Mighty Mike Anchondo Wins but Suffers Cut

IRVINE, Calif.—Former world titleholder Mike Anchondo returned to his home state, virtually shut out his opponent Armando Cordova (23-30), but couldn’t put the capper on the lightweight bout in his first fight in a year.

A standing-room-only crowd at the Irvine Marriott Ballroom saw Anchondo (26-1, 19 KOs) use his world-class skills to outscore his Panamanian opponent and rarely get hit with punches. But a head butt in the seventh caused a cut on the corner of his right eye.

“What are you going to do, the guy was an awkward fighter,” Anchondo said. “He comes in with his head then throws a left hook.”

Anchondo’s defensive skills enabled him to hit and not get hit with punches against Cordova. But the much taller Panamanian rarely gambled against the fighter known as “Mighty Mike.” Body shots and stiff right hands forced Cordova to keep a distance.

He was cruising along winning every round, when both fighters’ heads clashed and blood spurted out from Anchondo. A worried look crossed his face.

“My corner warned me about him,” Anchondo said. “It’s his style.”

A scheduled fight between Anchondo and Darling Jimenez in late January is now in jeopardy. Cuts requiring stitches incur automatic suspensions by the California Athletic Commission.

Though concerned about possibly losing the scheduled fight at the Mohegan Sun, the La Puente prizefighter is more concerned with his boxing form that enabled him to capture the junior lightweight title on July 15, 2004 against Juan Pablo Chacon.

“I’m mine own worst critic,” he said. “I got the W, but what are you going to do. I wasn’t satisfied with my performance.”

Other bouts

San Antonio’s Tammy Franks (2-1-1) had a huge height and reach advantage against Maywood’s Lissette Medel (2-1) but needed a round to figure it out. Medel, a former amateur standout, used her quickness to land some effective punches in the first round.

But Franks, whose cornerman is Tony Ayala Sr., abandoned the futile headshots and dug punches to the body. That proved the difference in winning a split-decision 39-37 twice and 37-39 for the Texan.

In a heavyweight match San Diego’s Lawson Baker (2-0-1) and Lancaster’s Cornel Davis (3-6-1) traded heavy punches along the ropes with neither able to take control. The judges scored it a majority draw.

A junior welterweight bout between Antonio Tapia (2-0) and Miguel Garcia (0-1) ended with a victory for Bell Garden’s Tapia. It was Garcia’s pro debut but the Pasadena fighter wasn’t able to convince the judges he was victorious. The judges scored it 40-36 twice and 39-37.

Light heavyweights Billy Bailey (4-1) and Thomas Haines (3-3) fought a face-paced four rounds, but Bailey pulled out a majority decision. The judges scored it 39-37 twice and 38-38.