nakatani Crush Overmatched Foes, Capping Off a Wild Boxing Weekend
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Catching Up with Clay Moyle Who Talks About His Massive Collection of Boxing Books
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Fabio Wardley Comes from Behind to KO Justis Huni
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
More Medals for Hawaii’s Patricio Family at the USA Boxing Summer Festival
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
The Shafting of Blair “The Flair” Cobbs, a Familiar Thread in the Cruelest Sport