Oscar DeLa Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions featured two world championship fights over DAZN (The Zone) at the Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio CA, Saturday night. Vargas made his fourth defense while Canciol won the title in a big upset.
In the Main Event WBC World Super Bantamweight champion Rey Vargas, 33-0 (22), of Otumba, MEX, defeated No. 3 ranked Franklin Manzanilla, 18-5 (17), of VZ, residing in Barranquilla, COL, over 12 bloody rounds in his fourth title defense.
In the first two rounds both fighters had their moments but Manzanilla dropped Vargas in the second with a left hook on the chin. In the third round Vargas used an effective jab getting the better in a round of clinches. In the fourth round Vargas landed a solid right to the body. Vargas landed a good right with a double left hook rocking Manzanilla.
In the fifth round Vargas is countering well with Manzanilla hands held high is doing very little. Vargas landed a solid right to the chin of Manzanilla. A lead right landed from Vargas on the chin of Manzanilla. Manzanilla went down from a trip. In the sixth round Manzanilla went right after Vargas landing several rights to the head. Vargas landed a nice left hook to the chin. Vargas landed a triple left hook to the body and head of Manzanilla.
In the seventh round Manzanilla came rushing out landing a low blow causing him to lose a point from referee Caiz. Manzanilla is walking into punches from Vargas. Vargas received a cut over his right eye. In the eighth round Manzanilla comes charging out walking into a Vargas right hand on the chin. Vargas got hit from behind causing Manzanilla to lose a point. Vargas was cut just outside the left eye and under the eye.
In the ninth round Manzanilla is rushing in like a wild man taking counter punches from Vargas with Manzanilla grabbing Vargas and fouling him. The ring physician was brought in to check the three cuts on the face of Vargas. Manzanilla rushes in bullying Vargas into the ropes landing body shots and hitting behind the head.
In the tenth round Manzanilla rushes in landing and fouling Vargas. Vargas uses his longer reach keeping Manzanilla off of him for the most part. Vargas has his hands full with Manzanilla doing whatever it takes to score punches. In the eleventh round Manzanilla keeps walking into punches. Vargas lands two jabs and a straight right on the chin. A right uppercut to the body by Vargas hurt Manzanilla. A solid lead right by Vargas on the side of Manzanilla’s neck hurt him. Vargas counters well as Manzanilla rushes in. Manzanilla landed a right cross on the chin at the bell.
In the twelfth and final round Manzanilla rushes in with his head down knowing he needs a knockout is throwing wildly. Vargas landed a right uppercut to the body. Vargas landed a left hook to the body. Vargas continues to use his reach hitting Manzanilla as he comes in. Vargas landed a 3-punch combination to the head. Vargas landed a double left hook to the head.
Scores were 117-108 by all 3 judges.
WBA World Super Featherweight champion southpaw Alberto “El Explosivo” Machado, 21-1 (17), of San Juan, PR, was upset and stopped by No. 8 ranked Andrew “El Chango” Canciol 20-4-2 (15), of Ventura, CA, at 2:16 of the fourth round, losing his title.
In the opening round it was all Machado dropping Canciol with a left uppercut on the chin. In the third round Canciol came back well forcing the action but getting countered by Machado. Canciol landed a hugh left to the head hurting Machado. Canciol landed four punches to the body and head of a retreating Machado. Machado fires back but a left from Canciol hurt Machado again.
In the fourth round Canciol landed a solid left hook to the chin. A right to the body by Canciol dropped Machado whop barely got up. Canciol though cut over the left eye again dropped Machado with a body shot with a right uppercut to the chin. Canciol jumped all over him landing a right uppercut to the body stopping Machado.
“I can’t believe I won the title. He was tough. I had a lot to prove and no one gave me a chance. I was blessed winning the title. I will be back to work Tuesday,” said Canciol.
Earlier in the night southpaw Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz, 28-1 (14), of Downey, CA, scored a lopsided decision over Charles Huerta, 20-6 (12), of Paramount, CA, over 10 rounds. Diaz stopped Canciol in 2016 and this could set up a rematch with Canciol the new champion.
Lightweight Oscar Duarte 15-1-1 (10), of Parral, MEX, lost a split decision to Adrian “Diamante” Estrella, 29-3 (24), of Monterrey, MEX, for the WBC Continental Americas title, over 10 rounds.
In the opening round Duarte was the aggressor for the most part while Estrella would do well in the middle of the ring. In the second round Estrealla is doing all the punching while Duarte walks into his punches and hardly landed a punch during the entire round.
In the third round Estrella picked up where he left off having Durate walking into his punches. Durate got a warning for low punches by referee Hedgepeth. Durate finally caught up to Estrella landing ahard body shot. Estrella didn’t get the best of it but it was close. In the fourth round Durate walked into a Estrella left hook to the chin. Durate can’t seem to cut off the ring. Durate landed a good left hook body shot but Estrealla came back with a combination to the head.
In the fifth round Durate started the attack landing solid body shots. Estrella got a cut over his right eye from Durate a left hook. Moving round the ring Estrella still countered well. In the sixth round Durate kept up chasing and landing but getting counterred by Estrella. Durate had Estrella bleeding and on the receiving end though using his jab.
In the seventh round Durate is getting outpunched but landing the power shots. Durate landed a right on the chin hurting Estrealla who came right back with a right of his own on the chin. In the eighth round Durate continues to chase Estrella while both landed left hooks to the chin. A better round for Estrella but may not be good enough to take it.
