Results from El Cajon: Kali Reis Wins and Elvis Does Too

WBA super lightweight titlist Kali Reis retained the title by majority decision over Diana Prazak and picked up the vacant IBO version on Friday. But it wasn’t easy.

Reis started slowly against the always ultra-aggressive Prazak and ramped up the pressure to make her first defense of the title at the Sycuan Casino in El Cajon, California, a city on the Mexican border in San Diego County. The fight card was staged by DiBella Entertainment.

Early on Prazak dictated the pace by attacking inside and pummeling the body. She was the much busier fighter as Reis seemed to be bothered by the toe-to-toe work.

Around the third round Reis began to get busier and used right uppercuts against the crouching attacks by Prazak. Though not many landed flush, they were enough to stall the attack and give Reis room to work at times.

Throughout the fight Prazak was the busier fighter. She threw more punches and attacked the body in every round. Reis sliced uppercuts and picked her moments which usually came right after the referee separated the two fighters. At long range it was Reis’s fight, at close range it was Prazak’s fight.

Each fighter connected solidly but neither fighter seemed close to hitting the deck. After 10 back-and-forth rounds one judge saw it 95-95, while the two other judges scored it 97-93 and 96-94 for Reis who retains the WBA belt and picks up the IBO. Unification is on her mind especially with her stablemate Mary McGee holding the IBF version.

Elvis in town

Elvis Garcia (12-0, 9 KOs) knocked down Joel Shojgreen (10-3, 9 KOs) five times before the heavyweight fight was stopped at the end of the third round.

Garcia showed quick hand speed and accuracy in slicing through Shojgreen’s defense. In the third round the Mexican heavyweight unloaded his arsenal and would not allow the Brooklyn fighter back into the fight. Though he made it to his corner at the end of the round it was decided he could not continue.

Battle of undefeated

San Diego’s Austin Brooks (4-0) won the battle of undefeated super featherweight prospects by decision after four rounds versus San Bernardino’s Jesus Torres Beltran (4-1). No knockdowns were scored but Brooks was in command throughout.

Ibarra wins

Mexico’s Alma Ibarra (9-1,4 KOs) defeated Canada’s Kandi Wyatt (10-3, 3 KOs) by decision after eight rounds in a welterweight elimination bout. Her only loss came against American fighter Raquel Miller two years ago.

Ibarra seeks an opportunity to face undisputed welterweight world champion Jessica McCaskill of Chicago.

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