In the ninth round Durate continues chasing landing body shots until he got caught by a solid right from Estrella rocking him. In the tenth and final round both used body attacks in what seemed like a close fight. Durate keeps pushing Estrella to the ropes otherwise he gets the worst of it. Estrella spins out of trouble hitting Durate. Estrella countered well but Durate keeps coming. Estrealla landed a good left uppercut but got hit with a left hook to the chin. Estrella landed the final punch a solid left hook to the chin.
Scores were 97-93 Durate, 98-92 Estrella and 96-94 for Estrella. This writer had it 95-95.
Super Middleweight Tureano Johnson, 20-2-1 (14), of Nassau, Bahamas, fought a draw to Fernando Castanedak, 26-13-1 (17), of Aguascalientes, MEX, over 8 rounds.
In the opening round there was no feeling out as both fighters slugged it out. Castanedak landed half a dozen punches to the body and head without return from Johnson. Castanedak landed two left hooks to the body while Johnson countered with a chopping right to the head of the shorter Castanedak.
In the second round Johnson comes out southpaw throwing body shots before he was hit low causing Castanedak to get a warning from referee Wayne Hedgepeth. Johnson landed a pair of right uppercuts to the chin while Castanedak came back with a combination to the head. Johnson went back to orthodox landed a pair of uppercuts to the chin. Then moving against the ropes Johnson landed two more right uppercuts to the chin before Castanedak came back with several of his own.
Johnson lost eighteen months ago being stopped in the final round of a elimination bout and is back for the first time and no longer ranked. In the third round Castanedak landed a right to the head followed by a left hook to the body before Johnson landed a right to the head. Johnson fighting inside landed a pair of chopping rights to the head. Then turned southpaw and got hit by Castanedek with a pair of left hooks to the head.
In the fourth round Johnson backed Castanedak up several steps with body shots. In a corner Johnson had Castanedak on the defense. Then Castanedek moved to the middle of the ring landing punch after punch to the head of Johnson. The pace was incredable as both were throwing punch after punch in the middle of the ring. Johnson landed a pair of left hooks to the head anda right hook on the chin knocking the head of Castanedak back but got caught with a solid left hook on the chin. What a round!
In the fifth round Johnson went southpaw again landing body shots until Castanedak landed a left hook of his own. Everytime Johnson throws the right uppercut on the chin of Castanedak he rocks him. Both fighters exchanged left hooks to the head. Backed against the ropes Castanedak countered a pair of left hooks to the body and head of Johnson.
In the sixth round Castanedak comes out throwing punch after punch to the body and head as Johnson goes into a crouch taking it. Seconds later they both start going to the body in a real slugfest. Johnson landed three punches to the head while Castanedak countered with three of his own to the body and head. Back into the middle of the ring Johnson landed three right’s to the head. Castanedak came back with a left hook but took two right uippercuts to the chin. The isn’t any clinching but constant punching. Johnson is having ice bags placed on his face by two cornermen between rounds.
In the seventh round Johnson started moving around then opening up on Castanedak who was walking into punches but landing punches of his own to the body. Johnson again started moving but landing from the southpaw stance when Castanedak caught up to him.
In the eighth and final round Castanedak knowing he is behind came out throwing bombs driving Johnson into the ropes. A left hook on the chin of Johnson had him hurt. Castanedak drove Johnson into the ropes almost having him defensless. Back into the middle of the ring Johnson and Castanedak exchanged uppercuts up until the bell. What an outstanding fight! Johnson and his trainer were having words awaiting the decision.
Scores were 77-75 for Castanedak by O’Connell, 77-75 for Johnson by Russell and 76-76 by Caiz while this writer had it 77-75 for Johnson.
“I want to thank my almighty God for the opportunity from Golden Boy and the Zone. The Mexican fans were terrific. I didn’t execute like my corner wanted me to,” said Johnson.
Super Bantamweight Armenian Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan, 16-3 (13), of L.A., CA, knocked out Lolito “Thunder Shot” Sonsona, 22-3-4 (9), of General santos City, PH, at 2:23 of the fifth round.
In the opening round Hovhannisyan pressed the action landing a pair of rights to the head of Sonsona. Sonsona came back with a combination to the chin of Hovhannisyan. Turning southpaw Hovhannisyan laned a low left and was warned by referee ?. Both fighters slugged it out in the middle of the ring. Hovhannisyan landed a low blow dropping Sonsona with a left hook losing a pont. Hovhannisyan went right after Sonsona pounging on him up until the bell.
In the second round Hovhannisyan drove Sonsora into a corner landing half a dozen of punches without return. Hovhannisyan landed half a dozen punches without return in another corner. For a third time Sonsora found himself against the ropes getting pounded on by Hovhannisyan.
In the third round Sonsora countered with a left hook on the chin of Hovhannisyan. Hovhannisyan drove Sonsora into the ropes landing half a dozen body shots. Hovhannisyan landed four left hooks to the body and head of Sonsora.
In the fourth round Hovhannisyan landed four left hooks to the body followed by a chopping right to the head of Sonsora. Hovhannisyan landed three low blows dropping Sonsora and losing another point. Sonsora came back landing four body shots. Hovhannisyan drove Sonsora into the ropes with chopping rights to the head until Sonsora slipped away. Trainer Freddie Roach gave Hovhannisyan a real talking to between rounds.
In the fifth round Hovhannisyan landed half a dozen punches to the body and head of Sonsora. Hovhannisyan got Sonsora into another corner with six punches to the head. Sonora slipped away only to back against the ropes when Hovhannisyan threw a lead right to the body dropping him for the count.